Building on a distinguished group of higher education leaders, the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) welcomed eight new members to its Commission. WSCUC’s full roster of 2025-2026 Commissioners brings together executives with deep experience in academic and student affairs, assessment, finance, policy, law, and other key areas that help drive quality and accountability at WSCUC-accredited institutions.

Newly elected Commissioners began their terms on July 1, 2025:

• Tracie Costantino serves as provost and senior vice president of academic affairs of California Institute of the Arts and has held academic leadership and faculty roles at the Rhode Island School of Design and the University of Georgia. Her work on interdisciplinary curriculum and creative learning has been supported by two grants from the National Science Foundation.
• Erika Endrijonas is a seasoned community college leader with extensive experience overseeing academic and student affairs across multiple California institutions. She currently serves as superintendent/president of Santa Barbara City College and has previously led Pasadena City College and Los Angeles Valley College. Dr. Endrijonas teaches in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies doctoral program at CSU Northridge.
• Miriam Feldblum, public member, is president and CEO of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, a nonpartisan nonprofit representing over 580 college and university leaders. A national expert on immigration and higher education, she advocates for policies that support immigrant, refugee, and international students. Dr. Feldblum previously held senior academic and administrative roles at Pomona College, Caltech, and the University of San Francisco.
• Bonnie D. Irwin serves as Chancellor of the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and an officer of the University of Hawaiʻi System. She previously held senior academic leadership roles at CSU Monterey Bay and Eastern Illinois University. Dr. Irwin is active in both local and national organizations, serving on boards focused on economic development, stewardship, public radio, and higher education leadership.
• Bradley Kendrex is vice president and chief financial and operating officer of the Arizona Board of Regents, where he oversees systemwide finance, operations, and strategic planning for Arizona’s public universities. Dr. Kendrex previously held senior roles in higher education and government, including executive vice president of the Maricopa Community Colleges.
• Ann McElaney-Johnson is president of Mount Saint Mary’s University, a nationally recognized women’s institution. A thought leader in women’s advancement and innovative education, she has led the university since 2011, shaping a strategic vision focused on wellness, leadership, and purpose-driven learning. Dr. McElaney-Johnson also serves on several executive boards supporting higher education and social impact.
• Fredric Prager, public member, is senior managing director at Hilltop Securities, specializing in public finance for higher education and nonprofit organizations. He previously founded Prager & Co. LLC and held senior roles at major financial institutions, including Smith Barney, Bank of America, and Moody’s. Prager serves on the boards at Claremont McKenna College and a medical research center at UC San Francisco and chairs the finance and audit committee at AICCU.
• Karyn Scissum Gunn is provost and senior vice president for academic affairs division at California State University, Long Beach, where she leads the university’s academic enterprise, including its eight colleges, library, and key academic and research programs. Scissum Gunn brings extensive experience steering research, education, training, and capital funding activities.

WSCUC Commissioners play a central role in shaping the agency’s work, setting strategic priorities, establishing the Standards for institutional quality, and determining the accreditation status of member institutions through formal actions. Commissioners are elected each spring by the presidents of WSCUC-accredited institutions following a nomination process led by WSCUC’s Nominating Committee. They serve an initial three-year term and may be reappointed for a second term.

Commissioners Andrew Dorantes, senior vice president and chief operating officer, Harvey Mudd College; Monroe Gorden, Jr., vice chancellor of student affairs, UCLA; Nicole Jones (public member), assistant deputy state controller, California State Controller’s Office; Richard Mahon, ACCJC representative; Leo Martinez, dean emeritus and Albert Abramson professor of law emeritus, University of California College of the Law; Mary Pedersen, interim director school of education, Colorado State University; Helen Whippy, emeritus vice president, University of Guam; Bob Wise (public member), former governor of West Virginia; and Stephen Yandle (public member), vice dean emeritus, Peking University School of Transnational Law, concluded their service on June 30. Commissioner Mary Marcy, president emerita of Dominican University of California, succeeds Martinez as Commission vice chair and Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, president of CSU Fresno, succeeds Pedersen as Commission secretary.

The complete roster of WSCUC Commissioners is available here.