Dr. Spagna came to CSUDH as a former professor, chair, and dean at California State University, Northridge, where he worked for the past 25 years. As a longtime member of the CSU community, Dr. Spagna is committed to CSUDH’s collective mission of improving student success and ensuring access for the underserved and diverse communities we serve.

Prior to CSUN, Dr. Spagna served as consultant to the California State Department of Education; Co-coordinator of Services to Students with Learning Disabilities at the University of California, Berkeley; a Learning Disabilities Specialist and Lecturer at Chabot College in Livermore, CA; and a Special Education teacher at Landmark West School in Culver City, CA. He earned his Ph.D. in 1991 through the joint-doctoral program in Special Education from the University of California, Berkeley and San Francisco State University; M.A. in Special Education from UCLA in 1985; and a Bachelor of Science in Communicative Disorders from Northwestern University in 1984.

In the role of Provost, Dr. Spagna’s responsibilities include overseeing all academic units, including the university’s six colleges and the University Library, as well as all academic centers, institutes, and instructional programs and activities. As the chief academic officer, the provost provides leadership, in collaboration with the Academic Senate and other stakeholders, to strive for high quality in teaching, scholarship, creative activities, and service for faculty and academic programs.