Announcement: Vice Chancellor, Research

January 21, 2016

Dear campus commuity,

I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Paul Alivisatos as Berkeley’s next Vice Chancellor, Research, effective March 1, 2016. Interim Vice Chancellor Christopher McKee, has agreed to continue in that role until then, and we want to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to Chris for his excellent service to the campus.

Professor Alivisatos deeply impressed the search committee with his extensive and proven record of strategic leadership and administrative acumen; his knowledge of and deep commitment to the Berkeley campus; and his lengthy list of honors and awards received in recognition of an extraordinary compilation of discoveries in the fields of chemistry and nanotechnology.

As many of you know, Paul is not only a Berkeley alum and member of our faculty, he has also served as the Director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) for the past seven years. Prior to Paul’s announcement last year that he would be stepping down from his position at LBNL, he led highly successful efforts there to focus new research in the areas of renewable energy and climate-change, and oversaw expansions of space for computational research, building efficiency, solar energy research and biological sciences.

As a professed believer in “curiosity-driven research”; a strong advocate for federal funding in support of basic science research; and an experienced entrepreneur, we are convinced that Professor Alivisatos is uniquely positioned to lead Berkeley’s preeminent research enterprise. He knows how to help people thrive and succeed in complex, dynamic, consensus-oriented organizations. He deeply respects our public mission. He knows exactly what it takes to produce world-class results.

You can find out more about Paul's background and aspirations here: http://news.berkeley.edu/2016/01/21/outgoing-berkeley-lab-director-to-take-research-helm-at-uc-berkeley/. We look forward to the contributions and leadership he will provide to one of the most important functions of our university.  Please join me in welcoming Paul to his new position; we all look forward to the opportunity to work with him in this crucial capacity in the years ahead.

Best regards,

Nicholas B. Dirks
Chancellor