Chancellor Julio Frenk shared this message with UCLA faculty and staff.
Dear Colleagues:
Spring quarter offers an opportunity to bring a fresh sense of purpose to UCLA’s mission of research, education and service. For many of us, it is a season rooted in renewal and promise. Working together, we can make a productive and purposeful final push to commencement and a joyous sendoff for our graduating students.
We are all aware that this is an extremely challenging time for our university community — and for higher education in general. UCLA, along with many institutions across the country, faces significant financial pressures, compounded by the continued uncertainty in federal funding. At the same time, there is tense polarization in our national conversations, making the exchange of ideas more difficult, even as it makes that exchange more necessary. These realities require us to stay grounded in our values, to support one another and to remain focused on achieving the excellence that defines us as a leading public research university.
Staying Connected
Staying connected is essential in moving forward with purpose. The conversations and meetings I continue to have across our community build on the discussions that began with last year’s Listening Exercise, which was designed to be intensive, immersive and iterative. These conversations are an example of how the Listening Exercise was iterative, and they help ensure that your ideas and perspectives continue to shape our path forward.
Last month, I sat down with the Academic Senate, took questions directly from the faculty and nourished the feedback loop that is so critical to our success. I meet with the Academic Senate multiple times throughout the year, and these conversations are intended to strengthen shared governance. On April 2, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Darnell Hunt and I will join the Legislative Assembly meeting.
In February, I attended the Staff Assembly “Meet the Leaders” series, where staff shared valuable insights into challenges and opportunities across our campus. I also saw firsthand the dedication and passion that our staff bring to their work each and every day.
For students, I began holding monthly office hours last quarter, and these conversations consistently lift my spirits. Learning about our students’ scholarly and creative projects — and the optimism they bring to their work — inspires me. These office hours will continue throughout the spring quarter. In addition to regular meetings with Student Government, I am also attending student breakfasts with students, and had my first with undergraduate research fellows in February. I will join students from the School of Theater, Film and Television; the Herb Alpert School of Music; the School of Dentistry; and the School of Nursing later this month.
I will deliver my first State of the Campus address on May 26, so please mark your calendars.
Looking Ahead
Alongside these conversations, I want to provide a brief update on our progress under One UCLA, our shared framework for strengthening the university. We have launched a refreshed One UCLA website to keep our community updated. Campus Community Conversations continue to encourage thoughtful dialogue, and a new spotlight series highlights the faculty and staff advancing this work. The Community Partnership Summit last month highlighted UCLA’s engagement beyond our campus.
We also plan to release a report by our Initiative to Combat Antisemitism next month, following extensive consultation on a draft. Its findings will help us renew our efforts to eliminate hatred and bigotry in all its forms on our campus. In the meantime, there is encouraging progress to note: the Anti-Defamation League recently upgraded UCLA’s Campus Antisemitism Report Card from a D to a B. While this marks a significant step forward, more focused work lies ahead.
In research and innovation, we are continuing to double down — expanding partnerships, pursuing new sources of support and investing in areas of emerging importance. UCLA now ranks sixth nationally in total extramural research expenditures, reflecting the extraordinary work of our faculty and staff.
With the uncertainty in federal funding, the generosity of our philanthropists is more important than ever. A recent $100 million gift from Stewart and Lynda Resnick is the largest gift dedicated to mental health in UCLA’s history. It will expand mental and behavioral health services, support the completion of a new neuropsychiatric hospital and comprehensive mental health campus, and significantly increase access to care for communities across Los Angeles.
Celebrating Successes
This past quarter, our faculty and staff continued to earn recognition and drive meaningful progress across the university. Two UCLA Samueli School of Engineering faculty members, Dean Ah-Hyung “Alissa” Park and Aydin Babakhani, were named senior members of the National Academy of Inventors, recognizing their contributions to advancing innovation and bringing discoveries to broader use. Celine Parreñas Shimizu, dean of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, was recognized with a top Association for Asian American Studies book award, honoring her influential scholarship on representation, identity and the role of media in shaping cultural narratives. And Nicole Presley, senior executive director of UCLA Student Resilience and Mental Health Services, is expanding access to mental health support for students. This is just a sample of the outstanding work happening every day at our university.
In February, Nobel laureate and alumnus Fred Ramsdell returned to campus — and a packed auditorium — to reflect on how his groundbreaking research on regulatory T cells is now advancing new therapies for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. His visit served as a reminder of the teamwork and long-term dedication so critical to academic success. Whenever researchers win a major award or faculty members earn a grant, it is rarely achieved alone. Our staff are right there alongside them.
I hope we all celebrate each Bruin success ahead of us this quarter with pride and satisfaction.
We are One UCLA.
Julio Frenk
Chancellor