CALEXICO — The choice has been made.

Longtime San Diego State University professor and administrator Stephen Roeder will be the new dean of San Diego State University-Imperial Valley campus, officials announced Friday.

Roeder will begin in the job Monday and attend Thursday's commencement ceremony. The Vermont native is taking over the position being vacated by Khosrow Fatemi, who will begin serving as president of Eastern Oregon University in June.

During his 36-year tenure at SDSU, Roeder spent 15 years as chair of various departments including the physics and chemistry department and two years as interim dean of the college of sciences. Most recently he served as director of off-campus facilities.
Roeder earned his bachelor's in chemistry and physics and his doctorate in chemistry.

Since many classes at SDSU-IV are geared toward teacher education, Roeder said he plans to use his background in the sciences to bring new courses and programs to the campus.

Roeder was not available for comment as of presstime but in a previous interview he said he was looking forward to heading a campus with a brand new campus in Brawley and working at a small, intimate setting.

"This is an exciting opportunity and I am eager to get started," said Roeder in a SDSU news release.

Roeder was selected from a pool of 37 applicants and was one of two finalists chosen by the dean selection committee. The committee, made up of students, administrators and faculty members from both the Imperial Valley and San Diego campus, searched through resumes and conducted phone interviews before narrowing the candidates to two.

Steven Schneider, English department chair at University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg, Texas, was the other finalist. Both Schneider and Roeder recently visited the Valley for final face-to-face interviews.

SDSU Provost Nancy Marlin, who made the final decision to hire Roeder said, "Steve's vision and excitement for the I.V. campus, coupled with his administrative experience and shared governance service to SDSU, made him an ideal candidate for the position," she stated in the press release. "The students, faculty, staff and greater Imperial Valley community will greatly benefit from his leadership."