Luke Wood returned to his alma mater, Sacramento State, to become its ninth president on July 16, 2023. A nationally renowned scholar on racial equity with a specific focus on early childhood education and community colleges, Wood has authored or co-authored 16 books and published nearly 200 articles, book chapters, and other scholarly works focusing on racial inequality in education.

Wood’s bold vision for the University includes 23 strategic action items, including the creation of the nation’s first Black Honors College, which welcomed its inaugural class of scholars in fall 2024. In partnership with UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber, Wood led the formation of the first-ever university-backed collegiate pathway into boxing and mixed martial arts, Combat U. Wood also supported the establishment of the National Institute on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Society, which provides research, resources, and professional development around AI in education.

President Wood holds a bachelor’s in Black History and Politics and a master’s in Higher Education Leadership from Sacramento State, and a master of education in Early Childhood Education and doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (Higher Education concentration) from Arizona State University. President Wood’s wife, Idara Essien-Wood, is a tenured associate professor of Early Childhood Development at San Diego State. They have three children. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity Inc. and is an amateur boxer.

DeRionne Pollard is the president of Nevada State University , a public comprehensive institution awarding baccalaureate degrees in over 50 courses of study and graduate education in niche, high-demand areas of concentration. NS is one of the fastest-growing colleges in the country and is designated as a Minority Serving Institute, Hispanic Serving Institution, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Institution. Gloriously diverse, nearly half of all NS students are first-generation college students, and NS advances phenomenal teaching and superb student support to expand and diversify an educated workforce, thereby protecting social justice and economic mobility.

Pollard began her tenure at NS on August 16, 2021. Pollard is the first Black female president of any NSHE institution. She has held previous roles at the College of Lake County and served as president of both Montgomery College (2010-2021) and Las Positas College (2008-2010).

Pollard is deeply connected to her community, serving on the Board of Directors for the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, the Henderson Chamber of Commerce, the Vegas Chamber of Commerce, and Nevada Public Radio. Nationally, Pollard is a member of the Center for First-Generation Student Success Advisory Board for the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, serves on the Board of Directors for Generation Hope, a transformative non-profit focused on the success of parenting college students and their children, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities national board, and most recently she has been appointed to the Council for Higher Education Accreditation board. A nationally recognized leader, Pollard is a frequent speaker, presenter, coach, and mentor on issues related to higher education leadership and governance, diversity/equity/inclusions/justice, and capacity building in small and large teams.

As a result of her work and accomplishments, Pollard was named one of Washington's 100 Most Powerful Women by Washingtonian Magazine, won a 2017 Academic Leadership Award from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and a Visionary Award from the Washington Area Women’s Foundation. More recently, Pollard was named one of the 2023 Women to Watch by Nevada Business Magazine, she received the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance 2023 Leadership award, and the 2024 National TRIO Achiever Award, an honor given by the Council for Opportunity in Education to TRIO alumni who have had exceptional success in their careers and communities. She holds a Bachelor and Master of Arts in English from Iowa State University and a Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy studies in higher education from Loyola University Chicago.

Perhaps it is Pollard’s own description that best captures who she is and what she brings with her to this work: “First-generation college completer; proud Chicago Public Schools graduate; former food stamps and public assistance recipient; motherless child healed by parenting; loved by and loving the most glorious woman for over 30 years; and uncompromising warrior for access to equitable, life-transforming education for all who seek it to enhance their lives and the communities in which we live and serve.”