New leader named for Cal State L.A.

William A. Covino

William A. Covino, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Cal State Fresno, has been named President of Cal State L.A., the CSU  Board of Trustees announced today.

Covino will replace  James M. Rosser, who is retiring as president of Cal State L.A. after overseeing the expansion of the EL Sereno campus for more than 30 years. In addition to working at Cal State Fresno, Covino has also held administrative positions at CSU Stanislaus and Florida Atlantic University. He has also served on the faculty at the University of Illinois at Chicago and at San Diego State University. In a statement, Covino, who earned his B.A. in English from UCLA and a Ph.D. in English from USC, said:

I am honored to join a university as outstanding as Cal State L.A. and look forward to engaging with students, faculty, alumni and the community to build on its strengths and create opportunities for the future,’ said Covino. ‘The university is uniquely positioned in a global center for the arts, technology and the economy and it boasts a student population as diverse as the city it serves. Cal State L.A. truly reflects the changing face of California in the 21st century.’

Covino is expected to take over as Cal State L.A. president on Sept. 1