Christina Royal

Dr. Christina Royal Christina Royal has been named interim president of Connecticut State Community College (CT State), the largest community college in New England. Royal will begin her term on August 1, 2025, and serve through June 30, 2026. 

Royal previously served as president of Holyoke Community College and was selected as a 2024-2025 Judith Block McLaughlin President-in-Residence in the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in higher education to her new role at CT State.

During her presidency at Holyoke Community College, Royal championed initiatives to break cycles of generational poverty; secured one of the largest individual philanthropic gifts to a U.S. community college; led the development of the college’s first strategic plan; oversaw the creation of a new Life Sciences Center to enhance academic and

Royal holds a Ph.D. in Education from Capella University, an M.A. in Educational Psychology, and a B.A. in Mathematics from Marist University.