Edna Martinez holds the title of associate vice president and administrator in charge of California State University, San Bernardino’s Palm Desert Campus. But when she introduces herself, even to students, she simply says, “Call me Edna!”
“I do that to break power dynamics, especially with 82% of our students being first-gen,” Martinez said.
Though she embraces a down-to-earth approach, Martinez is well aware of the inspiration she provides as the first Latina to lead the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus in its nearly 40-year history.
Born in El Paso, Texas, Martinez spent her childhood on the move.
“I’m a proud Army brat,” she said.
Her father served with the 62nd Engineer Battalion, taking the family to Colorado, Missouri, Washington state and Panama. Was all the moving difficult?
“I loved it!” she said. “I got to meet new people, got to experience new cultures.”
Throughout their journey, her father chipped away at his dream of earning a college degree, enrolling in community colleges wherever the family was stationed.
“He ended up getting his degree a year before my sister got hers,” Martinez said. “We always knew that not going to college was not an option. We saw our dad taking a class here and there—and I must say, it took him a long time to finish his degree.”
Martinez enrolled at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), determined to become a doctor. “I was pre-med, majoring in biology and minoring in chemistry,” she said. “And I got really involved in the campus.”
That involvement sparked a realization that her true passion might not be medicine after all.
“It was my senior year that I had a change of heart,” she said. “Though I knew at that point that I wasn’t going to pursue the medical field, I never wanted folks to say, ‘She couldn’t get her degree in biology, because it was too hard.’ So, I said, ‘I’m still going to finish my degree in pre-med.’”
After earning her undergraduate degree, Martinez pursued a master’s in educational administration with a focus on student affairs at UTEP. Her goal was simple: “Ensuring that students are successful in higher education.”
“The Palm Desert Campus is about possibility, discovery and community. We’re the only public four-year institution here in the Coachella Valley, and we’re proud to provide access to affordable excellence in higher education.”
Edna Martinez, associate vice president and administrator in charge of CSUSB Palm Desert
“My parents were always supportive, saying, ‘Do what you want to do.’ So I (was) still going to be a doctor, but not that kind of doctor,” she said.
While working on her master’s degree, Martinez became a tutor for the College Assistance Migrant Program, eventually becoming the program coordinator and manager. During that time, she met one of her most influential mentors: James Satterfield, a faculty member who later moved to Clemson University. He saw something in Martinez and encouraged her to pursue a doctorate at Clemson.
“It took probably two years for him to convince me,” she said. “In fact, I committed to join the Ph.D. program, and then I backed out. I was scared. One day, sitting in my office working, I got an email from Dr. Satterfield, and I know I’ve got a screenshot of it saved somewhere. The subject was: It is time. And that’s it; there was nothing in the body of the email. And I’m like, ‘It’s time! It’s time to do it.’”
Martinez enrolled at Clemson and completed her degree. She was first Latina student in the university’s Ph.D. in Educational Leadership program. “And that came with a lot of pressure, being the first,” she said.
In August 2023, Martinez again made history after she was appointed to lead the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus. At the time, she said in a news release: “I look forward to working with students, families, faculty and staff to make PDC the choice, not the only choice, for students in our community.” Since then, she has focused on turning that vision into a reality for the campus’ more than 2,000 students.
“The Palm Desert Campus is about possibility, discovery and community. We’re the only public four-year institution here in the Coachella Valley, and we’re proud to provide access to affordable excellence in higher education,” Martinez said.
She, and her California State University colleagues, are dealing with numerous challenges. The CSU system is facing a $375 million budget cut in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2025-2026 budget proposal. Additionally, many students at the Palm Desert Campus are navigating uncertainty due to shifting federal policies.
“Our counselors are seeing more students because of the uncertainty,” Martinez said. “Our mission and our commitment to our students doesn’t change. When there is a greater need, we increase our services and partner with the community in terms of how to best serve our students and provide some level of comfort.”
Despite these headwinds, Martinez is focused on growth. In May, the Palm Desert Campus will celebrate a major milestone with a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Student Services Building, scheduled at 9:30 a.m., Friday, May 9. The event, which is open to the public, will celebrate an expansion aimed at improving the student experience and increasing access to critical support services.
The $79 million state-funded project will be a 23,700-assignable-square-foot facility with an advising and tutoring center, a career center, an expanded library, a group study space, a cross-cultural center, a bookstore, food services, a student health center, and a recreation and wellness center. Once complete, the building will free up 10,000 square feet of space in existing campus facilities, enabling the expansion of academic programs and more faculty and classroom space.
“There’s a lot of promise, all that undeveloped land,” Martinez said, gesturing to the desert landscape visible from her office window. “There’s a reference from The Lion King my colleague often uses: ‘Everything the light touches is our kingdom.’”
Edited on April 15 to make minor changes.