I have been looking forward to this day these past few months and I am so pleased to finally begin as chancellor. It is an honor to have the opportunity to serve UC Santa Cruz and I look forward to getting to know you and the campus. I have already received such a warm welcome from our campus, the greater Santa Cruz community, and the strong network of alumni and friends. Thank you all for your support, teamwork, and feedback throughout this transition.
During my first weeks and months on campus, I look forward to working with you all to better understand the issues we face and the strengths we can grow together. I share UCSC’s commitment to purpose-driven inquiry, research excellence, and ensuring equity and access to higher education and I am eager to learn more about how our campus can best live out these values.
I would also like to announce some changes to the structure of the Chancellor’s Office. Ashish Sahni, who has served as chief of staff and associate chancellor for Chancellor Emeritus George Blumenthal, will now serve as special assistant to the chancellor into the fall. I would like to commend Ashish for his contributions to campus over the past 13 years. He has overseen our Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion since its creation in 2010 and has been very helpful during this leadership transition.
Teresa Maria Linda Scholz, the campus diversity officer for staff and students, has agreed to serve as interim assistant vice chancellor for our Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, which will now report directly to the chancellor. Associate Vice Chancellor Jean Marie Scott will serve as our locally designated official for whistleblower matters. Anna Finn will be joining my office as associate chancellor and chief of staff. She previously worked with me as special assistant to the provost at UC Riverside where she managed numerous special projects related to the academic enterprise. She begins her role today as well and you can reach her at annaf@ucsc.edu.
Thank you again for the warm welcome and for all that you do to make UC Santa Cruz an outstanding university. I hope to meet as many students, staff, faculty and members of the broader Santa Cruz community as possible over the summer and cannot wait for fall quarter to begin.
In the meantime, feel free to reach out to me at chancellor@ucsc.edu. I’m eager to hear from you.
