Jun 05, 2026 Dr. Kathryn M. Howard appointed Dean for the School of Education

Dr. Kathryn M. Howard has been appointed as the next Dean for the School of Education at Cal State Channel Islands, effective June 12, 2026.

Dr. Howard brings more than two decades of experience in higher education leadership, teacher preparation, and applied linguistics research to this role. She holds a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics from the University of California, Los Angeles, and her scholarly work, grounded in issues of equity and social justice for multilingual children and their families, informs every dimension of her leadership practice.

Central to Dr. Howard's work at CSUCI has been the design and direction of the Ventura County Teacher Residency partnership, a multi-district initiative built on the conviction that teachers should come from the communities they serve. Under her leadership, the residency program has grown into a regional model for community-rooted, clinically rich teacher preparation, securing the funding to support financially sustainable pathways into the profession for aspiring educators. She has also led full CTC accreditation cycles, built field placement partnerships across dozens of school districts and county offices, and championed recruitment and advising strategies designed to make teacher credentialing more accessible to candidates from underrepresented backgrounds.

Dr. Howard's career spans faculty and administrative leadership at the University of Pennsylvania, CSU San Bernardino, and CSU Channel Islands, where she has served as Associate Dean, Department Chair, and Program Director. Her peer-reviewed scholarship has appeared in leading journals and edited volumes, including a co-edited volume with Cambridge University Press.

As Dean, she looks forward to deepening the School of Education's partnerships, strengthening its programs, and advancing its commitment to preparing educators who reflect and serve the diverse communities of Ventura County and beyond.