UC President Robert C. Dynes has appointed Martin M. Chemers acting chancellor of UC Santa Cruz, pending approval of the University of California Board of Regents.
The Regents will vote on Chemers's appointment at their March 18 meeting. The appointment is effective April 1, the same day UCSC Chancellor M.R.C. Greenwood will assume her new role as provost and senior vice president of the UC system.
A national search will be conducted to select UCSC's next chancellor, with a permanent appointment expected later this year.
"I was looking for another vital leader for UC Santa Cruz, and Martin Chemers fits perfectly," Dynes said of his interim appointee, who is currently UCSC's provost and executive vice chancellor. "He has a keen understanding of the aspirations and priorities of the campus, and he enjoys very effective relationships with the campus community. Along with extensive administrative experience and a stellar academic reputation, these attributes made him the best choice for this position."
"This is both a wonderful honor and a welcome responsibility," Chemers said of his appointment as acting chancellor. "I approach this job with great optimism for what we can accomplish together.
"The coming months present significant challenges for UC Santa Cruz," Chemers added. "We'll continue our process to grapple with the budget crisis in a way that will position us to seize opportunities when the economy turns around; we'll advance 'Planning for 2020,' the long-range development plan process; and we'll continue to celebrate the achievements of our exceptional faculty and benefit from our generous supporters. We have to make every day count, as we continue--and even accelerate--our momentum."
Chemers, 60, plans to quickly establish the team that will assist him with academic and budgetary issues. "I feel fortunate to have available experienced individuals who can take on additional responsibilities during this important period," he said.
Chemers arrived at UC Santa Cruz in 1995 as dean of social sciences and professor of psychology. During his tenure as dean, the College Nine and College Ten complex was completed, and with Chemers's leadership, was organized to integrate the themes of the colleges with the academic strengths of the Social Sciences Division.
Chemers also initiated the Center for Justice, Tolerance, and Community, supported the development of the Center for Global, International and Regional Studies, and oversaw the creation of 17 new academic programs, including the Ph.D. in education, several multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary programs, such as the STEPS Institute, and business management economics, the fastest-growing undergraduate major on campus.
"I am delighted with this choice," noted Greenwood. "In his recent visit, President Dynes made special note of the talented senior leadership at UC Santa Cruz, and Martin Chemers is exemplary of that strength."
Prior to coming to Santa Cruz, Chemers was Henry R. Kravis Professor of Leadership and Organizational Psychology and director of the Kravis Leadership Institute at Claremont McKenna College. Previous to his appointment at Claremont, he was professor and chairman of the Department of Psychology at the University of Utah, from 1970 to 1987. He also has held academic positions at the University of Delaware.
Anthropology professor and chair of the Santa Cruz Division of the UC Academic Senate, Alison Galloway commented: "This is very much a relief to the campus. We have been impressed by his ability to move rapidly into the responsibilities of the executive vice chancellor and look forward to him assuming the role of chancellor. He has a well-earned reputation for being open, balanced, and decisive--just what we need in these difficult times."
Chemers has earned an international reputation for his research and teaching in organizational psychology. He is widely regarded among social psychologists as one of the foremost scholars on cross-cultural and social psychological aspects of leadership. He has published numerous books and articles in prestigious journals on subjects that include leadership effectiveness and organizational development. His latest book is An Integrative Theory of Leadership, published in 1997 by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
A fellow of the American Psychological Association, a fellow of the American Psychological Society, and president-elect of the Society of Experimental Social Psychology, Chemers received his B.S. (Honors) in 1964, his M.S. in 1966, and his Ph.D. in 1968, all from the University of Illinois.
A native of Chicago, Chemers is married to Barbara Goza Chemers. He has two sons and two grandsons. One son, Michael, is married to the former Farhana Basha; the other son, Holden, is a 1995 UCSC graduate, married to the former Misa Klyce, also a UCSC alumna.
As acting chancellor, Chemers will be paid $269,200 a year, the same salary Greenwood is earning as chancellor.
UC Santa Cruz has a current enrollment of nearly 15,000 students, a total teaching and research faculty and staff of approximately 5,000, and a local economic impact exceeding $1 billion. In addition to the campus facilities on 2,000 acres overlooking Monterey Bay, UC Santa Cruz also operates the Long Marine Laboratory, UCO/Lick Observatory, Monterey Bay Education, Science, and Technology Center in Monterey County, and, in partnership with NASA Ames at Moffett Field, a University Affiliated Research Center, the first of its kind in the nation.
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To arrange an interview with Martin Chemers, contact UC Santa Cruz Public Affairs, (831) 459-2495.
To download a photograph of Martin Chemers, please go to:
www.ucsc.edu/news_events/download.
Chemers's brief biography is available online at:
www.ucsc.edu/administration/chancellor/
Also, a message from Chancellor Greenwood to the UC Santa Cruz community is available online at: messages.ucsc.edu/03-04/03-01.chancellor.html.
