Meet Us
At the College of Arts & Letters, our people drive innovation and opportunity. Across our departments and centers, we blend rigorous academic training with experiential learning, career-focused advising, and partnerships that open doors —from local institutions, national tech industries, to global organizations. Meet the team committed to supporting students as they build professional pathways and thrive in today’s evolving world
Dean's Office Staff
Gladys M. Francis
Dean
- Location: MRP 5000
- Phone: (916) 278-6502
- gladys.francis@csus.edu
- Pronouns: she/her/hers
Shawna Malvini Redden
Interim Associate Dean, Budget & Operations
- Location: MRP 5000
- Phone: (916) 278-6502
- malviniredden@csus.edu
- Pronouns: she/her/hers
BJ Snowden
Senior Executive Director for Creative Industries, Partnerships, and Personnel
- Location: MRP 5000
- Phone: (916) 278-6134
- bj.snowden@csus.edu
- Pronouns: He/Him/His
Guillermo Duran
Director of Budget & Operations
- Location: MRP 5000
- Phone: (916) 278-7719
- guillermo.duran@csus.edu
Drea Guianan
Executive Assistant to the Dean/Events Lead
- Location: MRP 5000
- Phone: (916) 278-4072
- a.guianan@csus.edu
Sharon Hopkins-Bright
Administrative Analyst/Specialist
- Location: MRP 5000
- Phone: (916) 278-5099
- hopkins-bright@csus.edu
- Pronouns: she/her/hers
Chaia Lee
Administrative Support Coordinator II
- Location: MRP 5000
- Phone: (916) 278-7662
- c.lee@csus.edu
Student Success Team
Dena Lemus
Senior Graduation & Retention Coordinator
- Location: Calaveras Hall 138
- Phone: (916) 278-4464
- dena.lemus@csus.edu
Kya Web
Graduation & Retention Coordinator
- Location: Calaveras Hall 138
- Phone: (916) 278-5006
- kya.webb@csus.edu
- Duties: Career Counseling & Development, Student Success & Retention Strategy approaches to Student Support, Cognitive Behavioral Studies, Holistic & Wellness-Based Counseling, Student Success Analytics
David Zuckerman
Professor, Communications Studies Department
- Location: Calaveras Hall 138
- Phone: (916) 278-4464
- sdzuck@csus.edu
A&L Department Chairs
Russell DiSilvestro
Chair, Philosophy Department
- Location: Mendocino Hall 3000
- Phone: (916) 278-6766
- rdisilv@csus.edu
- Specialty & Interests: I work on the intersection between metaphysics and ethics, especially as it relates to contemporary bioethical issues involving the nature and moral status of human beings.
Torsa Ghosal
Chair, English Department
- Location: Calaveras Hall 106
- Phone: (916) 278-6586
- engl-chair@csus.edu
- Website
- Specialty & Interests: Digital Literary Studies and AI, Narrative Theory, Cognitive Studies, 20th/21st century Global Anglophone Literature and Popular Culture, Translation (Bengali to English)
Stephen Jones
Chair, Theatre & Dance Department
- Location: Shasta Hall 104
- Phone: (916) 278-6368
- s.c.jones@csus.edu
- Specialty & Interests: Ancient Chinese intellectual history; Medieval Chinese literature
Rachel Miller
Chair, Art Department
- Location: Kadema Hall 189
- Phone: (916) 278-6166
- rachel.miller@csus.edu
- Areas of Teaching: Art History, Early Modern European Art
Scott Perkins
Director, School of Music
- Location: Capistrano Hall 109
- Phone: (916) 278-7984
- scott.perkins@csus.edu
- Specialty & Interests: Composing for the Voice, Pedagogy of Music Reading and Perception, Music of Benjamin Britten
Richard Pratt
Chair, Graphic Design Department
- Location: Mariposa Hall 5001
- Phone: (916) 278-3659
- rpratt@csus.edu
- Specialty & Interests: Aesthetics, semiotics, and the relationship between art and design
Curtis Smith
Chair, World Languages & Literatures Department
- Location: Mariposa Hall 2051
- Phone: (916) 278-6726
- curtis.smith@csus.edu
- Website
- Specialty & Interests: Ancient Chinese intellectual history; Medieval Chinese literature
Harvey Stark
Chair, Humanities & Religious Studies Department
- Location: Mendocino Hall 2011B
- Phone: (916) 278-6261
- harvey.stark@csus.edu
- Specialty & Interests: Specialty & Interests: Islam, American Religion, Chaplaincy
Jeffrey Wilson
Chair, History Department
- Location: Tahoe Hall 3080
- Phone: (916) 278-6136
- jkwilson@csus.edu
- Specialty & Interests: Germany & Central Europe, nationalism, environment