Sharon Brown-Welty

Dr. Sharon Brown-Welty was appointed Dean of Cal State San Bernardino’s Palm Desert Campus in July, 2014 where she oversees the operations of a university campus. In her capacity as Dean, she is responsible for the academic offerings, student life programs, community outreach and fund raising, and general administration and operations of the campus. Since her appointment as Dean, she has chaired the CVEP (Coachella Valley Economic Partnership) Committees on Education: College Access and Completion and also has chaired the Committee on Successful Transitions. She serves on the HARC (Health Assessment and Research for Communities) Board and the C4C (Communities for Collabo­ration) Board as well as on several committees of the Clinton Health Matters Initiative.

Prior to her appointment as Dean at CSUSB Palm Desert Campus, Brown-Welty served in a number of positions at Fresno State including Dean of Graduate Studies, Department Chair of Educational Research and Administration, and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs. She designed the doctoral program and directed the first Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership at Fresno State and was on the early Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) convening organiza­tion. Prior to arriving at Fresno State, she served at Indiana University of Pennsylvania as the Assistant Provost, the Interim Associate Provost, and as the Assistant to the Vice President for Finance.

Brown-Welty has been published in a number of professional refereed education journals and periodicals. She is also the author of a number of book chapters on educational leadership and has served as an editor and reviewer for professional education publications. She has also made many major presentations on educational leadership.

Recent awards include the Outstanding Educator and Inductee into the Rotary Education Hall of Fame in 2016, the 2016 Impact Award by the SBEMP Law Firm in Palm Springs, and has been selected the 2017 Education Leader by the Palm Springs Women’s Leadership Forum. She was initiated into Phi Kappa Phi in 2013 for significant contributions made toward the promotion of academic excellence at Fresno State. Brown-Welty received a Top Ten Women of the Year in Fresno honor in 2009, the Richter Award for Leadership in 2008, the Leadership Fresno Outstanding Alumni Award in 2003, and the Provost Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching and Mentoring in 2003.

Brown-Welty has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in business administration from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and an educational doctorate in higher education administration and policy studies from the University of Pittsburgh. She is married to Dr. John D. Welty, President Emeritus, Fresno State and together they have 5 children and 6 grandchildren.