Happy Holidays from the Chancellor
Dear UCSF Community,
As 2024 draws to a close, I want to thank everyone in our UCSF community for your collaborative work in advancing our mission. I am filled with gratitude and appreciation for your dedication, leadership, and innovation across education, research, and patient care.
Your commitment is reflected in the many milestones that we have achieved together. Please take a moment to read more about our 2024 highlights, which include launching interdisciplinary programs that prepare learners to address the health challenges of the future, investing in the expansion of UCSF Health, and making research discoveries that could transform health sciences.
Looking ahead to 2025, I am excited to see the opportunities across UCSF to accomplish many more advancements in the pursuit of our shared mission.
From me and my family, I wish you and your loved ones a joyful, safe, and healthy holiday season.
Turning Back Time
In the end, we did it together as one UCSF.
January
New Leader for UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals: Nicholas Holmes, MD, MBA, joined UCSF following more than three decades of experience in clinical care and operations.
UCSF’s Bear Mascot: We uncovered the surprising true story behind our ‘unofficial’ bear mascot.
February
California’s First Latinx Surgeon General Visits: Diana Ramos, MD, MPH, MBA, called attention to the impact of childhood experiences and toxic stress.
March
Match Day: We celebrated the University’s incoming residents.
April
Grad Slam 2024: Winner Ilina Bhaya-Grossman was one of 10 PhD students who presented their research at UCSF’s annual science storytelling competition.
Last Lecture: Rupa Lalchandani Tuan, PhD, gave the annual Last Lecture, a student-initiated program where a nominated faculty member shares the experiences that have shaped them.
Launch of the Hospital of the Future: UCSF Health broke ground on the $4.3 billion UCSF Health Helen Diller Hospital, a state-of-the-art facility to serve San Francisco and beyond.
May
Commencement 2024: Our graduates and their families celebrated the end of a long and rewarding journey, and the start of another.
Record-Setting Swim: Amy Appelhans Gubser, a fetal cardiology nurse, completed a 29.7-mile open water swim from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Farallon Islands.
Founders Day: Exceptional faculty, staff and learners were recognized for their exemplary service.
June
Oakland Hospital Building Approved: UC Regents signed off on $1.5 billion project to construct a new hospital building at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland.
Back-to-School Gets Underway: A new group of future leaders began to arrive at UCSF.
July
Be You: UCSF celebrated the University of California’s new Gender Recognition and Lived Name Policy.
UCSF School of Nursing Bids Farewell to Longtime Home: Faculty, staff and learners marked the closure of the School of Nursing building, a temporary step toward a new home.
School of Pharmacy White Coat: The PharmD Class of 2027 officially entered the profession.
August
Welcoming St. Mary’s and Saint Francis Hospitals: UCSF Health added 1,800 teammates and community physicians from two historic San Francisco hospitals.
School of Medicine White Coat: The Class of 2028 took their first steps into medical training.
UCSF Health Bayfront Medical Building Opens: The new Mission Bay facility brought adult urgent care, primary care, same-day surgery and specialty care to the community.
September
UCSF Medal: UCSF honored four leaders for their efforts pioneering science, caring for our communities, and advancing public health and social justice.
UCSF Proton Therapy Center for Cancer Care: UC Regents approved the UCSF Clinical and Life Sciences Building, located south of the Mission Bay campus.
Postdoc Slam 2024: Alexandra Klein, PhD, beat nine competitors in the annual event by showcasing her research on breathing to reduce anxiety.
UCSF Resident Lands on ‘Survivor’ Island: Kishan Patel, MD, a third-year emergency medicine resident at UCSF, competed on the 47th season of the iconic TV show.
School of Dentistry White Coat: Eighty-four students started their dental school journey.
UCSF Breaks Ground on Bakar Research and Academic Building: Opening in 2028, the space will encourage collaboration between researchers across scientific disciplines and house the School of Nursing and graduate-level education.
October
UCSF Welcomes NASA: UCSF hosted a special gathering with NASA’s top research and clinical scientists to explore opportunities to jointly benefit cancer patients.
Chancellor Awards for Diversity: UCSF honored eight outstanding individuals who have advanced diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus and in our communities.
November
State of the University: Chancellor Sam Hawgood highlighted major accomplishments across UCSF’s mission areas in pursuit of advancing health worldwide.
December
UCSF’s Largest Rooftop Gardens Overhauled: Gardens atop the Ray and Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine Building got a vibrant, sustainable facelift.