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Blumenthal UCSC acting chancellor

Just three weeks after the death of UC Santa Cruz Chancellor Denise Denton, UC President Robert Dynes appointed an acting chancellor he hopes will help galvanize the university and provide students, faculty and staff with a vision for the future.

Last Friday Dynes, in accordance with the UC Board of Regents, chose George Blumenthal to serve as acting chancellor until a permanent chancellor is found.

Blumenthal is the chair of the astronomy and astrophysics department at UCSC and has been a member of the UCSC faculty for nearly 25 years. He has also chaired the Santa Cruz division of the UC system-wide Academic Senate.

“I am looking to George Blumenthal to provide for UC Santa Cruz the thoughtful, collegial and constructive leadership that I have witnessed in his leadership of the system-wide Academic Senate,” Dynes wrote in a letter to the UCSC community.

In addition to helping unite UCSC, Blumenthal’s appointment signifies the school’s desire to celebrate Denton’s life while also looking forward to the future.

“UCSC is trying to move away from the tragic nature of Denise Denton’s death and focus on her legacy,” said Elizabeth Irwin, associate vice chancellor of UCSC.

Police and UC officials said Denton died June 24 in an apparent suicide jump from the 43rd floor of a San Francisco apartment building.

Denton acted as UCSC chancellor for one year and was known for being an advocate for women in science and engineering, but faced criticism regarding her expensive compensation packages.

Blumenthal is expected to serve as acting chancellor for much or all of the 2006-2007 academic year, Dynes said in a press release.

During that time, the UC will conduct a national search for a permanent chancellor.

“Whether or not Blumenthal himself is a candidate for permanent chancellor has not been discussed,” Irwin said. “His focus is not on the future, it is on getting in and doing a good job.”

Blumenthal vows to continue to work toward UCSC’s current goals, such as expanding diversity, promoting tolerance, maintaining the university’s commitment to undergraduate education, and increasing enrollment in graduate and professional programs.

“Over the past decade, UC Santa Cruz has been on a positive trajectory, moving upward among the top tiers of our nation’s universities. I am determined to continue that momentum,” Blumenthal said in a press release from the UC Office of the President.

Blumenthal has not discussed whether he will continue teaching in any capacity, though “it is not unusual for an acting chancellor to continue with some level of research,” Irwin said.