ANNUAL REPORT 2024-25

Letter from foundation chair

For the past 50 years, the UC Santa Cruz Foundation has been a steadfast partner in expanding the university’s impact. Your financial contributions have enabled the Foundation’s commitment to creating new opportunities to promote student success, advancing excellence in teaching, and enabling high-impact research and scholarship that benefit communities near and far. From advancing coastal resilience to offering new hope to those who face rare genetic diseases, this past year has been defined by breakthroughs.   

This past year, it has been my pleasure as Foundation Chair to spotlight the Humanities Division and, in particular, work of the UC Santa Cruz Humanities Institute (THI). Most of you know THI through its public programs, including signature events like The Deep Read (this year’s Pulitzer winning novel, James, by Percival Everett). In February, THI celebrated its 25th anniversary at a gala sharing the reflections of Sir Isaac Julien, Distinguished Professor of the Arts and Humanities, and author Jennifer Finney Boylan on a panel hosted by THI Faculty Director Pranav Anand. 

The Humanities Division is equally committed to fostering humanities research and student success. Under her leadership, Dean Jasmine Alinder has established the Employing Humanities initiative aimed at the narrowing the gap between what our students need and what employers want, by enabling students to forge a path that leads not just to a first job but a meaningful career, one that aligns with their own aspirations, however they may define them, and the needs of a democratic society. Employing Humanities is built on the remarkable foundation of the Public Fellows program, created years ago by The Humanities Institute. 

I am so grateful to those of you who have contributed so generously to the Humanities Division and to THI. Your support and advocacy for UC Santa Cruz is more important than ever.

Sincerely

Linda Peterson
(Stevenson ’70, history)