University of California, Santa Cruz Chancellor Cynthia K. Larive will assume the role of incoming board chair for the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership. A collaborative leader known widely for her commitment to student success, inclusion, and equity, Larive has promoted innovation and regional prosperity through the advancement of cutting-edge research and wider educational access.
Larive is an accomplished bioanalytical chemist who has published more than 150 scientific papers, led numerous programs for undergraduate research and curricular innovation, and written more than two dozen articles on active learning, mentoring and experiential learning. Since arriving at UCSC in 2019, Larive has prioritized improving graduation rates and eliminating graduation gaps for low-income and first-generation students, and for those from groups traditionally underrepresented in higher education.
She also has been a booster of regional economic development, fostering the university’s relationship with Startup Sandbox, the premier local technology incubator, and launching the UCSC Innovation and Business Engagement Hub to give potential industry partners and supporters a clear point of entry to the campus innovation ecosystem.
Larive is a first-generation college graduate, having earned her bachelor’s from South Dakota State and master’s from Purdue, both in chemistry. She received a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from UC Riverside.
“MBEP’s goals — equitable economic development, high-quality educational and health-care systems, and environmental preservation — align with what many of us in this region are working toward,” Chancellor Cynthia Larive said. “Convening local leaders and working together is how we can advance this vision and ensure our communities thrive.”
