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Remarks and Writings

January 7, 2013
Urban Land Institute issues set of recommendations to guide expansion of UC Merced’s much-needed physical capacity over the next eight to 10 years As announced in September, 2012, UC Merced retained the Urban Land Institute (ULI) to help identify the most cost-efficient and programmatically effective means of expanding the campus’s... Read More
January 7, 2013
Dear Colleagues: In my last campus-wide letter (Dec. 3), I mentioned that the final report from the Urban Land Institute would be available soon. As you’ll recall, we asked ULI to help us identify the most cost-efficient and programmatically effective means of expanding our physical space to accommodate as many as 10,000 students within the... Read More
December 3, 2012
Dear Colleagues: As the end of the semester draws near, I have several updates to share with you regarding administrative appointments, the budget outlook for the University of California and our campus, and the two-year goals I submitted recently to UC President Mark Yudof. First, please join me in welcoming Tom Peterson as provost and... Read More
November 7, 2012
Dear UC Merced Community, Thanks to our student leaders and the staff who supported them, UC Merced had a very successful get-out-the-vote effort yesterday. Many students, faculty and staff stopped by the campus polling site—2,000 at last count—to participate in an election with national and statewide import. On the state level,... Read More
October 27, 2012
[As prepared for delivery] On behalf UC Merced students, faculty, and staff, I want to again thank the remarkable individuals recognized tonight with Founders Day medals. The “can do” spirit you’ve demonstrated over the years is woven deeply into the fabric of this campus. And this gives me great hope that we can continue to... Read More
October 22, 2012
Dear Colleagues, With the 10th anniversary of Founders Day just around the corner, I want to take a few moments to provide you with an update on various matters. But first, allow me to say a few words about Founders Day. This is the name given to the historic campus groundbreaking in October 2002 and the investiture of UC Merced’s first... Read More
September 17, 2012
Dear Colleagues: As you may recall, UC Merced recently retained the Urban Land Institute to help us determine the most cost-effective and programmatically viable alternatives for expanding our physical capacity during a period of ongoing financial uncertainty at the state level. (The ULI is a nonprofit land-use and planning organization.) We... Read More
August 23, 2012
Dear UC Merced Colleagues: It is a pleasure to welcome you back for the 2012-2013 academic year. I hope the summer months afforded you a chance to travel, explore, stretch your minds, spend time with family and friends or otherwise renew and reinvigorate the spirit that drives and sustains you. We begin the new year with some important... Read More
August 15, 2012
Dear UC Merced Colleagues: Following an extensive nationwide search, I am delighted to announce the appointment of Thomas W. Peterson, assistant director of the Engineering Directorate at the National Science Foundation and former dean of the University of Arizona College of Engineering, to the position of provost and executive vice chancellor... Read More
July 31, 2012
Dear UC Merced Colleagues: The summer months are quickly drawing to their end. Although summer typically brings a smaller number of students to campus, the work we do to advance the mission of UC Merced continues full steam. I hope you have found some time for rest and relaxation nonetheless. We lost a wonderful colleague this summer to a tragic... Read More

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