<p>Gene Block, the lively and rosy-cheeked provost from the University of Virginia, was named the next chancellor of UCLA during Thursday's UC Board of Regents meeting, ending a year-long search for UCLA's ninth chief executive. <br/>Block earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from Stanford and both his master's and doctoral degrees in psychology from the University of Oregon. <br/>His expertise lies in the areas of cellular and neural mechanisms of sleep and wake cycles, with research into the effects of aging on cells in the brain that form the biological clock. <br/>Block's annual salary is set at $416,000, which is almost $100,000 more than his predecessor, Albert Carnesale, and current Interim Chancellor Norman Abrams. Block's salary makes him one of the two highest-paid campus leaders within the University of California system, as he makes as much as UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau and more than UC President Robert Dynes. Dynes recently declined a pay raise amid a scandal in which the UC was accused of granting millions of dollars of unreported compensation packages to university employees. <br/>Quick to share his excitement with those present at the meeting, Block expressed his gratitude for the offer and spoke about a recent incident that reassured him in his decision to accept the chancellorship. <br/>Block said a month ago, at a time when he was still thinking about the position, he was having dinner with his wife at a restaurant and he recalled reading the fortune from his cookie at the end of the meal. <br/>"The fortune cookie said that in order to cross a great river, you can't do that in two small jumps, you have to take a great leap, and I think this is a great leap," Block said, referring to his move to UCLA. <br/>And Block has made a similar leap in the past as he already has administrative experience. In 1978, Block was appointed assistant professor of biology at the University of Virginia and later became the vice president for research and public service. <br/>In 2001, he was named provost at the University of Virginia, the second-highest position at the university. <br/>While Block said it may be too early to specify the details of any proposals or changes he would like to see, Block said it was necessary to "make progress and diversify our faculty and students ... (and) develop new and important relationships that are mutually beneficial with the city of Los Angeles." <br/>Continuing fundraising efforts and catering to the increasing popularity of travel abroad programs are also points of focus for Block. <br/>But he said this may shift with time as he becomes more familiar with the specific needs of the campus. <br/>"I rely a lot on consultation. ... I believe the sum is greater than its parts, so if you lead by consultation, you can become a more effective leader," he said. <br/>Though Block said his initial reaction was fear and performance anxiety, those feelings were not enough to stop him from moving to Los Angeles to become a part of the UCLA community with his wife, a medical technologist, who he said is close to retirement. <br/>Block has already begun talking to the current chancellor about some aspects of the chancellorship, and said he plans to continue some of the initiatives Abrams has begun. <br/>In his few months as interim chancellor, Abrams has proposed changes to the admissions process and has actively been involved in protecting faculty research initiatives. He plans to move forward with his plans until his tenure ends. <br/>Abrams referred to the chancellorship as analogous to a relay race in which he will carry the baton until his portion of the race is completed at the end of the 2006-2007 academic year. <br/>Block also mentioned the smooth transition, saying he plans to continue discussions with Abrams. <br/>"This is a wonderful transfer of baton. (Abrams) has started some very strong initiatives that I?d like to continue," Block said. <br/>Students were also present at the regents meeting to express what they want to see in a chancellor. <br/>Among them was Jenny Wood, former Undergraduate Students Association Council president, who also served on the advisory committee to UC President Robert Dynes for the selection of the new chancellor. Wood was the first of seven to speak during the public comment session. <br/>Wood said she wants the new chancellor to "make a commitment to improving access to higher education to all Californians and actively work to increase access to underrepresented communities ... and low-income communities here at UCLA." <br/>Increasing diversity among the faculty and student body would be a priority, Block said in a later interview. <br/>Training faculty to recruit a more diverse applicant pool is an important part of developing a more diverse staff, but it will be a slow process, because faculty can be offered tenured positions and usually stay for longer periods of time, Block said. <br/>To increase student diversity, Block said he plans to continue the work of Interim Chancellor Abrams and continue to work toward making changes when needed. <br/>During the public comment period, Block appeared to be listening attentively, and later said he values student input but does not think the current means are the right mechanisms for gauging broad student opinion. <br/>"I think working more with our student council is important, because they speak to a large student body," Block said. <br/>Block's appointment was welcomed at the meeting by both regents and members of the public, who said Block has many positive qualities to bring to the UCLA community. <br/>John Oakley, a faculty representative to the regents, said the board considered attributes besides Block's scholarly contributions and academic expertise. <br/>"You look for a cluster of things, and you can't give pride or place to any ? all of them have to be there," Oakley said. <br/>"(Block) has the right kind of style and California sunniness to fit in well with UCLA and to make the most of its unique attributes including the world-class cultural city UCLA is centralized in," Oakley said. <br/>Citing similar attributes as Oakley, Vivek Shetty, the chairman of the Academic Senate, said it was appropriate of the board and advisory committee to chose a scholar with administrative experience rather than just choosing an administrator. <br/>"Everything (the chancellor) will do as administrator will be viewed in that prism of scholars. And that is exactly what UCLA needs," Shetty said. </p><br><br><a href='; target='_blank'>;