UCSD - University of California - San Diego

11/03/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/03/2026 11:00

UC San Diego Celebrates Opening of Triton Center

Published Date

November 03, 2026

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A new chapter for UC San Diego officially began on November 2, 2026 as members of the University of California Board of Regents, campus leaders, elected officials, donors, faculty, staff and students gathered in Carlos Malamud Plaza to celebrate the grand opening of Triton Center. Triton Center is a four-building complex at the heart of campus that brings together student services, health and wellness resources, arts and cultural experiences, and community gathering spaces in one interconnected destination. Years in the making, the complex reflects the university's vision of creating a vibrant hub where learning, well-being and connection converge.

Chancellor Khosla spoke on the significance of Triton Center as a dynamic space centered on the needs of students and the community.

Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla expressed the significance of Triton Center as a dynamic space centered on the needs of students and the community. Prior to Triton Center, he explained, the university was missing a clearly defined center with support and administrative services spread widely across campus. He also noted that UC San Diego was the only UC school without a dedicated alumni and welcome center.

"This project was designed to centralize services, make support easier to access, and to create a new and unique hub for community, support, reflection and enrichment on our campus," Khosla said. "It was designed as a physical manifestation of what we value - the health, well being, success and celebration of our students and alumni."

"Through its remarkable growth, academic excellence and deep connections to this region, this campus continues to expand what is possible for Californians," said Chair of the UC Board of Regents, Maria Anguiano.

Chair of the UC Board of Regents, Maria Anguiano, spoke on how one of the central priorities of the board is to open doors to more students, families and communities across California, noting that UC San Diego is a wonderful example of that ambition.

"Through its remarkable growth, academic excellence and deep connections to this region, this campus continues to expand what is possible for Californians," Anguiano said. "I think this new center captures that mission in a particularly meaningful way.

Former California Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins played a key role in supporting the development of Triton Center by securing $30 million in funding for the Triton Health and Wellness Building.

Former California Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins played a key role in supporting the development of Triton Center by securing $30 million in funding for the Triton Health and Wellness Building. Atkins mentioned that bringing resources to UC San Diego provides more opportunities for students.

"These beautiful buildings may be the place where dreams and journeys begin for so many," Atkins said.

Chancellor Khosla recognized the incredible impact of donors whose visionary support made Triton Center a reality. Donors, supporters and campus leaders gathered to celebrate the ribbon cutting.

Chancellor Khosla also recognized the incredible impact of donors whose visionary support made Triton Center a reality.

"This would not have been possible without the partnership and generosity of hundreds of alumni and community members who made gifts to support the project," Khosla said.

The ribbon cutting celebration is the beginning of a new era for campus. Created through visionary leadership and the generosity of countless supporters, Triton Center is a vibrant new hub where students find support, alumni reconnect and unforgettable moments will be created for generations to come.

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La asamblea del barro

The ribbon cutting ceremony also marked the unveiling of La asamblea del barro, a new permanent sculpture for the Stuart Collection Emerging Artists Program located at the entrance to Triton Center. The sculpture was created by the Mexico City-based artist duo RojoNegro, composed of María Sosa and Noé Martínez. RojoNegro is the first Latin American artist duo to have a work enter the Stuart Collection in its more than 40-year history.

Spanning 25 feet in length, 18 feet in height and 8 feet in width, La asamblea del barro brings together 260 unique, hand-painted ceramic symbols across four monumental, tree-shaped structures. The number 260 carries significance within the lunar ritual calendar referenced by the artists, connecting the sculpture's physical composition to the systems of knowledge it explores. RojoNegro developed the imagery through archaeological and ethnographic research, oral histories and fieldwork, translating their findings into non-repeating ceramic forms that together create a visual and material archive of collective memory. Produced at Cerámica Suro in Guadalajara, the ceramic forms are mounted on steel frameworks fabricated by Urban Art Projects and clad in untreated redwood planking that will develop a soft patina over time. The four structures are identical in contour but positioned in opposing pairs. The completed sculpture weighs 19,600 pounds.

"RojoNegro's work asks us to look beyond familiar systems of producing and sharing knowledge and to engage with histories and ways of understanding the world," said Jess Berlanga Taylor, Chief Campus Curator. "It signals an important shift for the Stuart Collection: in who we are addressing, whose cosmologies we are centering and what forms of knowledge are recognized, carrying the collection's extraordinary legacy forward by deepening its engagement with Mexico and the cultural histories that shape life on both sides of the border.

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