From the Dean's Desk

The dawn of a new year is as much a time for joyful celebration as it is an occasion for quiet contemplation. At this moment, both feel essential.

Our community in the School of Arts and Humanities is uniquely skilled at making connections between these two ways of seeing. We are deeply creative and forward-thinking while also providing profound reflection on the state of our world.

Our inaugural Night of Research and Creative Activities celebration invited the campus and local community to explore these impacts. Faculty and students showcased some of their most exciting projects, which ranged from the development of sound holograms to the recovery of lost histories and the exploration of dance as biotechnology. This remarkable work is happening on stages, in studios and among archives across the globe.

Always in motion, our scholars are thinking deeply about the human condition and producing timely creative work. Professor of Music Anthony Davis and Professor of Theatre and Dance Allan Havis recently debuted a new bilingual children’s opera exploring the hopes and perils of migration at the U.S.–Mexico border. Meanwhile, Professor of Music Susan Narucki earned her third Grammy nomination — a testament to her extraordinary talent as a soprano.

We’re also shaping public conversations by recovering histories that have been lost or overlooked. Professor of Literature Daisuke Miyao is re-examining cinema studies by spotlighting unsung creators in two forthcoming publications. In addition, Professor of History Edward Watts broadens historical perspective in his new book, The Romans, which traces two millennia of Rome’s past to illuminate enduring questions of power.

Furthermore, I feel immense pride when I hear about the accomplishments of our alumni. Just two examples of many: Visual Arts alumnus Rajee Samarasinghe recently received the Truer Than Fiction Award for his film, a compelling reflection on crime and bereavement in the wake of the Sri Lankan Civil War. And we soon get the pleasure of hearing from Literature alumna Paola Capó-García, named San Diego’s Poet Laureate, who will be sharing her work at the New Writing Series event in February.

I’m so impressed by the diverse projects underway. Let’s continue this inspiring momentum throughout 2026.

With gratitude,

Cristina Della Coletta
Dean, School of Arts and Humanities

We sit down with Dean Cristina Della Coletta to discover what she looks forward to most at the start of the fall quarter, as well as her own path to higher education. We also learn her perspectives on how the arts and humanities continue to play a crucial role in deepening our understanding of complicated histories and present challenges impacting our world.

In a constantly evolving educational landscape, what makes the arts and humanities enduring?

We’re not satisfied with the simple answer. Scholars and artists in the School of Arts and Humanities ask difficult questions that require deep thinking. We do not ask only the ‘what’ question; we ask ‘how’ and ‘why.’ And that, in and of itself, can complicate potential answers in very meaningful ways.

This is precisely what we teach our students — the ability to feel comfortable in uncertainty, in doubt. To not give up because you don't know. Instead, you delve deeper. You’re willing to question, you're willing to disagree, and you're willing to do it in a very civil manner, in a dialogical way that respects other people's positions. This is why the arts and humanities are so fundamental and endure over time.

What does ‘An education for the common good’ mean to you?

Our school’s mission centers on the idea that knowledge and creativity are most powerful when they contribute to something larger than ourselves — strengthening our communities, preserving our shared humanity and fostering mutual flourishing. Our students graduate with a greater sense of self as well as an understanding of their role as global citizens. They learn how to recognize the connections between their individual vision and how to positively contribute to our collective humanity. I think we need more of this in our society.

What are you excited about for this upcoming academic year?

I'm excited to welcome our new students and discover what kind of enthusiasm, skill and excitement they bring to our campus. And getting to know the faculty that we recently hired, helping them get settled on campus, is something I always look forward to.

I'm also happy to see our new major in cinematic arts launch this fall through the Institute of Arts and Humanities. It’s a unique opportunity to study film theory and production. We’re very grateful to the Israni Family for supporting our vision for the new program, which expands our existing minor in film studies. As a film scholar myself, I’m personally thrilled to see this discipline grow at UC San Diego.

Tell us about your path to the humanities and higher education leadership.

When I was an undergraduate literature student at the University of Venice, I earned a scholarship to study at the University of California. I was nervous because California was a world away from Italy, but I started looking up the faculty and there was a UCLA professor who specialized in my area of interest. Studying at an American university was a life-changing experience for me in many ways. It offered different opportunities compared to Europe, like the chance to live on campus and build a social life.

I decided to move to the United States afterward and pursued a master’s degree at the University of Virginia and Ph.D. at UCLA. My first academic position was at the University of Virginia, and then the opportunity to become an administrator at UC San Diego arrived. Having an academic career in the U.S. is full of freedom and opportunity, much more than in Europe. But that doesn’t mean I don’t continue to have strong ties there. This is where my primary research, the Turin 1911 Project, is based. I feel like I live the best of both worlds.

