Golden State Today

Chancellor Carol Christ, who has led UC Berkeley for the past seven years, is set to retire at the end of June. Her first day of retirement will be spent on a vacation with her son and two granddaughters. "I expected they would say Disneyland," Christ said in a video interview. However, her granddaughters surprised her by requesting a tour of Europe, saying, "Paris and London, Grandma!"

Christ's tenure as chancellor was marked by numerous challenges including visits from controversial speakers, COVID-19 disruptions, wildfire smoke, power outages, labor strikes, and a student housing crisis. Despite these difficulties, she made significant progress in preparing Berkeley for the future. Thousands of new student beds are set to become available soon, donors contributed a record $7.37 billion to a capital campaign, and an entrepreneurial spirit on campus is thriving.

Reflecting on what makes Berkeley unique, Christ stated: "The sense that people are making history here, whether they’re discovering a new element or they are leading a political protest."

In the interview, Christ also shared insights on leadership lessons learned during her tenure and discussed what she will miss most about her role. She provided advice for Chancellor-designate Rich Lyons on handling protests and free speech challenges.

###