Dr. Aisha Lowe, PhD
Executive Vice Chancellor for the Equitable Student Learning, Experience and Impact Office & Executive Vice Chancellor for Educational Services and Support
Dr. Aisha Lowe is a passionate educator who has dedicated her life to improving education for all students and communities. Over the past 20 years, Aisha has worked with at-risk youth, taught middle school, lead educational research and policy efforts, instructed college students, and served as a higher education administrator. Her background includes serving as an independent consultant supporting the research and evaluation needs of schools, organizations and educators; serving as the executive director of STAND UP For Great Schools; and serving as director of research for the California Charter Schools Association.
Aisha joined the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office in 2020 and now serves as the Executive Vice Chancellor of the Office of Equitable Student Learning, Experience, and Impact (ESLEI). In this leadership position, Dr. Lowe leads Academic Affairs, Student Services, and Workforce & Economic Development for the state’s 116 colleges and 1.8 million students, overseeing over $3 billion in funding and numerous statewide programs and initiatives. Aisha began her time at the Chancellor’s Office as Vice Chancellor of Educational Services and Supports where she provided leadership for Educational Services division Academic Affairs activities in six core areas: 1) curriculum chaptering and approval; 2) intersegmental coordination with CSU, UC and private 4-year institution partners; 3) student equity programs; 4) new program development; 5) enrollment and retention initiatives; and 6) innovations in teaching and learning (e.g., credit for prior learning, competency-based education).
Prior to joining the Chancellor’s Office, Dr. Lowe served as Associate Professor of Education at William Jessup University, where she oversaw the thesis research of future teachers in training. She also served as the Dean of the Office of Academic Research, leading the university’s Strategic Academic Research Plan and academic grant making. Additionally, Aisha served the students of the Los Rios Community College District, Sierra College and CSU Sacramento as an adjunct professor for over eight years.
Dr. Lowe received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and her Master’s in Sociology from Stanford University where she also received her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology. Aisha researches effective strategies for educating students of color to help faculty create classroom environments of acceptance and belonging to fully support the whole student and maximize their academic outcomes, and has been a featured speaker at various conferences and for faculty professional development programs nationally.
Rebecca Ruan-O'Shaughnessy
Vice Chancellor for Educational Services and Support
Ruan-O’Shaughnessy joins the Chancellor’s Office from Jobs for the Future, where she led and drove many California-focused projects. Her work there centered on economic advancement strategies and included cross-sector network building, inclusive regional economic development strategies and lifelong learning system design. She brings a broad-based perspective to the office, with substantial experience in private sector, public service and nonprofit work, in organizations large and small. Much of Ruan-O’Shaughnessy’s work has been at the intersection of policy design, strategic planning and project implementation, with an emphasis on catalyzing economic empowerment and social mobility.
Her experiences include service as vice president at United Healthcare, where she worked in a national unit that developed integrated health and human services strategies to improve population health outcomes for the company’s six million Medicaid members; the first corporate executive for a U.S. subsidiary of a global manufacturer, where she led the company’s transition from concept to full production with over 1,000 employees within 18 months; and the head of a state economic development office that made strategic business and economic investments.
Ruan-O’Shaughnessy received her bachelor’s degree in economics and Japanese studies from Connecticut College and her J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School.
John Stanskas
Vice Chancellor for Educational Services and Support
In his role as the vice chancellor of educational services and support, Stanskas will manage transfer, curriculum and intersegmental work. Stanskas will focus on curriculum chaptering and approval; intersegmental coordination with California State University, University of California and private four-year institution partners; student equity programs; emerging programs and initiatives; enrollment and retention initiatives; and innovations in teaching and learning. Stanskas replaces Aisha Lowe, who was promoted to the position of executive vice chancellor for the Equitable Student Learning, Experience and Impact Office.
Stanskas has served as dean of science at San Bernardino Valley College and the president of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges. Prior to that he spent 25 years serving California’s community colleges as a faculty member. Stanskas earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Mary Washington College in Virginia and a PhD in nuclear chemistry from the University of Maryland.
