Impact Report 2025-26 Transforming Lives
UC study abroad students enjoying a day out in London (September 2025)
Message from the Chair The UC Trust in Europe advances the mission of the University of California by supporting UC students, alumni, donors, and faculty abroad, and builds strong institutional partnerships. Our commitment is to Transforming Lives, the theme of this year’s Impact Report. The Board of Trustees is committed to building the strongest organizational foundation for this work. To this end, over the past two years, the Board has updated our Articles of Incorporation, refining governance policies, and establishing thematic Board Committees. We have also introduced new processes to onboard and engage incoming Board members. All of this work supports the core mission of the UC Trust: transforming lives by connecting students, alumni, and campuses through events, lectures, presentations, mixers, and professional development programs. We uniquely represent all ten UC campuses in Europe and help create new career pathways and institutional relationships that benefit UC students. There are many ways to participate with us, and on April 17, 2027 we will celebrate our 10th Annual Gala. In this Impact Report, we are pleased to share highlights of our work and hope you will join us as we continue to grow and strengthen the UC Trust.
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Deborah Miller Chair of the Board of Trustees 3
Message from the Executive Director As the UC Trust’s reach and impact continue to grow, the theme of our 2025-26 Impact Report, Transforming Lives, feels especially fitting. This year, we reached an even broader audience of students, staff and alumni across the UC system through our varied program of education, social, and philanthropic events. Deepening our engagement with study abroad students and enhancing their experience overseas remained central to our mission. In the UK, the Netherlands, and Spain, we hosted a new format of Career Town Hall where students led the conversation, asking questions while alumni shared career insights and cultural advice with the next generation. Overall, more than 750 students and alumni participated in these exchanges throughout the year. It was also a year of laying the groundwork for new opportunities. Building on our relationships in the UK, the UC Trust helped advance the idea of joint UC/UK research initiatives designed to transform lives in the areas of climate, health and energy. We also began laying the foundation for developing alumni-sourced internships for year-long study abroad students in London, which we will pilot in the coming year before expanding the initiative. As we bring new opportunities to the UC community in the UK and Europe, we look forward to working with our fellow alumni, faculty and staff to continue transforming lives.
Greta Paa-Kerner Executive Director
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About Us The UC Trust works with alumni, study abroad students, donors, and faculty from ten campuses to bring the University of California to the UK & Europe Alumni
Students
Advancing Education
Philanthropy
Whether a former undergrad, graduate, extension or exchange student, we work to ensure alumni’s relationship with the UC system extends beyond their time in California.
Studying abroad is an opportunity to expand one’s horizons academically, professionally, culturally, and personally. The UC Trust is here to ensure students get the most out of this experience.
The UC Trust strengthens international collaborations in research, knowledge exchange and innovation. We showcase UC’s academic excellence and connect campuses with academic and industry partners in the UK and Europe.
The UC Trust offers a unique opportunity to make tax-efficient donations and volunteer for the advancement of the UC system.
