Donna Cataldo to serve as 2018–19 University Senate president

Donna Cataldo will serve as the University Senate president at Arizona State University for the 2018–19 academic year.

Cataldo is a clinical professor and has taught in the kinesiology program at ASU since 2001. She has over 20 years of experience in exercise physiology and chronic disease management with a focus on heart rhythm analysis, endocrinology and women’s health. She is also the program coordinator for the graduate Clinical Exercise Physiology MS program that she created four years ago.

For over 20 years Cataldo has been a member of the Southwest American College of Sports Medicine and serves as the editor for their newsletter. She is also a 20-year member of the American College of Sports Medicine and serves as a contributor on the national Consumer Information Committee. Cataldo also serves on the newly formed national Consumer Outreach Committee providing information on current health issues for professionals and the general population.

During her tenure with the University Senate she has served as the co-chair of the Senate Online Education Task Force, served as the primary senate faculty liaison for the Learning Management System review and is a now a four-year member of the University Academic Council having served as the Downtown Phoenix campus Senate President during the 2016–17 school year.

Cataldo said she is both energized and humbled to be leading such an outstanding shared governance organization. 

“I am amazed at the commitment of the ASU faculty members and academic professionals who involve themselves in our shared governance activities," she said. "Collectively, each of them represent thousands of other ASU faculty members and our ability to understand and effectively insert the faculty perspective into ASU decision-making is, I believe, a big part of what helps set our University apart both nationally and internationally.” 

Cataldo indicated that in the upcoming year the senate will finish its work studying online education at ASU and press each of its committees to explore policy topics that will both enhance the university and improve the faculty and academic professional experience and effectiveness.

Shared governance at Arizona State University is rooted in both state law and Arizona Board of Regents policy. The University Senate is the official organization designated to fulfill this opportunity and represent the faculty and academic professional perspectives at Arizona State University. For more information visit the University Senate website.