|
Meet
UCSD's New Chancellor
October
11, 2004
Marye
Anne Fox officially took the helm of UCSD on Aug. 16.
Here, she sits down for a video Q & A with Kate
Callen to discuss the current state of the university
and what she hopes to accomplish during her tenure
as chancellor of UCSD.
Q. In your view, what are UCSD's institutional strengths,
and how will you capitalize on them?
Fox:
UCSD,
from
its
founding,
has
had
nothing
but
the
best
of
faculty,
staff,
and
students.
When
you
bring
really
bright
and
creative
people
together
in
an
environment
where
they
can
excel,
it's
no
surprise
that
it's
become
one
of
the
best
institutions
in
the
country.
Q.
Conversely,
what
are
UCSD's
biggest
problems,
and
how
will
you
try
to
resolve
them?
Fox:
I think
[in
terms]
of
challenges
and
opportunities
rather
than
problems.
This
is
an
institution
which
is
going
along
pretty
well
as
it
is.
But
the
opportunities
that
it
can
confront
are
really
exciting.
First
of
all,
geographically,
we're
placed
in
a position
where
we
can
reach
out
to
the
Pacific
Rim
countries
or
to
South
America
and
Mexico.
We
have
an
opportunity
of
collaborating
within
the
UC
system
and
with
our
sister
schools
around
the
nation
that's
unparalleled.
We
have
opportunities
because
of
our
students
and
the
strengths
and
creativity
that
they
bring
to
many
problems,
of
making
significant
contributions,
and
thinking
of
scholarship
and
research
as
a public
trust.
When
you
integrate
all
of
that,
we
are
going to
transform
the
lives
of
our
students
and
change
the
standard
of
living
around
the
world.
Q. How will you
keep the lines of communication
open with faculty, students
and staff?
Fox:
I think
it's
very
important
to
have
lots
of
ways
by
which
that
communication
can
start.
First,
of
course,
students,
faculty
and
staff
can
use
e-mail
to
communicate
their
ideas
at
any
stage.
We're
also
having
a series
of
discussions
on
campus
where
I'm
giving
time
away
from
positions
to
come
and
learn
and
discuss.
We're
very
excited
about
the
possibility
of
building
this
community
by
building
the
associations
that
we
have
among
faculty,
students,
and
staff.
One
of
the
best
ways
to
communicate
with
the
Chancellor
and
with
the
administrative
staff
is
to
take
advantage
of
the "Letters
to
the
Chancellor" e-mail
address
at chancellor@ucsd.edu.
It's
really
a great
way
to
get
your
feelings
and
viewpoints
and
statements
to
the
administration
in
a way
in
which
we
can
really
follow
up.
Q.
What
do
you
enjoy
most
about
teaching?
Fox:
The
one
thing
I miss
as
an
administrator
is
not
being
able
to
teach
as
much
as
I used
to
be
able
to.
I taught
organic
chemistry
and
graduate
chemistry
and
occasionally
a public
policy
or
ethics
course.
The
ability
to
interact
with
students
who
are
at
various
stages
of
their
educational
development
is
really
very,
very
stimulating
and
something
I miss
a lot.
Q.
What
do
you
enjoy
most
about
interacting
with
undergraduates?
And
graduate
students?
Fox:
Undergraduates
are
still
not
defined
in
terms
typically
of
where
they
want
to
go
in
life.
So,
the
interaction
is
a much
more
personal
one.
When
you
get
to
graduate
students,
they
have
often
chosen
a career
direction,
and
it's
more
mentoring
and
guiding
them
as
they
themselves
become
mature
scientists
or
engineers.
I have
had
the
opportunity,
of
course,
to
work
with
both
kinds
of
groups,
and
they
are
different
but
equally
fascinating.
I've
had
the
privilege
of
having
about
50
students
who
have
finished
advanced
degrees
under
my
direction,
and
at
least
once
a year,
I communicate
with
them.
