McQuade Named New VC
English Professor to Head University Relations
Posted February 3, 1999
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 Donald McQuade. Noah Berger photo. |
In his new position, McQuade, 57, will oversee a staff of 180 and an operating budget of $12.3 million.
"He has a distinguished record as a teacher and a scholar and he possesses a strong and invaluable background as a writer and communicator," Chancellor Robert Berdahl said Friday at a reception for McQuade.
"Don's ability to communicate the aspirations and values of our faculty and students to constituencies both within and beyond the university community is invaluable."
Among his immediate responsibilities is to lead the campus's Campaign for the New Century to a successful conclusion. The ambitious campaign is well on course toward its goal of raising $1.1 billion by 2001.
Pending approval by the UC Board of Regents, McQuade will succeed C.D. Mote, Jr., who departed in August to assume the presidency of the University of Maryland at College Park. John Cash, who has served as interim vice chancellor since Mote's departure, was praised by both Berdahl and McQuade for his skillful leadership during this period. Cash will resume his duties as associate vice chancellor for University Relations and director of the capital campaign.
Calling Cash a "consummate professional," Berdahl said, "John has lead University Relations since Dan Mote's departure with skill and grace. I know that the staff of University Relations has great affection for John. And I share that affection.
"With Don, John, and Matt (Lyon, the new assistant vice chancellor for public affairs) to lead University Relations, we have a combination of academic and professional talent that I believe is unbeatable."
McQuade will serve as president of the University of California Berkeley Foundation, which raises, invests and administers donations to the campus.
He also will oversee the Office of Public Affairs, which is responsible for campus publications and communications, media relations and the government affairs program.
"This an occasion for me to declare -- and I hope for each of you to renew -- a commitment to enriching and extending Berkeley's unique identity as the most distinguished public research university in the world," McQuade said at the Alumni House reception.
Since arriving at Berkeley in 1986, McQuade has held several senior administrative posts, most recently acting vice provost for the 1997-98 academic year.
As dean of Undergraduate and Interdisciplinary Studies in the College of Letters & Science from 1989-95, he was the founding dean of the American Studies program, also serving on its faculty. In addition, he conceived and developed the Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program.
On a national level, McQuade serves on several foundation and nonprofit boards. Currently, he is the vice chair of the board of directors of the National Writing Project, a federally funded project at 160 universities and colleges.
A great advocate of the arts on campus, he served from 1993-95 as acting chair of the Department of Dramatic Art. During this period of uncertainty about its academic programs and future, he led the faculty in founding the Center for Theater Arts. He is also a member of the board of trustees of Cal Performances, the campus's highly acclaimed performing arts presenter.
He has written, edited and co-edited many books on writing, American literature and advertising and has two books due out this year -- Vol. 9 of the "The Correspondence of William James" and "Seeing and Writing: Double Takes on Contemporary American Culture." He frequently is interviewed by journalists on the issues of advertising, writing and literacy.
Prior to joining the Berkeley faculty, McQuade taught at Queens College, City University of New York. He received his MA and PhD from Rutgers University.
In addition to his academic achievements, McQuade has been a member of national championship teams in swimming and water polo and was an international and Olympic-certified water polo referee.
He is married to Susanne Batschelet McQuade, coordinator of the campus recreational and nutrition programs CalFIT, CalSTAR and Optimal Health Center. They live in Oakland. Their daughter, Christine, is a 1996 Berkeley graduate and dances with the New York-based Streb Company. Their son, Marc, is a third-year Berkeley student majoring in architecture.
February 3 - 9, 1999 (Volume 27, Number 21)
Copyright 1999, The Regents of the University of California.
Produced and maintained by the Office of Public Affairs at UC Berkeley.
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