Contact: John Chandler,
jchandler@exec.csun.edu,
(818) 677-5674 or (818) 677-2130

CSUN Appoints New Administration V.P.

Qayoumi, UMR's vice chancellor for administrative services for the past five years, is due to start July 1 in a similar role at Cal State Northridge, where he also will carry the title of chief financial officer. Qayoumi (pronounced "Kay-o-mee") will succeed James Sullivan, who served as CSUN's interim vice president and CFO since January 1999.

"I am delighted the university will have the opportunity to benefit from Dr. Qayoumi's leadership and experience, particularly during this period of intense construction activity and the ongoing effort to increase the university's financial accountability and stability," said President Kennedy in announcing the appointment.

The hiring of Qayoumi--a native of Kabul, Afghanistan, who came to the United States in 1978-concluded a seven-month national search to fill the CSUN position. Qayoumi topped the field of nearly 75 applicants for the vice president's job, including 11 who participated in videoconference interviews and five who visited the campus in recent weeks.

As one of four CSUN vice presidents, Qayoumi, a veteran of 21 years in higher education, will oversee the university's Administration and Finance Division with about 430 employees and a $26 million budget. The division includes budget planning, the controller's office, facilities planning, financial and accounting services, human resources, physical plant management, public safety, purchasing and logistical services and reprographics.

"I am really enthusiastic about joining CSUN at this exciting point in its history, and I am confident CSUN has the opportunity to realize its full potential as the crown jewel of the Cal State system,"Qayoumi said. "Throughout my life, I have been a hard worker and an organizer. These are two of my tools to build success."

Qayoumi added, "I work well with people, an essential trait in this position. I encourage open channels for dialogue and strongly believe in involving all stakeholders in the decision-making process. I will do my utmost to work collaboratively with all internal and external university constituencies."

Prior to his current job, Qayoumi served from 1986 to 1995 as associate vice president for administration at San Jose State University, which Kennedy noted gave him valuable prior experience in the Cal State system. From 1979 to 1986, Qayoumi held several administrative positions at the University of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Qayoumi also served as an adjunct faculty member at the universities where he worked, and has authored five books and more than 65 articles. He is a licensed professional engineer (PE) in several states, including California, and is a certified management accountant (CMA). He also holds a certificate in total quality management (TQM) from San Jose State.

Qayoumi received a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from American University of Beirut, Lebanon, in 1975, and a master's of science in nuclear engineering in 1979, a master's of science in computer engineering in 1980, a doctorate in electrical engineering in 1983, and an MBA in finance in 1984--all from the University of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Before working in higher education, Qayoumi served from 1975 to 1978 as a project electrical engineer and a communications engineer in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. He currently is a member of professional organizations such as the National Association of College and University Business Officers and the Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers.

At the University of Missouri-Rolla, Qayoumi supervised many of the same units he will oversee at CSUN. The UMR campus, founded 130 years ago, is one of four in the University of Missouri system, and serves as the state's primary technology campus. UMR has a student enrollment of about 5,000 and offers bachelor's through doctoral degrees in a full range of engineering and science fields, along with complementary liberal arts programs. The 284-acre campus has about 1,240 employees and an annual budget of about $105 million.

Cal State Northridge was founded in 1958 and has a student enrollment of about 28,000 in a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs. CSUN has a 353-acre campus, nearly 4,000 full and part-time employees, and total university and auxiliary spending of more than $320 million annually.

The CSUN campus also has about 2 million square feet of facilities, including two dozen major buildings and more than 100 total structures. CSUN is near completing a more than $400 million recovery from the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and has a half dozen new building projects worth more than $70 million underway-efforts that Qayoumi also will supervise.

Editor's Note: The CSUN Public Relations Office has a digital photograph of Dr. Qayoumi available for news media use upon request.