I often
get
notices
from
them
about
a job
advancement
or
a new
child
or
a new
marriage.
It's
just
wonderful
to
see
the transition
that
they've
made
and
remember
how
they
used
to
be
when
they
were
still
finding
themselves
in
their
careers,
and
where
now
many
of
them
are
leaders
in
their
own
careers
in
academic
institutions
or
industry.
I'm
very
proud
of
the
fact
that
every
one
of
my
students
who
has
wanted
to
pursue
an
academic
career
has
been
tenured.
So,
there
are
quite
a few
of
them
out
there;
they're
like
our
extended
family.
Q.
Any
views
on
strengthening
the
arts & humanities
at
UCSD?
Fox:
One
of
the
most
important
things
that
can
transform
the
lives
of
our
students
is
to
be
able
to
take
what
they
learn
in
classes
and
in
the
laboratory
and
also
in
the
theater
and
in
athletics
programs,
whether
it's
personal
or
intercollegiate
athletics,
and
to
integrate
that
in
a way
in
which
their
lives
are
changed.
We're
so
proud
that
we
have
one
of
the
best
theatre
programs
in
the
nation.
And
I can
see
that
there
are
going
to
be
many
applications
of
theater
in
terms
of
visual
imaging
that
would
overlap
very
strongly
with
some
of
the
strong
programs
in
computer
science
or
the
Supercomputer
Center
or
Cal-(IT)².
I can
envision
that,
as
the
arts
and
the
humanities
come
closer
and
closer
to
the
sciences,
that
this
bridge
that
has
been
sometimes
hard
to
forge
over
the
years,
really
will
become
easier
and
easier.
And
the
emphasis
on
interdisciplinary
studies
and
integrating
knowledge
over
social
problems
and
social
concerns,
I think
that
will
make
that
an
important
part
of
anyone's
education.
Q.
UC
has
been
struggling
to
build
diversity
in
the
aftermath
of
Proposition
209,
which
ruled
out "affirmative
action" programs.
What
has
been
your
experience
with
affirmative
action
and
diversity
efforts?
Fox:
I think
the
need
for
affirmative
action
continues
because
schools
are
not
on
a level
playing
field
for
everyone.
So
the
long-term
solution
is
certainly
going
to
be
outreach
and
improvement
of
educational
opportunities
for
all
students.
If
every
group
understood
what
opportunities
exist
and
what
they
could
do
in
terms
of
career
opportunities
going
forward,
I think
we
would
have
very
little
need
to
even
be
looking
at
racial
or
ethnic
or
religious
differences.
Those
are
qualities
of
the
human
experience,
though,
that
really
strengthen
the
education
that
we
have.
And
to
bring
in
all
people,
and
to
have
the
unique
skills
and
talents
and
backgrounds
that
are
brought
from
different
religious
or
racial
or
ethnic
backgrounds enriches
all
of
us
so
much
that
it
becomes
a very
important
part
of
our
community.
So
finding
ways
in
which
outreach
can
identify
and
motivate
those
who
are
coming
through
the
high
schools
to
be
prepared
better
to
take
advantage
of
a UCSD
education
is
really
one
of
our
most
important
goals.
Q.
Have
you
had
a chance
to
visit
the
Preuss
School?
Fox:
The
Preuss
School
is
really
a great
example
of
how
outreach
can
improve
the
quality
of
lives
of
our
students
and
the
student
body
here.
We've
made
a significant
partnership
with
the
San
Diego
schools
so
that
there
would
be
an
opportunity
for
students
who
can
take
advantage,
because
of
their
talents
and
interests,
of
the
kind
of
education
that
this
unique
school
offers.
And
what
we've
seen
in
this
first
year
of
graduating
students
is
that
many,
many
students
are
qualified
for
the
best
colleges
and
university
in
the
country,
including
a number
of
them
who
are
going
to
come
to
UCSD.
Q.
Many
people
have
expressed
concern
that
increased
partnerships
with
the
private
sector
could
result
in
the
tail
(commerce)
wagging
the
dog
(scholarship).
