Current Position and Past Experience
Dr. Ellen Neufeldt is the President at California State University San Marcos and has been in the position since July 2019. Previously, she was Vice President for Student Engagement and Enrollment Services at Old Dominion University. Prior, she was Vice President for College Student Affairs at Salisbury University.
President Neufeldt is firmly committed to ensuring that Cal State San Marcos is a diverse, inclusive and welcome home for students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members. As a national leader on student success and social mobility, she cares deeply about being part of the solution to creating pathways for students to achieve their dreams. Under her leadership, CSUSM ranks in the top 1% in the nation out of nearly 1,200 colleges and universities in the Social Mobility Index – which measures the extent to which a university educates more economically disadvantaged students at lower tuition and graduates them into good paying jobs.
Education, Honors and Achievements
President Neufeldt holds a Doctor of Education in Higher Education Administration from University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She also holds a Master of Arts in Counselor Education and a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Tennessee Technological University.
She has been the recipient of numerous awards in her career, including the San Diego Business Journal’s 2022 CEO of the Year, Tennessee Technological University’s 2022 Distinguished Alumna Award, and NASPA’s (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators) 2020 Outstanding Enrollment Professional Award and the 2017 Pillar of the Profession Award.
Personal Details and Community Involvement
Underscoring her commitment to cultivating partnerships that create opportunities for students and enrich the communities served by the university, President Neufeldt serves on the boards of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, LEAD California and on the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities. In her free time, President Neufeldt enjoys walks with her dog Bailey and cheering on the various CSUSM Cougar athletic teams.
