Michael S. Levine to Serve as Interim Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost

Campus Update

Chancellor Block shared this message to the Bruin Community.

Dear Bruin Community:

As was announced last week, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Darnell Hunt — a dedicated campus leader for more than two decades — will serve as UCLA’s interim chancellor from August 1, 2024 until Jan. 1, 2025, at which point Julio Frenk will take office as our next chancellor.

While EVCP Hunt is serving as interim chancellor, I am pleased to share that current Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Personnel Michael S. Levine will step in as interim EVCP.

A seasoned administrator and member of the faculty since 1976, Vice Chancellor Levine has been in his role since 2016. He currently oversees the Office of Academic Affairs and Personnel, which is primarily responsible for approving all major faculty promotions and advancements as well as creating programs for faculty development. He has twice previously served as interim EVCP, from July to September 2019 and from October 2021 to September 2022.

Vice Chancellor Levine is also a distinguished professor in the David Geffen School of Medicine and previously held the Gail Patrick Endowed Chair in Brain Research. His research focuses on the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative disorders. Among his many honors and awards, he is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and he received the Distinguished Investigator Award from the National Association for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression.

Distinguished Professor Kathleen L. Komar, currently special assistant to the vice chancellor for academic affairs and personnel, will take on Vice Chancellor Levine’s responsibilities as interim vice provost for academic affairs and personnel during this time. Professor Komar is an experienced campus leader with deep knowledge of academic personnel matters and previously served in this interim capacity from October 2021 to September 2022. She has also served as chair of the Academic Senate and chair of the Council on Academic Personnel.

As I near the end of my 17 years as chancellor, I am grateful to each of these leaders for their deep commitment to UCLA over several decades, and for stepping into these interim roles. I am confident they will provide continuity and effective oversight during this period of transition. I also extend my gratitude to the entire Bruin community for your continued dedication to advancing our mission of teaching, research and service.

Sincerely,