How
do
you
prevent
that?
Fox:
Public
universities
are
very
important,
of
course,
for
the
future
of
this
country.
And
it's
becoming
increasingly
difficult
as
state
legislatures
have
fewer
and
fewer
dollars,
seemingly,
to
invest
in
higher
education.
So
it's
becoming
even
more
important
that
partnerships
with
the
private
sector
be
explored
as
a way
of
extending
the
scholarship
that
would
have
taken
place
typically
with
federal
and
state
support
in
earlier
times.
So
when
we
have
this
private
sector
investment
into
our
programs,
they
can
only
improve.
We
have,
of
course,
the
possibility
of
over-commitment
of
time
or
conflict
of
interest
developing.
But
we've
been
able
to
put
together
a procedure
that
allows
us
to
manage
those
potential
conflicts
very
well,
so
that
the benefits
can
be
maintained
and
the
downside
can
be
constrained.
Q.
What
do
you
do
for
fun?
What
do
you
read
for
pleasure?
Fox:
I'm
a golfer;
I'm
not
a very
good
golfer.
I swim.
Before
I became
full-time
involved
with
administration,
I used
to
swim
a mile
a day.
But
that's
another
one
of
those
things
that
probably
has
gone
by
the
wayside
because
of
time
demands.
I enjoy
reading.
I enjoy
film.
Right
now,
at
my
bedside,
there
is
a book
by
one
of
the
faculty
here
who
wanted
to
share
with
me
her
scholarship,
as
well
as
an
autobiography
of
Benjamin
Franklin.
I tend
to
want
to
balance
scientific
readings
with
non-scientific
readings.
I try
to
keep
up
with
my
field,
and
in
particular,
science
policy.
At
the
same
time,
I enjoy
things
on
the
side.
Q.
Did
your
family
move
with
you?
Fox:
Our
sons
are
all
married
and
off
on
their
own,
so
in
general,
they
live
far
away.
I have
one
who
is
in
Costa
Mesa
and
is
a chef
starting
a business,
so
we
haven't
seen
him
too
often
but
certainly
more
frequently
than
we
did
when
we
were
on
the
East
Coast.
I have
one
son
in
France,
he
and
his
wife
have
our
oldest
grandson,
and,
of
course,
because
he's
in
Grenoble,
we
don't
see
him
too
often.
Three
of
our
sons
are
in
Texas:
one
in
Dallas
who
works
for
Texas
Instruments,
one
in
San
Antonio
who's
a pharmacist,
and
one
is
still
in
medical
school
at
the
University
of
Texas
at
Houston.
Q.
And
you
have
a new
grandson,
born
the
day
of
your
interview.
Fox:
After
I made
the
commitment
to
interview
for
the
position
as
chancellor
of
UCSD,
it
turned
out
that
my
daughter-in-law
went
into
labor
that
morning.
Just
as
I was
going
up
to
interview,
I got
the
word
that
she
was
going
to
have
a caesarean
and
her
baby
was
being
born
as
I was
talking.
It
was
an
interesting
experience.
Of
course,
any
interview
is
an
interesting
experience,
but
to
recognize
that
our
second
grandson
was
literally
popping
out
just
at
that
time
was
really
interesting.
Q.
How's
your
cat?
Fox: Our cat made the move fine across the country. He didn't come with
us because we drove and we were advised by our friends in veterinary
medicine back in Raleigh that driving a cat across the country was not
advisable. So we made arrangements for the cat to fly. The cat arrived
and immediately retreated, I think to punish us for not bringing him
along. We were told that a cat will be stressed by an air trip and we
shouldn't expect to see him because he would hide for a day, maybe even
two days. But two days went by and three days and four days and five
days - it wasn't almost until the morning of the sixth day after the
cat arrived that he emerged. Then he just simply looked like he was a
California cat who had lived here all his life, and thank you for being
with him in the same house.
