Dean
CHSHS offers students exciting academic and community service programs that are truly at the cutting edge of effective academic programming and experiential learning. If you are looking for career options with remarkable growth potential you are in the right place! As quality of life, disease prevention, and culturally resonant health care become part of the fabric of health and human service delivery, our college offers programs that train students as experts in front-line, effective strategies to eradicate the health and human services inequities that have plagued our nation. As our collective economic welfare becomes increasingly linked with the well-being of our populace, we will seek new ways to prevent health conditions and diseases that limit quality of life. With prevention rapidly becoming a top priority, CHSHS faculty are devoted to designing innovative strategies to help communities thrive and achieve optimal wellness where we work, live, and play.
Join us for our annual Diversity Celebration Series featuring renowned speakers from across the country!
¡Bienvenidos al Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud Y Servicios Humanos!
Interim Dean Vanessa Lopez-Littleton
College of Health Sciences and Human Services
Dr. Vanessa Lopez-Littleton is the Interim Dean of the College of Health Sciences and Human Services at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB). Lopez-Littleton is a Professor of Public Administration and Nonprofit Management.
Prior to her appointment as Interim Dean, Dr. Lopez-Littleton served as Chief Assistant to the Dean for the College of Health Sciences and Human Services; Department Chair for Health, Human Services, and Public Policy; and Director of the Helen Rucker Center for Black Excellence.
Lopez-Littleton brings a strong background in leadership, management, and public sector governance. She has served over 200 nonprofit and government agencies throughout her career. She is an active scholar who researches the structural causes of health inequities, with a focus on naming, measuring, and addressing the impacts of social, economic, and political influences on health and well-being. She actively participates in designing innovative graduate and undergraduate programs, works with diverse teams to develop inclusive classroom and academic practices, and partners with public entities to improve organizational and management performance.
She currently serves as the Chair of the Board of the Monterey County Rape Crisis Center and First Vice President of the Monterey County Branch of the NAACP. She is also the Chair of the American Society of Public Administration (ASPA) Section on Democracy and Social Justice.
She is known for her dedication to student success as well as her work in establishing the Helen Rucker Center for Black Excellence, a campus-based program that supports African heritage students, faculty, and staff and connects them to the broader campus community.
Dr. Lopez-Littleton was selected by the CSUMB academic senate for the Joe Larkin Service Award (Immediate Impact) in 2022 based on her dedication and commitment to the CSUMB campus community. She was also chosen by the California State Student Association (CSSA) for the Faculty of the Year award in 2021 to honor her commitment to supporting students across the CSU during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She is the proud mother of Peter Lopez II, Marcus Lopez and Camryn Lopez-Littleton and grandmother to Layla Lopez and Zion Lopez.