Campus News
Transition of Vice Provost and Dean Richard Hughey
At the end of the 2025–26 academic year, Richard Hughey will transition from his role as vice provost and dean of Undergraduate Education and Global Engagement after 15 years of service.
Dear Campus Community,
At the end of the 2025–26 academic year, Richard Hughey will transition from his role as vice provost and dean of Undergraduate Education and Global Engagement after 15 years of service. His leadership has strengthened our community and enriched every aspect of the undergraduate experience.
As vice provost and dean of the Division of Undergraduate Education, Richard has led a unit central to the student journey, spanning admissions, financial aid, the registrar, advising, the colleges’ academic programs, summer session, undergraduate research, and K–12 outreach through the Educational Partnership Center. His accomplishments, achieved in close collaboration with the Academic Senate, include helping UC Santa Cruz gain recognition as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, expanding summer quarter opportunities with a focus on access, and leading efforts that doubled the campus’s three-year graduation rate. He launched credit-bearing orientation, sponsored the Curriculum Management Project that improved academic systems, culminating in the establishment of the Degree Progress Unit, and oversaw the establishment of the Academic Integrity Office.
As vice provost for Global Engagement, he broadened UC Santa Cruz’s international presence and partnerships, work that earned the campus the prestigious 2024 Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization.
A professor in Computer Science and Engineering since 1991 and Biomolecular Engineering since 2004, Richard has also served UC Santa Cruz as department chair and as an impactful leader in the Academic Senate. He has been a strong advocate for undergraduate students, helping develop undergraduate and graduate academic programs across engineering and the sciences, mentoring student organizations such as the Society of Women Engineers and Tau Beta Pi, and leading initiatives to expand undergraduate research opportunities. His contributions to diversity and inclusion were recognized with the Chancellor’s Achievement Award for Diversity in 2008.
Richard’s collaborative, data-informed leadership has advanced recruitment, retention, and student success. His legacy endures in the systems and programs that support students’ academic journeys, the partnerships that connect UC Santa Cruz locally and globally, and the campuswide commitment to integrity, access, and equity.
Later this academic year, we will launch a national search for his replacement.
Please join me in expressing our deep gratitude to Richard for his vision, service, and lasting contributions to UC Santa Cruz.
Sincerely,
Paul
Paul Koch
Interim Campus Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor