Letter from Dean Cristina Della Coletta

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

As we look forward to beginning the academic year, I’d like to offer a special welcome to our newest faculty members–an incredible 19 in total! We are delighted to have the addition of your unique expertise and enthusiastic collaboration. Together we are strengthening the values that define our collective humanity.

This fall marks the start of another exciting venture. I was recently asked by Chancellor Khosla to co-lead the strategic development of an arts ecosystem that will advance the vision of the university as a destination for arts and culture—one where the arts inspire and enhance the scientific and technological innovation happening on campus.

The outcome of the Chancellor’s Arts Initiative is called ArtsConnect. Not only will the initiative distinguish the creative works of our exceptional arts faculty, students and community members, it will also activate the entire university as a lively location to learn about and experience art and culture.

As you can imagine, ArtsConnect is a collective project. Co-led by Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life Alysson Satterlund, the program unites and uplifts the arts across the university–from the Departments of Literature, Music, Visual Arts and Theatre and Dance to ArtPower, the Craft Center and the Stuart Collection.

ArtsConnect also presents opportunities to forge new partnerships in the broader San Diego region. As an arts destination, UC San Diego offers distinct venues for music, dance and theatre performances such as the Conrad Prebys Concert Hall, Epstein Family Amphitheater, Jacobs Theatre District and Park & Market.

We are at the very start of this exciting endeavor, and ideas are flowing. I am eager to continue centering the ways scholars and artists at the School of Arts and Humanities are sparking new forms of knowledge and creativity that add meaning and connection to our lives.

With gratitude,

Cristina Della Coletta
Dean, School of Arts and Humanities

As we conclude the academic year, I want to offer my sincere thanks to each of our faculty and staff for your steadfast commitment to the values of the School of Arts and Humanities. Our team is truly a model for engaging in civil discourse, equipping scholars with an equity mindset and fostering valuable partnerships.

This year has brought incredible triumphs as well as complex challenges. It’s important to remember that both help us grow in understanding of ourselves and others. I encourage you to continue cultivating open dialogue, as well as consider ways to promote personal wellness—particularly this May as we recognize Mental Health Awareness Month.

With gratitude,

Dear colleagues and friends,

Many people enjoy setting resolutions in the first few days of January, eager to rewrite aspects of their story in the new year. Storytelling—about who we are, what we value and our hopes for the future—is an enduring part of our humanity. 

As scholars in the arts and humanities, we are expert storytellers. We have a keen ability to recognize and purposefully engage moments and ideas from the past that have strong relevance today. As we navigate our present social, political, economic and environmental realms, we are able to consider divergent viewpoints while presenting ethical and viable paths forward. And we make imaginative leaps into the future, recognizing that innovation is fueled by creativity and free thinking.

These qualities are needed now more than ever. The School of Arts and Humanities is a nexus for reflecting, celebrating and renewing what it means to be human. Our students develop habits of the mind—grounded in insight while oriented towards innovation—that give them the versatility necessary to succeed in a complex world. 

I am captivated by the story we are writing. My intention for the year ahead is that we all take pride in our stories. Together our chronicles create a powerful narrative dedicated to the common good. 

With gratitude,