New provost named at Fresno State already on the job. He’s university’s second in command

Fresno State has officially named Xuanning Fu as its provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, effective immediately.

Fu replaces Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, who left the spot in 2020 to serve as the school’s interim, and then eventual, president. Fu has served as interim provost since January 2021.

“Since his interim appointment, Dr. Fu has worked closely with members of the faculty, leadership and students across our campus to ensure that Fresno State remains a competitive leader in academic excellence,” Jiménez-Sandoval said in a statement from the school on Wednesday.

The provost is the university’s chief academic officer and serves as leader when the president is away from campus.

Fu came to the United States as an international student in 1989, having earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in China. He taught as an assistant English professor at Ocean University of China before coming to the U.S., where he earned a doctorate degree in sociology from Brigham Young University.

He joined Fresno State in the Department of Sociology in 2003 and has an administrative resume at the school that includes associate dean of the College of Social Sciences, dean of Undergraduate Studies and vice provost.

“I’m humbled and honored by the trust the faculty, staff, the search committee and President Jiménez-Sandoval have placed in me, and appreciate the support of campus and community members,” Fu said. “I am determined and energized to further advance student success and faculty/staff excellence, empowering all I work with to prepare and educate the next generation of leaders in the Valley and the world.”

As a fundraiser, Fu helped Fresno State secure two recent grants — $1.26 million from the Department of Education to increase Asian American-Pacific Islander representation in criminal and civil justice careers, and $1.25 million from the National Science Foundation to increase the representation of women engineering faculty in the CSU.

He was also instrumental in helping guide decisions about campus re-population and safety protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic. He served on the university’s emergency operations committee (representing the campus’ academic interests) and was co-chair of the COVID planning task force.

“I’m grateful for Dr. Fu’s focused and heartfelt efforts during the pandemic. His expertise, careful and steady vision for Academic Affairs and his collaborative and consultative approach has provided the division with clear direction and solid leadership,” .Jiménez-Sandoval said in the university’s statement.

This story was originally published June 8, 2022 at 10:41 AM.