As UCLA chancellor since 2007, Gene Block oversees the university's three-part mission of education, research and service. He has defined academic excellence, civic engagement, diversity and financial security as top priorities for his administration. A champion of public universities, his dedication to access and affordability has maintained and enhanced UCLA's position as a national leader in enrolling undergraduates who come from underrepresented groups, are first in their families to attend college and are Pell Grant recipients. Block also holds faculty appointments in the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and the College of Letters and Science. An expert in neuroscience, his research has focused on the neurobiology of circadian rhythms. Before becoming chancellor of UCLA, Block spent 29 years at the University of Virginia, where he was most recently vice president and provost. He has served on the executive boards of several leading organizations, including the Association of American Universities, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities and Association of Pacific Rim Universities.