Board Member Biographies

Board President
Term | Ex Officio from June 2018 to present

Dr. Adela de la Torre is the ninth permanent president of San Diego State University and its first female president. With more than 30 years of leadership experience in higher education, including roles at UC Davis, the University of Arizona, and the California State University system, she is a nationally recognized expert in Latino community health. Before joining SDSU, she served as UC Davis Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Diversity and became the university’s first Latina Distinguished Professor.

A California native, Dr. de la Torre earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees from UC Berkeley. Inspired by her family’s emphasis on education, hard work, and cultural heritage, she has dedicated her career to advancing higher education, health equity, and student success.

Board Vice President
Term | Ex Officio from September 2020 to present

Dr. Hala Madanat is SDSU’s Vice President for Research and Innovation, overseeing the university’s research enterprise, innovation initiatives, technology transfer, and startup incubation programs. A distinguished professor of health promotion and behavioral science, her research focuses on reducing health disparities through community engagement.

Formerly director of SDSU’s School of Public Health, she led significant growth in research funding and national rankings. Dr. Madanat has secured more than $22 million in research funding and is a nationally recognized leader in public health research.

Board Treasurer
Chair, Finance and Investment Committee
Term | Ex Officio from May 2019 to present

Agnes Wong Nickerson is SDSU’s Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs and Chief Financial Officer, overseeing the university’s budget, financial operations, facilities, human resources, public safety, and major administrative services. She previously served in financial leadership roles at SDSU, San Francisco State University, and Duke University Press, and has experience in both higher education and private industry. She holds degrees from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the University of San Francisco, and Duke University.

Board Secretary
Term | September 2024 to September 2028 (third term)

Dr. Jennifer Thomas is a professor and master’s program advisor in SDSU’s Department of Psychology. Her research examines how prenatal exposure to alcohol, cannabis, and other substances affects brain and behavioral development, with a focus on reducing fetal alcohol-related effects. She has secured more than $9 million in research funding, including a prestigious NIH MERIT Award, and actively mentors students through hands-on research experiences.

Dr. Thomas earned her B.S. from Iowa State University and her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Iowa.

Board Associate Secretary-Treasurer

Member, Audit Committee and Finance and Investment Committee 
Term: September 2026 to September 2029 (fifth term)

Vickie Capps, CPA is an experienced corporate leader and board director with expertise in finance, strategic growth, operations, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance. She currently serves on the boards of several healthcare and medical technology companies, including Janux Therapeutics, Orthofix, Enable Injections, Breg, and the San Diego State University Research Foundation.

A San Diego State University graduate and California CPA, Vickie began her career at Ernst & Young before serving as CFO for multiple multinational companies. She was recognized as a Corporate Directors Forum Director of the Year (2022) and a San Diego Business Journal CFO of the Year honoree (2009, 2010).

As CFO of DJO Global from 2002–2013, Vickie played a key role in growing the orthopedic device company from $180 million to more than $1.1 billion in annual revenue, leading major acquisitions, operational improvements, and international expansion. Following her executive career, she transitioned to serving as a corporate advisor and board member.

Uduak Z. George, Ph.D. is a tenured Associate Professor of Mathematics and Statistics at San Diego State University and principal investigator of the George Lab. Her research combines computational modeling and AI/machine learning to study the development and function of organs such as the lungs and pancreas, and to address health disparities in underserved communities.

Dr. George earned degrees in engineering, computational mathematics, and mathematics from institutions in Nigeria and the United Kingdom, and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and North Carolina State University. Her research is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She is a recipient of the 2023 NSF CAREER Award, the NIH Future Research Leaders Award, and the NIH AIM-AHEAD Fellowship.

Steve Gill, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Charles W. Lamden School of Accountancy at San Diego State University. Before joining SDSU in 2008, he spent five years with PricewaterhouseCoopers and held accounting and financial management roles in industry, including director of taxation.

His research focuses on taxation, investor decision-making, and tax compliance, and he has collaborated with a Big Four accounting firm to develop technology-based tax education materials. Dr. Gill teaches tax and accounting research courses, has authored leading textbooks on individual income taxation and tax research, and has served as a non-director member of an audit committee for the past three years.

Tom McCarron is a retired higher education executive with more than 28 years of leadership experience in finance, administration, and campus development. At San Diego State University, he served as Senior Vice President for Mission Valley Development (2019–2020), leading the acquisition and planning of SDSU Mission Valley, and previously as Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs and Chief Financial Officer (2013–2020).

Before joining SDSU, McCarron held senior financial leadership roles throughout the California State University system, including at CSU Northridge and the CSU Institute. He oversaw university finances, capital projects, auxiliary organizations, and support enterprises, and served on the boards of the SDSU Research Foundation and Aztec Shops.

McCarron earned a B.S. in Accounting from California State University, Northridge, and an MBA from Pepperdine University. He has also been active in community and university service through CSU committees, church leadership, and nonprofit organizations

Member, Audit Committee 
Term | September 2026 to September 2029 (first term) 

Bella Newberg brings nearly 30 years of experience in higher education administration, business development, capital planning, and financial management. She served as Associate Vice President of Business Development and Executive Director of the CSUSM Corporation at California State University San Marcos from 2014 until her retirement in 2021, overseeing auxiliary operations, real estate development, student housing, commercial services, and sponsored projects. She played a key role in major capital initiatives, including the Extended Learning Building public-private partnership project.