You are co-leading the Chancellor’s Arts Initiative, known as ArtsConnect. What is the goal?

This is our opportunity to draw attention to the immense artistic talent of our faculty, students and alumni. It’s also a way to invite the entire campus and community to engage in the arts at UC San Diego, which is quickly becoming an arts destination. Our university can hold multiple distinctions, with recognition in both the arts and STEM.

Together with ArtsConnect co-lead Alysson Satterlund, vice chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life, we’re establishing stronger connections across our arts ecosystem and working with University Communications to develop compelling stories that grow awareness and esteem for our programs. We have Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning faculty, state-of-the-art venues and hundreds of performances and events in the arts each year. The foundation is there, now we are connecting the dots.

With gratitude,

Dear colleagues and friends,

It’s hard to believe that Commencement is less than three weeks away. In the span of eight months, our faculty, staff, students and alumni in the School of Arts and Humanities have achieved significant successes—from garnering national awards to demonstrating exceptional ingenuity in student advising and producing bold performances and exhibitions.

What makes me even more proud is that we’ve reaffirmed our commitment to creative problem solving, critical inquiry, empathetic communication, and ethical innovation. These guiding values are more vital than ever in a time marked by deep uncertainty and a growing reluctance to engage in principled decision-making.

There is no shortage of good news at the School of Arts and Humanities. In just the past two months alone, we’ve had much to celebrate. Associate Professor of Literature Brandon Som earned a Guggenheim Fellowship and Professor of History Frank Biess was selected as the next Rita L. Atkinson Endowed Chair in German Studies. And theatre and dance alumnus Danny Burstein secured a Tony Award nomination for his role in the Broadway revival of “Gypsy.”

Our students are also flourishing. Earlier this month undergraduates launched the Arcades Music Festival, a fantastic new tradition that drew hundreds of student performers from across campus. In the annual Grad SLAM Competition, philosophy graduate student Joseph Masotti took second place for his Ted-style talk on AI-generated images and the philosophy of art. In addition, we recognized the 15th annual Adam D. Kamil Media Awards, with more than 30 incredible film submissions from talented students in the Department of Visual Arts.

What we do matters. We distill meaning, produce new knowledge, provide avenues for reflection and reinforce our collective humanity. As we close this academic year, I want to acknowledge and thank you for your incredible contributions, which extend far beyond our university.

With gratitude,

Happy new year to our School of Arts and Humanities family.

The start of our quarter century has underscored the importance of upholding our values: respectfully engaging divergent viewpoints, fostering empathetic communities, strengthening equity and inclusion and pursuing ethical paths forward. Amid devastating environmental crises, shifts in the political landscape and fluctuating economic conditions, we remain resilient.

Over the last decade in my role as dean, I have been continually inspired by the professionalism and passion of our scholars, whose academic excellence has helped shape the scholarly vision for the school. Our faculty believe in learning by doing and invite students to actively participate in exploring the bounds of our knowledge and creative capacity in the arts and humanities. Looking toward the next five years, I intend to continue championing the excellence of our work at UC San Diego.

One way that this excellence is recognized is through endowed chairs. It’s with great pride that we announce the selection of two new chairholders; Professor of Music Nancy Guy has been named inaugural holder of the Chiu-Shan and Rufina Chen Chancellor’s Endowed Chair in Taiwan Studies and Professor of History Frank Biess has become the newest Rita L. Atkinson Endowed Chair in German Studies. The philanthropic gifts that make these possible help us affirm and sustain the incredible research and teaching of our faculty.

In addition, the distinction of our arts is growing through the new ArtsConnect initiative, which I am co-leading with Alysson Satterlund, vice chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life. Two signature programs are in the works in an effort designed to activate the entire university as a lively location to experience art and culture.

In May, students in the Department of Music will lead a new music festival called “The Arcades,” made possible through a generous gift from Farfy Foundation founders Marco Londei and Liquin Wang. Student leaders are planning all aspects of the event—from stage management to graphic design and artist curation—with guidance from faculty experts and visiting industry artists.

Later in the fall, the Strut will debut. The event, led by the Department of Theatre and Dance and Campus Performance and Events Office, will invite all departments across campus to creatively “strut” in a costumed parade with live DJ music that will extend from Sun God Lawn to the Epstein Family Amphitheater. Designed to be a celebration of our intellectually diverse community, the Mardi Gras-style procession will culminate in a dance party.

It’s an honor to continue supporting the ambitious academic aims of our scholars and students. I look forward to discovering the exciting research and projects that 2025 will bring.

With gratitude,

Cristina Della Coletta
Dean, School of Arts and Humanities