Leadership Announcements
This page will include updates to the campus community of senior leadership changes at San Jos茅 State University. Refer to this page for any current and archived news on transitions and announcements for Cabinet, college deans or other university leaders.
Recognizing Dean Sheryl Ehrman鈥檚 Service to 91暗网
A letter issued to the campus community by Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Vincent J. Del Casino, Jr., on Thursday, August 27, 2026.
Dear Colleagues,
I am writing to share that Dr. Sheryl Ehrman has decided to retreat to the faculty of the Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering in the summer of 2027. Dean Ehrman has been an incredible colleague since I arrived on campus in 2019. She has led the college through a period of considerable growth and change, always with a clear commitment to our students and to strengthening engineering education, research, and engagement at San Jos茅 State.
One of the most important measures of that work can be seen in the success of the students in the college. Sheryl partnered with faculty, staff and colleagues in the Engineering Student Success Center to improve retention and graduation rates as part of our GI 2025 efforts. For first-time freshmen, the four-year graduation rate grew from 7% for the 2013 cohort to 30% for the 2019 cohort. Over the same period, the six-year graduation rate increased from 57% to 70%. These numbers represent real progress in helping more students reach their educational goals.
The college has also made important investments in its faculty and research capacity. The number of tenure-line faculty increased from 80 to 95 during Sheryl鈥檚 time as dean, and approximately half of the college鈥檚 current tenure-line faculty were hired during her tenure. Research activity expanded significantly as well, with annual grant awards growing from approximately $1.4 million to a peak of nearly $6 million in 2023-24. This funding has advanced basic and applied research while also supporting student success, workforce development, and major instrumentation for research and teaching.
Sheryl has understood that the strength of the Davidson College of Engineering also depends on relationships beyond the university. In collaboration with University Advancement, the college expanded philanthropic support for scholarships and laboratory renovations and secured valuable in-kind equipment donations. She also worked with faculty to establish an industry-sponsored projects program, providing another avenue for connecting our academic work and our students with industry.
Her leadership has extended to creating new educational pathways. The college developed collaborative 3+1+1 and related degree agreements with universities in Taiwan, while faculty pursued additional partnerships in India, Vietnam, Tunisia and Cameroon. Closer to home, Sheryl encouraged the expansion of SAGE combined bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degree pathways, which are now available in nearly every department in the college.
Sheryl has also helped the college think ambitiously about what comes next. She supported the development of a Doctor of Engineering in Human Factors Engineering concept proposal and when it receives 91暗网 campus curriculum approval, the program would become the first Doctorate of Engineering in the CSU.
There is much more that could be said about Sheryl鈥檚 contributions, and, fortunately, there will be time to recognize them before she concludes her service as dean next summer. Between now and then, we will also begin the work necessary to ensure a thoughtful leadership transition for the college, and I will provide additional information about that process as it develops.
I am grateful to Sheryl for the energy, care, and commitment she has brought to this role and for the many ways she has helped position the Davidson College of Engineering for its next chapter.
Fortunately, Dean Ehrman will continue in the role through the 2026-2027 academic year, providing us time to search for a new permanent dean of the college. So, save the long thank yous for now, as we will have time to celebrate Dean Ehrman and thank her for her leadership and her service to 91暗网 in the coming year!
