September 2006
 Dear UC San Diego Community Members:
The start of the new semester is still weeks away, but dozens of students, faculty and staff members are already celebrating new beginnings.
History in the Making: Rady School of Management Inaugural Class Graduates
August may seem like an unusual month to hold a graduation ceremony, but it just further demonstrates the uniqueness of the inaugural FlexMBA class at the Rady School of Management. The class of 58 men and women received their masters of business administration on August 20. The class first arrived on campus in September 2004, already accomplished in their various fields and bringing with them a range of expertise and experience. In the inaugural class, there were 11 students with Ph.D.s, four with M.D.s and 11 with graduate-level degrees in engineering and science disciplines. Yet they still yearned to learn and achieve far greater things. As Henry David Thoreau said, “I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestioned ability of a man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor.” The graduation of Rady School’s first class is a monumental achievement and historic moment in UC San Diego’s rich, if not short, timeline. I am proud to be a part of this extraordinary era, and look forward to hearing about the paths forged by our Rady graduates, the challenges they will conquer and the contributions they will make to San Diego, the nation and the world.
Incoming Freshman Class
We’re looking forward to having our largest class of incoming freshmen arrive on campus. Approximately 4,550 new freshman students have enrolled for the fall quarter, about 400 more students than had been projected. We also received a record number of applications for fall admissions, more than 43,000. That was the second highest application rate to a UC campus; UCLA had the highest application rate with more than 47,000 applications received.
We want to assure students and parents that we’re prepared to accommodate our larger than usual incoming class of freshmen. We’ve already deployed additional funds to provide more classes and other student services. We've been able to meet the housing needs of all of our incoming freshmen who met all the required deadlines and will be able to maintain the guarantee of two years of on-campus housing. We’re also extending the hours of operation at some of our dining facilities and increasing the number of dining staff at the beginning of the quarter.
UC San Diego has become an extremely popular campus. As our student enrollment continues to climb, we remain committed to ensuring all of our students have the kind of support and high-quality university experience they deserve.
Recent Recruitments
In addition to seeing new student faces this fall, we’ll also be seeing a few new faces on our administrative team.
A.D.J. “Tony” Haymet will be the new Vice Chancellor for Marine Sciences, Director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and the Dean of the Graduate School of Marine Sciences. He is a highly distinguished researcher who comes to us from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Australia’s national science agency, where he was the Science and Policy Director. His international stature, reflected in his professional and scholarly affiliations and awards, will be invaluable as UC San Diego and Scripps move forward with Scripp’s strategic plan and establishing global partners. He will also be a tenured professor of oceanography at Scripps.
Arthur B. Ellis, an internationally recognized chemist, is joining UC San Diego as the Vice Chancellor for Research. He comes to UC San Diego from the National Science Foundation, where he served as the Director of the Division of Chemistry. He is widely known for his leadership in advancing the creation and communication of new knowledge. In addition, his focus on collaboration with other countries will enhance UC San Diego’s global competitiveness and ensure that we continue to build our status as a preferred partner in research and education.
Keith E. Brant has been appointed as the new Vice Chancellor for External Relations. He previously served as assistant vice chancellor for alumni relations at UCLA and executive director of the UCLA Alumni Association. He received his Ph.D., M.A. and B.A. from UCLA and has been part of the UC family for more than 25 years. He will be responsible for building UC San Diego’s reputation in the region and strengthening UC San Diego’s relationships with private financial supporters and alumni. Two of his greatest strengths are collaborative leadership and strategic planning, and he brings a valuable, community-oriented perspective to UC San Diego.
Professor Kim Barrett has been appointed Dean of Graduate Studies. She is a physiologist, well known for her research in gastrointestinal epithelial transport and function. She joined the UC San Diego School of Medicine faculty in 1985 and has an extensive record of administrative service at UC San Diego, including serving as interim chief for Academic Affairs, Division of Gastroenterology and vice-chair for Research of the Department of Medicine. She has also played a significant role in promoting women in science.
Staff Appreciation Picnic
I was pleased to see thousands of staff members turn out for the annual Staff Appreciation Picnic. The event keeps growing every year and serves as an opportunity for me to say thank you to all of the staff members who contribute to this university on a daily basis. The variety of positions held by UC San Diego staff is as diverse as the courses the university offers. Staff members take care of everything from payroll and landscaping to food services and research. I am grateful to our dedicated staff members for helping make UC San Diego a leader in excellence and innovation.
In addition to the daily contributions of our staff and faculty, many are also helping to ensure UC San Diego’s academic, healthcare and research success by participating in the “Help Take Us Over The Top” Faculty-Staff Campaign, which kicked off at the staff picnic. In July 2000, UC San Diego launched the most ambitious fundraising effort in the history of our university. The goal is to raise $1 billion to support students and faculty, expand academic programs, fund research endeavors and strengthen funds to meet the highest priority needs. The campaign concludes in June 2007 and to date we’ve raised more than $900 million. As we approach the end of the campaign, we look to our outstanding faculty and staff to help us achieve our goal. I appreciate your dedication to our university and thank you for your support.
Enjoy the rest of your summer.
With warm regards,
Marye Anne Fox
Chancellor
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