Sandra Daley wears many hats, figuratively speaking. She is a physician and an educator, an Associate Chancellor and Chief Diversity Officer, and Chair of the Board of The Preuss School. She’s also traveled the world, although she’s called San Diego home for 37 years now. Born in Panama, she moved to Los Angeles when she was 12 years old, went to college in New Mexico, then attended the UC San Diego School of Medicine. She stayed in San Diego for her residency and has been here ever since. In this interview, she talks about her many roles at UC San Diego, her unique background and how we can improve diversity on campus.

Daley: I am the definition of diversity.  When I applied to medical school at UC San Diego, the chair of the committee that interviewed me said, ‘You are a triple minority.  You are a female, African American and Hispanic.’  I’ve even been a minority as an M.D. since I work with so many people with Ph.D.s.  So I’ve been the Lone Ranger and I think that’s prepared me to work in the field of diversity.  I’ve also learned to respect differences in my life.  I’ve experienced what it is to be different and prove that being different does not prevent me from achieving excellence.

Another thing that prepares me to work in this setting—I’m used to working in a collaborative, multi-disciplinary style and environment.  I was also Assistant Dean of Diversity and Community Partnerships at the School of Medicine for 12 years before being appointed the Chief Diversity Officer.

Daley: My main responsibility is to serve as senior advisor to the Chancellor on matters of equity and diversity in the student population, the staff and the faculty. 

Among my priorities, I’d like to design a more comprehensive, coordinated approach to the recruitment of students, particularly students from underserved and underrepresented populations and communities.  I’d also like to set a measurable goal.  I’d like to see a 10 percent increase in the number of applications from underserved and underrepresented students.

In addition, staff succession planning is key to ensuring a diverse workforce and campus.  The number of people in the workforce today, nationally and in the state, that are eligible for retirement over the next five years is phenomenal.  We have a very sophisticated staff development program and we need to make sure our entry-level staff — many of whom are women and underrepresented minorities — know about the services we provide to help them prepare for promotion and movement into higher levels of administration. 

Finally, I’d like to make diversity part of the academic mission.

Daley: There are many of us — staff, faculty, students and administrators — who are working very hard to improve campus diversity, but we are unsung heroes.  People don’t know about our work.  And I think it’s in part because we have not clearly told the story about what we’re doing in the area of diversity. 

The first thing we can do is improve communication in the area of diversity.  I think the best way to do that is to put in place, and give the authority to, an institutional research unit that’s charged with the responsibility of gathering the data from all over the campus to help us tell our story.  We’re already collecting data because we’re scientists.  But we’re not gathering it together in one place, and then disseminating it in a clear and understandable manner. 

The second thing we can do is something the Regents suggested, which is to get a good sense of what our climate is, in terms of diversity.  And then we need to disseminate that information and set targets for improvement that we can measure.  That way we can celebrate our successes together and we can work together to take care of the areas that require solutions.

Daley: I’ll give you a few examples of the stories that need to be told.  On the Diversity Matters Web site, we have a link to each Vice Chancellor’s area and the efforts they are engaged in the area of diversity.  We also have an Outreach Council that is made up of faculty, staff and, hopefully soon, students.  If you took a picture of us, we come from many backgrounds and world experiences and, yet, we are very quietly doing our work.  In addition, each year, we give out approximately 24 Community Champion Awards to staff, faculty, students, departments, and organizational units or groups that have made outstanding contributions in the areas of equal opportunity, affirmative action, diversity and the UCSD Principles of Community.  I think that communicating our successes in the area of diversity needs to become a major priority for our office.

Daley: First, as the Chair of the Board, an alumna of UC San Diego and a member of our community, I’d like to mention how proud I am that The Preuss School was named one of the top 10 high schools in the nation by both Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report. There is no question that Preuss has academic strengths that are off the scale. And now the Board and the university need to ensure that the infrastructure for Preuss is solid and strong so the school can continue to excel. That infrastructure is governance, funding and the administrative, day-to-day management operations. It’s my privilege to work with the Board and Academic Affairs, which are both charged with this responsibility, and I look forward to helping The Preuss School move into the future.

Fun Faves

Favorite part of your job: Working with all of these bright and committed people

Favorite place on campus: Geisel Library

Favorite place on Earth: My backyard in North Park – I’ve been all over the world and I always want to come home.

Favorite campus event/tradition: UCSD’s participation in the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade

Favorite subject in college: Chemistry

Favorite hobby: Crocheting

Favorite book: The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov

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