THE UHS BOARD

Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval immigrated to California as a young child and grew up tending the family farm as a bilingual and bicultural individual. He received his Ph.D. in Spanish and Portuguese from the University of California at Irvine and participated in Cornell University's School of Critical Theory summer program.

He believes that it is in the Arts and the Humanities that creativity meets eloquence of thought, a commitment to social engagement takes flight, and a vision for a greater understanding of our shared humanity comes into view. Indeed, the vision for a comprehensive and dynamic university education stems from advocating for a multifaceted curriculum: one that produces a nursing major who is influenced by artistic expressions that are imbued with empathy; an engineer who understands our inherent appreciation for painting; or the business major who has internalized the ethical lessons philosophy espouses.

As a scholar, Jiménez-Sandoval studies poetic discourses, Mexican literature, and Lusophone cultural productions. His research is influenced by deconstructionist and post-colonial theories, as these afford a theoretical and metaphorical space in which to explore the being-in-process that is unconstrained by a stagnant ontology. As he has seen first-hand the transformative power of learning, he envisions an integrated society nurtured by the quest for self-empowerment through education.

Rajee Amarasinghe received his Ph.D. in mathematics education from Indiana University, an M.S. in computer science from Purdue University and M.S. in mathematics from Purdue University. He earned his B.S. in mathematics and physics from University of Colombo, Sri Lanka and is a graduate from the Kotelawala Defense University, Sri Lanka. He was the 2004 faculty recipient of the Jan & Bud Richter Award for Excellence in Education for Liberal Studies Faculty at California State University, Fresno and the recipient of the 2000 Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Indiana University.

Currently he serves as a professor and the department chair of the Department of Mathematics at California State University, Fresno and Co-PI of the San Joaquin Valley Mathematics Project. During his time at Fresno State, Rajee has received over $13 million grant funding in collaboration with school districts and other departments at Fresno State. He has directed professional development workshops for teachers locally and internationally and directs the Summer Academy in STEM workshops to enhance mathematics education for children in the Central Valley. He has co-authored three books in mathematics and mathematics education.

Dr. Xuanning Fu is the Dean of Undergraduate Studies and a professor of sociology, at California State University, Fresno. Dr. Fu obtained his doctorate degree in 1994 from Brigham Young University, and his research interest includes inter-racial marriage, education and social class, and meaning of work. He has published two books and 30 peer- reviewed journal articles on inter-racial marriage, divorce and on meaning of work. Dr. Fu has taught in four U.S. universities, including UC and CSU, and also worked as a statistician and researcher in the field of educational outreach. He is intimately familiar with California’s systems of higher education and pathways for student success. His most recent research focused on graduation and time to degree in higher education institutions.

Michael Stain joined the Bank in 2013 as the Senior Vice President and Regional Manager of the Central Valley Region. Mr. Stain has been in Banking for 36 years with broad experience in commercial, agribusiness, real estate lending, along with experience in private banking. His banking experience includes marketing and credit positions with Bank of America and PNC Bank, along with senior leadership roles at Wells Fargo.

Mr. Stain graduated with a Master in Business Administration Degree from Duquesne University in Finance and Marketing. He also received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Fresno Pacific University.