Professor Miguel García-Garibay has been reappointed as dean of the UCLA College of Letters and Science, Division of Physical Sciences.
A member of UCLA’s faculty for more than two decades, Professor García-Garibay has served as dean of the Division of Physical Sciences at UCLA since July 1, 2016. Prior to that he served as the chair of the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry from 2012 to 2016, as the department’s vice chair from 2005 to 2008, and as diversity advisor for the Division of Physical Sciences from 2009 to 2012. A passionate scholar and scientist, Professor García-Garibay’s research group has earned worldwide recognition in the fields of organic photochemistry, solid-state organic chemistry and physical organic chemistry.
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Emily Carter’s July 2, 2021 announcement:
Dear Colleagues:
Following a customary five-year administrative review, Chancellor Block and I have asked Miguel García-Garibay to continue to serve as dean of the Division of Physical Sciences at UCLA. I am pleased to inform you that he has accepted the reappointment.
The review committee praised Miguel for his strategic leadership; his creation of a constructive and collaborative culture within the division; and his deep commitment to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion. They were also impressed by his multiple collaborations in research and inclusive teaching and his remarkable success in recruiting and retaining exceptional faculty.
Over the last five years, Miguel has significantly expanded the Division of Physical Sciences’ academic offerings. He oversaw the creation of a new climate science major in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and a new data theory major in the Departments of Mathematics and Statistics, a revamp of the financial actuarial mathematics major, and the development of a remarkably successful professional master of applied statistics program. The division is also about to launch one of the first professional master’s degrees in the field of quantum computing.
Miguel also oversaw the creation of the Center for Quantum Science and Engineering in collaboration with UCLA Engineering Dean Jayathi Murthy. Additionally, under him, the division has taken a lead role in advancing the mission of the UCLA Institute of the Environment & Sustainability in order to help address some of the most critical existential challenges of our times.
Under Miguel’s leadership, the Division of Physical Sciences has had a special focus on enhancing the student experience. Among other activities, he instituted an annual welcome event and an introduction to research event with alumni, senior students, and faculty from the division. Such additions, along with the implementation of evidence-based educational approaches and research opportunities, are helping increase the preparation, success rate, and overall educational experience of physical sciences majors.
Miguel also has developed a distinct culture of philanthropy within his division: In the past five years the division raised $70 million from 10,000 gifts coming from nearly 4,000 donors. This has resulted in a doubling of the number of endowed chairs, the establishment of 22 endowed scholarships, and the creation of the Bhaumik Centennial Collaboratory for alternative learning. In addition, Miguel has led efforts to strengthen the division’s infrastructure for supporting entrepreneurship and the development and commercialization of intellectual property.
Miguel’s success at the helm of the Division of Physical Sciences has been reflected in its high international rankings and its No. 1 or No. 2 placements among comparable divisions at public universities in the United States. The division’s faculty have continued to thrive during his tenure, winning prestigious awards, honors, and accolades — including UCLA’s most recent Nobel Prize, awarded to Professor Andrea Ghez this past fall.
Miguel is a transparent, consultative, and effective administrative leader and we are grateful for his service to the university. Chancellor Block and I look forward to his continued efforts to support and advance exceptional scholarship in the Division of Physical Sciences.
Please join me in congratulating Miguel on his many accomplishments in this role to date and extending our appreciation to him.
Sincerely,
Emily A. Carter
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
