September 23, 2004

With New Chancellor At The Helm, UC San Diego
Gains Approval For Long Range Development Plan
Growing Campus Welcomes Nationally Recognized
Organic Chemist and Academic Leader

By Dolores Davies

In her first appearance before the University of California Board of Regents as chancellor of the University of California, San Diego, Marye Anne Fox garnered approvals for UCSD’s Long Range Development Plan (LRDP), the blueprint for the campus’ future growth. The LRDP calls for major increases in academic, housing, and support space to meet the demands of the rapid growth of UCSD, which in turn is fueling continuing expansion and economic growth in San Diego’s technology, life sciences and wireless sectors.

Chancellor Fox, a nationally known organic chemist and academic leader, takes the helm at a time when UCSD has risen in stature to become one of the top institutions in the nation for higher education and research and the economic engine of tremendous regional economic growth. With annual research funding of $627 million, UCSD ranks fifth in the nation, and first in the UC system in federal R&D expenditures. UCSD faculty and graduate programs have been ranked 10th best in the nation by the National Research Council. In spite of its youth at 45 years old, the campus has one of the nation's highest percentages of faculty elected to the prestigious national academies and counts 15 Nobel Laureates among its faculty.

As a result of UCSD’s academic and research accomplishments, faculty and alumni have spun-off almost 200 local companies, making it a national leader in incubating biotechnology and technology start-ups. UCSD’s academic and economic alliance has created over 319,000 jobs nationwide resulting in a staggering $5.1 billion in local and national economic impact.

To continue meeting the challenge of promoting academic and economic growth in the greater UCSD community, Chancellor Fox received approval from UC Regents for a plan to:

• accommodate approximately 29,900 UCSD students by 2020-21 (compared to today’s enrollment of 23,045 students);
• increase academic, housing and support space to approximately 19 million GSF;
• develop additional on-campus parking and alternative transportation options; and
• preserve the overwhelming majority of campus natural and open-space areas, known as the UCSD Park, in an undeveloped state.

The LRDP was developed in a collaborative campus process involving academic and physical plans together with review by groups representative of students, faculty, and staff. Consultation with the City of San Diego, SANDAG and other governmental agencies was included. The plan was ultimately presented to community groups and organizations with comments received on issues such as parking, traffic, visual resources, open space, and housing.

Before joining UCSD this fall, Fox was previously chancellor of North Carolina State University, where she was credited for her pivotal role in the continuing success of North Carolina’s Research Triangle, one of the nation's primary examples of cooperation between universities and the private sector. Under her leadership, North Carolina State undertook major building and fundraising campaigns, the successful development of a public-private research center called Centennial Campus, the hiring of outstanding faculty, and increases in research spending, patent awards, and private donations. She also previously served as vice president for research at the University of Texas at Austin.

As one of the nation's most distinguished physical organic chemists, she is a member of President Bush's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and is a recipient of numerous distinguished awards for teaching and research. She has also been elected to membership in the National Academy of Sciences.

An advisory committee of Regents, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community representatives committee reviewed approximately 50 applicants for the position, drawn from a national pool of more than 300 potential candidates.

“Dr. Fox brings superb academic credentials, national prominence as a spokesperson on science and education policy issues, and a deep commitment to preserving the excellence of UCSD,” said UC President Robert C. Dynes. “She is passionate about students and their education, and she is attentive to the needs and interests of the broader community.”

Fox has published extensively on both chemistry and science policy. She has served on the Executive Committee of the National Academy of Sciences and has been elected to membership in the American Philosophical Society, as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and as a foreign member of the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences of Barcelona. She co-chairs the National Research Council's Government-University-Industry Research Roundtable and is chair of the National Association of Land Grant Colleges and Universities' Commission on Food, Environment, and Renewable Resources.

“It is a tremendous honor to become UCSD’s leader, and I am thrilled to be joining the UC community,” Fox said. “UCSD is an exciting, innovative, and globally-focused institution that is continually setting new standards of excellence and entrepreneurship. I am eager to begin working with partners in the UC and UCSD communities – faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the broader community – to build on this university's distinguished academic history and even further accelerate its momentum as an incubator for local and national economic growth.”

Fox, 56, is the first woman appointed permanent chancellor of UC San Diego. (Marjorie Caserio and Marsha Chandler both served as acting chancellors). She holds a B.S. degree from Notre Dame College, an M.S. from Cleveland State University, and a Ph.D. from Dartmouth College. She is married with three sons and two stepsons. Additional information about her background is available on UCSD’s website at www.ucsd.edu.

Media Contact: Dolores Davies, (858) 534-5994