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October 20, 2026

   Vol. 7, No. 10   

A publication from the Office of the Interim Executive Vice Chancellor

Dear Colleagues, 

Fall quarter is off to a great start at UC San Diego, and we have a lot to celebrate together. The recent Faculty Milestones event was a proud reminder of the talent, dedication, and impact that define our campus. It was a wonderful opportunity to honor faculty for their exceptional contributions to teaching, research, service, and mentorship; achievements that reflect years of commitment to students and to each other, and that strengthen the culture of excellence we share. 

This moment is made even more special by outstanding external recognition of our faculty. Liangfang Zhang, professor and department chair for the Aiiso Yufeng Li Family Department of Chemical and Nano Engineering, has been named a 2026 MacArthur Fellow for his work developing cell-mimicking nanoparticles to treat disease, and Christina Hueschen, an assistant professor in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, was honored as a member of the 2026 Class of Packard Fellows for Science and Engineering.  

To all faculty and staff: thank you for your dedication, collaboration, and steady pursuit of what’s possible. Your work inspires our students and elevates UC San Diego’s reputation around the world. 

There are many more campus events to look forward to in the weeks ahead as outlined below. I am grateful that we all share in this vibrant community. Please feel free to reach out with questions or ideas for collaboration at evc@ucsd.edu. 

Sincerely, 
Robert E. Continetti
Interim Executive Vice Chancellor 

UC San Diego celebrates Latinx Heritage Month from Sept. 15 - Oct. 31. Celebrate this year's theme, “Unidos Somos Más” (Together, We Are More). 

Thursday, October 22, 5 p.m. (Doors open at 4 p.m.) at Epstein Family Amphitheater 

Free for Students, Faculty & Staff 

Meet the 2026 UC San Diego Common Read author, 24th U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón, in conversation with Professor Brandon Som on “Against Breaking: On the Power of Poetry.” 

Join UC San Diego’s annual month-long celebration of the valuable contributions our postdocs make to research, campus, and society. 

The UC San Diego Career Center has launched a new Undergraduate Career Roadmap to help undergraduates work on their career goals beginning in their first year. Year-by-year breakdown lays out tasks that aid career searches in any field.

TThe new Triton Center is a centralized hub for health, wellness and student/campus support services. 

The Triton Administrative Services Building: Home to the Triton Transfer Hub, Student First Stop, Global Initiatives and Teaching and Learning Commons (except for supplemental instruction, content tutoring and writing support- these services will remain in Geisel Library).

The Triton Health and Wellness Building: Fully integrated student, faculty and staff health center with comprehensive services. Now accessible from Rupertus Walk south of Price Center and Town Square. Appointments available.

Request a tour of the new Triton Health and Wellness Building.

Illustrious Alumni Awards San Diego 

November 5 at Joan and Irwin Jacobs Celebration Hall 

Returning to San Diego and kicking off Homecoming week in style, this signature celebration honors alumni whose accomplishments embody the excellence, innovation and impact of the Triton community.  

Learn more and register 

Triton Center Block Party 

November 6 – 7 at Town Square 

For two days, Town Square and Carlos Malamud Plaza will come alive with music, culture and Triton pride as the entire UC San Diego community celebrates the grand opening of the Triton Alumni and Welcome Center.  

Learn more and register 

Nov. 5–8, 2026 

Join fellow Tritons for the Block Party, game-day gatherings, Triton basketball and a first look inside the new Triton Alumni and Welcome Center. Come home to something new!  

System Status & Updates: 

Support continues to be available for the university community. See more information, including times and dates, on the TSS website: Getting Support for TSS. 

Subscribe to the weekly TSS-entials newsletter, released each Friday with updates, training materials, and key dates. Newsletter archives at TSS Project website: News & Articles. 

The UC Libraries Arts & Humanities Open Access Fund has expanded eligibility to cover the full cost of open access publishing fees for all UC authors publishing eligible articles in arts and humanities journals. Previously, the fund was limited to early-career researchers.  

YuJa Panorama, UC San Diego’s new Canvas accessibility platform, identifies accessibility issues, prioritizes high-impact fixes, remediates content over time, and provides students with accessible alternative formats. 

Fall 2026: ITS and Senate are exploring auto-enabling Panorama tools for all Canvas courses. 

The EdTech team is ready to help you get started with Panorama and answer questions about accessibility and content remediation. Get help: Email the Canvas help team. 

The Teaching and Learning Commons’ Experiential Learning and Instructional Services have relocated to the new Triton Administrative Services Building, Second Floor. Undergraduate academic support and learning services will remain in Geisel Library. 

Triton Administrative Services Building, Second Floor: 

Geisel Library, First Floor, West Wing:

Undergraduate academic support:

The new UC San Diego Major Exploration Website helps prospective, new and continuing students explore majors and educational pathways. Additional content and tools to be released in the coming months.

Email Stefan Montouth for any feedback or questions. 

Departments and faculty can receive support to develop online undergraduate and graduate courses. Selected projects receive one quarter of course development support.

Submission Deadlines & Notifications 
Winter 2027: Submit by Nov. 2 | Notification Nov. 30 
Spring 2027: Submit by Feb. 1 | Notification Feb. 26 
Summer 2027: Submit by May 3 | Notification May 28 

Selection: 
The Senate Administration Committee on Distance Education reviews proposals quarterly with priority given to undergraduate courses and R-Course approved courses. Read more about evaluation criteria in the July 14 campus notice.

Once awards are made, the Digital Learning team will assess course needs and create a design plan to execute within that quarter. This proposal process remains open throughout the 2026-27 academic year. 

Next Steps: Faculty may book a Digital Learning consultation before submission. For questions, contact Jen Schwedler, Executive Director of Online Learning.

The UC Office of the President has announced the 2026-27 Request for Proposals (RFP) for the University of California Hispanic Serving Institutions Doctoral Diversity Initiative (UC-HSI DDI). This system-wide effort is designed to strengthen academic pathways to the professoriate. Participation is based on institutional affiliation and academic criteria. Selection does not consider race, sex, or any other protected characteristic, in compliance with UC policy and applicable law. 

Program components: 

A signature page signed by the Vice Chancellor for Organizational Transformation is required. Please submit this portion to vcot@ucsd.edu by October 28, 2026.  

Proposal submission deadline: November 18, 2026, at noon Pacific Time (PT). 

More information: UC-HSI DDI webpage and RFP.

A wide range of resources are available to support students throughout their academic journey. 

UC San Diego is also committed to supporting the professionals who make our campus thrive. 

Learn more about exciting fall updates, including the Triton Center opening, Triton One’s flat $199/quarter textbook program, the new Business Data Science major, expanded parking, new passport services, and more student support services launching this quarter.

UC San Diego’s Office of Research and Innovation (ORI) is launching the Triton Amplify Research Awards, a three-year, milestone-contingent funding program that provides grants of up to $1.5 million to seed large, multidisciplinary collaboratives on major scientific, societal, environmental and humanitarian challenges where federal funding may not be readily available.