William Tong named permanent provost of SDSU

After a nationwide search, William Tong has been selected to serve as the permanent provost for San Diego State University. 

Tong, a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, has served as interim provost since June 2023. In his two years in the interim position, Tong has met or exceeded all enrollment and student success targets and continued to elevate SDSU’s research profile. Previously, he served as the university’s vice provost for three years.  

“Tong is a trusted and unflappable colleague with extensive knowledge and expertise in what it takes for research, academic excellence, and infrastructure planning to thrive, and in supporting tenure and tenure-track faculty searches and hires,” SDSU President Adela de la Torre said in a campuswide message announcing Tong’s selection. 

“In addition, Tong has been instrumental in advancing SDSU Imperial Valley’s expansion efforts, particularly its research initiatives and the development of the new SDSU Imperial Valley Sciences and Engineering Laboratories in Brawley, which is scheduled for completion this fall,” de la Torre also said. 

This year, Tong celebrates his 40th anniversary as a member of the SDSU community, having joined the chemistry faculty in 1985 as an associate professor. He was promoted to professor at SDSU in 1989. In that time, Tong has mentored more than 50 Ph.D. and master’s students in his SDSU laser laboratory; some of his former Ph.D. students are serving as biotech executives or as professors at R1 universities.  

Tong also built his portfolio as an expert in nonlinear multiphoton laser technology, with applications in areas such as the early disease detection, cancer biomarkers, and the ultrasensitive detection of chemical/biological agents for security and environmental applications, among other areas. 

He has been awarded major grants by the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institute of General Medical Sciences (R01), National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Army, and several other federal agencies. Additionally, while serving as interim provost, Tong received a new NSF grant this year for research on laser spectroscopic methods.     

“I am honored to serve as provost of San Diego State University and deeply committed to advancing our mission of academic excellence, innovation, and student success,” Tong said. “On the heels of our recent R1 designation, it is a privilege to continue the momentum we have built in partnership with our deans, faculty and collective campus community.”

As Tong steps into the permanent role, Sonja Pruitt-Lord, will continue to serve as interim vice provost, and a search for the permanent position will begin during the 2025-26 academic year.

De la Torre also shared her appreciation for the members of the Provost Search Committee, chaired by Stephen Schellenberg, a geological sciences professor. Other members were:

• Chesalie Loach, assistant registrar for operations and special initiatives
• Cynthia Park, professor in the School of Teacher Education and executive director of the Institute for Transformative Education
• Kevin Delgado, director of the School of Music and Dance
• David Kanaan, chair of the Division of Professional Studies at SDSU Imperial Valley and program adviser for the SDSU Imperial Valley homeland security graduate program
• Eunha Hoh, professor of environmental health
• Karen May-Newman, professor of mechanical engineering
• Pamella Lach, digital humanities librarian
• Paula Peter, professor of marketing
• Adrienne Vargas, vice president for university relations and development
• Roberto Hernandez, professor of Chicana and Chicano studies
• Randall Timm, senior associate vice president for Student Affairs and Campus Diversity
• Students Naomi Chuang and Aliza Siddiqui