New Cal Poly Pomona President Soraya M. Coley will address faculty and staff members for the first time at a noon conference on Tuesday, Jan. 6 at the Bronco Student Center, Ursa Major.
Coley will assume the presidency on Jan. 1 and become the first female president at Cal Poly Pomona. She will succeed President Michael Ortiz, who retired in December after an 11-year tenure.
In a program patterned after Fall Conference, Coley is expected to map out plans for the future of Cal Poly Pomona and set an agenda.
David Speak, chair of the Academic Senate, and Rachel Dominguez, president of Staff Council, are scheduled to make presentations before Coley’s address.
Coley’s husband, Ron Coley, a vice chancellor at UC Riverside, will attend the ceremony.
Coley, who was named Cal Poly Pomona president by the CSU Board of Trustees in September, was provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Cal State Bakersfield since 2005. She also was interim vice president for University Advancement.
During her career in higher education, she has served as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Alliant International University and as dean of the College of Human Development and Community Service, an administrative fellow in the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, and department chair and professor in the Department of Human Services at Cal State Fullerton.
Coley earned a bachelor’s in sociology from Lincoln University, a master’s in social planning and social research from Bryn Mawr, and a Ph.D. in social planning and policy also from Bryn Mawr.