Fresno State announces Dr. Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval as new university president

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- There's a new top dog at Fresno State. The university today named Dr. Saul Jimenez-Sandoval the new president.

Dr. Jimenez-Sandoval says his first goal is to get students back to in-person learning and plans are already in the works to bring more people onto the campus safely in the fall.

It was all applause this morning as Dr. Saul Jimenez-Sandoval was named the new president of Fresno State.

"I've been interviewing for the job for 20-plus years," said Jimenez-Sandoval. "Having taught here for 15 years, I know the potential of our students."

Jimenez-Sandoval has strong Valley roots. He and his family moved to Fowler from Mexico in 1980.

"I was about to be 10 when I got to Fowler," added Jimenez-Sandoval. "I didn't speak a drop of English."

Jimenez -Sandoval has served as the interim president of the university since January, navigating the university during some of the most challenging months of the pandemic. For those efforts, he'll get to keep the job permanently, and now he's setting his sights on the future.

"We want to bring back as many students as possible to the campus," he said.

He discussed his commitment to athletics and plans for a new campaign bringing athletics and academics together.

"It is the one entity on campus that has the power to unify us in some way," he said. "We all wear the red for our Bulldogs."

He says that unity and pride can be a force for good across the valley.

"We are proud of ourselves," he said. "We don't need to look to Los Angeles or San Francisco or the coast or anyone else in order to say we are proud to be from this region."