First Service Agenda

Friendship Baptist Church

8:00 a.m. | First Service

CSUF Speaker: Dr. Ronald S. Rochon
President of California State University, Fullerton

President Ronald Rochon serves as the 10th president of California State University, Fullerton, a role he assumed on July 22, 2024. With more than three decades in higher education, Dr. Rochon has held a variety of teaching, research and leadership positions at several leading universities.

Dr. Rochon has dedicated his career to advocating for educational excellence, student success, access and equity. A collaborative academic leader, he is known for always placing students at the center of his work. He has held faculty appointments in educational policy, history and organizational leadership.

Since joining Cal State Fullerton in 2024, Dr. Rochon has engaged with the campus community in implementing the university’s Fullerton Forward Strategic Plan: strengthened its role as an anchor institution and intellectual, cultural and economic hub for Southern California; led, with his team, the approval of a new $67.5 million Engineering and Computer Science Hub to empower the next generation of innovators; fostered cross-college collaboration; prioritized shared governance, and championed excellence in all areas of the university, including student enrollment, faculty and staff success, community engagement, athletics, and an inclusive campus culture.

Prior to Cal State Fullerton, Dr. Rochon served as the president of the University of Southern Indiana and held several leadership appointments at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Texas A&M University, Buffalo State College, and Washington State University.

Dr. Rochon has served as past chair of the Board of Directors for the Association of State Colleges and Universities and board chair for the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. 

Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, Dr. Rochon is a first-generation college graduate. He earned a bachelor’s degree in animal sciences from Tuskegee University, followed by a master’s degree in animal science with an emphasis in reproductive physiology, and a doctorate in educational policy studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Introduced by:

CSUF Speaker:  Dr. Gwendolyn Webb
Director of Community Engagement and Retention

Dr. Gwendolyn Carol Webb is celebrating her 50th year as an educator. She began her career as a Theatre and English high school teacher for seven years and as a teacher of special education at the middle and high school levels for eight years. Dr. Webb currently serves as the Director of Community Engagement and Retention in the Division of Student Affairs and Strategic Enrollment Management, at California State University Fullerton. She recently held a joint appointment as an Associate Professor in Educational Administration and Human Resource Development, and Teaching, Learning and Culture at Texas A&M University. She also served as the Associate Director of the Educational Leadership Research Center. From 2019-2022 she served as Program Chair of the PreK-12 Leadership Program. She also served as an Assistant Professor in Special Education at The University of Texas. She has received teaching awards from Texas A&M University and The University of Texas. Dr. Webb received the George Bush Excellence Award in Public Service in 2009. Recent awards from the Department, College, professional organizations, and a student organization include: (a) 2018 Extraordinary Service Award for the College of Education and Human Resources, (b) 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Texas National Association of Multicultural Education, (c) 2021 Most Inspiring Advisor Award from the Texas A&M Student Chapter of the NAACP and the (d) 2022 Legacy of Excellence and Equity Research Award from The Carter and Larke Lecture Series at Texas A&M., and (e) 2024 SEC Faculty Travel Grant Award from the Southeastern Conference (SEC) to study at the Initiative for Race Research and Justice Center at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Her research interests include (a) the recruitment and retention of African American students in higher education, (b) culturally responsive leadership, pedagogy, principal and teacher development, (c) the disproportionate representation of African American learners in discipline and Special Education, (d) culturally responsive family and community engagement, (e) equity audits in PreK-12 school systems, and (f) the exploration of academic achievement and sociopolitical contexts among African American girls. Her current research focuses on the perceptions of young African girls who demonstrate, “Talking With Attitude,” as they are overrepresented in discipline and suspension data. She champions a strength/integrity model to share their voice, while affirming their cultural identity and promise. She provides professional development and workshops to school administrators, teachers, families, school boards, community organizations and students in PreK-20 settings. 

It does indeed take an entire village to educate a child, but we must first reconstruct the educational village!

Second Service Agenda

Friendship Baptist Church

11:30 a.m. | Second Service

CSUF Speaker: Keya Allen
Associate Executive Director, Associated Students Inc. (ASI)

Keya Allen currently serves as the Associate Executive Director of Associated Students Inc. (ASI) at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF). With a distinguished 30-year career in higher education across multiple CSU institutions, she has specialized in staff and student development, particularly in student government, programming, organizational advising, and facilities management. In her current role, Allen oversees ASI Student Government, ASI Student Programs & Engagement, the ASI Children’s Center, the Titan Student Union, the Student Recreation Center, and leadership development programs. She guides initiatives that foster wellness, student leadership, civic engagement, inclusive campus programming, and essential student services. A proud alum of the CSU system, Allen earned both her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from California State University, Long Beach (CSULB). She spent 21 years at CSULB, beginning in Athletics and later transitioning to Associated Students, Inc., where she oversaw programming, media, KBEACH Radio, marketing & design, communications, and student government. Since joining CSUF in 2016, Allen has been instrumental in transforming ASI’s operations. She played an integral role in the Titan Student Union Expansion, brokered strategic partnerships to enhance student services and infrastructure, and led initiatives such as the ASI Food Pantry to address food insecurity. She also launched the major speaker series Beyond the Conversation, bringing nationally recognized voices to engage the campus community in meaningful dialogue. Allen’s leadership bridges students’ needs with institutional objectives, improving communication and strengthening collaborative partnerships between academic and administrative units. Through innovative programming, expanded leadership opportunities, and effective facilities oversight, she has ensured more inclusive representation and improved operational efficiency across campus. Her unwavering commitment to academic excellence and student empowerment continues to make her a vital asset to CSUF and the broader CSU community. Looking ahead, Allen remains focused on leveraging emerging technologies and collaborative strategies to empower student voices and drive sustainable improvements in campus governance, wellness,student services, and facilities management.

 

CSUF Speaker:  Austin Murell
CSUF Alumni, Computer Science Major, President of National Society of Black Engineers

Austin Murrell is a Computer Engineering graduate currently working in Engineering Program Management. He has five years of career experience in the aerospace and defense industry. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, spending time outdoors, going to the gym, and staying active.