Cliff Brunk is a Professor of cell and molecular biology at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he has been on the faculty since 1967. As Vice-Chair of the Universitywide Academic Senate, Professor Brunk serves as Faculty Representative to the Regents of the University of California. Professor Brunk received his B.S. degree in electrical engineering from Michigan State University, a M.S. degree in electrical engineering and a Ph.D. in biophysics from Stanford University. He has served on numerous Academic Senate Committees and has chaired the Biology Department at UCLA and was divisional chair of the UCLA Academic Senate. Molecular evolution is Professor Brunk’s primary research interest, including evolutionary mechanisms operative in mitochondrial and nuclear genomes with a particular emphasis on the molecular evolution of ciliate (protozoa). These organisms are among the most rapidly evolving and diverse organisms known.

* Clifford Brunk served as Academic Senate Chair from September 1, 2005 to March 13, 2006