Golden State Today

Today, UC Berkeley welcomes its next chancellor, Rich Lyons, who is set to usher in a new era of growth and excellence for the world’s preeminent public research university.

With over 30 years of experience serving the Berkeley community, Lyons begins his tenure as a homegrown leader. After graduating from Berkeley with a Bachelor of Science degree in business and finance in 1982, Lyons went on to earn a Ph.D. in economics from MIT in 1987. He returned to Berkeley as a faculty member in 1993, then went on to become the dean of the Haas School of Business in 2008, and the campus’s first-ever chief officer of innovation and entrepreneurship in 2020.

In an introductory message to the campus community, Chancellor Lyons outlines how his time at Berkeley has shaped his approach to leadership and how its Principles of Community will guide him as he looks to the future.

“I am here to serve the whole university,” he says. “What makes Berkeley Berkeley is our scope, our ability to come at every challenge and opportunity from every conceivable angle.”

“Our combination of access and excellence occupies a truly singular place in higher education,” Lyons continues. “That singularity is an opportunity to leave a bigger mark on society and make our capabilities understood even more widely around the world. We can make UC Berkeley the university of choice for faculty, staff and students who want to have an impact. This is my aim.”

Lyons’ chancellorship follows the retirement of Carol Christ, who spent seven years navigating Berkeley through social and political tumult while achieving historic progress on issues critical to the university’s future.