Dear Colleagues,
Welcome to Fall Quarter 2023!
A few years ago, an office supply chain used the holiday song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” to advertise back-to-school shopping. The ad showed happy parents dancing through store aisles as they prepared to send their children back to school. The ad’s music choice was a tongue-in-cheek reference for parents who were relieved to get kids out of the house. But for me, the sentiment is true to the lyric. This is the most wonderful time of the year as far as I am concerned.
Though I’m happy to be on campus with many of you year-round, I am grateful for the energy that arises when more employees and students return to Riverside each September. To celebrate the start of the Fall Quarter, I made a video to welcome students to campus, and am equally excited to welcome all of you to UC Riverside.
Ranking News
In case you missed it, U.S. News released their rankings last week and UCR climbed 13 spots for national universities, ranking no. 36 among public universities. UCR ranked second among all universities in social mobility for the second year. In the five years that US News has ranked social mobility, UCR has always ranked no. 1 or 2. I am especially proud of our 16-spot jump to no. 25 in the ranking for “most innovative,” a category that assesses how our higher education peers view UCR.
UCR also moved up two spots in the 2023 Forbes “America’s Top Colleges” rankings to no. 31 public university, while Washington Monthly ranked UCR no. 7 in Pell Grant Performance. UCR was ranked as no. 23 in Princeton Review’s list of Top 50 Best Value Colleges and No. 20 for Top 20 Best Schools for Making an Impact among public schools.
Department of Energy to the People
This year, on November 7, we are incredibly fortunate to be hosting the Department of Energy for a first-ever DOE to the People event, a full day of workshops and presentations by DOE representatives on topics of interest to faculty, staff, undergraduate and graduate students, recent alumni, and regional business partners.
For researchers working in areas that intersect with sustainability, new fuels, science communication, and logistics, this is a rare opportunity to meet personally with representatives from Washington D.C. who support an agency that funds $100.52 billion dollars in energy programs. For students, the event provides a chance to explore career opportunities available after graduation.
More information and registration links are available here.
UCR in Hollywood
According to Google Maps, 61 miles separate UCR and Hollywood. But the distance is much shorter than that. The summer edition of UCR Magazine shines a light on the many ties between faculty, alumni, and the entertainment industry. This special all-digital edition is presented in a multimedia format to highlight the work of UCR stars.
After joining the AAU in July, we are off to an amazing start as we begin the new academic year. Thank you for the work you are doing to welcome students back to campus, unearth new discoveries, and support our continued growth.