EDUCATION
COMMUNITY COLLEGES, RANKED BY ENROLLMENT
Top 10 RIO SALADO COLLEGE 2323 W. 14th St., Tempe, 85281 // 480-517-8000 // riosalado.edu FOUNDED 1978 AZ EMPLOYEES 521 ENROLLMENT 59,000 PRINCIPAL Chris Bustamante, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Dr. Jennifer McGrath, vice president of academic affairs PIMA COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE 4905 E. Broadway Blvd., Tucson, 85709-1010 // 520-2064500 // pima.edu FOUNDED 1969 AZ EMPLOYEES 1359 ENROLLMENT 52,197 PRINCIPAL Lee Lambert, chancellor HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Lorraine Morales, president, community campus MESA COMMUNITY COLLEGE 1833 W. Southern Ave., Mesa, 85202 // 480-461-7000 // mesacc. edu FOUNDED 1965 AZ EMPLOYEES 714 ENROLLMENT 39,300 PRINCIPAL Shouan Pan, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Sonya D. Pearson, vice president of student affairs GLENDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE 6000 W. Olive Ave., Glendale, 85302 // 623-845-3000 // gccaz.edu FOUNDED 1965 AZ EMPLOYEES 581 ENROLLMENT 31,666 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Irene Kovala, president
WORKING TO AID LEARNING
MARY LOU MOSLEY VICE PRESIDENT OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS BY DAVID M. BROWN
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Mary Lou Mosley guides young college students today thanks to an uncle who was a university professor. “He encouraged and mentored me,” says Mosley, vice president of academic affairs at Paradise Valley Community College. “He helped me develop a career path that followed my interests and talents.” After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Colorado Boulder, Mosley earned her master’s degree in library media from the University of Colorado at Denver. Arizona State University awarded her doctorate in educational technology. At PVCC, Mosley administers academic programs and academic personnel matters. In addition, she fosters the design, development and evaluation of innovative strategies, programs and partnerships in support of student learning, success, retention and completion. She also teaches two courses: History of Western Civilization and Internet/Web Development. “I enjoy teaching,” she says. “It keeps me in touch with students and with what the college asks faculty to do.” For Mosley, community college gives students from all backgrounds and experiences an affordable opportunity to begin or return to education. “The focus at community colleges is on teaching, learning and student success rather than on research like many universities,” she says. “And the
quality of the education for the undergraduate meets and may exceed the quality of university education.” In addition, she notes that students who transfer from a community college to a university often do better than students who start at the university. Mosley has won two Innovator of the Year team awards, for a distance learning program and a first-year experience program. “They give me pride because they were based on collaboration across departments and disciplines,” she says. “And both projects made a difference for students in terms of access and success. “My goal is to solve problems and open doors so faculty and students can be successful,” she adds. “I ask myself all the time, ‘How can we improve learning? What have we learned that can make us better at all levels?’” Outside PVCC, Mosley has volunteered with her therapy dog at a longterm care facility and at Maricopa Medical Center’s pediatric ward. At the former, she was gratified she had helped others, even for the short while she and her dog visited. Similarly, she cherished watching the change in sick children and their families during their visits to the medical center. “We helped them forget some of the pain or scary moments they were experiencing,” she says.
CHANDLER-GILBERT COMMUNITY COLLEGE 2626 E. Pecos Road, Chandler, 85225 // 480-7327000 // cgc.edu FOUNDED 1992 AZ EMPLOYEES 325 ENROLLMENT 19,297 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Linda Lujan, president ESTRELLA MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 3000 N. Dysart Road, Avondale, 85392 // 623935-8000 // estrellamountain.edu FOUNDED 1992 AZ EMPLOYEES 250 ENROLLMENT 14,507 PRINCIPAL Ernest Lara, president HIGHESTRANKING WOMEN Susan Tavakoli, vice president of administrative services; Patricia Cardenes-Adame, vice president, student affairs PHOENIX COLLEGE 1202 W. Thomas Road, Phoenix, 85013 // 602-285-7800 // phoenixcollege. edu FOUNDED 1920 AZ EMPLOYEES 397 ENROLLMENT 12,107 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Anna Solley, president GATEWAY COMMUNITY COLLEGE108 N. 40th St., Phoenix, 85034 // 602-286-8000 // gatewaycc.edu FOUNDED 1968 AZ EMPLOYEES 350 ENROLLMENT 11,000 PRINCIPAL Steven Gonzales, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMEN Joni Grover, vice president of student affairs; Maria Wise, vice president of academic affairs SCOTTSDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE 9000 E. Chaparral Road, Scottsdale, 85256 // 480423-6000 // scottsdalecc.edu FOUNDED 1970 AZ EMPLOYEES 409 ENROLLMENT 10,000 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Jan Gehler, president PARADISE VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE 18401 N. 32nd St., Phoenix, 85032 // 602-7876500 // paradisevalley.edu FOUNDED 1987 AZ EMPLOYEES 225 ENROLLMENT 10,000 PRINCIPAL Paul Dale, president HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Mary Lou Mosley, vice president of academic affairs
WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS // 2015
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