This year is a special one, as together we’ve begun to celebrate the 60th anniversary of UC Santa Cruz. Throughout this academic year, we are highlighting the many creative thinkers who have come through our doors, the leaders and change-makers who have sought to make the world a better place, and the scholarly and research advances that have put our campus on the global map of impactful universities.
As alumni, you have had a front-row seat to our successes. Among them:
- Our Center for Agroecology helped launch the organic food movement, and has been a global leader in sustainable agriculture and food justice since 1967.
- Our researchers have revolutionized genetics. Nearly a quarter-century ago they assembled the first map of the human genome, then put it in the public domain, ensuring this remarkable resource would be available to scientists worldwide, for free and forever.
- Our Environmental Studies Department was one of the first in the U.S., and pioneered research and education on climate change, conservation, and environmental policy.
- Our astronomers and astrophysicists have contributed to the development of cutting-edge instruments and data-analysis techniques, helping to unlock new discoveries about the formation of the early universe, exoplanets, and stars.
- For more than 50 years, our History of Consciousness graduate program has been widely recognized as a leader of interdisciplinary scholarship, acquainting students with leading intellectual trends in the humanities, arts, and social sciences.
All are remarkable achievements. I believe, though, that our students themselves are among our biggest successes. We have graduated so many talented, creative, and influential people over our six decades — approximately 150,000 graduates. I eagerly anticipate our Alumni Awards celebrations each year as they’re an opportunity for our campus community to learn more about noteworthy Banana Slugs the world over. It’s especially gratifying to see the awardees embracing our campus values of social justice, equity, and public service.
Those honored with alumni awards this year are a great example.
- George Kraw (Cowell ’71, history and Russian studies) was such a deserving recipient of our Fiat Lux Award. He has a long record of distinguished service to our campus, and his generosity has positively impacted our campus community for years. His gifts have touched all corners of UC Santa Cruz — boosting our Genomics Institute, helping fight pediatric cancer, aiding the restoration of the Quarry Amphitheater, and supporting our student athletes as well as experiential learning in science. George believes deeply in giving back.
- Keith Curry’s (Oakes ’99, American studies) journey from UC Santa Cruz student to transformative educational leader makes me deeply proud. His commitment to innovation, student success, equity, and social justice embodies the values of our university. I was delighted to see him honored with an Alumni Achievement Award. His leadership has propelled Compton College to new heights.
- It’s uncommon to find someone who has such a clear vision about how best to serve their community. Jacob Martinez (Oakes ’04, evolutionary biology) is one of those people. Through his nonprofit, Digital Nest, Jacob provides economic opportunity and empowers young people and the underserved communities where Digital Nest operates. Jacob’s impact has grown rapidly as Digital Nest has expanded to serve multiple communities in the Monterey Bay region and, more recently, the Central Valley.
- Distinguished Graduate Alumni Award winner Kamari Maxine Clarke (MA ’94, anthropology; Ph.D. ’97, anthropology), an anthropologist and legal scholar, is recognized as a keen analyst of the influence of new social movements on fields that have been forged within postcolonial and Western contexts. She sees her work as part of a lifelong quest to understand the deep roots of structural inequality.
- Paul Fielder (Merrill ’84, psychobiology; Ph.D. ’89, biology), honored with a UCSC Ethos Award, has spent the past 30 years working on biological therapies at Genentech while also leading the company’s efforts in diversity and inclusion. He is helping to create the next generation of scientific problem-solvers.
- Neroli Devaney (College Nine ’19, sociology) put her education and KZSC student experience to work right after graduation, starting a small radio station, which has quickly grown into an essential community hub, earning her an Outstanding Recent Alumni Award.
Our alumni truly never cease to amaze me.
I’d like to share the story of one remarkable alumnus in particular, one whose generosity quite honestly left me stunned earlier this year when I learned of his gift to campus.
The late Richard Sabatte (Kresge ’75, psychology) had a generous vision. He wanted to provide, free of charge, a high-quality education at his alma mater to high-achieving undergraduates who might not otherwise be able to afford it. Unbeknownst to us, he decided to give our campus about $20 million through his estate. It is the largest single cash gift our campus has ever received. The donation created the Sabatte Family Scholarship, which covers the full cost of four years of tuition plus a stipend for living expenses. Sabatte’s nephew told us that his uncle was a lifelong learner who loved his time at UC Santa Cruz. He wanted to make sure talented and creative students would be able to pursue their passions.
This fall, 40 Sabatte Family Scholars began their UC Santa Cruz journeys with the assurance that their educations on our campus will be fully funded. We expect 30 to 50 students will become Sabatte Family Scholars annually for the next 30 years, after which the scholarship funds will have been expended, as requested by the donor.
Mr. Sabatte rightfully recognized the incredible promise of the next generation and the power and impact of a UC Santa Cruz education. We are deeply grateful for his generosity, and for the efforts of all our students, faculty, staff, and alumni over the past 60 years to empower others to make the world a better place by creating lasting, transformative change.
Sixty years down, countless more to come. I can’t wait to see where we go next.
Cindy
Cynthia Larive, Chancellor