SUBJECT:

Appointment of CREATE Director

After a nationwide search, I am pleased to report that Hugh "Bud" Mehan
has been appointed as the Director of CREATE (Center for
Research in Educational Equity, Assessment, and Teaching Excellence).

A distinguished sociologist, Professor Mehan has produced outstanding
scholarship on educational issues, especially the achievement gap
suffered by low-income and minority students. He has authored or edited
seven books and scores of articles and is a member of the National
Academy of Education. In addition to excellent research, Professor Mehan
is known for his exceptional teaching and administration. In 1997, he
received UCSD's Academic Senate Distinguished Teaching Award. He has
served as Director of the Teacher Education Program, member of the
K-12 Task Force and its Planning Action Team, Interim Associate Director
of CREATE, and one of the chief architects of the Preuss School @ UCSD.

In all his activities, Professor Mehan has demonstrated time and again
his dedication to the educational needs of underrepresented students,
the primary mission of CREATE. As an expert and activist on educational
matters, he is highly respected nationally and locally, both in academia
and in the K-12 community. I appreciate his willingness to take on this
leadership role on an issue of great importance to our campus.

Marsha A. Chandler Senior Vice Chancellor- Academic Affairs