San Jose State President Mohammad H. Qayoumi often quotes Eleanor Roosevelt: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” Since taking the helm at on July 1, 2011, Qayoumi has encouraged the campus community to have audacious dreams and aspirations for the university.

During his first Fall Welcome Address, Qayoumi outlined an ambitious strategic planning process that will begin with 40 town hall meetings. He will use input from the students, faculty and staff—along with his 26 years of CSU experience—to create a plan for San José State’s future.

The 28th president of San José State served as president of Cal State East Bay from 2006 to 2011. He came to Cal State East Bay from Cal State Northridge, where he served as vice president for administration and finance and chief financial officer from 2000 to 2006, and was also a tenured professor of engineering management. Previously, Qayoumi served as associate vice president for administration at San Jose State; director of utilities and engineering services, director of technical services, and staff engineer at University of Cincinnati, Ohio. Qayoumi also served as an engineer on a variety of projects in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

Reared in a rural suburb of Kabul, Afghanistan, Qayoumi learned the value of education from his parents. While his father, a carpenter, had only an elementary school education and his mother had no schooling, they encouraged their six children to pursue education.

Qayoumi holds a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from the American University of Beirut. He holds four degrees from the University of Cincinnati: a master’s in nuclear engineering, a master’s in electrical and computer engineering, an MBA and a doctorate in electrical engineering.

In addition to serving his native Afghanistan as senior advisor to the country’s minister of finance and as a member of the board of directors for the Central Bank of Afghanistan, Qayoumi is a member of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, and serves on several local boards. He has also published eight books and more than 85 articles.

He is married to Najia Karim, a Persian poet and clinical dietician at Eden Medical Center. Qayoumi’s hobbies include travel, reading philosophy and religion, and listening to classical music.