SUBJECT:

Appointment of John Skrentny as Director and David Fitzgerald as Associate Director of the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies (CCIS)

After a distinguished career spanning 30 years at UCSD, Wayne Cornelius will leave his position as Director of the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies (CCIS). Wayne’s commitment to Mexican immigration, politics, and development has produced a legacy of two important academic units for our campus – the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies, which he founded in 1979; and CCIS, an interdisciplinary, multi-national Organized Research Unit (ORU) devoted to comparative work on international migration and refugee movements, formally established in 2002.

Effective July 1, 2009, I am pleased to appoint John Skrentny, Sociology, to the CCIS Directorship. Professor Skrentny’s distinguished immigration research will enable him to build on the strong foundation of comparative immigration studies at UCSD. Additionally, I am pleased to appoint David Fitzgerald as Associate Director for CCIS. Professor Fitzgerald has co-directed CCIS’s Mexican Migration Field Research and Training Program with distinction and will assist Director Skrentny with the Center’s administration.

Please join me in congratulating John and David on their appointments. I am confident that the CCIS research and training mission will continue to expand under their guidance and leadership.

Arthur B. Ellis Vice Chancellor for Research