bio On August 21, 2015, the Board of Regents for Higher Education appointed Mark E. Ojakian to serve as president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system, which includes 12 community colleges, four state universities and Charter Oak State College. Ojakian began his tenure on September 28, 2015. Ojakian, who has spent 35 years in public service, most recently served as chief of staff to Governor Dannel P. Malloy. Prior to that, he served as deputy secretary of Connecticut’s Office of Policy and Management and for 16 years as deputy comptroller under Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, when she served as the state comptroller. In the Comptroller’s Office, Ojakian was responsible for overseeing more than 250 employees and more than $1 billion in state accounts. From 1988 until 1994, Ojakian served as the senior assistant to the higher education commissioner. Ojakian holds a bachelor’s degree in history from St. Anselm’s College in Manchester, New Hampshire, and a master’s degree in international relations from the American University in Washington, DC.