Dear Colleagues,

The last month filled me with gratitude for all that we have built together. I have been overwhelmed by the kind remarks and thoughts from many of you—in person, in messages, and at events—to acknowledge my time at UC Riverside. I am deeply honored to have been your chancellor.

At the same time, I am not confused about what it takes to achieve what we have at UCR. I know it is not the work of one person but of a community of believers, faculty, and staff who hold our mission and values front and center, and ensure that we are reaching for new heights in creating and sharing knowledge. 

To become a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU) requires a commitment to excellence in research and publication. To become the country’s leader in social mobility requires decades of work and a commitment to student success. To create rapid growth requires a shared purpose to extend UCR’s reach across the state and the nation. All of this was underway before my arrival and will hopefully continue long after I’m gone. 

But we’ve hit a bump in the road over the last few months. Changes in the federal approach to research and education could upend the systems that have effectively produced an educated workforce and world-leading scientific and technological advances. 

Increasingly, we are seeing that there is another element needed to ensure we continue to make progress for our region, state, and country—our individual and collective voices.

We cannot remain quiet about the importance of public research universities and how our work contributes to the betterment of America. If we are silent, the voices of those who do not understand our value will fill the space.

Part of the responsibility of being Chancellor is to serve as an institutional and higher education advocate.  In the past few months, that task has taken on new importance, within the UC, across the state, in Washington DC, and within the higher education community, including within our national associations (esp. the AAU, APLU, and ACE).  Like all of UCR, this work is not done by me, alone, but by so many of our campus leaders, with guidance from our office of Government and Community Relations.  

I know many of you have been part of these efforts in recent months and I’m grateful for your efforts.  To learn more about what everyone can do to help, I’d suggest visiting the UC Advocacy Network (UCAN) website.  There you’ll find information on legislation, guidance on contacting our elected officials, and how to keep up to date through social media. 

As we head into the final few weeks of the academic year, thank you for the work you are doing to support our students, the research enterprise, and our state.