April 17, 2023

Dear Colleagues,

It has been 100 days since I had the honor of embarking on the role of Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost (EVCP) at UCSF. It has been wonderful to meet with many different people within the EVCP organization and learn about all they are doing to make sure that our academic missions are thriving and our faculty, staff, and learners are safe and supported. Our units are composed of experts who are deeply committed to their work. Collectively, you are a force for all that is good at UCSF, and I am delighted to join you!

Three Stories

As we are beginning a long relationship together, I am drawn to the work of Marshall Ganz, PhD, an expert in leadership, civil society, and community organizing at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He worked with Cesar Chavez in organizing farm workers, so he has deep California roots. Marshall approaches leadership and movements by asking people to write down three stories, each with a focus on a challenge, a choice, and an outcome.

• The story of me: “How were you called to do what you are called to do?”
• The story of us: “Why are we together? What do we share in terms of purpose, values, goals, and vision?”
• The story of now: “What challenge is facing us now that we want to tackle? What strategy can we use to inspire people to work towards a better future with us?”

My “Story of Me”

My career evolved from one focused entirely on patient care to one focused on education and leadership because it was the best way for me to work towards a world where all patients, regardless of power and privilege, have access to the type of health care and scientific advances that they need.

At UCSF, I have found a community that is committed to expertly and equitably advancing discovery, education, and health care today while educating the diverse workforce our patients, state, and nation will need for generations to come.

Your “Story of Me”

In my first 100 days, I have heard many stories that resonate with my own “story of me.” Here are just a few:
• Winona Ward, director of the Office of Sponsored Research, has developed extraordinary skills in research management to make sure that our discovery mission faculty and staff can use all of their creativity to advance our understanding of human health and disease.
• Lisa Raskulinic, finance director in the Office of Student Academic Affairs, has spearheaded outstanding approaches to supporting our students’ financial needs, enabling them to successfully navigate the journey to become part of the workforce that we need.
• Emerald Light, assistant vice provost of Academic Affairs, has navigated a career from otolaryngology to the Office of Faculty and Academic Affairs that has been consistently focused on helping faculty have successful careers at UCSF.
• Maria Jaochico, director of Restorative Justice Practices, is helping us manage the challenge of learning and growing into a truly equitable, inclusive institution that actively seeks to eliminate the consequences of structural racism in academia, health care, and beyond.

What’s Next?

For the next 100 days, we will be working on “the story of us” and beginning our work on “the story of now.” We will look for ways to strengthen our organization with collaborations across our units that build more depth and breadth of expertise in areas like communications, change management, and problem solving. Our EVCP leaders will meet in a retreat later this month to explore a ”story of now” that leverages strategies such as psychological safety to counteract burnout and increase belonging and well-being for all in our organization and in our institution.

Over the next six months, I will be meeting with the different communities that make up our EVCP organization. Please make time to attend these town halls to share your hopes for our stories of us and now. I’d love to hear more “stories of me” from all of you—please feel free to email them to me. Thank you for the warm welcome I have received as the new EVCP.

Warm regards,

Catherine R. Lucey, MD, MACP
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost