UC Riverside celebrated the start of a new academic year with the Chancellor’s Faculty and Staff Picnic Tuesday, Sept. 9.

More than 1,000 employees joined the lunchtime gathering at the HUB Plaza where they dined on beef or vegan burgers, snacks, and drinks on a sunny day.

In his first picnic, Chancellor S. Jack Hu greeted and posed for photos with employees near the food service line.

Staff Assembly handed out ice cream bars at its booth. A KUCR DJ played music on loudspeakers while other campus organizations hosted informational tables.