Maria Toyoda

Maria Toyoda is president and CEO of the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). She began her tenure in March 2025.

Toyoda brings strategy expertise and business and political acumen cultivated over nearly three decades as a higher education scholar, professor, and administrator. As executive vice president and provost at Western New England University, Toyoda led institutional strategy and financial sustainability efforts, overseeing accreditation, assessment, student success, and other key areas. She previously held faculty and administrative roles at Stanford, Villanova, and Suffolk universities.

A distinguished international finance and government scholar, Toyoda has spearheaded interdisciplinary programs domestically and abroad. She has been a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and the Social Science Research Council and was a visiting researcher at the International Monetary Fund. Toyoda earned a bachelor’s degree in human biology from Stanford University and master’s and doctorate degrees in government from Georgetown University.