Marissa Vasquez named new chair of ARPE department
A career dedicated to postsecondary educational leadership has taken an unexpected turn for Marissa Vasquez.
On Aug. 1, the associate professor is taking up a new role as chair of the Department of Administration, Rehabilitation and Postsecondary Education (ARPE) at SDSU.
“I never thought I’d be department chair,” Vasquez said. “It was very humbling to know that my colleagues felt that they could entrust me to serve in that role to advocate for our students, for our department and for our faculty.”
She will succeed Professor Charles Degeneffe, who will be stepping down as the ARPE chair at the end of the academic year. Degeneffe, a rehabilitation counseling expert whose research focuses on supporting individuals with acquired brain injury and their families, called it an honor and privilege to have served for the past four years.
“I am continuously amazed and inspired by the dedication of ARPE’s staff and faculty to their students, research and advocacy,” Degeneffe said. “ARPE’s students are likewise incredible and will go on to make a positive difference in the lives of their clients and students. I would like to thank my mentors in this role, previous ARPE department chairs Caren Sax and the late Fred McFarlane.
“Incoming Chair Marissa Vasquez will be a wonderful leader for our department and will have my full support.”
Vasquez, who earned her doctorate from ARPE’s Ed.D. in Community College Leadership program, said the department helped foster her professional growth which was significant in her transition from student to colleague.
“I'm grateful to my colleagues who have supported and uplifted me throughout my career here in ARPE,” Vasquez said. “I thank Chuck for modeling inclusive leadership and advocacy as our department chair, and I look forward to continuing that in my role.
“I'm also proud to be the first Latina to serve as department chair because I know that many of our students and faculty share similar identities, which is important because representation matters.”
In addition to ARPE, Vasquez serves in multiple leadership roles. She is associate director of the Community College Equity Assessment Lab (CCEAL), a member of the University Senate, chair of the HSI Advisory research and scholarship committee, and, starting this summer, will serve a term as chair of the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education.
CSCC honor
This month as well, Vasquez was honored with the 2025 Council for the Study of Community Colleges (CSCC) Arthur Cohen and Florence Brawer Distinguished Service Award at their 66th annual conference.
The award recognizes leaders whose service demonstrated a commitment to advancing the mission of CSCC through a diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility lens. It is a fitting honor for Vasquez, who notes that, at the end of the day, her job is to create spaces for all people to feel welcome and supported.
“My involvement in CSCC started in 2012 when I was a doctoral student," Vasquez said. "I was welcomed and affirmed by folks that I admired on paper for their research, and that's a feeling that I never forgot. Once I became faculty, I just wanted to pay it forward.
“This award is named after two individuals who literally wrote ‘The American Community College’ book and are known for their prolific scholarship and advocacy for community colleges. They're also remembered as two individuals who cared deeply about this work and students. As a community college scholar, it's an honor to be affiliated with them.”
