NAU has selected Michael Sabath to head up the NAU-Yuma branch campus, President Rita Cheng announced.
Sabath has been with San Diego State University since 1993, most recently as the associate dean for academic affairs at the university’s Imperial Valley campus, about an hour’s drive from Yuma.
Sabath earned his undergraduate business degree at the University of California-Berkeley, his master’s in public administration from California State University-Chico and his Ph.D. in Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh.
“Since the NAU-Yuma branch campus was established more than 25 years ago, the university has played an important role in southwestern Arizona,” Cheng said. “Michael Sabath has a thorough understanding of the region, and I look forward to expanding our presence in the community under his leadership.”
Sabath said he plans to help grow NAU-Yuma enrollment and further strengthen the university’s reputation. “I look forward to building relationships with other educational partners while enhancing the region’s workforce development,” he said.
Sabath said he and his wife have enjoyed living in the area near the U.S.-Mexico border and they look forward to moving to Yuma.
Prior to being hired by San Diego State University, Sabath held faculty positions at the University of Pittsburgh, Indiana University and the University of Missouri in Columbia.
NAU-Yuma is a Hispanic-Serving Institution, a designation determined by the U.S. Department of Education. With facilities on the Arizona Western College campus, NAU-Yuma offers numerous baccalaureate and master’s degrees options.