Fellows Spotlight
Christian Osmeña
2020 Flinn-Brown Fellow
Vice President, Enterprise Planning
Arizona State University
Christian Osmeña is a distinguished leader in higher education administration, public policy, and civic engagement. As the Vice President for Enterprise Planning at Arizona State University (ASU), he is instrumental in charting the university’s strategic direction. His career spans influential roles – including service as a policy advisor to the Governor of California – and is marked by a deep commitment to transforming public institutions and expanding community opportunities through education.
Originally from Orange County, California, Osmeña began his career in Sacramento, where he worked extensively in state government with a focus on higher education policy. His early work concentrated on crafting initiatives to broaden educational access – a mission that has fueled his passion ever since.
“I quickly came to appreciate how critical state action is in the policy areas that I care about. When I took the job at ASU, I was excited to be in a state capital and to try to figure out new ways to contribute to state policy to make a difference in people’s lives.”
His transition to Arizona was sparked by an introduction to ASU President Michael Crow in 2014. At the time, Osmeña was deeply involved in modernizing higher education in California. Crow’s forward-thinking vision for ASU resonated with him.
“My second visit to Arizona was either in July or August of 2019, which is a pretty shocking experience,” he recalled. “But for some reason, there was a novelty of this tremendous heat. I got to visit places that weren’t ASU and really grew to love the place… or at least, be really excited about coming to the place.”
After five years of discussion and exploration, Osmeña officially joined ASU in 2019, assuming a role that enabled him to blend his expertise in policy with institutional strategy. Early on, he immersed himself in the university’s civic engagement landscape, where he discovered the Flinn-Brown Fellowship.
“You quickly find that the Flinn Foundation is one of the hubs in this region. If that’s what you’re looking for – and that was what I was looking for – it’s the program and it’s the group of people you quickly find are the leaders in that space,” he explained.
A member of the 2020–2021 cohort, his fellowship unfolded during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and a pivotal election season, an experience that redefined his perspective on leadership. Through the fellowship, Osmeña gained a deep and broad understanding of Arizona state policy, something he uses to guide him to this day.
“I focused a lot of my career on education, but I think to do education work well, it’s important to understand how education fits together with health care, with human services, with the environmental issues, with the economy. Flinn-Brown was an introduction for me to that kind of range of policy issues affecting Arizonans,” Osmeña said.
Beyond his administrative role, Osmeña actively leverages his network to influence state policy. Through a Flinn-Brown Network connection, he connected with the Governor’s Office and was appointed to the First Things First state board – a role he embraces with pride. His civic contributions complement his responsibilities at ASU, where he not only teaches but also continues his own education. Currently pursuing a Juris Doctor degree at ASU’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, he believes that formal legal training will enhance his ability to navigate and shape public policy.
Teaching, for Osmeña, offers a unique opportunity to connect with emerging policy leaders. He finds joy in mentoring students and opening doors that were once opened for him.
“Teaching is a skill that forces you to have to understand (and to try to appreciate) someone else’s perspective and communicate in a way that responds to where they’re at,” he remarked.
For Osmeña, Arizona is more than just a workplace—it has become home, a place characterized by innovation, openness to change, and abundant opportunities for meaningful impact.
Book Recommendation
“A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis” by Eugene Bardach
Osmeña describes this book as being instrumental in shaping his analytical thinking. He frequently recommends the book to aspiring policy professionals, emphasizing its value in fostering clearer decision-making and reducing misalignment in public discourse.
If you missed a Fellows Spotlight, you can find them here. View all Flinn-Brown Fellow profiles here.