Gene Block
2007-2024
Hometown
Monticello, New York
Education
B.A., Stanford University
M.S., Ph.D., University of Oregon
Academic Research
Neurobiology of circadian rhythms
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Writings & Speeches
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Gene Block served as chancellor of UCLA from August 1, 2007, until July 31, 2024. A champion of high-quality, accessible public higher education, Block’s institutional priorities included academic excellence, civic engagement, diversity and financial security.
Under Block’s leadership, UCLA experienced significant growth and transformation. UCLA became a more residential campus, expanded both in Westwood and across Los Angeles, and launched new academic and administrative programs. Block deepened UCLA’s commitment to access and affordability, leading initiatives that grew outreach programs and increased support services for students from low-income backgrounds, traditionally underrepresented groups and first-generation college students. One of Block’s notable achievements was significant investment in the development of new university-owned housing, enabling UCLA to guarantee four years of housing for incoming freshmen and two years for new transfer students—the first and only UC campus, as of 2024, to offer such a guarantee.
During Block’s tenure, UCLA significantly enhanced its profile and stature, advancing in academic rankings across nearly every discipline and rising to become the nation’s top-ranked public institution in key university rankings. UCLA also deepened international partnerships and strengthened engagement with its 500,000 alumni worldwide, as well as with other academic and civic institutions. The university bolstered existing partnerships with universities in Korea, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Growing UCLA’s annual research grant funding from $900 million in 2007 to more than $1.72 billion in 2023, UCLA’s research and entrepreneurship ecosystem thrived under Block, and the university was recognized as one of the top institutions for startups. In 2019, UCLA completed one of the largest fundraising campaigns ever undertaken by a public university, raising $5.49 billion.
Block also launched UCLA’s Volunteer Center at the start of his tenure, initiating the first annual Volunteer Day, where thousands of Bruins engage in hands-on community service across Los Angeles. During his last year, approximately 8,000 Bruins participated in Volunteer Day, making it the nation’s largest service project for new university students. Block’s leadership extended through the COVID-19 crisis, during which UCLA adapted to remote learning for nearly a year and a half before welcoming students, faculty and staff back to campus for in-person instruction in fall 2021. In 2020, UCLA laid out plans to achieve federal designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, qualifying the campus for various federal grants to bolster educational programs and benefit Latino communities on campus. Block also spearheaded the Bruin Promise initiative in 2022, providing continuing education and career support to all UCLA graduates and certificate holders. Additionally, under his leadership, UCLA made the decision to move from the Pac-12 Conference to the Big Ten, starting in the 2024–25 season, to better support student-athletes amid major changes in collegiate athletics.
Block has been recognized nationally and internationally for his leadership in higher education. He served on the executive boards of several leading organizations, including the Association of American Universities, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. He was chair of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities from 2016-2024. He is the recipient of numerous professional awards, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Block holds faculty appointments in psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and integrative biology and physiology at the UCLA College of Letters and Science. His research focuses on the effects of aging on the nervous system and how it impacts biological timing in mammals, including humans.
Prior to assuming the chancellorship of UCLA, Block served as vice president and provost of the University of Virginia, where he was also the Alumni Council Thomas Jefferson Professor of Biology. During his 29 years there, he served as vice president for research and public service and as founding director of the National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center in Biological Timing.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Stanford University and M.S. and Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Oregon.