SAN MARCOS, CA (July 12, 2023) – As a lifelong Escondido resident, Dr. Diane Studinka began taking general education classes at Palomar College during her senior year of high school and continued at Palomar before transferring to Humboldt State University (now Cal Poly Humboldt) to earn her undergraduate degree in Child Development. Effective today, she is the Dean of the Social and Behavioral Sciences division at the College.
After working in Head Start programs while earning a master’s degree in Instructional Leadership in Early Childhood Education, Dr. Studinka’s career in education began in 1996 as a teacher in the Early Childhood Education Lab School (ECELS) at Palomar College. From that point forward, she has contributed to the extraordinary success of ECELS and the College in countless ways. Her experience as an acting administrator in the last two years prepared Dr. Studinka for the role of Dean.
“Palomar College will always be a part of my personal and professional life. I can’t imagine what my journey in higher education would be without my Palomar College colleagues and the amazing students we have the pleasure to serve each and every day,” said Dr. Studinka. “I am looking forward to serving Palomar in this capacity and I am grateful for the opportunity,” she added.
Serving an average of 8,700 students during each academic term, the Social and Behavioral Sciences division is one of the largest at Palomar. Students pursue courses, degrees and certificates in child development, economics, history, political science, anthropology, psychology, social justice, archaeology, and sociology.
“As an experienced educator and administrator, we are confident that Dr. Studinka‘s inclusive leadership style will allow our faculty experts and talented staff to thoughtfully engage in supporting student success and meeting the diverse needs of our students,” said Assistant Superintendent/Vice President of Instruction, Dr. Tina Recalde. “We are looking forward to Dr. Studinka lending her expertise in collaborating with colleagues to formalize the short and long- term vision of the division and college.”
