The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) has named Dr. Dennis Assanis as its 6th chancellor. Assanis will begin his tenure on September 1, 2025, following the retirement of long-serving chancellor Henry T. Yang, who led the campus for over 31 years .
Assanis, a Greek-American mechanical and ocean engineer, brings a wealth of higher education leadership and academic rigor to UCSB. He has previously served as president of the University of Delaware (2016–2025) and provost at Stony Brook University (2011–2016) . His extensive career also includes faculty and administrative roles at the University of Illinois, University of Michigan, and earlier at UCSB’s engineering college.
At Delaware, Assanis spearheaded initiatives aimed at broadening student success and advancing research infrastructure, efforts that included establishing the University Honors Program and catalyzing growth in STEM enrollment. Under his leadership, research funding at Delaware consistently rose above $200 million annually.
Santa Barbara’s interim chancellor, David Marshall, praised UCSB’s momentum, stating that Assanis will be tasked with steering the campus into its next phase, focused on research excellence, sustainability, and inclusive student success .
UCSB’s 2023 R&D expenditure totaled $305.5 million, ranking it among the top 110 research universities in the US. The campus is also home to 26,000 students, including nearly 3,000 graduate students, supported by a $1.03 billion annual budget and a $579 million endowment.
As Assanis prepares to assume the chancellorship, the spotlight turns to his plans for UCSB’s future. Stakeholders are anticipating how his vision will elevate UCSB’s research stature, foster enrollment diversity, and uphold community and environmental partnerships.
