By Cynthia Hubert

October 01, 2025

Erika Cameron was a graphic design student and college volleyball player, a school counselor, a professor and administrator, and a provost at a small private college before Sacramento State came calling.

Now, the University’s new provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs says her winding path to her new job will serve her well going forward.

“In a lot of ways, my work as a counselor perfectly prepared me for my role as an administrator,” she said. “With every administrative role, I am authentically who I am and work to create a comfortable space for everyone. So I am ready to handle whatever is in front of me.”

In front of her today is the crucial job of overseeing Sac State’s academic mission, which involves more than 1,700 faculty members teaching some 31,000 students, so they graduate prepared to succeed both personally and professionally.

Cameron, a native of Honolulu, studied graphic design and played Division I volleyball as a college undergraduate. She pivoted to counseling after working a summer job helping children and young adults with disabilities learn job and life skills. Most recently, she served as provost at Palo Alto University in the Bay Area.

Each of those experiences and more, she said, have helped prepare her for her new position, where she serves as second in command to President Luke Wood. She is Sac State’s chief academic leader, manages the Academic Affairs budget, guides curriculum development, and oversees faculty hiring and performance, to name a few of her responsibilities.

Cameron, however, is undaunted by the task of being a key leader of a public institution with a student body more than 20 times larger than at her previous post. Her professional background and life experiences, she said, have prepared her for the jump.

As a Division I volleyball player at Bradley University in Illinois, Cameron learned teamwork, time management and leadership skills. Her counseling background taught her how to stay calm and steady in the face of chaotic circumstances. Her time at Palo Alto University sharpened her vision for academic excellence while fostering diversity and inclusion.

She will draw on all those skills at Sac State, but on a much larger scale.

“The work here is not any different than it was at PAU,” she said. “It’s just magnified. At Sac State I can impact even more students, especially those that might not be able to afford a private university.”

During her first months in the position, she said, she has been impressed with the resilience and perseverance of Sac State students and faculty members.

“It’s remarkable,” she said. “Within the administration, there is an unapologetic focus on the value of our mission to serve all students. You see it, you feel it, and you want to be a part of it.”

Cameron arrives at Sac State during a time of significant change as the University wrestles with state budget cuts, enrollment challenges, and threats to federal funding.

“The budget situation is real, enrollment cliffs are real, student fees are real,” she said. “Every institution is dealing with these issues. I can’t sugarcoat things to create a false sense of safety. All I can do is be as transparent as I can be about addressing things.”

Cameron credits her parents, Bob and Domelynne Nash, for instilling within her a commitment to those who struggle with poverty and other barriers to success. She created a foundation in Hawaii named for her late mother that supports people in need and sponsors cultural exchanges and other opportunities for students.

“It’s remarkable. Within the administration, there is an unapologetic focus on the value of our mission to serve all students. You see it, you feel it, and you want to be a part of it.” - Provost Erika Cameron

During a break from her undergraduate studies at Bradley, Cameron discovered her true passion was helping others achieve their goals. She earned her master’s degree in guidance and counseling from the University of Manoa, Hawaii, and her Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision from the University of Missouri, St. Louis. She has worked as a school, career and mental health counselor, with a focus on treating youth who experienced trauma.

“Many of my students had significant barriers,” Cameron said. “They had endured violence, substance abuse, poverty. I tried to give them a space where they could be heard and seen.”

Cameron spent 13 years at UC San Diego, where she served as department chair and associate professor of counseling, before taking the job as provost at Palo Alto University.

PAU, with its focus on behavioral health disciplines, seemed like a good fit. She was in that role for about four years, advancing that university’s faculty success and diversity goals, before coming to Sac State in March.

“I wanted to be a part of a group of changemakers,” Cameron said of her decision to accept the Sac State job. Innovative programs such as the Black Honors College, and the fact that Sac State has been named the first Black-Serving Institution in California, were powerful draws.

“I didn’t become a provost for the title,” she said. “I did it because I want to make a difference in education and work further on the academic mission. I don’t take the responsibility lightly.”

She also wants to continue to serve as a role model for her two young children, she said.

“I’m a strong woman of color in a high-profile position,” said Cameron, whose husband Stefan is an IT specialist. “But I’m still a mom and have a strong family focus.”

Cameron has been spending the early part of her tenure as provost getting to know Sac State’s deans, faculty and department chairs, and presidential cabinet members, while reviewing the budget and working to set and reinforce priorities.

“I’m still trying to unpack it all,” she said. “I came in, and decisions had to be made very quickly. The challenge is to be open and innovative and as nimble as possible so that we are prepared when change comes to us.”

She called herself a “distributive” leader who strongly believes in collaboration.

“We’re all part of a team that is working to lead this University,” she said, “but when necessary, I can be the captain of the team and make the decisions that need to be made.”

As she works to establish and execute her vision, Cameron is growing more and more comfortable on campus.

“People here have been so warm and welcoming,” she said. “They care so much about this place. They want the best for our institution and our students, and so do I.”

Read more about Provost Erika Cameron Sacramento State's Strategic Roadmap for Academic Affairs.