After 18 years of dedicated service to UC Santa Cruz, and more than 30 years in higher education, Associate Vice Chancellor of Enrollment Management, Michelle Whittingham has announced her retirement, effective July 2025. Her leadership has left a lasting mark on the campus and touched the lives of thousands of students, families, and colleagues around the world.
Michelle’s path into higher education was shaped early on by her family and an experience that transformed her sense of what was possible. As a high school student, she studied abroad in Panama, where the warmth and encouragement of her host family deepend her understanding of how care, mentorship, and community support can change a person’s trajectory. “Para adelante … always moving forward” became a guiding value.
That experience sparked her interest in international relations and eventually led her to earn a bachelor’s degree in international affairs with a concentration in business and economics and a minor in Spanish from Eastern Washington University. She later completed a Master of Science in communication studies, with a focus on leadership and service in higher education.
After graduation, a newspaper ad led her to her first full-time role in the field at her alma mater. “I wasn’t sure what I’d be doing exactly,” she said, “but it sounded like both a fun and meaningful opportunity.” She stayed for more than a decade, eventually serving as Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management before joining UC Santa Cruz in 2007.
During her time at UC Santa Cruz, Michelle initially oversaw a broad portfolio that included Undergraduate Admissions, Financial Aid and Scholarships, the Registrar’s Office, the Educational Partnership Program, UC College Preparation, and Orientation. Working closely with her teams, she helped shape how students access, afford, and complete their education–through work grounded in equity, inclusion, and care.
Her leadership style often showed up in small, quiet acts. She’s been known to give a student a ride to the airport, store belongings over break, or open her home to a student in need. At commencement, she sat with parents and grandparents, sharing in their joy. She’s visited grieving families in hospitals and supported students navigating personal loss, academic stress, or bureaucratic red tape. “Our work is all about how we approach it. It’s not just about what we do, it’s how we do it,” she said.
Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships Lorena Rodriguez recalled one of Michelle’s frequent refrains: “When things feel out of control, the one thing we can control is how we treat one another.” That philosophy, Lorena noted, “has never felt more timely.”
Michelle also championed strong faculty partnerships on campus, especially through years of collaboration with Senate committees and leadership on enrollment policy. “Michelle’s leadership helped UC Santa Cruz grow as a research university, while always keeping students and families at the center,” said Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education and Global Engagement Richard Hughey. “Her strategic insight, deep compassion, and commitment to collaboration have left a lasting legacy.”
In a recent group presentation, Michelle reflected on what makes her work meaningful: “We don’t just recruit students, we want to help them accelerate their passions. And it’s about helping teachers, counselors, and families understand how students can use their gifts to make the world a better place.”
She often returns to a question she once received: What sets your soul on fire? It’s a motto that stuck with her, capturing the purpose, authenticity, and heart she brings to every part of her work. It’s a question she’ll continue to carry with her into retirement. “To me, it’s all about relationships—learning, sharing, and growing together,” she said. “Leadership is about influence and creating the conditions where people want to do what needs to be done.”
Looking ahead, Michelle plans to enjoy much more time with family, her garden and her “garden of relationships” locally and globally. She has joined the UC Santa Cruz Smith Society Board, plans to stay actively engaged in international education, leadership development, teaching and most certainly plans to remain engaged with UC Santa Cruz, saying she will “always be a Banana Slug, connected in spirit and action.”
During the transition, Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education and Global Engagement Richard Hughey will assume leadership of the Enrollment Management team, working closely with the strong leadership Michelle helped build. Timetra Hampton will serve as Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor of Undergraduate Enrollment and Director of Admissions, alongside Financial Aid Director Lorena Rodriguez and Enrollment Data Strategist Yiyi Tang.
