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Chancellor Block stands front and center, wrapped in a dense crowd of smiling students in downtown Westwood.

Thank you,
Chancellor Block

Chancellor Block’s message to the community:

Serving as UCLA’s chancellor since 2007 has been the greatest honor of my life. And so it is with bittersweet feelings that I would like to share my decision to step down from the role at the end of the 2023-24 academic year. UCLA is a shining example of the best of public higher education, and I have every confidence that the university is well positioned for an exceptionally bright future…

Read the entire message.

Chancellor Block in full regalia is framed by giant letters L and A. He speaks into a microphone at 2023 UCLA Commencement. Behind, Randall Park, and a large crowd clap.
Chancellor Block stands outside (during the daytime) with military personnel wearing hats at the 2022 Memorial Ceremony.

“Bruins are nothing if not marked by optimism, and it is in our DNA to look at the world as one that is ripe for constant reshaping.”

A female student in sunglasses holds her phone out to take a selfie with Chancellor Block in a crowd.
Group shot of students, faculty, and staff smiling on a patio decorated with blue and gold balloons. Amongst them, EVCP Hunt, Chancellor Block, and Mrs. Block.

A look back at
Chancellor Block’s legacy

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The Block Era

View a timeline of highlights of Gene Block’s term as UCLA chancellor.

