Eugene H. Cota-Robles (July 13, 1926 – September 12, 2012) was a professor emeritus of biology at the

University of California, Santa Cruz The University of California, Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz or UCSC) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Santa Cruz, California, United States. It is one of the ten campuses in the University of C ...

(UCSC), and held administrative positions within the University of California (UC) system. He served as academic vice chancellor at UCSC and provost of Crown College. Cota-Robles was recognized for his work in higher education, particularly his contributions to affirmative action, diversity, and faculty development.

Early life and education

Eugene H. Cota-Robles was born on July 13, 1926, in

Nogales, Arizona Nogales (; English: or ) is a city in and the county seat of Santa Cruz County, Arizona. The population was 20,837 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census and estimated 20,103 in 2019. Nogales forms part of the larger Tucson–Nogales L ...

, to Amado and Feliciana Cota-Robles. His parents, who were both elementary school teachers from Pueblo Nuevo, Sonora, Mexico, emigrated to the United States. He grew up in

Tucson, Arizona Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...

, and graduated from high school in 1944. He served in the United States Navy during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

as a signalman aboard the USS ''Baltimore'' in the Pacific. Following his discharge in 1946, he pursued higher education at the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it ...

, earning a Bachelor of Science in

Bacteriology Bacteriology is the branch and specialty of biology that studies the Morphology (biology), morphology, ecology, genetics and biochemistry of bacteria as well as many other aspects related to them. This subdivision of microbiology involves the iden ...

in 1950. Cota-Robles continued his studies at the

University of California The University of California (UC) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university, research university system in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Oakland, California, Oakland, the system is co ...

, Davis, earning a Ph.D. in

microbiology Microbiology () is the branches of science, scientific study of microorganisms, those being of unicellular organism, unicellular (single-celled), multicellular organism, multicellular (consisting of complex cells), or non-cellular life, acellula ...

in 1956.

Career

Cota-Robles began his academic career as a faculty member at the

University of California, Riverside The University of California, Riverside (UCR or UC Riverside) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Riverside, California, United States. It is one of the ten campuses of the University of Cali ...

. He served as chairman of the Department of Microbiology at

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsyl ...

from 1970 to 1973, before returning to the University of California in 1973. At UC Santa Cruz, he became professor of biology and academic vice chancellor, a position he held until 1979. He was a founding member and second president of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), as well as a founding member and past president of the National Chicano Council on Higher Education. He served on the

National Science Board The National Science Board (NSB) of the United States establishes the policies of the National Science Foundation (NSF) within the framework of applicable national policies set forth by the President of the United States, president and the United ...

(1978–1984) and the board of trustees of the

Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (CFAT) is a U.S.-based education policy and research center. It was founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1905 and chartered in 1906 by an act of the United States Congress. Among its most not ...

. From 1982 to 1986, he served as the Provost of Crown College at UCSC. He later worked in the University of California Office of the President as Assistant Vice President for Academic Advancement from 1986 to 1991. Upon his retirement in 1991, the University of California Regents established the Eugene H. Cota-Robles Fellowships for graduate students in his honor.

Personal life

Cota-Robles died on September 12, 2012, at Edward Hospital in

Naperville, Illinois Naperville ( ) is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, DuPage and Will County, Illinois, Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is a southwestern suburb of Chicago located west of the city on the DuPage River. As of the 2020 United State ...

. Cota-Robles married Gun Cota-Robles. He had three children, Erik Cota-Robles, Feliciana Farran, and Peter Cota-Robles. He had six grandchildren.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cota-Robles, Eugene 1926 births 2012 deaths University of California, Santa Cruz faculty People from Nogales, Arizona People from Tucson, Arizona University of Arizona alumni University of California, Davis alumni University of California, Riverside faculty Pennsylvania State University faculty Hispanic and Latino American scientists