Dr. Rudy Besikof serves as President of Laney College in Oakland.  He has been at the college since 2018, when he was first hired as its Vice President of Instruction, and has been an educational administrator since 2011.  Prior to that, Dr. Besikof taught English and English as a Second/Foreign Language in two and four-year colleges not only in California, but also in Colorado, Japan, and France from 1989-2011.  During that time, he received multiple Certificates of Recognition and Achievement for his work in the classroom teaching English as a Second Language and Education courses designed to prepare future teachers of ESL.  In addition, he has taught doctoral-level Educational Leadership courses, published professional articles and presented nationally on his dissertation methods and findings.   

Dr. Besikof is a 2010 graduate of UCLA’s Educational Leadership Doctoral Program. His dissertation, The Role of the Community College President in Fundraising: A Best Practices Study, was recognized with the UCLA School of Education’s Outstanding Dissertation Award.  He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English and French and a Master’s in English/Applied Linguistics, both from the University of Colorado.  As part of his duties, Dr. Besikof also hosts a weekly radio show, the President’s Desk, which may be heard at KGPC969.ORG or on iTunes.