April 2005

Dear Colleagues:

Welcome to “Chancellor’s Corner”

This marks the official launch of “Chancellor’s Corner,” a new biweekly section of “This Week @ UCSD” that takes the place of the monthly “Chancellor’s Website News Updates.” Many of you have told me that you value direct and timely communication from the administration but you want that information delivered more efficiently. “Chancellor’s Corner” aims to accomplish that with a mix of old and new features that will be easy to navigate and read.

This “Chancellor’s Corner” contains the latest in our series of Q&As with university leaders, and it unveils two new features: a “Point of View” forum that will ask individuals for viewpoints on life at UCSD and a “Tell The Chancellor” electronic survey about a specific campus issue or activity. The next “Chancellor’s Corner” will be published April 25. Its contents will include a new “Faculty Research Spotlight” page, results from the “Tell The Chancellor” survey, and the ever-popular “Letters to the Chancellor” with responses.

“UC for California Alliance”: Telling the University’s Story

I hope everyone will have a chance to read the Q&A with Michael Reese, UC Associate Vice President for Strategic Communications, discussing the new “UC for California Alliance” advocacy campaign. As we continue to struggle with budget constraints, it is increasingly important that we actively marshal support for our missions of education, research and public service. Our most effective ambassadors include our own staff, faculty, students, alumni and parents. Each of you can influence public opinion by telling the UC story to your elected representatives, your neighbors and your friends. I urge you to consider the strategies outlined in the “UC for California Alliance” for making your influence felt.

Chancellor’s Associates Faculty Awards/Chancellor’s Medal

I want to congratulate the individuals who were honored at the 2005 UCSD Chancellor’s Associates “Town and Gown” celebration that took place March 31 at the La Jolla Playhouse. The recipients of the 2005 Chancellor’s Associates Faculty Excellence Awards are:

• Steven Erie in the Department of Political Science
for Excellence in Community Service

• David Lake in the Department of Political Science
for Excellence in Graduate Teaching

• Peter Gourevitch in the Graduate School of International
Relations and Pacific Studies for Excellence in Research in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

• Miroslav Krstic in the Jacobs School of Engineering
for Excellence in Research in Science and Engineering

• Karen Dobkins in the Department of Psychology
for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching

Also that night, longtime UCSD benefactors Charmaine and Maurice Kaplan were presented with the UCSD Chancellor’s Medal, which honors lifetime achievements of leaders with outstanding service to campus and community. I want to convey my personal thanks to the Kaplans and to all the members of the Chancellor’s Associates for being such wonderful supporters.

Sharecase 2005

I was gratified by the large and enthusiastic turnout at Sharecase 2005, the daylong training event that took place March 23 at the Price Center. One of my priorities as Chancellor is to improve our campus business practices, and the annual Sharecase event, now in its 9th year, is a prime example of how we can best do that. Sharecase 2005 set new records for attendance (2,000, including 100 guests from 12 other university campuses) and for sessions (60 in eight different tracks). No other university offers a training event of this size and scope, but other are trying to emulate it, proving once again that UCSD is a trendsetter in higher education. Thanks to Sharecase co-hosts UCSD Middle Management Council and Division of Business Affairs for another successful event. To see pictures of the Sharecase 2005 event, visit the Chancellor's Photo Gallery at:
http://www-chancellor.ucsd.edu/gallery/

Moores Cancer Center Dedication

Last Friday marked the formal dedication of the UCSD John and Rebecca Moores Cancer Center. It was a joyous celebration of UCSD Healthcare’s extraordinary partnerships with community leaders like the Moores family, and it underscored our absolute commitment to achieving national prominence in “bench to bedside” translational medicine, improving access to health care for all San Diegans, and offering a wider spectrum of quality clinical services. The Moores Cancer Center, the largest project ever undertaken by UCSD Health Sciences, is truly a remarkable facility, and I believe it will be a locus for new medical breakthroughs and renewed hope for cancer patients and their families. I want to extend special thanks to the Moores family and to Cancer Center benefactors Jerome and Miriam Katzin for being on hand for the dedication and also to Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, Director of the National Cancer Institute, for his eloquent remarks at the event.

Two UCSD Students Vie for UC Regent Post

I am very proud to announce that two outstanding UCSD students, Ted McCombs and Hargun "Harry" Khanna, are candidates for the position of 2006-2007 UC Student Regent. The Student Regent serves a one-year term as a full voting member of the UC Board of Regents, attending all meetings of the Board and its Committees. The Student Regent also works very closely with the University of California Student Association (UCSA), which is the official voice of the estimated 180,000 UC Students. To learn more about UCSA’s advocacy and educational efforts on behalf of our students, visit http://www.ucsa.org/.

As always, I encourage you to provide comments via my web page. Please pass along any suggestions via my chancellor@ucsd.edu email address.

With warm regards,

Marye Anne Fox