Dear UCSF Community,

I am pleased to share that we are recognizing UC President Emeritus Michael V. Drake, MD, with a new plaza in his name at Mission Bay.

The Michael V. Drake Plaza honors President Drake’s remarkable five decades of service that have shaped not only UCSF but the entire University of California system. Adjacent to the UCSF Wayne and Gladys Valley Center for Vision, the location of the plaza recognizes President Drake’s scholarship, leadership, and recent return to our Department of Ophthalmology.

President Drake’s legacy is profound and has had a lasting impact on every UC campus, as well as communities across California. As UC president, he led the university system through significant challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, while strengthening UC’s excellence in research and expanding access to world-class education and health care for Californians of all backgrounds.

Throughout, his warmth, wisdom, and generosity enabled the UC system to maintain its focus on the public mission that underlies everything that we do.

Please visit the plaza on the next sunny day in his honor. You can read more about the plaza dedication and President Drake’s contributions in the story on UCSF.edu.

Sincerely,

Sam Hawgood, MBBS
Chancellor
Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock Distinguished Professor