Cynthia Teniente-Matson will be the new president of San Jose State University in January, the university announced Wednesday morning, becoming the third woman to hold the permanent post in the school’s 165-year history.
Matson is currently president of Texas A&M University in San Antonio, a post she’s held since 2014 and one that brought her back to her hometown. She’s no stranger to the California State University system, having served as vice president for administration and CFO of Fresno State from 2004 until 2013. She will start her new role on Jan. 17, 2023.
“San Jose State is a nexus of history, innovation, the sciences, the arts and so much more,” Matson said in a statement released by the CSU Board of Trustees. “As the founding institution of the California State University system, the university boasts an unparalleled history of service to the region and state. It also serves as an exemplar for research and discovery with graduates impacting industries and communities throughout Silicon Valley.
“I am grateful for this opportunity to work alongside all of the talented and dedicated faculty, staff, administrators and friends of the university to accomplish our collective goal of providing opportunities for students to benefit from the transformative power of an SJSU education.”
Steve Perez served as interim president this year following the 2021 resignation Mary Papazian in the aftermath of a sexual assault and harassment scandal in the athletics department. In an email to the campus community, Perez said he spoke to Teniente-Matson on Wednesday morning to congratulate her on the appointment, for which he also was a candidate, and said he would work to “set the table” for the new president.
“It has been my honor to serve the university over the past year,” Perez said in the email. “I appreciate you all for welcoming me as your interim president and for all you do to support our campus community. It is truly a special place and the future for SJSU is bright.”
CSU Trustee Christopher Steinhauser, who chaired the search committee, said in a statement that Matson was a “forward-thinking leader who excelled at identifying and implementing new and innovative ways to improve student achievement.”
While she was president at Texas A&M-San Antonio, the university developed several strategic initiatives and partnerships including the creation of the Mays Center for Experiential Learning and Community Engagement, the Cisneros Institute for Emerging Leaders, the Institute of Water Resource Science and Technology and the Cyber Engineering Technology/Cyber Security Research
Center.
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