View Timeline

Photos

Chancellor Block and 2022 commencement keynote speaker Katelyn Ohashi take a selfie outside of Pauley Pavilion.
Chancellor Gene Block smiles for alumna Katelyn Ohashi, the award-winning gymnast and body image activist. Ohashi will deliver the keynote address at commencement, the first full-scale, in-person ceremonies at Pauley Pavilion since the pandemic.
(June 2022)
Environmental champion, Morton La Kretz, wears his UCLA Medal as he stands between Carol and Gene Block
Carol Block and Chancellor Gene Block flank alumnus Morton La Kretz, honored with the UCLA Medal as a real estate developer who champions environmental conservation and sustainability.
(October 2018)
Chancellor Block hands out a sandwich at the staff picnic in 2014.
Chancellor Gene Block hands out sandwiches at the annual staff picnic. The staff welcomed the respite, which came just weeks after they coped with a water main break that flooded Pauley Pavilion and other parts of campus.
(August 2014)
Chancellor Gene Block stands on the floor of Pauley Pavilion, ready to welcome newly admitted students at Bruin Day. The campuswide event, introduced in 2011, gives high school seniors and their parents an opportunity to explore the UCLA campus and its offerings before making enrollment decisions.
(April 2023)
Chancellor Block onstage with Nobel Prize winner Dr. Randy Schekman and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at the 2014 UCLA Commencement
Basketball star, writer and activist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar joins Nobel laureate Randy Schekman and Chancellor Gene Block at Commencement ceremonies in Pauley Pavilion.
(June 2014)
Chancellor Block and Carol Block take to the stage for the Friendsgiving event at First Thursdays.
Chancellor Gene Block and Carol Block take the stage at a special edition of First Thursdays, UCLA’s monthly event for the Westwood community. The Friendsgiving twist is a food theme, complete with guest chefs and turkey and apple crisp teaching demos.
(November 2022)
Chancellor Gene Block shakes hands with UCLA Medal recipient and alumnus Rafer Johnson.
Chancellor Gene Block shakes hands with UCLA Medal recipient and alumnus Rafer Johnson. The Olympic Gold medalist was instrumental in creating the California Special Olympics. In 1984, Johnson lit the cauldron to open the Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
(May 2016)
Chancellor Block joins a student volunteer in tamping down new turf at the Nickerson Gardens housing project.
A student volunteer joins Chancellor Gene Block in tamping down new turf at the Nickerson Gardens housing project, one of 52 community sites for the annual Volunteer Day. (September 2012)
Chancellor Block (standing in front of Jackie Robinson Stadium) poses with Rachel Robinson for the Jackie Robinson Athletic Complex
Alumna Rachel Robinson joins Chancellor Gene Block to announce that 22 sports and recreation facilities, pictured on the display, will be named the Jackie Robinson Athletics and Recreation Complex. The venues will be marked with a prominent “42” to honor the legendary four-sport Bruin star who went on to break the color barrier in Major League Baseball wearing that number.
(November 2014)
Chancellor Block poses with Gen. Kofi Annan and Meyer Luskin in 2013.
Chancellor Gene Block and alumnus Meyer Luskin flank Kofi Annan, former secretary-general of the United Nations. Annan, the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was the keynote speaker for UCLA’s second annual Luskin Lecture for Thought Leadership.
(June 2013)
Chancellor Block fist bumps a child at a Veterans event in 2018.
Chancellor Gene Block shares a fist bump with a four-year-old who led the Pledge of Allegiance at a joint UCLA-Veterans Affairs event. UCLA and the VA expanded their partnership with new UCLA programs and services including the Veterans Family Wellbeing Center.
(November 2018)
Chancellor Block takes a selfie with a guest at the UCLA Latinx Welcome event, designed to foster community for Latino students.
A selfie with Chancellor Gene Block is one of the highlights of the UCLA Latinx Welcome event, designed to foster a sense of community for Latino students, faculty and staff. (October 2022)
Chancellor Block and attendees pose for a photo at the 2007 Veterans Day Event.
UCLA’s annual Veterans Day salutes began in 2007, when Chancellor Gene Block dedicated a plaque recognizing all the UCLA students, alumni, faculty and staff who gave their lives while serving in the nation’s military. The plaque’s location on the north side of the Student Activities Center is a nod to the three ROTC programs housed there: Aerospace Studies (Air Force), Military Science (Army) and Naval Science (Navy/Marine Corps). (November 2007)
Chancellor Block with Joe and Josie Bruin holds a certificate of recognition from the California State Assembly for UCLA Volunteer Day
Mascots Joe and Josie Bruin flank Chancellor Gene Block, who holds a formal California State Assembly citation honoring UCLA Volunteer Day. (October 2016)
Chancellor Block handing out backpacks to students at Volunteer Day in 2016.
Chancellor Gene Block reaches out to Hoover Elementary School students in Los Angeles’ MacArthur Park neighborhood during UCLA Volunteer Day. Visible in the background are a few of the thousands of UCLA student volunteers.
(September 2016)
Chancellor Block with Nobel Laureate Lloyd Shapley in Sweden in 2012.
Emeritus professor Lloyd Shapley, winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, hosted Chancellor Gene Block at the Nobel ceremonies in Stockholm.
(December 2012)
Chancellor Block speaks at Pauley Pavilion during the 2009 commencement ceremony at UCLA
Chancellor Gene Block has conferred more than 200,000 degrees during his UCLA term of office, citing the authority of the UC Regents and advising bachelor’s degree recipients when it’s time to turn their tassels. (June 2009)
Chancellor Block with then California attorney general Kamala Harris and UCLA Law Dean Rachel Moran in 2015.
Kamala Harris, then California attorney general, talks with Chancellor Gene Block and Dean Rachel Moran of the School of Law. Harris gave the keynote address at a symposium on human trafficking hosted by the UCLA Law Review.
(February 2015)
Chancellor Block speaks with Housing staff in preparation for move-in days, for about 14,000 incoming students, into their new homes on campus.
Housing staff talk to Chancellor Gene Block about preparations for move-in days, when about 14,000 students get settled into their new homes on campus. (September 2022)
Chancellor Block presents composer Wadada Leo Smith the UCLA Medal in 2019.
Chancellor Gene Block confers the UCLA Medal, the campus’s highest honor, on trumpeter, multi-instrumentalist and composer Wadada Leo Smith. A concert of Smith’s music distinguished the occasion.
(November 2019)
Carol Block takes a paintbrush from Chancellor Block's cup, as they kneel on the asphalt and paint a bright red letter 'L' during UCLA Volunteer Day.
Chancellor Gene Block and Carol Block lend a hand to playground painting as part of UCLA Volunteer Day, which was initiated by Chancellor Block in 2009. The program has grown to some 8,000 Bruins participating each year in the nation’s largest service project for new university students.
Chancellor Block and others pose for a photo in front of The Herb Alpert School of Music building in 2011.
Jazz legends Herbie Hancock and Kenny Burrell, revered instructors at UCLA, join Chancellor Gene Block outside the Herb Alpert School of Music to mark the establishment of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA. At far left is Tom Carter, president of the institute. Renamed in 2019 as the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance, the program provides full two-year scholarships for six to eight international musicians to pursue the prestigious Masters of Music in Jazz.
(March 2011)
UCLA Chancellor Gene Block poses with faculty, from various universities, at the UCLA HSI (Hispanic-Serving Institution) Visioning Forum.
To inspire faculty, staff and students with a vision of UCLA as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), UCLA convenes the HSI Visioning Forum. With Chancellor Gene Block is Marla Franco, vice president for HSI Initiatives at the University of Arizona (far left), alumna Elizabeth Gonzalez and Associate Professor Marcella Cuellar of UC Davis. Gonzalez, who earned her Ph.D. from UC Santa Cruz, is UCLA’s inaugural HSI director.
(October 2022)
UCLA Chancellor Gene Block poses for a group photo with the Undergraduate Student Association Council, which celebrates the welcoming and inclusive environment fostered by clubs and organizations.
The Undergraduate Student Association Council holds a Presidential Banquet to celebrate the way clubs and organizations on campus foster a welcoming and inclusive environment. Here, club presidents and vice presidents gather with Chancellor Gene Block for a group photo.
(April 2023)
Chancellor Block welcomes families and guests to Bruin Family Weekend, for student workshops, activities and events.
Chancellor Gene Block welcomes parents and other guests to Bruin Family Weekend, an opportunity for families to explore student life through workshops, activities and events. (October 2017)
Chancellor Block and attendees pose for a photo at the CNSI (California NanoSystems Institute) grand opening in 2007.
The California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) celebrates the opening of its multidisciplinary research venue, dedicated to innovation through nano science. From left to right are David Crane (advisor to Gov. Schwarzenegger), Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, Chancellor Gene Block and former governor Gray Davis. (December 2007)
Chancellor Block and Carol Block pose with Mariachi de Uclatlán, a student group dedicated to the performance of traditional Mexican music.
Mariachi de Uclatlán, a student group dedicated to the performance of traditional Mexican music, poses with Chancellor Gene Block and Carol Block at the Latinx welcome event celebrating the new school year. (October 2022)
Chancellor Block and attendees pose for a photo at Wilson Plaza during the 2023 Memorial Day Ceremony.
Lt. Col. Mae-li Allison, professor and chair of aerospace studies and Maj. Cheddy Matthews, U.S. Marine Corps (retired), an Executive MBA student at the Anderson School, join Chancellor Gene Block for a Thursday morning ceremony in advance of Memorial Day. More than 100 programs and initiatives for veterans and their families have earned UCLA the ranking of No. 1 public university for veterans six years in a row.
A Sproul Hall staffer shows boxes of supplies for move-in days to Executive Vice Chancellor Darnell Hunt and Chancellor Block.
A Sproul Hall staffer shows boxes of supplies for move-in days to Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Darnell Hunt and Chancellor Gene Block. After remote and hybrid learning during the pandemic, students eagerly awaited the return to campus. (September 2022)
" Students join Chancellor Gene Block at the True Bruin Welcome block party, as part of the monthly First Thursdays in Westwood Village. "
Students join Chancellor Gene Block at the True Bruin Welcome block party. Block parties on Broxton Avenue are a feature of the monthly First Thursdays, bringing students to Westwood Village for a variety of activities. (September 2022)
Flags and balloons create a festive environment for Chancellor Block at the Latinx Welcome event.
Flags and balloons create a festive atmosphere for Chancellor Gene Block at the Latinx Welcome event. Block has pledged UCLA to earn the designation of Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), providing federal resources for the campus. (October 2022)
Chancellor Block and his wife Carol pose in front of a ferris wheel during This True Bruin Welcome party introducing students to First Thursdays.
Chancellor Gene Block and Carol Block pause in front of a ferris wheel in Westwood Village. This True Bruin Welcome party introduces students to First Thursdays, a monthly combination of a daytime farmers market and evening block party. (September 2022)
Chancellor Block and Carol Block pose with students, during a meal, during Bruin Family Weekend.
A student records a Bruin Family Weekend moment on her phone: Chancellor Gene Block and Carol Block join students and their parents for a meal. The annual event brings thousands to campus. (October 2017)
" Chancellor Block and Carol Block join students for a ""spooktacular"" Halloween-themed First Thursdays event. "
Students join Chancellor Gene Block and Carol Block for a “spooktacular” Halloween-themed First Thursdays event. The monthly First Thursdays bring students to Westwood Village for a daytime farmers market and a nighttime block party. (October 2022)

