SUBJECT:

Vice Chancellor for Research

Following four years of distinguished service as Vice Chancellor for Research, Dr. Arthur B. Ellis has announced his decision to leave his administrative position effective August 31, 2010 to become Provost at City University of Hong Kong in September.

Dr. Ellis joined UC San Diego in 2006 as Vice Chancellor for Research and Professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry. An internationally recognized chemist, he came to UC San Diego from the National Science Foundation (NSF) where he held the position of Director for the Division of Chemistry. Prior to his tenure with NSF, he served as the Meloche-Bascom Professor of Chemistry and as the Chair of the Materials Science Graduate Program at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

As Vice Chancellor for Research, Dr. Ellis has been responsible for overseeing, promoting, supporting and facilitating our campus’s research mission and the complex infrastructure required of a top-notch research institution. His responsibilities include Research Administration, Organized Research Units (ORUs), Contract and Grant Administration, Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property, Animal Care and Animal Welfare, Research Ethics, and federal and state research relations.

Under his leadership, the Office of Research Affairs has overseen the growth of UC San Diego’s research enterprise from about $700 million in 2006 to a projected $1 billion this fiscal year. Vice Chancellor Ellis and his team effectively organized the Office of Research Affairs (ORA) in 2006, following the separation of the Office of Graduate Studies and Research into two distinct units. The ORA has assisted the campus in capturing nearly $160 million in stimulus funding, currently the largest amount among UC campuses.

Vice Chancellor Ellis and the ORA worked with the Senate to revitalize the campus’s interdisciplinary ORUs and create a more dynamic portfolio, characterized by the creation of a half-dozen new ORUs. During his tenure the ORA also established cross-campus standards for animal care and created a variety of resources to assist campus researchers, such as equipment and personnel databases, umbrella core facilities, and services for preparation of large, interdisciplinary proposals.

Furthermore, Vice Chancellor Ellis assisted the campus in developing a blueprint and business plan for campus-wide investments in research cyberinfrastructure (RCI), and worked with UC to expand RCI as a system-wide initiative. The ORA has been instrumental in advancing the campus’ Sustainability 2.0 and stem cell initiatives. It has also expanded undergraduate research opportunities through the Regents Scholars Research Initiative, enabling freshmen to commence research projects upon their arrival on campus.

In his time at UC San Diego, Vice Chancellor Ellis has also been active in the community, representing the campus on the boards of CONNECT, CleanTECH San Diego, and the San Diego State University Research Foundation.

Between now and the end of August 2010, we will work with Vice Chancellor Ellis to ensure a smooth transition. We will also conduct a campus-wide search for the next Vice Chancellor for Research. Applications or nominations for a five-year regular or one-year interim appointment to begin September 1, 2010 can be sent from now until the end of July 2010 to svcaa@ucsd.edu.

Please join us in thanking Art for his vital contributions to advancing UC San Diego’s research enterprise, and in wishing him every success at City University of Hong Kong.

Marye Anne Fox Chancellor Paul W. Drake Senior Vice Chancellor