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About Us | 2025-26 Calendar of Events Q1 (July - September)
Q2 (October - December)
BARCELONA UCEAP Alumni Career Panel
AMSTERDAM Saturday Night Social
LONDON Pride in London Parade with UC Pride UK Team UC Runs the Saucony 10k Dinner with Prof. Sanjay Sood UCLA v. Michigan Pub Quiz Showdown Dinner with Provost Newman UCSB Day of Service UC Alumni UK Network Kick-Off
EDINBURGH Ghost Bus Tour LONDON UC Town Hall: Living & Working in the UK Team UC at the US Alumni Pub Quiz Connect the Zots! Sustainability Network Entrepreneurship Showcase
PARIS UCLA Community Reception and Forum
PARIS Cal Tip-Off with the Women’s Basketball Team UCLA Thanksgiving Dinner
MADRID Alumni Wine Tasting
VIRTUAL Planning Your Legacy Webinar
UTRECHT Community Reception featuring UCLA Promise Institute
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About Us | 2025-26 Calendar of Events Q3 (January - March)
Q4 (April - June)
BARCELONA Tapas Night Social
AMSTERDAM The Power of Conflicting Perspectives with Dr. Kevin Pham
GLASGOW Profs at the Pub
BARCELONA Superblock Barcelona: Streets for Urban Experimentation
LONDON Dinner & Dialogue: US Foreign Policy in 2026 UCI Lunar New Year Dinner UCLA Dinner with Jack Bobo UCSB Taco Crawl Studio Tour with Isaac Julien UCLA Anderson: How to Build Your Human Capital Zot Social Blue & Gold Night UC Alumni 9th Annual Gala
EDINBURGH Academy late at the Royal Scottish Academy LONDON UCLA x USC London Alumni Mixer Connect the Zots Dinner with Prof. Abeer Alwan UC Alumni UK Summer Celebration MADRID Alumni Networking Night Community Reception for UC Madrid Alumni and Students
MADRID Golden Connections: Alumni and Student Mixer Entrepreneurship in Spain: UC & IE Alumni Panel
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Students lead the discussion during a University of California Trust Town Hall in Madrid (June 2026)
About Us | Event Engagement Event Attendance 2025-26
Campus Attendance 2025-26 Santa Cruz 6.5%
Students 20.9%
Santa Barbara 8.4% Berkeley 29.9% San Diego 9.7%
Parents 1.1%
Alumni 54%
Riverside 2.8%
Guests/Friends 17.6%
Davis 3.7% Irvine 7.7%
Faculty/Staff 6.4%
UCLA 30.9%
Alumni
Faculty/Staff
Guests/Friends
Parents
Students
2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26 0
200
400
600 Number of Attendees
9
800
1000
Facilitating Giving Back
9th Annual UC Alumni Gala | Facilitating Giving Back The 9th Annual University of California Alumni Gala brought together the UC community for an evening of celebration, connection and philanthropy. Held at One Whitehall Place in London, the event welcomed 190 guests including alumni, campus leaders, supporters and friends of the University. The evening featured keynote remarks from UC Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman and a student address from Camila Morcate Enriquez (UC Santa Barbara ’26), placing the value of study abroad scholarships at the heart of the event. Guests from all nine undergraduate campuses were present with tables purchased by UC Berkeley, UC Berkeley Executive Education, UC Irvine, UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz and the UC Education Abroad Program. Generous sponsorship from Stone King, Maseco Private Wealth and Jaffe & Co. further contributed to the evening’s success. The Gala raised vital funds to expand student opportunities, helping ensure the next generation of UC students can access transformative international experiences.
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Facilitating Giving Back | The Eureka Fund In memory of UCSB alumnus Jason Mollring, the UC Trust and the volunteer UC Alumni UK committee teamed up to create a new grant opportunity, the Jason Mollring Eureka Enterprise Fund (“Eureka Fund”) to support UC-affiliated early career entrepreneurs based in the UK. Jason was a proud California Londoner and was a central figure in the UC community in the UK for more than twenty years including serving as President for the UC Alumni UK Committee from 2022-2024. Professionally, he founded Eureka Insights, a social-innovation consultancy whose work strengthened communities, governments, and businesses across the UK. He dedicated his career to empowering entrepreneurs, mentoring social enterprises, and fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors. Aimed at early career entrepreneurs who are launching innovative projects with measurable social, environmental, or community impact, the fund will provide individual applicants with £2,000 in seed money as well as mentoring and workspace access. It’s a fitting legacy to Jason as he believed deeply in the power of the UC community - in its generosity, its curiosity, and its ability to bring people together to create positive change.
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To make a donation to the Eureka Fund, please scan the QR Code.
