Fresno State will award honorary doctorates to three individuals this year — business leaders Joshua Easterly and Jeetander P Sethi, and civic and economic development leader Ashley Swearengin.
Honorary doctorates are awarded on behalf of the California State University system and Fresno State in recognition of excellence and extraordinary achievement in significant areas of human endeavor that embody the CSU system’s objectives and ideals.
Easterly will receive an honorary doctor of laws and will be recognized during the commencement ceremony for the Craig School of Business at 8 a.m. Friday, May 15, at the Save Mart Center.
Sethi will receive an honorary doctor of humane letters and will be recognized during the commencement ceremony for the College of Arts and Humanities at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 16, at the Save Mart Center.
Swearengin will receive an honorary doctor of humane letters and will be recognized during the commencement ceremony for the College of Social Sciences at 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 15, at the Save Mart Center.
Joshua Easterly, Doctor of Laws
Joshua Easterly is a co-founder and partner emeritus of Sixth Street Partners, an asset management firm managing more than $125 billion in assets. Prior to announcing his retirement in March, he served as Sixth Street Partners’ co-president and co-chief investment officer.
In addition, Easterly served as CEO of his publicly traded business development company, Sixth Street Specialty Lending, which doubled total shareholder return of the industry and beat the S+P index over his 12-year tenure. He also served as CEO of Sixth Street’s private institutional BDC, Sixth Street Lending Partners.
Prior to Sixth Street, Easterly was a managing director in the largest proprietary investment group at Goldman Sachs, where he was chief investment officer of the Americas special situations group, co-head of asset investing and co-head of private equity. He also served as head of principal investing and co-head of the Goldman Sachs Specialty Lending Group.
Earlier in his career, Easterly was senior vice president at Wells Fargo Foothill, the commercial finance company of Wells Fargo & Co. He grew up in Fresno and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration, graduating magna cum laude from Fresno State.
Easterly has been committed to a broad range of philanthropic activities with his capital and time, recently serving on the Board of Trustees of Harlem Academy. In addition to his nonprofit boards, he served on corporate boards including Legends Global, Enstar, Talcott Financial and as chair of Sixth Street Specialty Lending, Inc. and Sixth Street Lending Partners.
Jeetander P Sethi, Doctor of Humane Letters
Jeetander P Sethi immigrated from India to the United States in 1976 to search for opportunity. Sethi started his first business in convenience stores and built a business portfolio that includes the hospitality industry and real estate while growing his management company over the past 40 years.
Sethi Management has a diversified portfolio of more than 75 businesses that include convenience stores, hotels, restaurants and commercial real estate.
Born and raised in New Delhi, Sethi is recognized for his business acumen, integrity and forward-looking leadership. He is also known for embracing complex challenges and seeking innovative approaches. He founded the American Petroleum and Convenience Store Association, a grassroots, non-profit organization that provides a unified voice for small business owners across the country.
Sethi is also deeply engaged in local philanthropic and civic efforts. He has leadership roles with the Crime Stoppers of Fresno, the Fresno Police Advisory Board, Hindu Temple of Fresno, the Interfaith Alliance of the Central Valley and Shri Mandir of San Diego. He has supported local temples and gurudwaras along with organizations like Fresno State, Community Regional Medical Center, the Central Valley Ghostriderz, the Marjaree Mason Center and Poverello House through personal and family-led philanthropy.
Ashley Swearengin, Doctor of Humane Letters
A two-time Fresno State alumna, Ashley Swearengin holds a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Business Administration. Swearengin is a civic and economic development leader whose career has had a lasting impact on Fresno and the greater Central Valley. Her decades of service demonstrate a commitment to the region’s growth, resilience and inclusion.
Swearengin served as Fresno’s 24th mayor from 2008 to 2016, guiding the city through the fiscal challenges of the Great Recession. She has championed downtown revitalization and helped implement zoning reforms that prioritized infill development and urban renewal, marking a pivotal shift away from sprawl and positioning Fresno for long-term growth.
Following her mayoral tenure, Swearengin became chief executive officer of the Central Valley Community Foundation, leading one of the fastest-growing community foundations in the nation. She spearheaded Fresno DRIVE, a regional initiative that catalyzed significant investment, advanced economic and racial inclusion, and influenced California’s 2021 Jobs First Initiative.
She serves on numerous national and statewide boards, reflecting her enduring commitment to public service and regional prosperity. Her leadership has helped mobilize significant resources to support nonprofits, students and families throughout the Central Valley.
