José Miguel Pulido León joined the Bobcat family in June 2026 and serves as Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students at UC Merced. José brings a strong and deeply student-centered background in higher education leadership with extensive experience advancing student success, retention, belonging, crisis response, and inclusive excellence across multiple institutions. In his role he oversees campus departments that offer services to support students outside of the classroom, while overseeing Non-Clinical Case Management within the office. His portfolio includes Basic Needs, Student Accessibility Services, and the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities.
Previously José served Dean of Students at the University of the Pacific, where he oversaw a broad portfolio that includes student conduct, behavioral intervention and CARE efforts, disability services, retention initiatives, and identity and inclusion programming. Prior to Pacific, he served in leadership roles at the University of Nevada, Reno, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and UCLA.
Throughout his career, José has demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting diverse student communities, fostering collaborative campus partnerships, and building systems that help students thrive both academically and personally. He is also completing his Doctor of Education at UC Davis, where his research focuses on belonging and success among Latino and Black male college students.
