UC Santa Barbara set to celebrate inauguration of Chancellor Dennis Assanis

In an occasion not seen in the community for more than three decades, UC Santa Barbara Chancellor Dennis Assanis will be formally inaugurated this week. Befitting the historic nature of the event, the ceremony will be held at Santa Barbara's historic Lobero Theatre and livestreamed online, making it accessible to all.

The program begins at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 27. Following the formal installation, Chancellor Assanis will deliver an inaugural address.

Assanis is the university's sixth chancellor and its first new leader in 31 years. He was appointed by the University of California Board of Regents in July 2025 and officially assumed the role on Sept. 1, 2025.

Chancellor Assanis came to the UC from the University of Delaware (UD), where he served as president since 2016. During his tenure, he established UD as a hub of innovation in health, biotechnology, neuroscience, energy and the environment, data science, advanced manufacturing, art conservation and digital humanities.

Assanis's scientific and engineering contributions have been recognized through his election to the National Academy of Engineering and his appointment to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Before joining UD, Assanis served as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at New York's Stony Brook University and vice president for Brookhaven National Laboratory Affairs. He previously taught and conducted research at the University of Michigan and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Born and raised in Athens, Greece, Chancellor Assanis earned his bachelor's degree in Marine Engineering from Newcastle University in England. At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he earned three master's degrees - Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Management - and a Ph.D. in Power and Propulsion. He also was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by the University of Delaware.

About UC Santa Barbara

The University of California, Santa Barbara is a leading research institution that also provides a comprehensive liberal arts learning experience. Our academic community of faculty, students, and staff is characterized by a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration that is responsive to the needs of our multicultural and global society. All of this takes place within a living and learning environment like no other, as we draw inspiration from the beauty and resources of our extraordinary location at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.