Lynn Mahoney, the first woman president of San Francisco State University, has announced she will retire next summer after eight years of service to the university and nearly two decades with the California State University (CSU) system.
Dr. Mahoney assumed her presidency in the summer of 2019. During her tenure, the university opened several new buildings, including the Science and Engineering Innovation Center. San Francisco State has also improved its graduation metrics. This fall, new student enrollment increased by more than 10 percent.
“President Mahoney’s candid, respectful, and authentic two-way engagement with the university’s on-campus and extended communities has preserved and built on the spirit of activism, equity, and inclusion that has been foundational to San Francisco State’s history,” said CSU Chancellor Mildred García. “The university and the CSU have been enriched in myriad ways by her leadership, and on behalf of the entire CSU, I extend my heartfelt gratitude for her dedication to the system and our students. Thanks in large part to President Mahoney’s extraordinary service, the future of San Francisco State is indeed bright.”
Before coming to San Francisco State, Dr. Mahoney was provost and vice president for academic affairs at California State University, Los Angeles. Earlier in her career, she served in various roles at California State University, Long Beach, including associate vice president for undergraduate studies and interim vice provost and dean of undergraduate studies. Prior to joining the CSU system, Dr. Mahoney held leadership roles at Purchase College in New York.
Dr. Mahoney is a graduate of Stanford University, where she majored in American studies. She holds a Ph.D. in history from Rutgers University.