Dear UCSF Community,
I am writing to share the news that Jennifer Arnett, vice chancellor for University Development and Alumni Relations (UDAR), has been named chief development officer at Mayo Clinic and will be leaving UCSF on October 22, 2021.
In her new role, Jennifer will be responsible for leading Mayo Clinic’s philanthropic strategies in support of the organization’s mission to transform health through integrated clinical practice, education, and research.
Jennifer’s 12-year tenure at UCSF has been marked by increasing responsibilities and contributions to our mission. She first joined us in 2010 as senior director of corporate and foundation relations, and assumed the role of vice chancellor in 2018. Under her leadership, UDAR completed the most successful fundraising campaign in UCSF’s history. Known as “UCSF: The Campaign,” this ambitious effort raised $6.2 billion over a seven-year period, closing early and exceeding its original goal of $5 billion.
The driving force behind Jennifer’s success has been her commitment to creating a collaborative fundraising culture at UDAR. Jennifer and her team have focused on building relationships with donors that connect their interests with UCSF’s research, education, and care delivery priorities. By anchoring this shared interest in our core mission, she has helped to strengthen and broaden the foundation for UCSF’s work for decades to come.
Jennifer has been a key member of the Chancellor’s Executive Team and Chancellor’s Cabinet, and I will miss working with her and receiving her reliable counsel.
We will soon start the process to fill Jennifer’s role. During this recruitment period, I have asked Erin...
Dear Colleagues:
I am very pleased to announce that Dr. Nicquet Blake will become the next leader of Student Academic Affairs (SAA) and the Graduate Division effective December 1, 2021. As Vice Provost of Student Academic Affairs and Dean of the Graduate Division, Dr. Blake will be a direct report to me in my capacity as Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, and she will be a member of the Chancellor’s Cabinet.
Dr. Blake comes to UCSF after a fourteen-year career in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) at University of Texas Health San Antonio, most recently as senior associate dean for admissions and student affairs. In that role, she was responsible for the recruitment, admission, and retention of students, and directed three NIH training grants. Dr. Blake has a resounding record of success in transforming the student body at GSBS to reflect the diversity of the surrounding communities and virtually eliminating first-year attrition of underrepresented students. With diversity as an integral factor to both her professional and personal goals, she is an expert community-builder and champion for students becoming their best self-advocates.
As graduate dean at UCSF, Dr. Blake will have broad administrative oversight of the master's and doctoral programs offered by the Graduate Division as well as postdoctoral training at UCSF. She will work closely with her accomplished staff, graduate program directors, fellow deans, partners across the University, the chancellor, and me to craft and realize a comprehensive plan that will ensure equitable access, inclusivity, and continued excellence in graduate education and postdoctoral training.
Among her many charges as...