Joseph I. Castro

Joseph Isaac Castro (November 21, 1966 – August 24, 2025) was an American academic who was the eighth chancellor of the California State University. Before that, Castro was the eighth president of California State University, Fresno, and the first California native and first Mexican-American to hold the position. In 2016, he received the Ohtli Award from the Mexican government. He resigned in 2022 as CSU chancellor after accusations of mishandling sexual harassment claims against a fellow administrator.

Background Castro was born in the city of Hanford, California, on November 21, 1966. He was raised by his mother with the help of his grandparents, who were farm workers from Mexico. In 1984, Castro graduated from Hanford High School, where he was the editor of the school paper and a varsity tennis player.

As the first in his family to attend college, In the 1990s he was director of academic programs at the University of California Center. He was also a professor for educational research and administration in the Kremen School of Education and Human Development at California State University, Fresno. Prior to his role as president, he served as vice-chancellor for student academic affairs at the University of California, San Francisco. The Mountain West Conference appointed Castro as a member of the College Football Playoff Board of Managers, as one of 11 university presidents on the board.

Castro played a lead role in securing and implementing a $500,000 grant from the College Futures Foundation to the Fresno Unified School District, University of California, Merced, the State Center Community College, and University of California, Fresno to collaboratively analyze data to suggest policy changes within the involved institutions to increase student success.

Castro was one of three individuals to be awarded the Stanford Graduate School of Education's (GSE) 2016 Alumni Excellence in Education Award that recognizes alumni who are making a notable difference within their institutions, communities, and policy, at large.

Castro, in conjunction with California State University, Fresno, were recognized with the Mayor's Community Partner Award for their work in the community, collaborating with public and private organizations, to improve the quality of life in Fresno in 2017.

The Fresno City Council named Castro as Fresno District 4's first Man of the Year, in 2018. The same year, he was awarded California State University President of the Year by the California State Student Association.

Castro resigned effective February 17, 2022, due to his handling of sexual harassment claims while at Fresno State. There were seven complaints against a fellow administrator for sexual harassment, yet Castro let that administrator leave "with $260,000 and a letter of recommendation"; a system-wide report concluded that Castro "had allowed [the administrator's] misconduct to continue by not taking more aggressive and consistent action". then exercised a clause in his contract that allowed him to take a faculty position teaching "leadership and public policy", despite complaints from the faculty union that he was not qualified for the position, and student complaints about his mishandling of the sexual harassment complaints.