Duncan Mellichamp
California
Duncan Mellichamp and wife, Suzanne have contributed their efforts to many organizations in the Santa Barbara community. In 2006 they were awarded the Santa Barbara medal, University of California, Santa Barbara’s highest award, for their special contributions to the campus.
A UCSB faculty member for 46 years he is a 1966 founding member of the Chemical Engineering Department. He served as elected head of the UCSB Academic Senate; as head of the UC-wide Academic Senate and faculty representative on the UC Board of Regents; as the Chancellor’s special assistant for long-range planning; and as trustee of the UCSB Foundation & member of the Finance Committee for the past 12 years. He also continues to co-teach the capstone senior chemical engineering design course.
Since retirement he has been particularly active with Opera Santa Barbara, serving for 9 years on the board and three years as president.
While an active UC faculty member, Duncan led the University’s efforts to create the joint Ellwood/Devereux Open Space Agreement, a unique preserve with 2.25 miles of coastline and over 600 acres of permanently preserved open space just west of the campus and the campus-managed UC Coal Oil Point Preserve.
Since 2001, the Mellichamps have jointly endowed 13 professorships for outstanding mid-career faculty at UCSB in the areas of systems biology and globalization.
In Fall 2012 they were selected by Santa Barbara Beautiful to be inaugural recipients of the new Griswold Award for Philanthropy for their visionary support of programs at the University and in the community.
The Mellichamps have resided in Santa Barbara since 1966.
