Appointment of Roger M. Wakimoto as Vice Chancellor for Research

UCLA Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost

To:  Administrative Officers, Deans, Department Chairs, Directors, Faculty, Vice Chancellors, Vice Provosts and Staff in the UCLA Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research

Dear Colleagues:

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Roger M. Wakimoto as Vice Chancellor for Research, effective July 1, 2017.

Dr. Wakimoto served most recently as assistant director for the National Science Foundation Directorate for Geosciences (2013–17), leading a division with an annual budget of approximately $1.3 billion in support of core research in the atmospheric and geospace, polar, earth and ocean sciences. A former member of the UCLA atmospheric sciences faculty (1983–2005), Dr. Wakimoto served as department vice chair (1993–96) and chair (1996–2000). He subsequently served as director of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Earth Observing Laboratory (2005–10) and director of NCAR (2010–13), a federally funded research and development center with a staff of approximately 750 devoted to service, research and education in the atmospheric and related sciences. He also held an appointment as research full professor with the University of Colorado at Boulder’s Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences.

Dr. Wakimoto is an atmospheric scientist specializing in research on mesoscale meteorology, particularly severe convective storms and radar meteorology. He has written or co-authored numerous peer-reviewed papers and served on various committees, panels and boards for organizations including the NSF, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the American Meteorological Society, for which he currently serves as president. He has received several awards and honors, including a scientific and technical achievement award from the Environmental Protection Agency for observations of air pollution, and the Clarence Leroy Meisinger Award from the American Meteorological Society for his contributions to understanding mesoscale weather events. He received a B.S. in meteorology from San Jose State University and a Ph.D. in geophysical sciences from the University of Chicago.

I want to thank the search/advisory committee members for assembling an outstanding pool of candidates and for their role in recruiting Roger. The committee was chaired by Judith C. Gasson, professor emerita of medicine and biological chemistry and co-director of the David Geffen School of Medicine (DGSOM) Technology Accelerator. Other members were: Jane P. Chang, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and William F. Seyer Chair of Materials Electrochemistry; Ferdinand V. Coroniti, professor of physics and astronomy and associate dean of the Division of Physical Sciences; Steven M. Dubinett, professor of medicine, of pathology and laboratory medicine, and of molecular and medical pharmacology, associate vice chancellor for research, director of the UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute, and senior associate dean for translational research, DGSOM; David H. Gere, professor, Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance and director, UCLA Art and Global Health Center; Mishuana R. Goeman, associate professor and vice chair of gender studies and affiliated faculty of American Indian studies; Tracy L. Johnson, Maria Rowena Ross Chair of Cell Biology and Biochemistry; Pedro Noguera, distinguished professor of education and director of the Center for the Study of School Transformation; and Sherry B. Ortner, distinguished professor of anthropology.

I also want to recognize and thank Ann Karagozian for her distinguished leadership as interim vice chancellor since January 2016.

Chancellor Block and I are confident that Roger will be an extraordinary addition to our campus leadership team, and we look forward to working with him and with each of you to advance our shared goals for UCLA. Please join us in congratulating Roger and welcoming him back to UCLA.

Sincerely,

Scott L. Waugh
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost