Yolonda Youngs, professor of geography and environmental studies, will lead the Cal State San Bernardino Honors College as interim dean beginning June 1.
Youngs will report to Caroline Vickers, dean of Graduate Studies and Honors College. The appointment is intended to ensure continuity in the Honors College’s momentum and strategic priorities during the interim period.
In her new role, Youngs will oversee all aspects of the college, including academic and identity student recruitment and engagement, curriculum development and program evaluation. She also will focus on strengthening integration between the Honors College and the university while cultivating relationships with academic colleges to recruit more tenure-track faculty to teach honors courses.
Youngs has focused her career on experiential learning and career pathways that support student success. Her research specializes in national parks and international UNESCO protected areas, environmental geography, conservation of natural resources, GIS and geospatial technology and long-term environmental monitoring for habitat restoration.
She has written or co-authored more than 30 academic publications. Her second book, “Framing Nature: The Creation of an American Icon at the Grand Canyon,” won the 2025 J.B. Jackson Prize from the American Association of Geographers, one of the highest honors in her discipline.
Youngs’ honors and awards include a 2026 Exceptional Service to Students Award, the 2025 Outstanding Faculty for Research and Creative Activities award from the CSUSB College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, an International Geographical Union Scholar Award, and a U.S. Scholar Award from the International Cartographic Association. She also received the Outstanding Researcher Award at Idaho State University, the Distinguished Educator Award from Apple, and a Scholar-In-Residence Award from the University of New Mexico.
Her research has been supported by the U.S. National Park Service, the National Science Foundation, the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units Network and the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District.
Youngs has also held leadership roles outside the university, serving as chair of the American Association of Geographers’ Biodiversity Specialty Group and as regional level and sectional secretary for the Association of Pacific Coast Geographers.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology/archaeology from Florida State University, a master’s degree in earth science from Montana State University and a doctorate in geography from Arizona State University.