Jason Mollring 1972 - 2025
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Amplifying the UC System’s Work
Highlights from Chancellor Gillman’s Speech from the 9th Annual UC Alumni Gala One thing I know: we are all true believers, true believers in the mission and positive impact of the University of California. We know its power firsthand, and we know that the lives of millions of people have been transformed for the better because of the university’s commitment to pursue advanced knowledge, educate the most talented and ambitious young people regardless of background, and make our communities and our world better through public service and clinical care. It’s a vision unlike any other that preceded its creation. For most of American history, and still too often today, prestigious universities did more to reproduce privilege than create meaningful opportunities for talent and promise that would otherwise be overlooked. But in the mid-20th century, California leaders had an unprecedented idea: don’t just create one flagship land grant or public university along with a smattering of less prestigious regional campuses, but instead strive to create an entire system of world-class research universities so that all of the people of California will have a meaningful opportunity to be educated at the highest level and so every region in California will benefit from the presence of such campuses. I truly believe that the decision of the people of California to create this extraordinary system should go down in history as one of the most visionary decisions ever made by a free, democratic people in support of their own well-being…. What can be more important for the future than an educated and discerning citizenry combined with discoveries that serve the public good?
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Amplifying the UC System’s Work Across all disciplines, the incomes of UC bachelor’s degree recipients double between two and ten years after graduation, with an astonishing 93% of UC’s lowest income students going on to earn more than their parents. And this past year, the University of California set a world record by earning more Nobel Prizes in one year than any other university in history. The discoveries recognized this year include a better understanding of the immune system leading to lifesaving treatments for conditions like cancer and multiple sclerosis, to pioneering research that laid the foundation for quantum computing, to designing molecular materials that can help remove airborne pollution and harvest drinkable water from desert air. UC: Good for you, good for California, good for the world. …. What a remarkable institution. How proud we all are to be able to say that we are graduates of the greatest public university system in the world. And how noble it is that we come together to do our part to support its historic mission and to support the best and most deserving students anywhere. Let me close by reminding you of the great motto of the University of California: Fiat Lux, Let There Be Light. … Let us continue to pursue all that is illuminating. Let’s shed light on fascinating and important questions. And let us strive to eradicate the darkness of ignorance, the darkness of intolerance, through the work we commit ourselves to doing tonight and in the years to come.
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Campus Partners | Amplifying the UC System’s Work Through its partnership with CREST at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), the UC Trust is helping provide exposure to authentic research experiences for learners around the world. CREST delivers four experiential learning programs designed to make academic research more accessible, three of which are offered free of charge and online to ensure that opportunities are available to a diverse range of participants without barriers. By engaging participants in real-world research and problem solving, these programs develop critical thinking and evidence-based decision-making skills. This year, the UC Trust hosted a special event showcasing CREST's Shadow the Scientists program, which enables participants to observe researchers live via Zoom as they conduct field investigations. The event brought together UC alumni, study abroad students, and university and secondary school educators. A highlight of the event was a live connection to the control room at the W. M. Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea in Hawaiʻi, where attendees experienced firsthand what it is like to observe the sky using one of the world's leading astronomical research facilities.
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Professor Raja GuhaThakurta and students at the Lick Observatory, Mount Hamilton, California. (October 2025)
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Campus Partners | Amplifying the UC System’s Work Food is central to our collective human experience, and it has the power to connect us all. It is crucial, however, to consider the impacts of sourcing and providing the food that we need. How are we going to produce enough food to feed the world sustainably and nutritiously during the next 30-40 years? What are the choices we need to make to feed the world sustainably, and what are the repercussions of those decisions? The Rothman Family Institute for Food Studies at UCLA was created to advance these discussions of how we connect and think about food. The Institute is overseen by Jack Bobo. Professor Bobo previously led the Food Systems Institute at the University of Nottingham, and has spent 13 years at the U.S. State Department as an advisor for global food policy. He was named as one of the 100 most influential people in biotechnology by Scientific American for his work on food trends and consumer behavior. This year, Professor Bobo gave the keynote presentation at the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) conference in London in September 2025. In addition to this, he also hosted a webinar for members of UCLA’s Chancellor’s Society in Europe in October, and spoke at a dinner for UCLA alumni in February.
