Four days of celebrations and academic events will surround the
Nov. 6 ceremonyinaugurating
Steve Kangas UC Merced’s second chancellor.
Kang, who became chancellor March 1, is a fitting choice to lead the University of California’s newest campus as it seeks to make UC-level education more accessible to underrepresented students. Already, UC Merced boasts a diverse student population, with Asian students being the ethnic majority on campus, followed closely by Latinos.
A native of South Korea, Kang entered the U.S. on a scholarship to study at a New Jersey university, making him the first in his family to attend college. That explains his passion for maintaining UC Merced’s tradition of having first-generation students comprise about half of its undergraduate population.
Giving students the tools they need to excel academically is important to the intellectual vitality of the region and state, Kang said. UC Merced has the ability to offer first-rate learning opportunities to its students, including research at the undergraduate level that isn’t commonly found at other research universities.
Kang came to UC Merced from UC Santa Cruz, where he was dean of the Baskin School of Engineering for six years. Having earned his doctorate in electrical
engineeringfrom UC Berkeley, he is well versed in the goals of the University of California system.
Inaugural events will begin Monday, Nov. 5, with a private dinner in the
Kolligian Library. For more specific details on the dinner and other inaugural events, check out the event
schedule.
Tuesday will be the chancellor’s big day. He is expected to lay out his vision for UC Merced that morning during his inaugural ceremony, aptly themed UC Merced 2.0: Leading, Connecting, Achieving. Nobel laureate and astrophysicist
Arno A. Penzias, Ph.D., will present the keynote address for the invitation-only affair.
After the inauguration, the public is invited to attend the
Chancellor’s Scholarship Luncheon. Tickets for the luncheon are $50 each, and Kang hopes supporters will purchase sponsorship tickets on the behalf of students who lack the means to attend. Proceeds will benefit the Chancellor’s Scholarship Fund.
Later that afternoon, the staff and faculty will host a reception in honor of Chancellor Kang at the
Joseph Edward Gallo Recreation and Wellness Center. A similar reception will be hosted by students Wednesday night.
The four-day inauguration festivities will conclude Thursday with an academic symposium on the topic of Technology and Society, featuring presentations by professors Michelle Khine,
Jay Sharpingand
Yihsu Chen, at 2 p.m. in the California Room. The symposium is free and open to the public.
