Announcing the Members of the Academic Master Plan Task Force
Sent: March 3, 2026
From: Vincent J. Del Casino, Jr., Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Dear Colleagues,
Thank you to everyone who submitted nominations and expressed interest in serving on the Academic Master Plan Task Force. The strong response to the call reflects the deep commitment across our division to supporting student success and helping position SJSU as an innovative, forward-thinking campus.
I am pleased to announce the members of the Task Force:
- Marcelle Dougan, Associate Professor, Public Health & Recreation
- Melinda Jackson, Dean, Undergraduate Education
- Patrick Jurney, Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering
- Katie Koho, Senior Academic Advisor, College of H&A Student Success Center
- Ellen Middaugh, Associate Professor, Child and Adolescent Development
- Cassandra Paul, Professor, Physics & Astronomy
- Vishnu Pendyala, Assistant Professor, Applied Data Science
- Ryan Skinnell, Professor of English & Comparative Literature
- Anne Marie Todd, Dean, College of Social Sciences
- Jessica Trask, Associate Vice President for Research, Office of Research
- Kezban Yagci Sokat, Associate Professor, Marketing and Business Analytics
The Task Force will be led by Melinda Jackson, Dean of Undergraduate Education, and will begin its work shortly. Over the course of the spring semester, the group will collect strategic plans from the academic colleges and affiliated units in the division and develop a report that outlines themes and directions from those plans that helps articulate a future direction for our campus. A report is anticipated in May.
This will be a collaborative process, and there will be opportunities for broader engagement as the work progresses. I am grateful to our colleagues who have agreed to serve and to all of you who continue to invest your time, ideas, and energy in strengthening Academic Affairs and advancing SJSU’s mission.
Sincerely,
Vin
