Welcome to UC Santa Cruz

In little more than 40 years, our campus’s distinguished faculty, staff, students, and alumni have earned for UCSC a national and international reputation for outstanding scholarship as well as an uncommon commitment to excellence in undergraduate and graduate education. As some of the most talented scholars in California and the United States, you will help advance this reputation as you prepare for leadership in the 21st century.

While at UCSC, you will encounter exceptional faculty. Many are leading innovators in their disciplines and members of prestigious professional organizations, such as the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and many others.

These esteemed scholars and researchers are dedicated teachers who will guide you in your studies in classrooms, research laboratories, performance halls, and at field sites. Both our graduate and undergraduate students help discover new knowledge through close cooperation and collaboration with their professors.

At UC Santa Cruz, we are committed to increasing and celebrating diversity of every kind. You will study, work, and live with people who reflect a rich array of experiences and backgrounds, differing perspectives, exciting ideas, and new ways to solve problems. This engagement with such a diverse group of individuals will provide you with a competitive advantage in our multicultural society.

The quality of UC Santa Cruz’s academic programs is underscored by the accomplishments of its graduates. Our alumni have achieved distinction in every field, profession, scholarly discipline, and artistic expression— and some day, I am confident that you and others among today’s students will join that illustrious roster.

Again, congratulations on your choice of UC Santa Cruz as you continue your journey in learning. I have no doubt that through your studies and your other experiences at UCSC, your life, and the lives of all those you influence, will change for the better.

I look forward to congratulating you again on the occasion of your commencement.

With all best wishes,


GEORGE BLUMENTHAL
Acting Chancellor

August 2006