Dr. Rochon has dedicated his career to advocating for educational excellence, student success, access, and equity. A collaborative academic leader, he is known for always placing students at the center of his work. He has held faculty appointments in educational policy, history, and organizational leadership.

Since joining Cal State Fullerton in 2024, Dr. Rochon has engaged with the campus community in implementing the university’s Fullerton Forward Strategic Plan; strengthened its role as an anchor institution and intellectual, cultural, and economic hub for Southern California; led, with his team, the approval of a new $67.5 million engineering and computer science hub to empower the next generation of innovators; fostered cross-college collaboration; prioritized shared governance; and championed excellence in all areas of the university—including student enrollment, faculty and staff success, community engagement, athletics, and fostering an inclusive campus culture.

Prior to Cal State Fullerton, Dr. Rochon served as the president of the University of Southern Indiana (USI) from 2018 to 2024. During his tenure, he successfully secured over $250 million in state funding for capital projects and operations. Under his leadership, USI consistently experienced growth in the Indiana Commission for Higher Education’s performance funding metrics of overall degree completion, at-risk degree completion, STEM degree completion, student persistence, and on-time graduation rates. In addition, Dr. Rochon successfully led the university from Division II to Division I athletics, becoming a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). With the University Advancement team, Dr. Rochon also successfully secured USI’s largest private philanthropic gift, significantly impacting student support and success.

As USI’s provost from 2010 to 2018, Dr. Rochon led a comprehensive revision of the university’s Core Curriculum and partnered with faculty to establish its second doctoral program in educational leadership. His leadership positioned the university as a catalyst for transformation, fostering a talented and globally educated citizenry to meet evolving workforce and entrepreneurial needs.

Before his tenure at USI, Dr. Rochon served as the inaugural dean of the School of Education and associate vice president for Teacher Education at Buffalo State College in Buffalo, New York. He was also the director and co-founder of the Research Center for Cultural Diversity and Community Renewal at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, where he later served as interim director of the School of Education and associate dean in the College of Health, Physical Education, and Teacher Education. Additionally, he held faculty positions at Texas A&M University, Washington State University, and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

A Passion for Higher Education, Mentorship, and Public Service
His academic and civic leadership is rooted in a commitment to collaboration and shared governance, both on campus and globally. He has fostered forums for communication and learning that promote international awareness and cultural understanding. Dedicated to working in multicultural communities, he is known for taking students abroad—many experiencing international travel for the first time—broadening their perspectives and deepening their global awareness.

This commitment extends to his longstanding partnership with the Hmong community. During his tenure at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Dr. Rochon recognized the need for greater representation in education and collaborated with researchers to secure more than $4 million in federal grants to increase the number of Hmong educators. This initiative transformed education in the state, ensuring the presence of Hmong teachers in classrooms and fostering a more inclusive and representative educational experience for all children.

A dedicated public servant, Dr. Rochon has served as past chair of the Board of Directors for the Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), chair of the Board of Directors for the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), and board chair for the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). He has also been an active civic leader, serving on the boards of WNIN Public Broadcasting, Deaconess Health Systems, and the Economic Development Coalition, among others. In October 2020, Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb appointed him to the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet.

Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, Dr. Rochon is a first-generation college graduate. He earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Tuskegee University, followed by a master’s degree in animal science and a doctorate in educational policy studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

In recognition of their 14 years of service and dedication to uplifting students, President Rochon and his wife, Lynn Rochon, were recently awarded honorary doctorates from the University of Southern Indiana. Their shared commitment to fostering opportunity and success has made a lasting impact on the university and the broader community. Of all his accomplishments, he is most proud of the loving and supportive driving forces in his life – his wife Lynn of 31 years, son Ayinde (27), and daughter Nia (25).