Dr. Christina Royal is the Interim President of CT State Community College. She began her tenure on August 1, 2025. Prior, she was the Founder and President of Infinite Unlearning, LLC, an executive coaching and consultancy service supporting mid to senior leaders and their organizations. She also served as a President-in-Residence for Harvard University Graduate School of Education for the Academic Year 2024-2025.
Previously, she was the fourth president of Holyoke Community College (HCC), and the first woman, first multi-racial, and first queer leader to lead this institution from 2017 to 2023. Dr. Royal has served in progressively responsible roles in both academic (community college and private four-year institutions) and corporate environments. In her presidency, she led the creation of the college’s first strategic plan, which prioritized equity by removing barriers for historically marginalized learners, including BIPOC, LGBTQ+, first generation, adult learners, and students living in poverty. Dr. Royal established the President’s Student Emergency Fund, collaboratively transformed the institution’s shared governance model, launched El Centro to support Latinx students as a Hispanic Serving Institution, expanded mental health services, and secured the largest philanthropic gift to a community college in Massachusetts, among other notable accomplishments.
Prior to her presidency at HCC, she served as the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Inver Hills Community College in Minnesota, and also as Associate Vice President of eLearning & Innovation at Cuyahoga Community College, with district-wide oversight over one of the largest distance learning programs in Ohio.
Dr. Royal has been intentional in her career in serving the community college mission. Her passion has been to prioritize initiatives relating to ending cycles of generational poverty and advance equity work that addresses structural issues which limit access and success for all students. It is this diversity that creates a culturally rich ecosystem of learning. Growing up as a first generation and low-income college student, she understands some of the challenges our students face and the importance of having an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. Dr. Royal believes that representation matters, and our students must see aspects of themselves reflected in college to form a connection to the institution. It is this diversity that creates a culturally rich ecosystem of learning and strengthens our communities and region.
Her success as a leader throughout her career has stemmed from a future-oriented mindset coupled with an approach based on collaboration and teamwork. Dr. Royal has received several honors and recognitions for her public service, including the Woman of the Year award by the Zonta Club of Quaboag Valley in 2023; recognition for outstanding leadership on the issues of diversity, equity and inclusion by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and Cengage in 2021; Woman of Impact by BusinessWest in 2020; and recipient of the 2012 United States Distance Learning Association International Award for Outstanding Leadership by an Individual. Under her leadership, HCC was recognized by the Women’s Edge as a Top 100 Women-Led Business in MA in 2021 and 2022.
Dr. Royal earned a bachelor of arts degree in Mathematics and a master of arts degree in Educational Psychology, both from Marist University, and a doctorate in Education with a specialization in Instructional Design from Capella University.