Dr. Colleen Torgerson has been named Interim Dean of Undergraduate Studies, effective Feb. 2.

Dr. Dennis Nef, interim provost, announced the appointment to temporarily fill his position while he assumes the role of provost when Dr. Jeri Echeverria leaves at the end of January to take a job at California State University headquarters in Long Beach.

Torgerson joined the university in 1999 as a faculty member in the Kremen School of Education and Human Development’s Department of Counseling, Special Education, and Rehabilitation. She has been serving as the associate dean in Education since July 2004.

She previously served as the Program Coordinator for the Special Education and Multiple Subject credential programs and was a special education administrator and teacher for the Fresno Unified School District prior to coming to the university.

Torgerson holds a bachelor’s degree in Communicative Disorders from Fresno State, a M.A. in Deaf Education (CSU Northridge) and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership (UC Davis/Fresno State).

She has published articles on special education leadership, performance assessment, IEP development and student self-direction, and on Valley practices to improve achievement. Her teaching includes courses in special needs students in inclusive settings, differentiated instruction, collaboration, research in special education, and she supervises graduate students each semester.