Wolde-Ab Issac Appointed Chancellor of the Riverside Community College District

The board of trustees of the Riverside Community College District in California, has named Wolde-Ab Isaac as the fourth chancellor of the fifth largest community college district in the state.

In accepting the appointment, Dr. Isaac stated “it is with extraordinary sense of humility and honor that I accept this appointment to serve as the fourth chancellor of the Riverside Community College District, a great and mature institution anchored in a rich history and tradition of pride and excellence. I pledge to do all I can to have RCCD be recognized as a leader, champion for student success and student equity, and thereby redeem the trust and faith bestowed on me.”

Riverside Community College was founded in 1916. It enrolls nearly 20,000 students. African Americans are 8 percent of the student body. Norco College (10,000 students, 6 percent Black) and Moreno Valley College (9,000 students, 12 percent Black) are newer members of the community college district.

Since 2015, Dr. Isaac has served as president of Riverside City College. He joined the staff there in 2012 as vice president for academic affairs. From 2006 to 2012, Dr. Isaac was dean of health science at Moreno Valley College.

Dr. Isaac is a native of Eritrea in East Africa. He is a graduate of Haile Selassie University in Ethiopia, where he majored in chemistry. After studying at the University of Uppsala in Sweden, Dr. Isaac earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry from the University of Michigan.

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6 COMMENTS

  1. Congratulations Dr. Woldeab for your new position. I have no doubt that you will deliver what you promised to the community.

  2. This is empowering and inspirational to those of us that are currently seeking academic employment.

    There is no STOP… only GO!

  3. This is very sad. This man has been the right hand of dictator Isayas of Eritrea. After destroying the infrastructure of the only university we had and finally shut down by the regime. He left Eritrea only to be rewarded by this. What a sad story for my young people in Eritrea.

  4. Congrats. Professor Woldeab was the president of Asmara university. He is a respected, well distinguished, genius, all rounded expert, most experienced, and I have no doubt he will deliver his expertise and capabilities to the community. His capacity and knowledge is way a head. He opened many faculties and departments in the University. He made a lot of changes and progress, I can’t deny that.

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