Just a few months shy of 10 years ago, I arrived in the Santa Barbara area to start what would become the Pacific Coast Business Times.

I was introduced to Paul Glenn, an investor and philanthropist, who graciously hosted a lunch for me and several area business leaders. Glenn said at the time that he was sorry that the new dean of engineering at University of California, Santa Barbara, couldn’t join us.

A few days later, I was headed to San Jose on a United puddle jumper from Santa Barbara, and by sheer coincidence, Matt Tirrell, the missing lunch guest, unexpectedly appeared in my life.

For the past nine years, I’ve marveled at the magic that has happened at the College of Engineering, and in the sciences in general, at UCSB under the leadership of Chancellor Henry Yang and Tirrell.

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