作者：辛西娅·休伯特

2022年11月2日

President Robert S. Nelsen, who for the past seven years has overseen 萨克拉门托 State’s historic student achievement and shepherded the University through unprecedented challenges, will retire in July, 他于11月2日周三宣布.

Nelsen will be remembered for his dedication to student success, his efforts to raise the University’s profile in the region, his commitment to diversity and inclusion, and a deep love for what he warmly called the 大黄蜂的家庭, among other notable accomplishments.

无论是发表演讲，铲土为新校园建筑破土动工，还是参加体育赛事，尼尔森都因其毫无节制的热情和温和的幽默感而受到广泛钦佩。 His declaration “囊状态 is No. 1! Stingers Up!” – often made with his wife, Jody, by his side – has become his signature valediction.

“萨克拉门托 State will always be in my heart,” Nelsen said, adding some flavor from his Texas roots. “I wish I could be president forever, but I know the time is right for me to hang ‘em up.”

• 请阅读纳尔逊总统声明的全文

Nelsen, 70, became 萨克拉门托 State’s eighth permanent president on July 1, 2015, succeeding Alexander Gonzalez, who retired after 12 years of leading the University. 在来到萨克拉门托之前，尼尔森在德克萨斯大学系统度过了30年的大部分时间。

He was president of UT-Pan American from 2010 to 2014 and served as special advisor to UT’s executive vice chancellor for academic affairs. 他的职业生涯还包括担任英语教授、副教务长和创意写作主任。

Nelsen earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from Brigham Young University, and his doctorate from the University of Chicago's Committee on Social Thought.

刚到萨克州立大学时，他说主要目标是提高毕业率和保留率，然后就成功了。 在他的领导下，大学四年内毕业的学生人数增加了187%。 囊状态’s performance in the CSU’s Graduation 2025 initiative is among the best in the system.

With Nelsen’s oversight, the University surpassed its 正在崛起 fundraising goals, raising $239 million in its first comprehensive campaign. 他庆祝了校园主要项目的完成，包括资助、建设和2019年开放的欧内斯特·e·查南科学大楼（Ernest E. Tschannen Science Complex），以及旁边的天文馆。 Nelsen also was instrumental in the creation of 囊状态’s 反种族主义和包容性校园计划, which is guiding the University toward its goal of creating a campus culture that is fair and welcoming to all.

即使Sac州立大学被迫适应全球大流行的破坏性影响，也取得了这些进展，这场全球大流行于2020年3月将学生、教职员工送回家学习、教学和工作。 The campus quickly pivoted to online learning, and notably, the University’s enrollment and graduation rates held steady. 今年秋季，约有3.1万名学生重返校园，该校的新冠病毒感染率保持在1%以下。

“萨克拉门托 State is an exemplar of community engagement and partnership and, under President Nelsen’s leadership, has solidified its position as a vital anchor institution for the region while enhancing its statewide and national reputation. I congratulate President Nelsen on these achievements and on a shining legacy that will span generations.” ——基社盟临时总理乔琳·科斯特

基社盟临时总理乔琳·科斯特 called Nelsen “a brilliant, compassionate and student-focused leader who has successfully guided 萨克拉门托 State through a period of remarkable growth and transformation.”

“囊状态’s student body is larger and more dynamically diverse than ever before,” Koester said. “Most important, the University has made extraordinary progress in helping that talented and diverse group of students reach their academic goals.”

Koester noted that Nelsen’s efforts to identify new and innovative ways to provide access and opportunity for area students led to a significant expansion of 囊状态’s footprint, including the establishment of 萨克拉门托市区 and planned construction of the 萨克拉门托 State Placer Center.

“萨克拉门托 State is an exemplar of community engagement and partnership and, under President Nelsen’s leadership, has solidified its position as a vital anchor institution for the region while enhancing its statewide and national reputation,” she said.

“I congratulate President Nelsen on these achievements and on a shining legacy that will span generations.”

Nelsen’s announcement drew congratulatory notes and kudos from elected leaders and others across the region and beyond.

“Robert Nelsen has brought visionary leadership to 囊状态, invigorating the campus with his unyielding positivity and dedication to the students and staff,” Congresswoman Doris Matsui, who has been the region’s U.S. Representative since 2005, 在新闻发布会上说.

“His work has been truly life changing, and 萨克拉门托 will continue to benefit from his impact and all the students who become our future leaders and innovators,” Matsui said.

Mayor Darrell Steinberg, 在一条祝贺的推文中, said Nelsen “forever changed 萨克拉门托 for the better” with his “compassion for students, tireless drive for academic achievement and exceptional commitment to our community.”

Noting the University’s soaring graduation rates, 州参议员史蒂夫·格雷泽说 called Nelsen “a great, impactful, student-centered leader.”

Nelsen said he is proud of 囊状态’s progress and grateful for the dedication of the city’s residents and leaders, but is reluctant to take full credit.

“These accomplishments would have been impossible without the faculty, staff, students, and community members who have poured their hearts into this work,” he said.

“It is time for Jody and me to move on so that the University can continue to move forward. 天下没有不散的筵席。 The future is bright, and I know that 萨克拉门托 State will continue to be on the rise.”

Jody Nelsen, a constant presence at her husband’s side during his tenure at 囊状态, said his decision to retire was a difficult one.

“But I’m looking forward to our next chapter,” she said.

“We have loved our time here. 非常感谢我们萨克州立大学大家庭中的每一个人，感谢他们多年来的支持。 My heart is filled with gratitude.”

The CSU will launch a national search to identify Nelsen’s successor. Koester, along with the chair of the CSU Board of Trustees, Wenda Fong, will select a committee comprised of campus and other stakeholders who will seek campus and community input on the selection of 囊状态’s next president.