Prior to her executive leadership role, Bella held several management positions at CSUSM in procurement, capital resources, planning, and facilities management. Earlier in her career, she worked in the electronics manufacturing industry, leading purchasing, contract administration, marketing, sales, and customer service functions. She holds a B.A. in Business Administration from National University and an MPA from Azusa Pacific University.

Term | September 2024 to September 2027 (first term)

Humberto Parada, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics in the SDSU School of Public Health. He received his BS in Biology from the University of California, Los Angeles (2007), his MPH in Epidemiology from San Diego State University (2010), and his PhD in Epidemiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2016). He joined SDSU as Assistant Professor in 2017 after completing a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Cancer Epidemiology from the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and the UNC Chapel Hill Department of Epidemiology (2017). 

His research focuses on identifying environmental, behavioral, and genetic factors that influence the development and progression of aging-related diseases, including cancer and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD), and understanding these associations within the context of health disparities, particularly among US Hispanics/Latinos.

Mark B. Reed, PhD, began working at SDSU in 2004 as a research faculty member and is currently serving as the Senior Associate Vice President for Research in the Division of Research and Innovation. Dr. Reed’s portfolio as Senior AVP includes oversight of research operations, research support services, undergraduate research, and research advancement. As a faculty member in the SDSU School of Public Health, Dr. Reed’s research focuses on alcohol use etiology and prevention, Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) approaches to alcohol misuse, as well as issues pertaining to faculty diversity, equity, and inclusion. He is currently a PI (MPI) of the SDSU FUERTE (NIH FIRST) program. 

He is published in top substance use/public health journals and has secured over $17M in funding as a PI or MPI and more than $2M as a Co-Investigator. He is a past President and current Fellow of the American Academy of Health Behavior (AAHB) as well as the past Co-Editor-in-Chief for the International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research. Dr. Reed also serves on the board of the San Jose State University Research Foundation.

Sweta Sarkar, Ph.D. is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at San Diego State University whose research focuses on AI-enabled wireless networks for applications in agriculture, healthcare, and brain-computer interfaces. Since joining SDSU in 2006, she has published more than 100 research articles, earned multiple best-paper awards, secured NSF-funded research grants, and holds one patent.

Dr. Sarkar is a recognized leader in engineering education and outreach, serving in leadership roles for major IEEE conferences and journal publications. She has received SDSU’s President’s Leadership Award, Outstanding Faculty Award, and Faculty Excellence Award in Diversity and Inclusion (2021). A Fulbright Specialist (2021–2024), she is also committed to expanding opportunities for women and underrepresented groups in STEM through local and international outreach initiatives.

William Tong. Ph.D., was appointed permanent Provost of San Diego State University in May 2025, after having previously served as Interim Provost since June 2023, and vice provost since May 2021. He received his Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1984 from Iowa State University and worked at the Ames Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy. He joined the faculty in 1985 as an associate professor after his postdoctoral research at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy. In 1989, he was promoted to professor at SDSU.

In 2005, Dr. Tong was named a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry. 

Dr. Tong has mentored more than 50 doctoral and master's students and many more postdoctoral students, visiting scientists/professors, and undergraduate research students in his laser laboratory.

Member, Audit Committee
Term | September 2026 to September 2030 (fourth term)

Ming-Hsiang Tsou, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Geography at San Diego State University and the founding director of SDSU’s Center for Human Dynamics in the Mobile Age and Big Data Analytic Program. His research interests include human dynamics, social media, big data, visualization, web geographic information systems (GIS), and cartography. He is a co-author of Internet GIS, a scholarly book published in 2003 by Wiley, and serves on the editorial boards of the Annals of GIS (2008- present), Cartography and GIScience (2013-present), and Professional Geographers (2011-present). 

Dr. Tsou has received over $4.5 million in extramural funding as PI or co-PI since 2003. His current project is funded by the National Science Foundation (award number 2417568) to analyze the spatial distribution of the homeless population in San Diego and understand the socio-environmental determinants and impacts of homelessness on local communities. He has been honored to receive the following teaching awards: Excellence in Education Award in 2016, California Geographic Information Association; SDSU Senate Excellence in Teaching Award (the CAL College Awardee) for 2010-11; SDSU Outstanding Faculty Award, 2010 and 2004.

Term | September 2024 to September 2027 (second term)

Alex Waters is the Executive Director of The Program Labs, a nonprofit consultancy that helps organizations design and manage entrepreneurship and workforce development programs. Previously, he led economic development and innovation efforts at the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, where he created San Diego’s first diversity-focused business accelerator, helping small businesses secure more than $3 million in investment.

Waters has also led entrepreneurial initiatives with the Collaboratory for Downtown Innovation and held leadership roles in educational technology at 2U. He has taught business and leadership at the University of San Diego, mentored entrepreneurs through programs such as Techstars and AltMBA, and serves on several nonprofit and advisory boards. He holds a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Maryland and an M.A. in Philosophy from San Diego State University.

Rick Wentzel, CPA is a retired public accounting leader with extensive experience serving nonprofit and higher education organizations. He began his career at Coopers & Lybrand, held controller roles at the Jewish Federation Council of Greater Los Angeles and Occidental College, and later became a lead higher education partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers. He concluded his professional career as West Region Leader of Grant Thornton’s Nonprofit Practice.

Today, Wentzel remains active in nonprofit governance and consulting, serving as Director of Operations for Canyons Church, a board member of Huntington Medical Research Institutes, and an audit committee member for several nonprofit organizations. He is an active Certified Public Accountant who continues to advise nonprofit organizations.