As we approach the end of 2025 and our thoughts turn to families and meaningful connections, I would like to take this opportunity to share a few updates from the School of Social Sciences that highlight the impact of our alumni, faculty and staff.

I want especially to thank alumnus Bob Glushko, MA ’76, PhD ’79, who has made a historic philanthropic gift of four endowed chairs to benefit the Department of Cognitive Science. With this gift, he has chosen to honor the individuals whose work and ideas were fundamental to the formation of the department and who were instrumental to his personal and professional development. We are thrilled to officially announce the Glushko Chairs: the Robert J. Glushko ’79 Endowed Chair in Sensemaking and Organizing, the Donald Norman Endowed Chair in Cognitive Science, the Jay McClelland Endowed Chair in Cognitive Science and the David Rumelhart Endowed Chair in Cognitive Science. His landmark donation will allow the Department of Cognitive Science to recruit and retain our best and brightest faculty during a financially constrained time.

In October, three of our alumni were recognized at UC San Diego’s Illustrious Alumni Awards in Los Angeles. Ellen Chen ’95 (Economics) and Jamie Montgomery ’81 (Political Science) received alumni awards recognizing their leadership in entrepreneurship and investment. Christopher Siok ’97 (Communication), a battalion chief with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, received a Triton Hero Award for service that reflects the finest values of UC San Diego. Their accomplishments are powerful reminders of the ways that our social sciences alumni shape their communities.

UC San Diego was again recognized as one of the world’s leading institutions on Clarivate’s 2025 Highly Cited Researchers list — tying for 18th globally with 50 faculty named. Social Sciences professors Margaret (Molly) Roberts of Political Science and Lawrence Frank of Urban Studies and Planning were among those recognized as the most influential researchers. The distinction highlights scholars whose work ranks among the top 1% of citations in their fields over the past decade, and it reflects the strength of our more than 270 faculty members across the School of Social Sciences.

In November, we hosted a dynamic meeting of the Dean’s Leadership Council where we had a lively discussion on how to increase the number of internships and mentorships for our students, led by council member and psychology alumna Sandy Timmons ’81. The conversation emphasized the importance of preprofessional skills for our undergraduate students and highlighted the need to organize these opportunities more systematically across campus. Our Departments of Cognitive Science, Economics, and Urban Studies and Planning have recently launched industry engagement programs, and we explored how to establish similar programs across the school. 

In a season for giving and receiving, I want to express my appreciation for your commitment and support of our efforts and for the many ways you have strengthened our community in the Social Sciences. Thank you.