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Professor Jack Bobo speaking to UCLA alumni. (February 2026)
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Amplifying the UC System’s Work | Knowledge Exchange & the Spark Initiative This year, the UC Trust played a pivotal role in the creation of SPARK (Strategic Partnership and Research Knowledge), a new research relationship with the Russell Group and a shared conviction that the most consequential scientific challenges of our time require the best minds working across borders. In parallel with the California-UK Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the UC Trust Office connected Provost Newman with British government, philanthropic and university leaders, laying the groundwork for what will become the inaugural SPARK meetings in September 2026 outside Washington, D.C. Nearly 80 researchers from the 10 UC campuses and the Russell Group's 24 leading UK research universities will convene across back-to-back working sessions organized around the research themes chosen by researchers across both systems: "Health Equity and Pandemic Resilience" and "Climate Resilience, Environmental Justice, Wildfire, and Floods". Participants will meet to develop collaborative research proposals that aim to solve issues facing the world today. As Provost Newman has said, "The UC-Russell Group relationship represents an extraordinary opportunity to pair California's research scale and ingenuity with British research excellence around the problems that genuinely matter to both our nations."
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California Governor Gavin Newsom signing an MoU with UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband (February 2026)
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Building confidence in the next gen
Building confidence in the next gen
The UC Trust, in collaboration with UCEAP, hosted an event in the Netherlands featuring current UCLA LLM (Master of Laws) students studying abroad at the Promise Institute for Human Rights in The Hague. The students shared insights from their research and experiences working with international human rights institutions to transform society. In addition to hearing from current students, the event showcased the Promise Institute, one of UC's many pioneering programs, which combines rigorous legal education with hands on experience at the center of international justice.
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Building confidence in the next gen The UC Trust supports students by providing opportunities to network, develop personal and professional skills, and make the most of their time abroad. We also support UC students traveling to Europe by hosting events that connect them with our dedicated alumni community.
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Building confidence in the next gen | Student Internships & Opportunities
Over the past year, the UC Trust has deepened its support for students, helping them build confidence, pursue international opportunities, and develop the global perspective that will shape their lives and future careers. Internships and work-based roles have been central to this work. During the year, the Trust hosted two part-time student interns and one part-time graduate coordinator, whose contributions strengthened our social media activity, CRM development, prospect research, and engagement planning. Working with our alumni community, in Spring 2027 we are planning to pilot internship opportunities to select students at participating higher education institutions.
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Alumni offering career advice to UCEAP students in Barcelona. (September 2025)
Building Confidence in the Next Gen | High Potential Individual Visa (HPI) The UK High Potential Individual (HPI) visa allows recent graduates from UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, UCLA, UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara to live and work in the UK without employer sponsorship. Applicants must have been awarded a full degree within the last five years. Bachelor’s degree and Postgraduate degree holders receive a visa for two years, while PhD graduates can receive a visa for three years. This unique opportunity is offered to anyone who has completed a degree from one of these five campuses regardless of citizenship. HPI visa holders can undertake most forms of employment, including self-employment, and can study.
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Want to know more about the High Potential Individual Visa? Scan the QR to visit the UK Government’s information page!
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The UC Alumni UK Leadership Team (2025-26)
Alumni catalyzing change
Dinner & Dialogue | Alumni Catalyzing Change We work to promote the academic excellence of the University of California by showcasing the best of UC talent. By working closely with campuses, we create welcoming spaces where alumni can connect and learn across generations and geographies.
UCSC Alumni UK’s Dinner & Dialogue brought together alumni and current students for an evening of conversation and lifelong learning. The event featured journalist and UC Santa Cruz alumnus Ryan Chilcote in conversation with UC Davis alumnus Greg Miller, an investigative foreign correspondent for The Washington Post, for a discussion on US foreign policy. Drawing on decades of international reporting experience, Chilcote and Miller offered attendees the chance to engage with global affairs through the lens of two UC alumni with distinguished careers in journalism.
