Deans

Paul L. Caron

Caruso School of Law

Caron was named the Duane and Kelly Roberts Dean of the Caruso School of Law in 2017 after serving as the associate dean for research and faculty development for two years. He first joined the Caruso School of Law in 2010 as the D & L Straus Distinguished Visiting Professor of Law and became part of the tenured faculty in 2013 as professor of law. Previously Caron served as the associate dean of faculty and the Charles Hartsock Professor of Law at the University of Cincinnati College of Law. A widely respected expert in tax law, Caron has written more than 50 books and scholarly articles and is the publisher and editor of Tax Prof Blog, the most popular tax blog on the internet.

Angel Coaston

School of Nursing | College of Health Science

Coaston joined Pepperdine in 2024 as the inaugural dean of the College of Health Science’s School of Nursing. She has more than 10 years of experience as a full-time faculty member with administrative responsibilities, having served in senior positions at California Baptist University, Azusa Pacific University, and Loma Linda University Medical Center. She is an innovative leader dedicated to furthering population health and school-based, community-based, and faith-based nursing. Coaston holds a BS in nursing from the University of Phoenix; an MS in nursing and family nurse practitioner degrees from Western University of Health Sciences; and a PhD in nursing from the University of California, San Francisco.

Deborah Crown

Graziadio Business School

Crown is the 10th dean of the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. She previously served as professor of management and dean of the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College, and as the dean of the College of Business at Hawai'i Pacific University. Crown's work has appeared in many national media outlets as well as in academic journals and books. She is the recipient of a number of awards for her research, teaching and mentoring. Crown earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from North Central College, a master of science in business administration from the University of Colorado at Denver, and a PhD from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado at Boulder. 

Michael E. Feltner

College of Health Science

Michael Feltner became the founding dean of the University’s College of Health Science in April 2024 after serving as the inaugural dean of academic initiatives since August 2023. As the founding dean, Feltner heads a leadership team that is planning for the launch of the Schools of Nursing and Speech Language Pathology in August 2025 while continuing to develop other healthcare schools and academic programs in the College of Health Science. Since 2014 Feltner had served as the dean of Seaver College.

Leah Fullman

School of Speech-Language Pathology | College of Health Science

Fullman is the inaugural dean of the Pepperdine School of Speech-Language Pathology in the College of Health Science. She previously served as the dean of the College of Health Sciences at Faulkner University, where she guided the strategic planning and development of seven health science programs and served as a key member of the college’s advancement team. She earned a BS from California State University, Fullerton; an MS from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale; and a doctorate from the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions.

Lee Kats

Seaver College

Lee Kats is the interim dean of Seaver College. He has served the University since 1990, as the vice provost from 2011 to 2023 and as the associate dean of research from 2001 to 2011. Kats is also a professor of biology, the Frank R. Seaver Chair of Natural Science, and the academic director of the Center for Faith and the Common Good.

Farzin Madjidi

Graduate School of Education and Psychology

Madjidi (MBA ’88, EdD ’91), is the dean of the Graduate School of Education and Psychology.  A dedicated and highly effective member of the GSEP administration, he has served as the interim dean, associate dean of education and professor of leadership, and as an educator and scholar in the areas of management, leadership structure in educational organizations, and technology in teaching practice. 

Pete Peterson

School of Public Policy

Peterson served as the School of Public Policy's interim dean for the 2015–2016 academic year and was appointed dean in April 2016. An alumnus of SPP, he previously served as executive director of the school's Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership. Peterson is a board member for a number of California nonprofits focused on civic participation and political reform, and he was the 2014 Republican candidate for California secretary of state.

Mark S. Roosa

Pepperdine Libraries

Dean of Pepperdine Libraries since 2004, Roosa directs libraries on the Malibu campus and throughout the Los Angeles area, leading their efforts to provide seamless access to both print and digital resources essential for learning, teaching, and research. Prior to joining Pepperdine, Roosa served as director for preservation at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC.