SUBJECT:

Appointment of Kit Pogliano as Dean of the Division of Biological Sciences

It is with great pleasure that we announce the appointment of Dr. Kit Pogliano as the next Dean of Biological Sciences. She will assume her new position, effective September 15, 2018.

A member of the UC San Diego faculty since 1996, Dr. Pogliano is a Professor in the Molecular Biology section in the Division of Biological Sciences and is currently the Dean of our Graduate Division. She has previously served as Section Chair of Molecular Biology, as Director of the Microbial Sciences Graduate Research Initiative, and Co-Director of the UC San Diego Microbiome and Microbial Sciences Initiative. Her research focuses on the application of cell biological tools to understand the design principles of bacterial cells, and to discover new antibiotics and develop diagnostics for multidrug resistant bacterial infections. Dr. Pogliano received her Ph.D. from the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at Harvard Medical School and was a Damon Runyon-Walter Winchell postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University. She is a recipient of the Searle Scholar and Beckman Young Investigator awards and is a named Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology.

Dr. Pogliano's considerable service contributions to the UC San Diego include her role as founding Chair of the Standing Committee on Service- and People-Oriented Administrative Culture. She has served as Chair of the San Diego Division of the Academic Senate, Chair of the Senate Committee on Committees, and Chair of the Senate Committee on Affirmative Action and Diversity in addition to serving on numerous administrative and departmental committees throughout her tenure. She has drawn upon these experiences to chart wise courses for collaborative innovation in her administrative roles.

As Graduate Dean, Dr. Pogliano has facilitated the recruitment and admission of an excellent and diverse graduate student body in collaboration with the academic divisions and schools. In partnership with the Graduate Council, she has supervised the periodic reviews of all UC San Diego graduate programs, and with the Dean of Undergraduate Education, worked to revamp the program review process to provide an integrated, holistic approach to ensure enhanced program quality. She has promoted outstanding graduate education by developing new graduate programs, facilitating interdisciplinary scholarship, and developing dashboards to document and improve program quality. She has been a key voice in helping to shape our Strategic Academic Program Development (SAPD) initiative. Dean Pogliano has also enhanced the graduate student experience by improving student support services, mentorship, career development, internships, social events and community building activities. In addition, she has led efforts to ensure financial stability and stewardship by developing agile and streamlined administrative processes, enhancing extramural support, and launching a holistic evaluation of the graduate funding model.

As Dean of Biological Sciences, Dr. Pogliano will serve as the intellectual and administrative leader of the Division, responsible for setting divisional goals in alignment with the university’s strategic plan; promoting inclusive high standards in research, education and administration; and supporting the needs of an outstanding and diverse faculty and student body. Additionally, she will provide leadership to the Division’s four academic sections in resource and space allocations, academic recruitments, and professional advancement of faculty and staff. She will work with campus leadership, her fellow Deans, Academic Senate, and other academic units in the innovation, development, implementation, and stewardship of interdisciplinary programs, and will represent the Division in local, state, national and international forums. She will also play a key role in articulating the Division’s aspirations to alumni, friends, and donors, as part of the Campaign for UC San Diego.

Kit Pogliano's demonstrated excellence in leadership, research and service and her longstanding commitment to educational access and equity make her an ideal choice to lead the Division of Biological Sciences at UC San Diego. We anticipate that she will be working closely with the faculty, section chairs, and divisional leadership team to chart a course that further raises the academic profile of the division and enhances its connectivity with all part of campus and with the surrounding community. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Pogliano on her appointment and in thanking Dean Bill McGinnis for his exemplary service. An Interim Graduate Dean will be appointed shortly, and the search for a new Graduate Dean will begin in the Fall quarter.

Pradeep K. Khosla Chancellor Elizabeth H. Simmons Executive Vice Chancellor