Task Force on the Training and Support of Doctoral and Postdoctoral Researchers

April 24, 2023

Dear Members of Our Campus Community,

Following consultation with our Academic Senate, Executive Vice Chancellor, academic deans, and administrative colleagues, I am pleased to announce the formation of the Task Force on the Training and Support of Doctoral and Postdoctoral Researchers. This joint Senate-administrative task force will consider how to revise and reimagine existing support models for these valued colleagues, taking into account the evolving labor environment and changes in external and internal funding opportunities, and our mission as a public research university.

The Task Force on the Training and Support of Doctoral and Postdoctoral Researchers will make short-, medium-, and long-term recommendations to the Chancellor and Senate Chair, reviewing current levels and mechanisms of support, and identifying sustainable support and resources to provide guidance to faculty and departments.  

The task force membership is listed below. We extend our sincere thanks to Professor Rachel Segalman and AVC Kerry Bierman for agreeing to co-chair this task force. We also thank all of the task force members for their commitment of time, wisdom, and expertise to help our campus with this critical effort.

Sincerely,

Henry T. Yang
Chancellor

Task Force on the Training and Support of Doctoral and Postdoctoral Researchers

Rachel Segalman, Co-chair, Professor and Chair, Chemical Engineering
Kerry Bierman, Co-chair, Associate Vice Chancellor, Budget & Planning
Jean Beaman, Associate Professor, Sociology
Francesco Bullo, Academic Senate Council on Planning and Budget; Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Christopher Dixon, Student Financial Support Director, Graduate Division
Sabine Frühstück, Vice Chair, Academic Senate; Professor, East Asian Languages & Cultural Studies
Mary Hegarty, Graduate Council; Professor, Psychological and Brain Sciences
Jean Jones, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research, Office of Research
Matthew Quirk, Professor, Counseling, Clinical and School Psychology
Javier Read de Alaniz, Associate Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry; Associate Director, California Nanosystems Institute
Sydney Roberts, Manager, Employee and Labor Relations, Human Resources
David Stuart, Chair, Council on Research and Instructional Resources; Professor, Physics
Christian Villaseñor, Executive Director for Academic Affairs, Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor
Hillary Young, Professor, Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology