On July 1, 2025, Alan Christy will step down as provost of Cowell College, concluding a remarkable nine-year tenure—the longest in the college’s history.
Christy joined the UC Santa Cruz faculty in 1995 as a historian of Japan and Okinawa. He became provost of Cowell College in 2016, drawn to its legacy of community-based learning, deep intellectual inquiry, and creative exploration.
“Ever since I first heard, directly from students, about Alan’s inspiring undergraduate research courses, bringing together not just students studying history, but also music, theater, computer science, and all other interests and majors, I fervently hoped that he might be interested in our campus’ interdisciplinary undergraduate education leadership role, College Provost,” said Richard Hughey, Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education and Global Engagement. “Cowell College was, obviously, a perfect fit.”
For Christy, serving as provost meant tending to a living tradition, creating space for students to grow, and carrying forward a mission larger than any one person.
During his tenure, Christy helped reinvigorate Cowell’s core institutions. Reviving the Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery, expanding programming at the Cowell Press, and the Cowell curriculum and events that encouraged students to explore justice, identity, and belonging. He nurtured experiential learning and public-facing research projects, mentored students through moments of doubt and challenge, and celebrated their growth every step of the way.
“Alan gave every ounce of his being to this college,” said Alice Folkins, Cowell’s College Academic Manager, who has worked closely with Christy since his first day as provost. “He’s the kind of leader who quietly shows up—whether it’s setting up chairs for a plenary session or walking students through academic hardship—and makes sure everyone feels seen, supported, and part of something meaningful.”
That sense of meaning is woven into the fabric of Cowell’s traditions, perhaps nowhere more visibly than in the Cowell Provost Banners. These handcrafted banners hang in Cowell’s Page Smith Library, each representing a chapter of leadership in the college’s history. The tradition began in 1971, when three Cowell seniors, Jane Husmann, Anna Fickenscher, and Phyllis Wachob Weiss, petitioned Cowell’s second provost Jasper Rose to create an independent study course in heraldry and banners. Their aim was to leave something behind that would outlast a research paper and reflect Cowell’s unique spirit through symbols drawn from English heraldic tradition and reimagined for their time.
Since then, each provost has received a banner at the end of their term. Alan Christy’s banner, created by his sister, quilting artist Linda Evers, is rich with personal and symbolic meaning. It features nine koi fish—one for each year of his service—stitched from fabric he brought back from Okinawa. A red torii gate, bridge, and a pilgrim in traditional garb reflect both his academic focus and his personal journey, including his completion of the Shikoku Pilgrimage. Two cranes honor Shelly Grabe (Provost of Rachel Carson College) and Susana Ruiz (Faculty in Film and Digital Media) who have served alongside him, and the crest above the gate bears the logo of the Okinawa Memories Initiative (OMI), a collaborative public history project Christy directs that engages students in uncovering and amplifying Okinawan perspectives on the postwar era.
Though the OMI project spans continents, its heart is deeply Cowell: hands-on learning, student storytelling, and global citizenship rooted in care. And it’s just one of many ways Christy has helped students connect their education to the wider world. Looking ahead, he’s developing a course that will take students on the Shikoku Pilgrimage. An immersive 10-week journey through memory, place, and personal reflection.
As a teacher, Christy is beloved. As a provost, he has been transformative. Students describe him as compassionate and principled, a listener and a guide. Asked what advice he’d give to the next provost, Christy said, “Cherish this place. Tend to it. It’s bigger than all of us.”
Professor Matt O’Hara, who also serves as provost of Stevenson College, will step into the role of interim Cowell College provost on July 1.
“Alan’s leadership has been thoughtful, generous, and deeply rooted in the values that make Cowell College so special,” said Hughey. “He leaves a legacy of intellectual curiosity and care that will continue to shape the college for years to come.”
