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Greetings from Jeff Elman, Dean
As this is my first message to you as the new dean, I would like to share with you how excited I am to lead the division as we find new ways to achieve excellence in teaching and research, as well as broaden our reach both locally and globally.
Last month, U.S. News and World Report ranked UC San Diego seventh best among public universities. As the largest academic division on campus, Social Sciences is a major player in the university's academic environment and we are proud of the contributions we've made to UC San Diego's growing stature.
As dean of Social Sciences and as a UCSD faculty member for more than 30 years, I take great pride in these rankings. Our campus has come a long way in a relatively short period of time. Within the division of Social Sciences, we have a strong record of excellence in research, teaching, and community service. Many of our departments are among the top ranked in their fields. I look forward to even greater things in the future.
In addition to academic impact, UC San Diego plays a major role in the local economy. The university is now San Diego County's third largest employer (behind the federal and state governments). Moreover, 30% of our alumni stay in the area after graduation, and go on to provide their own professional contributions to the community. In recent years, we have devoted more attention to broadening our impact through public and community service. Many of our faculty and students address real-life problems and help to create solutions to pressing problems. Among many other things, social scientists are helping to develop strategies to increase the number of underserved and low-income youths who are eligible for admittance to college; others use behavioral and brain-imaging technologies to study child development in both typically developing children and children with developmental disorders; and a recently established Center for Environmental Economics will bring together researchers who study environmental and sustainability issues.
We will be working hard over the next several years to build bridges with those segments of the community that could benefit from or contribute to Social Sciences research and activities. I am particularly eager to reconnect with our many alumni (almost one third of all UC San Diego alums graduated with a degree in a Social Sciences major). During my time here, I've watched the graduates of this division accomplish great things in the world, and I know they hold the experience and wisdom that are vital to our success.
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