Guestbook

As Chancellor Block prepares to step down in July 2024 after 17 years of service, Bruins and friends are invited to share memories or offer well-wishes to the Blocks. Messages can be submitted in writing or by video, and will be shared with the chancellor and some will be posted on this site.

  • Congratulations on a great tenure. Having worked with a number of presidents and universities, I can confirm that you’re the best I have known. So proud to be an alum. I have worked with over 500 CEOs of for profit companies and want you to know that being the Chancellor (or President) of a university is a much harder job. Bravo and thank you.

    Martin C Murrer
    MBA UCLA

  • Chancellor and Mrs. Block,

    Thank you for your inspirational leadership of UCLA. You have truly been wonderfully creative and forward thinking leaders and a great team! I wish you and your family lots of fun, warmth, closeness, and good health and happiness!

    Jill Nemiro
    UCLA alum

  • Thank you Chancellor Block for taking such good care of the entire UCLA community! You will be missed.

    Sheryl Jacobson

  • Dear Chancellor Block, wishing you the best on the next chapter of your life. Reading your messages over the last 12 years of my career here at UCLA Health has been truly inspiring. Thank you for your service.

    Nohemi Rosales
    UCLA Health Staff and Alumni

  • Well done, Chancellor Block! Thanks for your hard work and dedication over the years. You’ll be missed!

    Judy Fortin
    UCLA Health Chief of Communications

  • You will be greatly missed . You are an outstanding Chancellor and I was honored to serve under you. Best wishes in your future endeavors.

    Bartly Mondino
    UCLA Stein Eye Institute

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