The San Diego Trolley making a stop on opening day at the main UC San Diego station in Pepper Canyon.

The culmination of many years of dedication and commitment were on full display during our annual Founders Celebration. It was a week of celebrating the people and achievements that have fueled the success and resulting growth of our campus over 61 years. That growth continues to inspire deeper connections to our community, and those connections lay the foundations for our future growth.

The UC San Diego Blue Line Trolley opened on Sunday, November 24, to thousands of riders who joined regional partners including SANDAG, MTS and more to welcome the community to our campus. The trolley is an important part of our commitment to our community, connecting UC San Diego to the greater San Diego region like never before. Students and employees who live throughout the region now have direct access to the heart of our campus. Patients and family members now have greater access to UC San Diego Health’s world-class patient care. And all San Diegans, from Tijuana to La Jolla, have a way to connect to our world-class enterprise and the multitude of arts, culture, enrichment and recreation that our campus offers.

A classic red San Diego Trolley Car breaks a banner to herald its official opening. 

The grand opening ceremony of the new Design and Innovation Building at UC San Diego.

On Thursday, we celebrated our commitment to nontradition with the opening of our new Design and Innovation Building (DIB). The DIB was a critical component of our strategy to connect the region and expand access to our community. Sitting just steps away from the Pepper Canyon trolley station, the DIB brings together the Basement, Maker Space, Design Lab and Entrepreneurship Center in one building, in what is our campus and regional hub for innovation and inspiration. It is truly the physical manifestation of the types of collaborative and groundbreaking work happening across our campus, and the place where ideas take shape and accelerate, growing into commercially viable, sustainable and impactful solutions. It is the place where connections are made, and students are prepared for tomorrow’s workforce.

Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla at the grand opening of the new Design and Innovation Building at UC San Diego.

Of course, we could not have achieved our goals without our Founders and founding faculty. On Friday, we celebrated the profound contributions and impact of our faculty emeriti, and 2021 Revelle medalists, Richard “Dick” Attiyeh, Wayne Cornelius, Peter Cowhey, Dr. Barbara Parker and Robert “Bob” Sullivan. Each of these esteemed faculty leaders played a foundational role in creating programs and principles that reinforce and enhance our university’s reputation of prestige and distinction. Their mark added visibility and credibility to many of our leading programs and success today, in global policy, management, patient care, binational affairs and flagship graduate programs.

The recipients of the 2021 Revelle Medals at UC San Diego.

Dick Attiyeh served UC San Diego for more than five decades, in roles spanning faculty member for the Department of Economics, to Vice Chancellor of Research and dean of Graduate Studies before retiring in 2006. He notably established a remarkable 23 new graduate programs across campus during his administrative tenure, as well as several professional schools.

Wayne Cornelius was an early pioneer in expanding bi-national and international affairs, and served as founding director of two internationally respected, interdisciplinary research centers at UC San Diego: the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies and the Center for Comparative Immigration, which helped establish UC San Diego as the powerhouse it has become in both fields.

Peter Cowhey’s influence has led UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy Studies (GPS) to become globally recognized as one of the top professional schools of international relations and public policy. He retired in 2021 after five decades of service to UC San Diego, including more than 20 years as dean of GPS.

Nationally recognized for her commitment to compassionate care, Dr. Barbara Parker has had a foundational impact on how UC San Diego Health delivers healthcare. As a board-certified medical oncologist at UC San Diego Health and professor emerita in the UC San Diego School of Medicine, Barbara created a legacy of mentorship among her students, leadership among her colleagues, and gratitude among the more than 20,000 patients she treated.

Founding dean of the Rady School of Management, Bob Sullivan, understood that in order to be successful in building a business school, he needed to focus on establishing a leadership school that specializes in the business of science, technology and innovation. His passion and vision were instrumental in building the school’s reputation for excellence, innovation and economic impact on the business community in our region, and beyond.

I encourage you to watch our medalists’ tribute videos to learn more about these giants among our faculty emeriti, whose vision and service laid an important foundation for our future.

As we look to the future, our connections to our community will continue to grow. Next year, we will open the Epstein Family Amphitheater on campus and steps from the trolley stop; UC San Diego Park and Market will broaden our connections to the region and its vibrant downtown community; UC San Diego Villa La Jolla is a new state-of-the-art facility and result of a public-private partnership to house several programs from UC San Diego Health, School of Medicine and Extension under one roof to serve students, patients and the community.

We have much to look forward to.