Dr. Chevelle Newsome was appointed the seventh president of the Council of Graduate Schools in 2025. Dr. Newsome draws from broad experience in supporting graduate programs and building successful coalitions and partnerships to her role at CGS.
Formerly the Dean of Graduate Studies at California State University, Sacramento, Dr. Newsome worked to advance and support academic excellence and achievement across Sacramento State’s more than 50 programs since 2008.
Under her leadership, the Graduate Office partnered with academic programs and colleges across the university to deliver best practices in recruitment, admissions, mentoring, funding, academic program development, guidelines, policy, and all facets of graduate student success.
In Dr. Newsome’s role at Sacramento State, she was a Founding Director of the Sacramento State McNair Scholars Program and served as Interim Dean for undergraduate education. As an advisor to the CSU Board of Trustees and the Center for California Studies, Dr. Newsome developed policy recommendations that directly influenced California legislation, from enabling the CSU system to first offer professional doctorates, such as the Ed.D. and DPT, to now offering independent doctoral programs.
Dr. Newsome built strong relationships across different sectors, collaborating with organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club, California Manufacturing Association and the Sacramento Regional Partnership for Digital Equity to expand both educational access and innovation. She also served on the United Way California Capital Region (UWCCR) board and worked on initiatives to raise collegiate foster youth and families out of poverty by 2030.
Dr. Newsome currently serves as chair of the ETS Graduate Education Advisory Council and was formerly the chair for the Council of Graduate Schools’ Board of Directors.