By Madelaine Church | OBSERVER Staff Writer
On May 24, Dr. J. Luke Wood was appointed the incoming president of Sacramento State University. He took office Sunday, July 16. Wood — who earned his bachelor’s degree and first master’s degree from Sac State — spent his first week reconnecting with Sacramento State and the community. Wood moved back to Sacramento after living in San Diego where he served as Vice President of Student Affairs and Campus Diversity as well as chief diversity officer at San Diego State University. Wood has dedicated his life to ensure equity and inclusion for every student and has written 16 books addressing racial inequity issues in the education system.
Many saw Wood’s first week as president as a reunion. He revisited many of the buildings he attended as a student and met with many current students and faculty. In his first address on campus, Wood welcomed incoming first-year Sac State students and family during student orientation inside the University Union Ballroom. He also visited sites last week such as the Serna Center, Dreamers Resource Center, and CAMP among others.
On July 20, Wood was saluted by about 100 members of Sacramento’s Black community at a reception at Sierra Health Foundation. Wood told the audience when he came to Sac State as an undergrad, he sometimes had to sleep in his car because at times he was unhoused and food at times was scarce. Despite his challenges to find adequate food and housing, the young Wood told anyone who would listen, “I’m going to be president of this university some day.”
Want to know how Luke Wood’s first week went?
