A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to emcee one of my favorite events at the University of California, Grad Slam. This is the annual celebration where UC graduate students compete to explain years of research in only three minutes.
Meeting these graduate student champions was inspiring. They did an incredible job at conveying the excitement, the importance and the promise of their research. It was a simple but elegant demonstration of what University of California students, faculty, and staff strive toward every single day — the pursuit of new knowledge and the sharing of our discoveries with the world. And it was a reminder that when we all sometimes get lost in the details of our daily lives, it helps to step back to look at the big picture of why it all matters.
If you haven’t already, take a look at our new homepage at UniversityofCalifornia.edu, which highlights the University’s research and innovation and its impact on the world. Every day, people across the University are doing amazing things to improve lives — whether it’s UC nurses harnessing the power of AI, UC research scientists helping America hold its lead at quantum computing, or UC undergraduate students taking part in important research.
The world is taking notice. Recently, members of the UC community have been honored with Breakthrough Prizes in fundamental physics and life sciences. The latest rankings show our graduate programs leading the nation.
Thank you for your part in this miraculous innovation and positive impact on the world around us, and Fiat Lux.
Michael V. Drake, M.D.
UC President