A Note to the Orange Community
On April 15, 2026, Chancellor Kent Syverud shared with our community that he has been diagnosed with a form of brain cancer and has begun treatment at the University of Michigan. In his letter, he spoke of optimism, determination, and profound gratitude for his care teams, for our Board of Trustees, and for the community he has led with such dedication for more than twelve years.
This page is a place for all of us, students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, friends, and partners, to respond in kind. To send encouragement. To share a memory. To simply say thank you.
Every message submitted here will be collected and shared with the Chancellor and his family during this time.
What to Share
There is no right way to write a message like this, and no message is too short. Some may want to share a favorite memory from Commencement, a moment at the JMA Wireless Dome, or a conversation on the Kenneth A. Shaw Quadrangle. Others may simply want to offer a word of encouragement, a prayer, or a reflection on what the Chancellor's leadership has meant to them.
Write from the heart. Whatever you send, it will be received with care.