Q. Why do you spell "Marye" with an "e"?
Fox: My mother thought that Mary Anne was not a very distinguished
name, so she spelled it in a strange way. But if you look carefully,
there are Maryes spelled like that around. It's old English, but it also
is the way that Marie Curie spelled her name. If you go on the Paris
subway station, you'll see her signature written as "Marye Curie."
Q. How do you think UCSD needs to change?
Fox:
UCSD
needs
to
be
open
to
change.
There
is
never
an
end
to
changes
and
opportunities.
If
change
stops,
an
organization
stops
growing,
and
if
it
stops
growing,
it
retreats.
And
that's
not
in
the
vocabulary
of
UCSD.
So
change
will
be
a constant
for
this
institution.
And
the
objective
of
that
change
is
to
keep
us
really
at
the
cutting
edge
of
scholarship,
of
practice,
of
performance
excellence
in
the
arts,
of
integration
of
the
arts
and
sciences
and
engineering.
And
as
that
evolves,
so
too
will
our
curriculum
and
our
studies.
Q.
Tell
us
about
your
experience
of
the
Staff
Appreciation
Picnic,
which
you
attended
just
as
you
were
officially
becoming
Chancellor.
Fox:
It
was
a wonderful
day
to
have
a Staff
Appreciation
Picnic.
The
staff
are
the
people
who
keep
this
university
running
day
after
day.
In
many
ways,
the
students
are
the
goal
of
every
university.
We
wouldn't
be
here
were
it
not
for
the
students.
The
faculty
are
the
heart,
because
without
their
scholarship
and
the
really
creative
insights
that
they
bring,
universities
could
not
possible
advance
in
the
way
that
they
have.
The
staff
are
the
people
that
keep
everything
running.
Without
the
staff,
this
university
simply
could
not
exist,
much
less
be
a place
that's
among
the
best
in
the
world.
So
to
come
on
the
first
day
and
have
that
opportunity
to
interact
with
the
staff
and
say, "Thank
you," in
a very
clear
way
was
really
a great
thing
for
me.
I was
very
pleased
to
do
that.
The
staff
love
their
jobs,
they
love
UCSD,
they
love
the
interactions
with
the
students,
and
they
just
wish
that
they'd
be
paid
for
it.
Q.
How
has
raising
five
boys
prepared
you
for
this
job?
Fox:
I've
said
many
times
that
anyone
who
raised
five
children
is
prepared
for
almost
anything,
chancellor
or
whatever
career
you
want
to
address.
We're
a combined
family,
so
three
of
the
boys
are
my
sons,
and
two
are
my
stepsons.
They
were
all
raised
through
adolescence
together,
and
they're
as
distinct
as
five
individuals
possibly
could
be.
Their
interests
don't
overlap
very
much,
but
they
love
each
other,
and
they
get
along
really
well.
In
many
ways,
it's
a composite
of
the
kind
of
community
that
you
try
to
develop
at
a university
among
students,
staff,
and
faculty:
everyone
is
different,
everyone
is
essential,
and
everyone
works
together
to
build
something
that
is
bigger
than
themselves individually.
Q.
Tell
us
about
your
interactions
with
students
at
N.C.
State.
Fox:
I used
to
meet
about
once
a month
with
students
at
N.C.
State
where
they
would
bring
forward
whatever
their
challenges
were
and
celebrate
some
of
their
achievements.
They
used
to
call
me "Ma
Fox," as
in
M-A-Fox,
so
I guess
in
a way
they
felt
that
I acted
in
lieu
of
their
parents.
I remember
one
time
one
of
the
athletes
got
in
trouble,
and
I went
up
to
him - this
was
a basketball
player
who
was
about
6'
10" and
300
pounds - and
I said, "Now,
this
was
not
something
that
was
good
for
your
career,
it
was
not
good
for
your
status
as
a student,
and
it's
not
good
for
your
aspirations
as
a professional
athlete." And
he
said, "Yes,
ma'am,
my
mama
said
the
same
thing." Another
time,
because
of
budget
cuts,
we
tried
to
cut
back
the
library
hours
and
close
the
library
at
2 a.m.
instead
of
having
it
open
all
night.
