Leadership Organization News

Dear Colleagues,

Today, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Enrique Lavernia, Ph.D., was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation by external authorities. The university is cooperating fully.

We were informed that the investigation is related to Dr. Lavernia’s academic and research activities. In addition to his role as Provost, Dr. Lavernia is a scholar in chemical engineering and materials science.

After consulting with the leadership of the Academic Senate, I appointed Hal Stern, Ph.D., Vice Provost of Academic Planning, as interim Provost, effective immediately. Hal joined UCI in 2002 as founding chair of Department of Statistics and later served six years as the Dean of the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences. He will oversee the important transition to remote learning and social-distancing operations in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic.

We will provide additional information as appropriate.

Chancellor Howard Gillman