San Francisco State University Dean Sails To Cal Maritime Vice President Of Academic Affairs Post

The California Maritime Academy (Cal Maritime), a campus of The California State University, and San Francisco State University (SFSU) today announced that Dr. Don Zingale, the Dean of the College of Health and Human Services at SFSU, has been appointed to the position of Vice President of Academic Affairs at Cal Maritime. The appointment was made by Cal Maritime President Bill Eisenhardt. Zingale will be taking over for Dr. Jay Christofferson, who will be retiring this summer.

As Vice President of Academic Affairs, Zingale will oversee all of Cal Maritime’s academic programs, as well as enrollment services, library services, continuing education, athletics and physical education, institutional research, and ship simulation programs.

“We are thrilled that Dr. Zingale has accepted the Vice President of Academic Affairs position,” said Dr. Bill Eisenhardt, president of Cal Maritime. “We’re a small campus and in many ways we’re like a family, and Don’s enthusiasm and spirit fits us well. His distinguished record in higher education coupled with his passion for preparing students for successful futures makes him the perfect choice for the position.”

Zingale was appointed in 1996 as the founding dean of SFSU’s College of Health and Human Service. Under his leadership, the College grew to become widely respected nationally as a community of scholars who are scholars for the community. For example, the College, which includes nine departments ranging from nursing and health education to social work and recreation and leisure studies, is currently tending to the health care needs of underserved San Franciscans in the Mission District, and providing aquatic recreation opportunities throughout the Bay Area.

“Don Zingale is one of the most effective team-builders with whom I have ever worked. At San Francisco State University, he built a new grouping of faculty and departments into a College with high morale, mutual support, and outstanding effectiveness,” said SFSU President Robert A. Corrigan. “He has shown himself to be both practical and visionary – a rare combination that has served us very well and promises fine things for his academic leadership at The California Maritime Academy. We will miss him."

Zingale is a 31-year veteran of the California State University campuses. His prior administrative experience includes positions such as dean of the School of Health and Human Services and California State University, Los Angeles; associate vice president for research and graduate studies at CSU Sacramento; and associate dean of the School of Health and Human Services at CSU Sacramento during its formative years.

“ Cal Maritime has long been recognized for its experiential learning curriculum and is now perfectly poised to serve as a California State University model for seamlessly relating general education and professional preparation in ways that integrate teaching, research and service,” said Zingale. “I am honored to have been chosen to guide those and other efforts aimed at producing graduates who are informed, empowered and responsibly engaged as practicing professionals and global citizens.”

Zingale’s current professional affiliations include the American Association for Higher Education, Association of American College & Universities, American Public Health Association, and National Council of University Research Administrators. He is a member of the Richmond Yacht Club, is on the advisory board for the Tall Ships Semester-at-Sea for Girls, and is a member of the Lake Merced Task Force.

Zingale received his M.S.W. from California State University, Sacramento; his Ph.D. in Physical Education from The Ohio State University; and a M.S. in Physical Education from the University of Massachusetts. He received a B.S. in Health & Physical Education from Brooklyn College.

A sailing enthusiast, Zingale and his wife, Lydia, and daughter, Isabella, live in Point Richmond, Calif.

About Cal Maritime

Cal Maritime, a campus of The California State University, is one of only seven degree-granting maritime academies in the United States, and the only one on the West Coast. Tucked away in San Pablo Bay’s Morrow Cove in Vallejo, Calif., Cal Maritime offers students four-year degrees in business administration, facilities engineering technology, global studies and maritime affairs, marine engineering technology, marine transportation, and mechanical engineering. For more information about Cal Maritime, visit www.csum.edu.

About San Francisco State University

With nearly 30,000 students and 4,000 faculty and staff members, San Francisco State University is a highly diverse, urban campus granting bachelor's and master's degrees. The eight separate colleges that comprise SFSU offer more than 100 different majors. The University is one of the largest in the California State University system. For more information about San Francisco State University, visit www.sfsu.edu.

Contacts: Jennifer Whitty, Cal Maritime, 707-654-1720
Christina Holmes, San Francisco State University, 415-405-3803