We are pleased to announce that Dr. Stephen M. Trzaskoma has been appointed Interim Dean of the College of Natural and Social Sciences, effective June 9, 2025. He will serve in this role while continuing as Dean of the College of Arts and Letters.
Dr. Trzaskoma joined Cal State LA in 2022 and brings more than two decades of academic leadership experience. Before coming to Cal State LA, he served as Director of the Center for the Humanities at the University of New Hampshire, where he was also a Professor of Classics and held various faculty leadership roles. His scholarly work focuses on ancient Greek and Roman literature and mythology, and his leadership has centered on expanding access to the humanities, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and advancing equity, justice, and sustainability through engaged scholarship.
Dr. Trzaskoma has been a champion of student and faculty success, an advocate for publicly engaged humanities, and a collaborative leader across colleges and disciplines. His work has been supported by the American Council of Learned Societies, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, and others.
We also take this moment to express our deepest appreciation to Dr. René Vellanoweth for his dedicated leadership of the College of Natural and Social Sciences. Since joining Cal State LA in 2008, Dr. Vellanoweth has served as Associate Professor, Chair of the Department of Anthropology, and, since 2021, as Dean of NSS. His contributions include advancing equity initiatives, launching the Urban Ecology Center, supporting student success, and expanding research infrastructure. He will be leaving the university to begin a new role as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Northern New Mexico College.
We thank Dr. Vellanoweth for his years of service and lasting impact on the NSS community. He will be greatly missed, and we wish him continued success in this next chapter.