Speaker Detail

Gene Block is the chancellor of UCLA, where he holds faculty appointments in psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences and in physiological science. Before coming to UCLA, Block was vice president and provost at the University of Virginia. His research has focused on biological timing and the brain mechanisms responsible for circadian rhythms. He was founding director of the NSF Science and Technology Center for Biological Timing. Appointed chancellor in 2007, Block oversees UCLA's three-part mission of education, research and service. He has defined academic excellence, civic engagement, diversity and financial security as priorities for his administration. A champion of public universities, he was recognized for his efforts to increase access for underrepresented students with the Los Angeles NAACP Foundation President's Award in 2009. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.