UCSB has a tradition of emphasizing both our undergraduate and graduate programs, with a friendly environment in which students, staff, and faculty from richly diverse backgrounds and perspectives can explore and learn together. We are all deeply committed to helping you achieve your academic and personal goals, and we hope that you will take full advantage of all that our campus has to offer.

This is an exciting time for our campus. Our reputation as a leading research and teaching institution continues to grow. UCSB is one of the select 63 institutions that belong to the Association of American Universities, which comprises only the top one and one-half percent of all the universities and colleges in the United States and Canada. A survey of U.S. universities in 21 fields by Science Watch ranked UCSB among the top ten highest impact universities, based on the citation rate of research papers by our faculty.

Your teachers here at UCSB are among the best in their disciplines. Our renowned faculty includes three Nobel Prize winners; a National Humanities Medal winner; Guggenheim fellows; fellows of the National Endowment for the Humanities; recipients of the National Medal of Science and National Medal of Technology; and members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences, and the National Academy of Engineering.

Our undergraduate programs share the same high standards of excellence as our graduate and research programs. About one-quarter of our undergraduates take the opportunity to pursue research and other scholarly activities by working with faculty members and other students on organized research projects. The intellectual diversity that is crucial to our scholarly community is paired with a demographic diversity that distinguishes UCSB.

The recognition of our academic excellence by many important indicators underscores the pre-eminence of our professors, the strength of the academic programs in which you will participate, and the high quality of the student community of which you are an important member.

There are many opportunities here for you to learn about yourself, your community, and your world. Perhaps you will join some of UCSB's 300 clubs, or participateas do 80 percent of your fellow studentsin intramural sports. You could become a volunteer in the community, as nearly half of our students do, or become active in student life through the Associated Students, Graduate Students Association, special internships, or any number of other opportunities.

Whatever you decide to do, we are here to support and encourage you in your journey of discovery. You are valued members of our community of scholars and of our UCSB family.

Welcome again!

Henry T. Yang