UC Santa Barbara's science faculty includes four Nobel laureates (in chemistry and physics) and numerous elected members or fellows of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. More than twenty of our young faculty members have active Faculty Early Career Development Awards from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The campus ranks 3rd in the country—behind Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology—in the percentage of its assistant professors who receive prestigious research awards from the NSF and three private foundations. These organizations—the Arnold and Mabel Beckman, David and Lucile Packard, and Alfred P. Sloan foundations—award fellowships in science and engineering to researchers early in their faculty careers. 

Open Endowed Chairs

All endowed chairs are currently filled.

Endowed Chairs

People
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Alan Heeger

University of California Presidential Chair II

Alan Heeger

Professor Emeritus

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Zvonimir Dogic headshot

Güenter and June Ahlers Chair in Experimental Physics

Zvonimir Dogic

Professor

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Scott Grafton

Bedrosian Coyne Presidential Chair in Neuroscience

Scott Grafton

Distinguished Recall Professor

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Trisalyn Nelson

Jack and Laura Dangermond Chair of Geography

Trisalyn Nelson

Department Chair

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Amy Frazier

Jack and Laura Dangermond Chair of Conservation Science

Amy Frazier

Professor

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David Pellow

Dehlsen Chair in Environmental Studies

David Pellow

Professor

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Denise Montell

Robert and Patricia Duggan Chair in MLPS

Denise Montell

Distinguished Professor

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Craig Montell

Robert and Patricia Duggan Chair in MLPS

Craig Montell

Distinguished Professor

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Galen D. Stucky

E. Khashoggi Industries, LLC Chair in Letters and Science

Galen D. Stucky

Distinguished Professor

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David Valentine headshot

Robert M. Norris Presidential Chair in Earth Science

David Valentine

Distinguished Professor

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Carla D'Antonio

Arent and Jean Schuyler Chair in Environmental Studies

Carla D'Antonio

Professor

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David Patterson

Richard Whited Chair in Interdisciplinary Science

David Patterson

Associate Professor

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Dennis Clegg

Wilcox Family Chair in BioMedicine

Dennis Clegg

Distinguished Professor

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Joel Rothman headshot

Wilcox Family Chair in Biotechnology

Joel Rothman

Distinguished Professor

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Ben Mazin

Susan and Bruce Worster Chair in Experimental Physics

Ben Mazin

Professor

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Joe Incandela

Pat and Joe Yzurdiaga Chair in Experimental Science

Joe Incandela

Professor

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Ania Bleszynski Jayich headshot

Veeco Endowed Chair in Engineering and the Sciences

Ania Jayich

Professor

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Gareth Peters

Janet & Ian Duncan Chair in Actuarial Science

Gareth Peters

Professor

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Clifford Johnson

North Hall II Endowed Chair

Clifford Johnson

Professor