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Alum, Jordi Honey-Rosés shares his research in urban planning in Barcelona (June 2026)
Entrepreneurship Showcase in London (December 2025)
Profs at the Pub in Glasgow (February 2026)
Entrepreneurship Showcase at IE University in Madrid (February 2026)
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Alumni Catalyzing Change | Dr. Kevin Pham In May 2026, we welcomed alumnus Dr. Kevin Pham (BA UC Irvine 2010 & PhD UC Riverside 2020) who gave his talk, The Power of Conflicting Perspectives. He reflected on his engagement with diverse communities in California, his experiences taking students to regions affected by conflict, his research and teaching as an Associate Professor of Political Theory at the University of Amsterdam, and his award-winning book The Architects of Dignity: Vietnamese Visions of Decolonization (2024). In doing so, he encouraged fellow alumni to embrace curiosity, cross-cultural learning, and leadership as powerful catalysts for meaningful change. Kevin Pham has worked closely with the Olive Tree Initiative, a student organization founded at UC Irvine in 2008 which has offered over 500 undergraduates experiential education in regions affected by conflict. The program brings students to the Middle East, Turkey, Armenia, Northern Ireland, Vietnam and elsewhere. Students had the opportunity to meet with local politicians, activists, veterans, bereaved parents and community leaders from different “sides” and across the political spectrum. The organization, today known as the Center for International Experiential Learning, inspires research and teaching with its ethos of studying political issues through travel and critical attention to diverse perspectives.
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UC Alumni 9th Annual Gala
Acknowledgments
Facilitating Giving Back
Thank you to our collaborators from: California Golden Bear Athletics, Cal Alumni Association, UCEAP Central Office, UCEAP Barcelona Study Center, UCEAP London Study Center, UCEAP Madrid Study Center, UC Irvine Alumni Association, UCLA Alumni Association, UCLA Anderson Alumni Association, UCLA Arthur Ashe Legacy Program, UCLA Rothman Family Institute for Food Studies, UC Santa Barbara Alumni Association, UC Santa Cruz Alumni Association, UC Santa Cruz (CREST), IE University, Royal Scottish Academy, MASECO Private Wealth, Jaffe & Co., and Stone King LLP. 30
Acknowledgments UC Alumni Edinburgh
Board of Trustees
UC Alumni UK
Deborah Miller
Claire Frost Santa Barbara
Tim Ilchene Davis
President
Mhairi London San Diego
Chair
Heather Kopeck Davis | UCLA | UCOP Secretary
Jodi Anderson Santa Barbara | UCLA Brad Barber Berkeley Renee Duci San Diego David Helson Berkeley Megan Kissinger UCLA Geoff O’Neill Berkeley Phil White Santa Barbara
Victoria Frost UCLA Vice President
John Darroch Santa Cruz
Secretary of Engagement
Berna Idriz Irvine
Alexandra Brodmann Berkeley Julien Brain Berkeley Haas Diego Groiso Berkeley Haas Konstantina Papadopoulou Berkeley Haas Carlos Colman Meixner Davis Donna Egan Davis
UC Trust Staff Greta Paa-Kerner San Diego Executive Director
Gonzalo Olea UCLA Anderson
Ruben de Bruin UCLA Heena Patel UCLA
Matthew Daines UCLA
Meredith Moore Santa Cruz
Christina Samson Santa Barbara
Rachel Brenner Merced
Campus Partners
President
Patrick Byrne San Diego I UC Law SF
Jorge Medina Irvine
Juan Lopez Romy Stein
UC Alumni Spain
Alana Moceri UCLA
Cheryl Campbell Irvine
Ashley Dotter Santa Barbara Todd Shelley Santa Barbara
UC Alumni Netherlands
Ashley Dotter Santa Barbara
Jayme Ilic Riverside Stephanie Ostrich Riverside Baron Abramowitz Santa Barbara
Professional Photo Credits Anthony Upton 12 Fiona Hanson 4, 10, 11, 13, 21, 22 Nacho del Rio 28
Trey Ratcliff 24
Kara Goslin Santa Barbara
Kate Tasker San Francisco
Ryan Chilcote Santa Cruz
Abbi Davis Santa Cruz
Neely Lally Santa Cruz
Interns Jenné Brookes Berkeley
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Bailey Martinez Berkeley Camila Morcate Enriquez Santa Barbara Fatimah Nakhuda Berkeley
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