Lifetime educator Joseph Isaac Castro dies at 58

Accomplished educator Joseph Isaac Castro passed away on August 24, 2025, at the age of 58, from cancer. 

“As his family, we take comfort in knowing that Joe’s life was guided by a desire to open doors of opportunity for others. From his days as a young child in Head Start to his later years in higher education, he held fast to the belief that education could strengthen families and transform communities,” his family’s obituary reads. 

Joseph I. Castro was born in Hanford, California, on November 21, 1966, into a family whose roots trace to Michoacán, Mexico.

He earned both his bachelor’s degree in political science and master’s degree in public policy from the University of California, Berkeley, and his Ph.D. in higher education leadership and policy from Stanford University.

He began his career at the University of California Office of Governmental Relations in Sacramento before going on to serve in leadership and faculty roles at five UC campuses—Berkeley, Davis, Merced, Santa Barbara, and San Francisco. At UCSF, he rose to Vice Chancellor of Student Academic Affairs and Professor of Family and Community Medicine, where he devoted himself to advancing student success and equity at one of the world’s leading health sciences universities.

Castro made history as the first Native Californian and first person of color to serve as President of California State University, Fresno (2013–2020).

In September 2020, he was appointed the eighth chancellor of California State University (CSU), the largest and most diverse public university system in the nation, serving nearly half a million students, and assumed the position in January 2021. 

According to The Fresno Bee, Castro resigned in 2022 over allegations that he mishandled sexual harassment cases under his watch as Fresno State president. 

His tenure as Chancellor included securing the largest budget in CSU history (2021-22); launching CSUCCESS, a first-of-its-kind initiative that provided iPad Air devices to as many as 35,000 first-year and transfer students to help close the digital divide; and forging a $50 million public-private partnership with Apple Inc. and Gov. Gavin Newsom to create the Global Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) Equity Innovation Hub. 

After his tenure as Chancellor, he served as Senior Advisor to the President at the University of California Office of the President, offered his guidance as a consultant to the University of the Pacific, and lent his expertise as an advisory board member at the Stanford University Graduate School of Education. He also served as Senior Advisor at Sixth Street, a global investment firm. 

He was recognized with the Ohtli Award, the Mexican government’s highest recognition for those serving Mexican and Mexican-American communities abroad, the California State Student Association’s President of the Year Award (2018), the Founders’ Award from the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (2021), and Fresno City Council District 4’s Man of the Year (2018), among others. 

He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Mary; his sons, Isaac and Jess; his daughter, Lauren; and his daughter-in-law, Marilyn. 

Castro’s final resting place will be in Santa Barbara. 

For those who wish to honor Joe’s legacy, contributions may be directed to the Castro & Borges Family Basic Needs Endowment Fund.