Cathy Sandeen (‘76, Speech Communication) is the President of California State University, East Bay. Sandeen earned a Ph.D. in communications from the University of Utah and a Master of Business Administration degree from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. She was named an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow in 2010-11. Prior to becoming president of CSU East Bay, Sandeen was chancellor of the University of Alaska Anchorage from September 2018-December 2020, and chancellor of the University of Wisconsin Colleges and UW-Extension for four years. Previously, as vice president for education attainment and innovation at the American Council on Education, she led ACE's nationwide effort to increase post-secondary educational attainment. A prolific writer and speaker, Sandeen has published and presented widely on the issues surrounding educational innovation and nontraditional students.