As some of you may know, Social Sciences is the largest academic division at UCSD in numbers of faculty and undergraduate students. We encompass nine academic departments, a wide range of interdisciplinary programs and research units, and nationally and internationally recognized faculty.
Today, nearly 50 percent of all undergraduate students at UCSD earn degrees majoring in one of the social sciences disciplines. We are very pleased to have such strong undergraduate interest in our programs. Teaching is central to the work we do.
Research and graduate education are also core to our mission, and we are particularly happy to report that many of our graduate programs have risen to be considered by peers as among the best in the nation, with the Department of Economics ranked second among public universities and the Department of Political Science listed third. Psychology, Anthropology, International Studies and other specialties, are also among the country's most highly regarded. And we're home to three Nobel Laureates and four MacArthur "genius" Grant recipients.
The Division of Social Sciences was created in 1986 with the goal of increasing opportunities for interdisciplinary study and research. One of the accomplishments of which I am most proud during my tenure as dean is the strengthening of academic relationships among different departments. A stellar example of cross-collaboration is the Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind at UCSD. Many of our division's units have joined with Biology, Health Sciences and others, both within the university and in La Jolla more broadly, to create a world-class research entity that transcends the possibilities of any single discipline.
With all of this excellence in research and teaching, I am also delighted that, in recent years, we have given more and more attention to public and community service. This takes many forms, but perhaps most significant is the work our social scientists do in the community. Increasingly, the cutting-edge research conducted in the social sciences at UCSD is focused on addressing real-life issues and problems, from the challenge of increased immigration flows at the U.S.-Mexican border and the implementation of strategies to increase the level of UC-eligible minority students to many other topics that affect our region, nation and the globe. Much of this research is directly applicable to business, government and community groups in San Diego and beyond.
We will be working hard over the next several years to build bridges with different segments of the community that could benefit from important findings and other significant social sciences activities. You can hear about our latest research by attending the Social Sciences Supper Club and the Economics Roundtable. To receive information about these events, please contact mglenn@ucsd.edu. If you don't already read and subscribe to our electronic newsletter, Social Sciences e-Connection, we invite you to do so.
We are also re-emphasizing participation in our work by inviting those interested to become involved with the division. We value your ideas and would like to hear from you. If you have further questions, please contact my office, at ssdean@ucsd.edu or (858) 534-6073. Thank you for visiting the Social Sciences web site.
Sincerely,
Paul W. Drake, Dean
P.S. After eleven years as dean, I have decided to take a much-needed sabbatical during the 2006-07 academic year to work on a book tentatively entitled
Between Tyranny and Anarchy: A History of Democracy in Latin America. During my sabbatical, the division will be in the capable hands of Associate Dean Jeff Elman. Jeff is a linguist, founding member of the Cognitive Science department and co-director of the Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind. An outstanding scholar and campus citizen, Jeff is an executive committee member for the Center for Research in Language and a fellow of the Cognitive Science Society. He will be assisted by Acting Associate Dean David Lake, a professor of international relations and former chair in Political Science. They will be backed up by my office's talented and dedicated staff, led by Assistant Dean Janice Klippel. I am grateful to all of them for taking charge during my brief absence and look forward to reconnecting with you upon my return in July 2007.
Dear Friends,
