Spring 2025 Academic Senate Election Results (Second Ballot Open for Vice Chair)

Dear Colleagues:

The results of the spring 2025 election are below. The number of valid ballots cast in this election was 1007, which represents a 36% turnout of the current Senate membership. This is a significant increase from previous years. It is heartening that during this critical time for higher education, more Senate faculty are exercising their voice and affirming their commitment to shared governance.

Vice Chair (Chair Designate) – Voting is open for a second ballot
There were three candidates on the ballot for Vice Chair (Chair Designate) of the Division, and no candidate received a majority vote on the first ballot to be elected. A second ballot is now open to determine the Vice Chair (Chair Designate) and includes the two candidates who received the highest number of votes on the first ballot (listed in alphabetical order as they appear on the ballot):

Terry Gaasterland, Professor, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Akos Rona-Tas, Professor, Sociology

The San Diego Division will continue voting until 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 28, 2025, which is the deadline for all votes to be cast.

A reference ballot, bios, and statements for the candidates are posted on the following webpage:
https://senate.ucsd.edu/online-tools/interactive-utilities/voting-surveys/

All voting is electronic. Please use the following link to vote:
https://senext.ucsd.edu/secure/inquiry/ballot/2025_Vice_Chair

The voting system will authenticate your identity via the campus Single Sign-On system and is designed to maintain the confidentiality of the voting process by keeping track of who has voted, but not how each member votes. Once the ballot is submitted, neither the voter nor anyone else can change the votes. To minimize technical difficulties while completing the voting ballot, please refrain from using your browser’s forward and backward buttons. Instead, use the “previous” and “next” buttons provided on the ballot form to navigate between screens. Access questions may be directed to Trevor Buchanan at tdbuchanan@ucsd.edu.

There is nothing in the Senate rules against campaigning, and you may receive messages encouraging you to vote a certain way. The Academic Senate has not provided and will not provide any assistance or access to mailing lists for the distribution of messages advocating for any specific candidate. I encourage you to review the materials provided by the candidates, participate in this democratic process, and vote your conscience.

The results of the elections for Divisional Representatives and Committee on Committees positions are as follows.

Divisional Representatives – Election Outcome

Divisional Representatives (three vacancies) to the systemwide Assembly of the Academic Senate for a two-year term, effective September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2027.

Christina Gremel, Professor, Psychology
Randolph (Randy) Hampton, Professor, Cell & Developmental Biology
Britta Larsen DeMartini, Associate Professor, Public Health & Human Longevity Science

Committee on Committees – Election Outcome

Member of the Committee on Committees from a Biological Sciences department for a three-year term, effective September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2028.

Deborah Yelon, Professor, Cell & Developmental Biology
Member of the Committee on Committees from an Engineering department for a three-year term, effective September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2028.

John McCartney, Professor, Structural Engineering
Member of the Committee on Committees from a Health Sciences department, excluding the Skaggs School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Department of Medicine, for a three-year term, effective September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2028.

Sara McMenamin, Associate Professor, Public Health & Human Longevity Science
Member of the Committee on Committees from a Social Sciences department for a three-year term, effective September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2028.

Sharon Rose, Professor, Linguistics
At-Large member of the Committee on Committees for a three-year term, effective September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2028.

Luis Alvarez, Professor, History

Thank you to all the candidates for their willingness to stand for election.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Jo Plant
Vice Chair
Academic Senate, San Diego Division

University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093