Chancellor Discovers Free Cookies Open Doors with Students

Photos by Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego Publications

Chancellor Pradeep Khosla found an easy way Monday to meet hundreds of UC San Diego students in only 15 minutes: hand out free chocolate chip cookies.

The new chancellor greeted students with cookies on Ridge Walk as they emerged around noon from Triton Power Hour, the traditional pep rally that kicks off the school year.

Khosla was soon surrounded by throngs of students eager to accept a free cookie. He peppered them with questions about their colleges, their majors, and their current year of study. Many of the students reached out to shake the chancellor’s hand and welcome him to campus.  Some shared stories about their campus experiences, while others asked to pose for a quick photo.

Dressed from the rally in a baseball shirt with his name plastered across the back, Khosla was particularly intent on meeting UC San Diego’s latest admits.

“Second years. Third years. I have not met a single freshman yet,” he joked with the students gathered around him.

Chancellor Pradeep Khosla hands out cookies.

That caused Jacqueline Flores to shout from the back of the group, “I’m a freshman!” much to the chancellor’s delight.

Flores, a member of Sixth College, said she was impressed to see the chancellor taking the time to get to know the students.

“I think it is really cool,” she said. “It shows he is involved with the school and that he is actually interested in students.”

Masato Yoshihara, a freshman from Marshall College agreed.

“It was nice to shake hands with him,” he said.  “It’s nice for the chancellor to interact with students—he’s up and around and introducing himself to everyone.”

Jennifer Kaehms, a fourth-year bioengineering student at Eleanor Roosevelt College, said she was also accepted to study engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, where Khosla previously served as Dean of Engineering.

“I am looking forward to the next couple of years to see the changes, especially because he does have strong interests and engineering ties,” she said. “I think it is going to be great.”

When Khosla came to hand out his final cookie, he declared Brianna Bradley, a freshman at Muir College the grand prize winner.  “You get the last one!” he exclaimed. “I am the winner. Yeah!” Bradley shrieked, doing her best mock impersonation of a game show contestant who had struck it big.

“I love him—he’s great!” Bradley said of Khosla after posing with him for a winning picture.

As Khosla prepared to close his cookie station, he invited students to stop by and visit him in the Chancellor’s Office.

“When you get settled, come by and talk to me,” he told them. “Just don’t make this be about cookies.”