Young, smart, and beautiful.
There are many ways to describe UC Santa Cruz, but those three words sum us up remarkably well—particularly in light of our recent ranking as one of the best universities under the age of 50.
We won’t celebrate our 50th anniversary until 2015—but we’ve already accomplished so much. This issue of Review is packed with stories of exploration and discovery, from astronomer Connie Rockosi mapping the outer range of our galaxy to historian Gail Hershatter capturing the experiences of women in rural China.
Two issues ago, our cover story focused on UCSC’s role in the emerging field of personalized medicine. That effort took a major stride forward this spring, when UCSC partnered with the National Cancer Institute to establish the Cancer Genomics Hub (CGHub), a national repository that will help scientists around the globe make progress in their pursuit of genomics-based approaches to understanding cancer as a disease—and develop new options for treatment.
Our good news extends to graduate programs. I’m delighted to announce our new Ph.D. programs in feminist studies and Latin American and Latino studies, and a new master’s program in theater arts.
As we approach our 50th anniversary, UCSC has achieved a level of research excellence in fields as diverse as linguistics, engineering, economics, and marine science. We’ve outpaced peer institutions that have been around twice as long.
The backdrop to all this is, of course, our stunning location. Anyone who has ever set foot on campus will appreciate the story in this issue about the ways in which our setting inspires teachers and students, and even shapes the experience of learning itself.
Here’s to being young, smart, and beautiful!
Sincerely,
George Blumenthal
