UC Santa Cruz Chancellor George Blumenthal announced today that Keith E. Brant has been named vice chancellor of University Relations, a key campus leadership position that oversees fundraising, alumni relations, communications and marketing, government and community relations, and special events.
Brant comes to UC Santa Cruz from Saint Mary's College of California in Moraga, where he has served as vice president of development since 2008, overseeing private fundraising and alumni and constituent engagement.
"Keith brings more than 25 years of experience in higher education to the job, as well as a keen understanding of what makes UC Santa Cruz distinctive among public research universities: our dual commitment to high-quality research and scholarship, and our enduring commitment to undergraduates," said Blumenthal. "He will be a strong advocate for all that we value and a champion of our aspirations to do even more."
Brant joins UCSC at an important juncture for the campus, which is in the midst of its first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign. The campus has raised more than $162 million toward its goal of raising $300 million in private support through The Campaign for UC Santa Cruz.
This is a wonderful time to be joining UC Santa Cruz, said Brant. "UCSC is a leader in interdisciplinary innovation addressing the critical issues of our society," he said. "I am both excited and honored to work with Chancellor Blumenthal, faculty and academic leaders, the University Relations team, and UCSC's dedicated alumni and friends to attract the resources needed to advance the worldwide recognition of the university."
Prior to Saint Mary’s, Brant served as vice chancellor of external relations at the University of California, San Diego and president of the UC San Diego Foundation. Brant began his professional experience at his alma mater, UCLA. For 11 years, he served as assistant vice chancellor for alumni relations, leading a large, demographically diverse, and highly engaged alumni organization.
Brant earned three degrees from UCLA, including a Ph.D. in higher education. His doctoral research explored the nature of volunteer leadership in grassroots settings. He is a former trustee of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, and he chaired the CASE Commission on Alumni Relations, the professional assembly that supports the creation and dissemination of knowledge in the advancement discipline.
Brant's first day on campus will be April 8.
