Following a national search and carefully considering input from the campus community, Edna Martinez has been named the associate vice president and administrator in charge of the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus. She will begin her new position on Aug. 1 and will hold a tenured academic appointment in the university’s James R. Watson and Judy Rodriguez Watson College of Education. 

With more than 15 years of experience in higher education, Martinez has held various roles at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) as the chair of the Department of Educational Leadership and Foundations, and previously as the college enrollment manager of Enrollment Services and program coordinator for the College Assistance Migrant Program. Furthermore, she also served as co-director and, before that, interim co-director of the Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership at Cal State San Bernardino.

“Edna will bring a wealth of experience to the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus and help shape the future for students in the Coachella Valley,” said Rafik Mohamed, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Cal State San Bernardino. “She will play a vital role in empowering faculty, staff and students to achieve success and will continue to propel the campus forward to meet the needs of the community. Her passion for education, unwavering commitment to student success and innovative leadership style are the perfect ingredients for bringing about positive change and we have no doubt that she will accomplish extraordinary feats as our new campus administrator.” 

Throughout her career, Martinez has displayed strong leadership skills, overseeing academic operations, fiscal matters and human resources. She has actively worked on developing and implementing student retention initiatives, showcasing her commitment to student success. Martinez has also played a significant role in establishing a fully integrated one-stop student service center that offers seamless services for various student needs.

Her contributions in academia have been recognized nationally. Martinez has served as a reviewer for several prominent publications and received a certificate of recognition in 2019 from state Assemblymember Eloise Reyes, D- San Bernardino, at the Women of Color in Academia Faculty Publication Celebration.

Martinez is a member of various academic organizations, including the Council for the Study of Community Colleges, the American Educational Research Association, and the Association for the Study of Higher Education. These memberships demonstrate her dedication to research and furthering the field of education.

She earned a Ph.D. in educational leadership from Clemson University and holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UTEP. As a proud product of a Hispanic-Serving Institution, she has chosen to focus her career on achieving equitable outcomes for Latinx and other minoritized students, making her research and work more meaningful and impactful.

Martinez expressed excitement about becoming the new administrator of the Palm Desert Campus.

“I am honored and excited to join the PDC community,” said Martinez. “I look forward to working with students, families, faculty and staff to make PDC the choice, not the only choice, for students in our community.”  

About PDC: The CSUSB Palm Desert Campus offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees, a doctorate in educational leadership, teaching credentials and certificates. Serving more than 2,200 students, it is the Coachella Valley’s four-year public university and plays a vital role in educating and training the region’s growing population.

For more information about the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus, contact Mike Singer in the Office of Strategic Communication at msinger@csusb.edu or (760) 341-2883, ext. 78107, or visit the PDC website at www.csusb.edu/pdc.