It was with profound sadness and shock that we learned this weekend of the death of UC Santa Cruz Chancellor Denice Denton. Her tragic passing on Saturday is a tremendous loss for the entire University of California family.

Denice was an accomplished and passionate scholar whose life and work demonstrated a deep commitment to public service and to improving opportunity for the disadvantaged and underrepresented. She was a person of enthusiasm, of big ideas, of tremendous energy, and of great promise. In a relatively short time at UC Santa Cruz, she began moving on ambitious plans for the campus and emerged as an important voice in national higher education issues.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Denice's partner, Gretchen Kalonji, and with the rest of Denice's family and many friends. They, and we, have lost a wonderful and talented person. We are looking to UCSC Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor David Kliger and the rest of Chancellor Denton's cabinet to continue providing leadership for the campus during this difficult moment, and we are working with the campus on appropriate ways of recognizing Chancellor Denton in the coming days. More information will be shared as it becomes available.

Sincerely, Robert C. Dynes President