So
the
students
decided
to
visit
me
at
2 a.m.
when
the
library
was
closed.
There
were
about
500
of
them.
And
I came
down,
and
I talked
and
talked
and
talked
with
them,
and
I think
they
got
tired
before
I did.
Q.
And
you
once
had
a karaoke
outing
with
students;
tell
us
about
that.
Fox:
The
students
in
the
University
of
North
Carolina
system
have
representation
on
the
Board
of
Governors,
and
all
the
chancellors
meet
with
members
of
the
Board
of
Governors
every
time.
We
had
a retreat
one
time,
and
I thought
it
was
probably
prudent
to
go
with
the
students
when
they
went
to
a karaoke
bar
so
I could
safely
drive
them
back.
I'm
not
a great
singer,
but
the
students
had
a great
time.
Q.
What
are
your
early
impressions
of
Triton
athletics?
Fox:
Triton
athletics,
I think,
are
a great,
great
part
of
life
at
UCSD.
Competing
at
Division
II
has,
I think,
sharpened
the
focus.
It
allows
students
to
be
students
first
and
athletes
perhaps
second,
and
to
integrate
student
life
with
really
quite
challenging
competition.
So
I'm
very
pleased
with
what
I've
seen
of
the
athletic
programs
so
far.
I'm
proud
to
be
a follower
of
Triton
athletics.
Q.
What
was
your
most
significant
contribution
to
NCSU's
growth
and
reputation?
Fox:
I would
say
it
was
putting
together
a long-range
development
plan
that
invested
a billion
dollars
in
facilities.
Part
of
it
was
through
political
action;
we
had
a bond
issue
passed
that
brought
half
a billion
dollars
to
N.C.
State.
Part
of
it
was
forming
partnerships
with
the
private
sector
to
improve
the
facilities
that
the
students
had
and
to
have
new
ways
in
which
collaboration
could
exist
with
private
industry.
That
build-out
is
taking
place
right
now.
The
Centennial
Campus
which
houses
these
collaborations
has
grown
from
about
20
partners
when
I first
went
to
N.C.
State
to
about
60
as
I left.
The
undergraduate
students
are
having
much
better
laboratories
and
classroom
experiences
as
a function
of
the
new facilities
that
have
been
constructed.
So
I'm
very
proud
of
that
achievement
that
we've
been
able
to
do
in
changing
the
environment
for
the
students
there.
Q.
Have
you
felt
daunted
by
taking
on
a $1
billion
capital
campaign?
Fox:
I'm
not
at
all
daunted
by
our
capital
campaign;
I think,
in
fact,
that
we
should
plan
to
exceed
the
$1
billion
mark.
We
had
a capital
campaign
for
$1
billion
at
N.C.
State,
and
I left
at
about
the
same
mark
as
where
we
are
here.
So,
in
a way,
I personally
have
a challenge
to
get
to
a billion
faster
than
N.C.
State
does.
Q.
What
kind
of
contribution
would
you
like
to
make
at
UCSD?
Fox:
I hope
I can
bring
the
various
communities
together
and
that
we
can
together
focus
on
innovation,
international
opportunities,
and
interdisciplinary
activities
that
integrate
education
and
really
put
us
in
a place
were
we
are
leaders
in
the
world.
Q. What are some early impressions you've had about UCSD's friends and
constituents?
Fox: I have been so impressed since arriving in San Diego.
The people who have had no formal association with the university,
as well as, of course, alumni, who have a strong association,
are so supportive of the university and our objectives. Many
people understand what's important in higher education. They
understand the role that UCSD plays in improving the lives of
people in the San Diego community and in California and in the
nation. And they're willing to step up and help to be our partners
when it's a key and important decision. So I'm grateful for the
community that's developing here, internally and externally. |
