Napolitano announces UCSF chancellor's departure

University of California President Janet Napolitano today (Dec. 17) issued the following announcement:

Susan Desmond-Hellmann has informed me that she intends to step down as Chancellor at the University of California, San Francisco, to become chief executive officer of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

I accept her decision today with a confluence of emotions.

First, I am grateful to Chancellor Desmond-Hellmann for her many accomplishments as the leader of one of California's most vital institutions. It is thanks in significant part to her leadership that UCSF ranks number one in NIH funding for public institutions, and that the campus recently celebrated its two most prolific years in philanthropic giving.

With acrobatic precision, the Chancellor developed and executed an ambitious and creative vision for the campus, while navigating it through one of the worst fiscal crises in UC's history. She has been a champion of diversity, transparency, and public service. Development of the Benioff Children's Hospital and her innovations in health care delivery are but two examples of her impact, not just on UCSF but also on the community it serves and within the broader realm of global health.

In sum, Chancellor Desmond-Hellmann will leave UCSF a better, more vibrant institution than when she arrived in 2009. This is the true measurement of leadership.

Also, as a colleague and friend, I am excited for Sue's prospects in a new, challenging role at the helm of a philanthropic institution of international influence. The foundation's decision to bring Sue aboard is in keeping with UC's tradition of producing leaders for high-profile, public-oriented institutions.

Finally, and most importantly, I am determined to do all in my power as President to ensure that UCSF keeps climbing upward on its trajectory of greatness. In the end, the mission is what must remain paramount, whoever its steward might be.

I am confident that the high quality of research and the determination to provide only the best in patient care will continue to generate the grants and foster the philanthropy needed to lift UCSF to even greater heights.

Moving forward, I will convene a search committee in early January to begin the effort to select the next UCSF chancellor. Chancellor Desmond-Hellmann has agreed to stay on board until March and assist with the search. She also intends to maintain her faculty appointment at UCSF, and I support that intention. She will remain an active member of the UCSF family, and we all are grateful for that.

Pending approval of the UC Board of Regents, I am appointing UCSF School of Medicine Dean Sam Hawgood to serve as interim chancellor until the next chancellor can be chosen. I am confident that Sam will continue in the excellent tradition of leadership set by Sue.

In closing, let me wish Sue and Nick the very best as they embark on this next phase in their lives.