Serving as the Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management at California State University, Fresno (Fresno State), Dr. Kent L. Willis leads the efforts to enhance the student experience and promote academic excellence at one of the nation’s best public colleges for increasing social mobility. He oversees a wide range of services and programs that support the talented student body of Fresno State, which serves as an anchor to one of the richest agricultural valleys and one of the most culturally diverse regions in the country.

Dr. Willis has the vision to reimagine approaches to student success and professional staff development, drawing on his extensive knowledge and expertise in the field of higher education. He has a proven track record of innovation and improvement, having contributed to multiple initiatives and projects that increased student retention, graduation, and satisfaction rates, as well as institutional effectiveness and accreditation. He is also a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, an edX Verified Certificate holder for Classroom Strategies for Inquiry-Based Learning and Teaching and Learning Strategies for Higher Education, and a Fellow with the Center for Studies in Higher Education at The University of California, Berkeley. 

His passion for education stems from his own academic journey, which includes a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Hampton University, a B.A. in Communications from Stephen F. Austin State University, and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Texas A&M University - The Bush School of Government and Public Service.