Dear Colleagues,
As the winter quarter gets underway, our campus is filled with the energy that comes from special events and lectures, athletic competitions, and everyday moments that bring our community together.
One of those moments will be my upcoming inauguration on February 5, which we are approaching not simply as a ceremony, but as an opportunity for the UCR community to gather, imagine, and celebrate our shared future. I invite the campus to watch the inauguration via livestream and, later that afternoon, to join colleagues, students, alumni, and friends for an in-person community reception on Rivera Lawn from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. The free outdoor reception is open to the public.
Our calendar also includes the launch of the Provost’s Lecture Series, a new forum designed to bring distinguished scholars and leaders to UCR for meaningful engagement with our faculty, students, and community.
The inaugural lecture will feature Dr. Tsu-Jae King Liu, President of the National Academy of Engineering, who will speak on engineering leadership in a time of rapid change, followed by a moderated conversation. Please join us on Friday, February 6, at 2:15 p.m. at the School of Medicine Education Building 2, Room 106. You can find more details about the event and speaker here.
February also brings a full slate of Highlander athletics, with Women’s and Men’s basketball, tennis, and golf in season. I encourage you to explore the athletics calendar and the UCR events calendar for daily opportunities to stay active—physically, intellectually, and creatively—across campus.
Beginning of the annual budgeting process
Earlier this month, Gov. Gavin Newsom released his budget proposal for the 2026–27 fiscal year, which marks the start of the annual state budget process. As in prior years, this proposal is an opening framework, with several months of analysis, advocacy, and negotiation before the Governor’s May Revision and final legislative action. Throughout this process, we will work closely with our colleagues in Government and Community Relations, UCOP, and across the UC system to advocate for the resources needed to support our students, faculty, staff, and mission. We appreciate the Governor’s support for UC and higher education in California.
I am grateful to those of you who share UCR’s story with policymakers—highlighting our impact, our needs, and the lives changed by public higher education. Your engagement and advocacy matter, and they make a real difference as these decisions take shape.
UCR Give Day project page application
Another way you can support students, research, and campus resources is through our annual giving events.
This spring, UCR will host its annual Give Day, our campuswide day of philanthropy powered by faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends. UCR Give Day runs from Tuesday, April 7, at noon through Wednesday, April 8, at noon, and provides an opportunity for departments and programs to engage alumni and supporters around projects that advance our mission.
If your unit would like to participate, I encourage you to submit a project page application by February 3 and take advantage of the resources, challenge dollars, and virtual office hours available to support your success. Use the 2026 Give Day Submission Form to submit your application.
Looking forward together
I have been grateful for the warmth, generosity, and engagement of this campus community since arriving at UC Riverside. The upcoming inauguration is an opportunity to reflect that same spirit back—to gather, to connect, and to look ahead with confidence in what we can achieve together.