August 1, 2007
 UC San Diego is a wonderful place to learn and grow, live and play, work and study. We have a tradition of innovation in education and research. Our faculty members are collaborative and interdisciplinary. Our students are unique scholars who learn what it means to be global citizens. Many of our students are spending their summer breaks exploring other countries and cultures. Summer may be a time for vacation and travel, but it’s also a time for education and adventure.
Students Studying Abroad
Each year our university sends more than 1,000 students abroad. In fact, UC San Diego is ranked first nationally among major research universities sending students abroad in full-year programs. There are currently about 280 UC San Diego students living and studying abroad this summer. They are spread out all over the world in more than 15 different countries; we actually have students on every continent except Antarctica. UCSD’s online newsletter, “This Week @ UCSD,” recruited a few of our students studying abroad to write about their experiences. Click here if you’d like to read their submissions.
UC San Diego students who study abroad usually say it was one of the best experiences of their college careers. One of the interns in the Programs Abroad office and a recent UCSD graduate, Jenna Carlsson, spent an academic year in Senegal, West Africa. She’s been back in the United States for a year now, but she says every day she thinks about the time she spent in Senegal. Jenna still wears African clothing and cooks African food. She describes herself as a changed person, a much more open person, and says it’s hard to remember what her life was like before she studied abroad. Jenna says she learned to become more independent in Senegal, but at the same time, she learned about the interdependent nature of the African culture – for instance how people eat together out of communal bowls and how they had to rely on each other for basic transportation. Jenna says since she’s been back in the United States, she’s been more aware of the extravagance of American culture and how much we waste in our society (Jenna is now an avid recycler). As an intern in the Programs Abroad office, Jenna advises her peers about studying abroad and provides reference assistance. For information on UCSD’s Programs Abroad, click here.
New Department Established
UCSD is continuing its leadership role in the shift to interdisciplinary research and education in revolutionary new fields by establishing the new Department of NanoEngineering in the Jacobs School of Engineering. This new department is one of the first such departments in the nation and it will focus primarily on biomedical nanotechnology, nanotechnologies for energy conversion, computational nanotechnology, and molecular and nanomaterials. Many of the most exciting, cutting-edge discoveries are being made at the interfaces of scientific and engineering disciplines. It is our hope that nanotechnology will lead to advances in medical diagnostics and treatments, and improvements in our energy system, which will benefit both society and our environment.
UCSD Medical Center Programs Ranked Among Best in the Nation
The 2007 U.S. News and World Report annual “Best Hospitals” issue ranked the UCSD Medical Center among the best in the nation in six specialty areas. We’re proud of our skilled physicians and staff who continually deliver excellent patient care, cutting-edge research and education programs. In all, the magazine ranked the top 50 hospitals in several different specialties. The UCSD Medical Center ranked 8th in Respiratory Diseases, 18th in Rheumatology, 30th in Kidney Disease, 30th in Gynecology, 39th in Cancer, and 50th in Ear, Nose and Throat. These rankings reflect the hard work and commitment of our doctors and staff, and further demonstrate the power of academic medicine.
New Beginnings at Rady School
Thousands of students graduated from UC San Diego in June, but now there are 51 more students ready to receive their degrees. The Rady School of Management’s second FlexMBA class will graduate on August 19, bringing the total number of alumni to 164 for the new school.
As some are moving on, others are moving in. The Rady School recently hired seven new faculty members for the 2007-08 academic year. The new faculty were recruited from stellar institutions including Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University. These experts in finance, management, marketing and operations will contribute to the strength of our programs and enhance the education of Rady’s MBA students so they can become tomorrow’s leaders in innovation-driven organizations.
As much as I enjoy the summertime, I’m already looking forward to welcoming our new faculty and students this fall, in addition to seeing familiar faces back on campus. Enjoy the rest of your summer!
With warm regards,
Marye Anne Fox
Chancellor
|