Compounding disasters and polycrises are rapidly accelerating in their intensity, frequency, and complexity. Communities across our state, nation, and interconnected world are facing an existential challenge. Our world-class university system's ability to innovate across disciplines, sectors, and geographies can help realize best outcomes as this unprecedented chapter in our history evolves.

Governance

UCDRN is a multi-layered organization, enabling critical collaboration and input at every level of our organizational structure. 

The Executive Committee is responsible for proposing and managing UCDRN’s policies, programs and other activities with members appointed by the University Council. 

The University Council
is the primary governance body, representing all key units in the UC system and providing guidance on strategy, policies and programs. 

Campus-based Committees organize local networks, activities, and inputs from particular UC units and nominate representatives to the University Council.

The Advisory Board is a renowned group of external professionals who advise the UCDRN on policies, partnerships, research opportunities, fundraising, outcomes, and reports.

2021

Thanks to The Rudi Schulte Family Foundation, Mr. Dick Beahrs, and Mr. Mark Bertlesen, after years of grassroots organizing across and beyond the University of California, UCDRN formally launches in the midst of the Covid 19 Pandemic.

Organizational structure is consolidated and augmented systemwide, with
visionary leadership recruited from all campuses and key external partners.

2022

Key cross-sectoral partnerships with top NGOs, government, private, and international stakeholders undertaken.

Wildfire resilience research incubated in collaboration with the UC Natural Reserve System; backed by The Moore Foundation.

Campus-based Committees (CbC) established at UCSB and UCR; explored at several other campuses.


2022




MOU signed with
American Red Cross' Disaster Preparedness Center.

Advisory Board (Chair Mark Bertlesen) and Governance Council (Chair LeRoy Westerling, Merced; Co-Chair Sec. Janet Napolitano, Berkeley) established.

2023

First systemwide disaster resilience course, launched from UC Berkeley with support of UCOnline.

Inaugural
"UC Disaster Resilience Day" convened cross-sectoral leadership at UC Center Sacramento.

Global collaborations with leading public research universities in South American and Western Europe commenced.

2024

Augmenting teaching, research, and service-based partnerships across all UC campuses.

Wildfire
resilience research advanced regionally with UCNRS, key Santa Barbara community reps, & UCDRN @UCSB & UC Merced.

Institutionalized programmatic and administrative gains-to-date.

2025 & Beyond

GAINS TO-DATE INCLUDE:

Education- hybrid Disaster Resilience Studies portfolio expands by 400%; dozens of affiliated courses listed. Exploring comprehensive and strategic systemwide offerings with UCOnline.

Research - constellation of independent, symbiotic resilience centers (climate policy; seismic; wildfire; cyber; community research, etc.) under consideration across several campuses.

2025 & Beyond

Diverse service-oriented partnerships include -
Association of Pacific Rim Universities
The 2025 EY Open Science AI & Data Challenge
California Council on Science & Technology
Microsoft AI for Good
American Red Cross' Disaster Preparedness Center


Administration -  Chancellor engagement at several campuses as UCDRN leadership close in on potential endownment.

Our network

We convene experts from across the UC system’s 10 campuses, 5 medical centers, and 3 national labs.

230,000 faculty and staff

UCDRN has access to one of the deepest talent pools in the world, covering more than 160 academic disciplines.

10 Campus-based committees

UCDRN’s strength is in its ability to amplify strengths and resources at the campus level and connect them to broader, system-wide initiatives.

Partnerships

Robust partnerships capable of pooling collective talents are not nice but necessary in order to better prepare for, reduce the risk of, respond to and recover from disasters.

Leading Sectoral Expertise

UCDRN’s Advisory Board helps guide our programmatic work and contains everyone from former elected officials to CEOs of international corporations.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The University of California was founded to ensure broad, equitable access to quality higher education as a fundamental right.  Our world-class system  has uniquely provided long-term societal benefits through excellence in research, teaching and public service. UCDRN supports and is committed to advancing this critical social contract; our University's policy statement on diversity; and equitable access to opportunity, civility, respect for differences -- with a deep appreciation for diversity in all its forms.

What's next?

We’ve made significant strides to date consolidating and augmenting our early wins in close collaboration with key partners across the system including UC Office of the President.