Dear Titan Community,
It is with deep gratitude that I announce the upcoming retirement of Dr. Amir Dabirian as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at the end of this academic year, effective July 1, 2025. Following his retirement, Dr. Dabirian will participate in the Faculty Early Retirement Program (FERP) and return to the classroom as a tenured full professor in the Department of Marketing in the College of Business and Economics. Dr. Dabirian has been a champion of academic excellence and a steadfast advocate for our students, faculty, and staff.
Throughout his more than four decades at Cal State Fullerton, Dr. Dabirian has been a tireless advocate for academic excellence, innovation, and student success. His leadership has left an indelible mark on our campus—fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, advancing high-impact practices, and expanding equitable access to technology and resources for all Titans.
Dr. Dabirian was appointed Provost in Spring 2023 and has served as a visionary educator and leader. Under his leadership as Provost, he championed innovative reintegration and support programs to re-engage students facing academic or registration barriers, helping more Titans stay on track to earn their degrees. Building on this commitment to student success, he also played a key role in university-wide efforts that led Cal State Fullerton to achieve record enrollment, expanding access to a transformative Titan education for more students than ever before. Over the years, he has taught 38 different courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels across a range of disciplines including Marketing, Information Systems and Decision Sciences, Accounting, Computer Science, and Extended Education.
His legacy also includes serving 17 terms on the Academic Senate—including 12 on the Executive Committee—and 19 terms on the Planning, Resource, and Budget Committee. As a key member of the University Strategic Planning Committee, Dr. Dabirian helped shape both our current and previous strategic plans.
Dr. Dabirian's leadership extends beyond the classroom and campus. As former Vice President for Information Technology (IT) and Chief Information Officer, he transformed CSUF into a model 21st-century learning environment—secure, sustainable, and technologically innovative. His collaborative partnership with the Pollak Library to launch the Center for Equitable Digital Access (CEDA) is just one example of his deep commitment to equity and inclusion.
A respected researcher in Employer Branding and IT Trends, Dr. Dabirian has published in peer-reviewed journals and serves as a column editor for IEEE-IT Professional Magazine. His work as a principal investigator includes securing a $150,000 grant from the College Futures Foundation to modernize and expand the CSUF Faculty Student Success Dashboard.
A proud double alumnus of Cal State Fullerton, Dr. Dabirian earned both his undergraduate and M.S. in Electrical Engineering from CSUF, an M.S. in Computer Science from UC Riverside, and a Ph.D. in Industrial Economics and Management from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden.
On a personal note, it has been a true honor to work alongside Dr. Dabirian. He has been a thoughtful colleague, a forward-thinking leader, and a passionate advocate for our students, faculty, and staff. His legacy will be felt for generations to come.
Please join me in thanking Dr. Dabirian for his extraordinary service and dedication to the Titan community. We look forward to celebrating his many contributions in the months ahead.
Sincerely,
