Iris S. Levine has been selected to serve as interim president of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Her appointment is effective July 28, following the retirement of current president Soraya Coley.
Located in Los Angeles County, Cal Poly Pomona enrolls over 24,000 undergraduate and nearly 2,400 graduate students, according to the most recent federal data. Women represent 44 percent of the undergraduate population.
Dr. Levine joined the Cal Poly Pomona faculty in 1990 and spent 15 years as chair of the department of music. She later became associate dean of academic personnel and resources and then dean of the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences. During the 2021-2022 academic year, she had a stint as interim provost and special assistant to the president before retiring. Outside of academia, she is the founding artistic director of Vox Femina Los Angeles, a women’s chorus dedicated to raising awareness about issues affecting women.
“To serve as interim president is truly an honor,” said Dr. Levine. “I look forward to working with faculty, staff, and senior leadership to continue Cal Poly Pomona’s trajectory of excellence and to ensure that students have a world-class polytechnic experience – one that allows them to thrive academically and personally.”
Dr. Levine holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of New Hampshire, a master’s degree in choral conducting from Temple University in Philadelphia, and a doctorate in musical arts from the University of Southern California.