Following nearly 35 years of outstanding service to UC San Diego, including nearly six as Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Resource Administration, Steve Ross has announced his decision to retire from UC San Diego effective June 30, 2021.
After beginning his career with the university system at UC Davis, Steve joined UC San Diego in 1985, and served nearly thirteen years as Executive Assistant Dean for Finance and Administration at the Jacobs School of Engineering prior to joining the EVC leadership team in 2015. He was an essential member of the Jacobs School leadership team under three deans, and previously served as the administrative leader for the launch of the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2), now Qualcomm Institute. As the chief financial and administrative officer for Academic Affairs, Steve serves as the primary resource consultant for the EVC-AA reporting units, including the Vice Chancellors for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and Student Affairs, and has a dotted line reporting relationship to the Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer.
As AVC-RA, Steve has provided strategic direction for Academic Affairs resource planning, and developed a strong resource administration team to support the university’s teaching, research and service mission. Among his most significant accomplishments as AVC-RA, is the establishment of a metrics driven model for resource allocation, and cultivation of an administrative culture that uses data to inform decisions across Academic Affairs units. He has also been a fervent advocate of continuous improvement, supporting staff development in lean bench strategies, and encouraging cross-unit collaboration for efficient business practices. He has provided strong leadership and management oversight of critical functions across the EVC-AA organization, including the capital program, risk management, and human resource management, during a period of tremendous growth for the general campus, including the addition of Seventh College. As AVC-RA, Steve has also played an important role in strengthening the relationship between Academic Affairs, the Health Sciences and Marine Sciences in planning and decision-making to support teaching and joint research endeavors.
Please join me in offering our most sincere appreciation to Associate Vice Chancellor Steve Ross for his exemplary service to UC San Diego and in wishing him well in his retirement and future endeavors. He is a highly respected and valued colleague, advisor, and mentor to many across the campus and will be deeply missed. A search for Steve’s successor will begin promptly.
