Office of the President

Dr. Rodolfo Arévalo
25^th President
Eastern Washington University

Dr. Rodolfo Arévalo began his term as the 25th president of Eastern Washington University on April 1, 2006. He came to Eastern after seven years as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at The University of Texas-Pan American (UT-PA). As a devoted advocate for higher education, he spent 18 years in the California State University system as a faculty member, department chair, associate dean, graduate dean and associate vice president. Dr. Arévalo also served as provost and chief academic officer at Fort Hays State University.

At Eastern, Dr. Arévalo has led an aggressive effort to tell the story of access and opportunity for all students and focuses his message on the power of education to transform lives for individuals and for the State.  As an impassioned educator, he realizes that investment in education is a key economic driver, providing an educated workforce who earn degrees and remain in Washington to work and give back to their communities. 

Institutionally, he has sought diligently to implement policies in support of institutional strength and academic excellence, student success, and diversity.  His commitment to the latter goal has resulted in Eastern's ethnic student diversity increasing from 14.9 percent when he arrived 6 years ago to 32 percent in 2011.  Further, he resolutely supports the legislative emphasis to provide greater numbers of graduates in the math and science (STEM)  fields and has led the university in further development of degrees relating to science, health, and engineering.  Under his leadership, EWU gained approval to offer an additional engineering degree in mechanical engineering.   His strong support of math and science education has involved him with work in the Cheney Public Schools, the Community Colleges of Spokane, and WSU-Spokane. He currently is co-chair of the Spokane STEM network and is also affiliated with the National Hispanic Science Network.

Dr. Arévalo serves on the board of Greater Spokane Incorporated, the Riverpoint Partnership for Math & Science, the University District Development Association Board, the Spokane Visitor's Bureau Board, and he is affiliated with the Hispanic Business Professional Association, the Higher Education Leadership Group, Priority Spokane, International Trade Alliance, Inland Northwest Latino Chamber of Commerce, West Plains Chamber of Commerce, and Spokane Rotary 21.  He is an outspoken member of the Council of President's, a membership of four-year university presidents who collaborate on issues involving education.  (He was chair of this membership through June 2010.)

A native of Edinburg, Texas, Dr. Arévalo is the son of migrant workers who worked in Walla Walla and the Yakima Valley. He is a first-generation college graduate. Dr. Arévalo and his wife, Nadine, have five children and four grandchildren. The couple lives in University House on the EWU campus in Cheney.