Founders Gala 2013
George R. Blumenthal
Founders Gala 2013
Cocoanut Grove
October 18, 2013
Thank you, Hilary.
As many of you know, Hilary is the mayor of Santa Cruz and one of UCSC's most distinguished alums. She makes us proud!
Welcome!
This annual Founders Celebration shines a light on the people and programs that make UC Santa Cruz great.
The people honored tonight attest to the value and importance of UC Santa Cruz and to our special mission as a public research university.
It's a celebration of our values. Because, at UC Santa Cruz, we do things differently. We are a university with a conscience… with a focus on social and environmental responsibility.
That’s why faculty members this year testified before Congress about human rights in Honduras… and the hazards of solitary confinement... and in Sacramento about the state's minimum wage.
And that's why we received the highest score in the Princeton Review's sixth annual "Green Honor Roll."
We value critical thinking--not predictable answers! That's the spirit that drove the achievements of Astronomy and Astrophysics Professor Sandra Faber, who this year received the National Medal of Science from President Obama. I was delighted to be with her at the White House. That was such a proud moment for our campus!
We value contribution over conformity. I'm not talking about fashion or trends. I'm talking about intellectual daring. Ideas that upend conventional thinking and shift entire paradigms. Our faculty make that kind of contribution. Which is why this year we were again at the very top of global rankings for research influence—for scholarship that breaks new ground.
And while we're talking about innovation… In a blend of the old and the new, our first entry in the massive open online course category was UCSC's breakthrough course, The Holocaust, taught by two of our most beloved professors: Murray Baumgarten and Peter Kenez.
18,000 people in 58 countries enrolled in that course! That's the kind of contribution I value—expanding our reach to make scholars like them – and the kind of thinking they inspire – available to a broad audience.
In this ever more global, technological world, this nation needs a public research university that is boldly pushing boundaries, asking hard questions… that values innovation… and recognizes that innovation sometimes means challenging the status quo.
That's the spirit that powers the discovery of new planets. That's why our alumni win Pulitzer Prizes – six Pulitzers among five graduates! That's why our faculty are leading the fight to defeat cancer. That's the spirit that powers leadership and discovery.
At UC Santa Cruz, we believe that the most practical education is the one that prepares you for the next 60 years of your life—as well as for your first job! It's not an either/or question here at UC Santa Cruz.
Tonight’s gala culminates an extraordinary week: We hosted new UC President Janet Napolitano over two days to meet our best and brightest students, faculty, and staff. Alison Galloway and I convened a group of 53 faculty and staff to begin a comprehensive planning process to prepare UC Santa Cruz for the year 2020—and beyond. And we had four key events leading up to the official launch of our first comprehensive fundraising campaign—which we announced officially at noon today!
The Campaign for UC Santa Cruz celebrates what sets us apart from other universities. For 48 years, our spirit of fearless inquiry has served us well -- and we're not about to stop now!
This campaign will make UC Santa Cruz stronger and more resilient … by focusing on the opportunities we give students… and by focusing on research that changes the world… literally from the depths of the ocean to the farthest reaches of the universe!
Two short years from now, we will celebrate our 50th anniversary.
Planning for that very special occasion is under way. A group of some of our most distinguished alumni gathered together for the first time this morning. I believe many are here tonight.
Anniversaries are important milestones. We have accomplished so much… And yet, I believe our best days are yet to come!
Between the campaign, our 50th anniversary, and our on-campus planning effort, I don't believe there's ever been a moment quite like this in the history of UC Santa Cruz… with faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, trustees, and friends of the campus coming together… setting goals, and sharing their determination to strengthen and invigorate UC Santa Cruz.
I am honored to lead this dynamic campus, and I thank you all for partnering with us.
