SUBJECT:

Appointment of Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Chief of Staff

I am delighted to announce the appointment of Alison Sanders as my new Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Chief of Staff (Asst. VC-AA/COS), effective September 9, 2019, following an extensive national search.

In this critical campus role, Ms. Sanders will report directly to me as Executive Vice Chancellor (EVC) and will work closely with faculty, campus administrators, and colleagues across the University of California to advance the vision and values of UC San Diego as a student-centered, research-focused, service-oriented public university. As Assistant Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff she will be a strategic advisor and collaborator, providing expertise and counsel on policies, programs, and operations for administrative and academic units that report to the Office of the EVC.

Ms. Sanders currently serves as Chief of Staff to the President at San Francisco State University and has over 20 years of progressively more responsible experience in higher education administration in California public universities. Since 2003, she has held numerous administrative roles at San Francisco State, rising to the position of Interim Associate Vice President for Research & Sponsored Programs, and previously as Director of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs prior to accepting her current role in the President's office. She holds a B.S. in zoology and an M.A. in marine biology from her current institution.

At SF State, Ms. Sanders led several key task forces, committees, and other groups to advance the university's strategic priorities. She shepherded the formation of the Campus Awareness Team to enhance the coordination of strategic responses to campus major events. She was also instrumental in supporting the expansion of the Project Rebound program for formerly incarcerated students, which garnered attention from the White House and resulted in participation in the 2016 Fair Chance Higher Education Pledge and the Criminal Justice Reform Round Table. She has served as a board member of the University Corporation at San Francisco State and as Chair of the Research Administration Committee of the CSU Auxiliary Organization Association. She has also served in leadership positions for the City of Pacifica's Open Space and Parkland Advisory Committee and the Pacifica Land Trust and is currently pursuing her doctorate in higher education administration.

Alison Sanders' breadth and depth of experience and her collaborative approach make her exceptionally well suited to serve in this key leadership position for the campus. I greatly look forward to working with her. Please join me in offering Ms. Sanders a warm welcome into our UC San Diego Triton community.

Elizabeth H. Simmons Executive Vice Chancellor