The Speakers

Vice Chancellor Gonzales serves as the chief academic officer for the CSU system and provides comprehensive operational leadership, strategy, compliance, oversight and direction for the Academic Affairs divisions across the system’s universities. He serves as a key policy advisor to the chancellor and as a vital partner to campus presidents, faculty, staff and other leaders throughout the system.

Caron Inouye serves as Associate Dean of Academic Programs, Curriculum and Assessment at the California State University Chancellor’s Office, where she has worked for 4 years. Prior to this, she spent more than 21 years at Cal State East Bay as a Professor of Biological Sciences, including 6 years as Director of General Education. Throughout her career, she has been dedicated to advancing equitable educational opportunities and student success through intentional curriculum, assessment, and program development.

Marci Sanchez has over 25 years of experience in higher education within the CSU, UC, and community college systems.  Being a first-generation college graduate herself, and the first in her family to earn a graduate level degree, she understands the importance of education for social mobility and has worked as an advisor, counselor, and administrator within a variety of programs dedicated to closing equity gaps for disproportionately impacted students including EOP, Puente, EOP&S and community college transfer centers. As a member of the Academic Programs team since 2022, she manages the Transfer Model Curriculum (TMC) Database and works with the articulation community. She provides executive management for the ASSIST platform, and support for transfer policies. She serves on the AB 928 Implementation Committee, and the Common Course Numbering Council, and was a member of the Transfer Acceleration Workgroup for the development of the Master Plan for Career Education. 

Darlene Yee-Melichar has been a Professor at San Francisco State University since 1990 teaching in five academic units (Health Education, Gerontology, Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, Social Work, and Public Affairs & Civic Engagement). Previously, she was an Associate Professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch and an Assistant Professor at York College, the City University of New York. She was a visiting Assistant Professor at Teachers College/Columbia University and an Assistant Director at Barnard College/Columbia University.