Extraordinary Past, Extraordinary Promise:
UCSD Welcomes Dynamic
New Chancellor
By Paul Mueller I March 7, 2005
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Watch the Marye Anne Fox Inauguration on UCSD-TV
9 p.m., March 7th
6 p.m., March 11th
6 p.m., March 13th |
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Characterizing herself as the "official dream catcher," Marye Anne Fox officially took the helm as chancellor of UCSD Thursday, choosing a theme of innovation, daring and forward-thinking for her address.
A crowd of about 900 faculty, staff, students and campus supporters greeted the platform party as they paraded into the arena dressed in full academic regalia, their hoods of red, turquoise, gray, orange and other hues accenting their black robes.
Citing the innovative, interdisciplinary and international cornerstones of her tenure, Fox pledged to extend scholarship to include an international reach, to define new ways to collaborate with the private sector, and to lead the campus in continuing to identify and recruit the best talents. She also encouraged the faculty to adopt completely new, highly imaginative means of learning and collaboration "that do not now exist."
"We will always look to the future, following the advice of National Hockey League star Wayne Gretsky, who wisely advised his teammates to 'skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it is at the moment,'" she said.
Citing sources as diverse as Roger Revelle, Albert Einstein, Beverly Sills, Thomas Edison and Barbara Jordan, Fox paid tribute to her predecessors and their vision, and pledged to continue - and accelerate - the university's drive to national and international greatness.
"How can I, as your chancellor, help achieve this vision for UCSD? The answer is simple in principle but complex in execution," she said. "I hope to lead the campus in continuing to identify and recruit smart people to our faculty and staff; to provide a structure that supports them in doing important things; and to get out of their way."
Fox also challenged her colleagues on the stage and in the audience to serve as beacons of truth and knowledge for the public.
During her tenure as vice president for research at the University of Texas in Austin, Fox said she entered work each day through a door over which was carved the Biblical statement: "Seek ye the truth, and the truth shall make ye free," "I always thought that was a wonderful statement of academic aspiration and its relationship to society," she said. "But since moving to California, I have observed that the University of California motto, 'Fiat Lux' - let there be light - is also a valuable beacon in the search for truth. Someone must secure and light the candle of truth and knowledge for the public. Let us work together," she exhorted the UCSD community, "to shine that light on important problems. Together, indeed, we achieve the extraordinary."
After the formal ceremonies, the chancellor doffed her academic robes and waded into the crowd enjoying a picnic lunch on the adjacent athletic fields, stopping at each table to talk, have her picture taken with students and staff, and thank all those who attended. She also showed off the gifts she received from students and staff, a painting of campus landmarks and a blue UCSD blazer, respectively.
Vivid blue and gold banners proclaiming the day's theme, Together We Achieve the Extraordinary, marked the concourse entry to the event, and each guest was presented a blue and gold pennant as they proceeded into the arena. This sea of gold and blue in the audience greeted the platform party as they made their way to the stage.
The new chancellor was welcomed and introduced by speakers representing undergraduate and graduate students, the Academic Senate, faculty, staff, alumni, the UCSD Foundation, the National Academy of Sciences, San Diego State University and the UC Board of Regents. Prior to and after their remarks, the La Jolla Symphony and Chorus and the UCSD Gospel Choir provided a polished mix of solemn and spirited musical and choral selections.
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Chancellor Marye Anne Fox with UC President Robert Dynes
Photo Credit: Melissa Jacobs |
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The 70-member platform party and audience were first addressed by Gerald Parsky, chairman of the UC Board of Regents, who spoke on behalf of the regents and, he said, for the entire University of California system in welcoming Fox. "UCSD has been blessed with great chancellors, including the last two, Richard Atkinson and Bob Dynes," he said. "I know that Marye Anne Fox will be an equally distinguished leader, who will continue UCSD's traditions and pioneering spirit."
Marines from Miramar Air Station, sharp in their dress-blue uniforms, presented the colors, and the UCSD Gospel Choir, directed by Kenneth Anderson, led the audience in singing America the Beautiful. The La Jolla Symphony and Chorus, conducted by Harvey Sollberger, professor of music, provided both processional and recessional music.
Jenn Pae, president of UCSD Associated Students, and Kristopher Kohler, president of the Graduate Student Association, added their greetings and advice for the new chancellor, and were followed by Henry DeVries, president of the Alumni Association board of directors; Jerome Katzin, chair emeritus of the UCSD Foundation Board; Jacque Fowler, chair of the Staff Association; Donald Tuzin, chair of the San Diego Division of the Academic Senate; and Steven Weber, president of San Diego State University.
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La Jolla Symphony led by
musical director, Harvey Sollberger
Photo Credit: Melissa Jacobs |
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Ralph Cicerone, chancellor of UC Irvine and president-elect of the National Academy of Sciences, gave the inaugural address, citing the nation's challenges in remaining at the forefront of discovery and innovation.
After formally installing Fox as chancellor, UC President Dynes proclaimed "I can tell you, Marye Anne, from my experience, that you are in for the ride of your life."
The day's ceremonies included a lunch with supporters at the Faculty Club, the Kyoto Laureate Symposium, and a dinner with family and friends at the Birch Aquarium at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
At that dinner, a magician entertained the guests, saving his most dazzling trick - a birthday cake emerging from a flaming platter - for the chancellor's three-year-old grandson, Ashton, who attended with his parents. The magical flourish was a fitting conclusion to a day of solemn ceremony and institutional renewal.
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