George Blumenthal greets staff, faculty

Photo: George Blumenthal with crowd

Acting Chancellor George Blumenthal greets staff and faculty outside Clark Kerr Hall on July 31.

July 31, 2006

Hundreds drop by to see Acting Chancellor Blumenthal

Acting Chancellor George Blumenthal greeted several hundred staff and faculty Monday morning in the first of what he promised will be regular events to get to know all corners of the campus.

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Photo: George Blumenthal with crowd
Blumenthal talks with Lucia Orlando, who works in the reference department at McHenry Library, and Alex Grillo, research physicist with the Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics.
Photos: Louise Donahue

Speaking briefly at the casual reception for staff and faculty to meet him, Blumenthal said he was “stunned’’ by the number of people who stopped by.

“My first reaction is: We have to do this again,” said the longtime professor, department chair, and Academic Senate president named Acting Chancellor July 14. “I’m serious. I’m determined to get out and meet everyone.”

Staff members enjoyed coffee, juice, and continental breakfast treats as they mingled in the fog in front of Clark Kerr Hall. Blumenthal said he greatly appreciated everyone’s “diligence in coming out at 8:30 in the morning.”

“Santa Cruz is an outstanding campus and has made extraordinary gains over the years,” said Blumenthal, who joined the Astronomy and Astrophysics Department in 1972 (at age 14, he joked). He pledged to work to help UCSC continue its upward movement.

“And that means hiring the best faculty and staff and retaining the best faculty and staff,” he said.

Blumenthal “has been a great champion for staff,” said Ed Titus, telecommunications manager in Information Technology Services.

Titus said the acting chancellor is well-respected by both faculty and staff, the result of his work over the years.

Blumenthal said the campus would pursue its research focus and increase graduate programs while maintaining its mission of excellent undergraduate education. "The campus has made great strides in the last 10 years and, working with all of you, I'm determined to keep us on the upward trajectory," Blumenthal said.

UCSC “will continue to be a jewel in the crown of the UC system,” he said. “It will be a bigger jewel in the crown of the UC system.”