Chancellor Emeritus Raymond L. Orbach visited his namesake library on the morning of Friday, April 7.

Escorted by University Librarian Steve Mandeville-Gamble, Deputy University Librarian Ann Frenkel, and Associate University Librarian Alison Scott, Chancellor Emeritus Orbach was treated to a pre-launch tour of the Creat'R Lab.

While there, he met with Medical Library Programs Coordinator Tiffany Moxham and Engineering Librarian Kat Koziar to learn about exciting developments in their respective divisions of the UCR Library.

Orbach was inspired to learn that the library has grown into an interdisciplinary hub and matchmaker, where various departments and their leadership are working together to advance the university, students, faculty, and the Inland Empire.

He was equally pleased to learn of the role the library played in the development of UCR’s School of Medicine (SoM). Medical Librarian Tiffany Moxham described how she has been a key partner in shaping practitioner development and providing research support to clinicians, residents, and others in the SOM community.

Perhaps most exciting for Orbach was when he heard about the collaborations being built with campus and community partners, thereby reducing the silo effect common at many large institutions. Orbach shared that this was his ultimate dream for UCR, and was thrilled to see the growing entrepreneurial ecosystem on campus, including the Creat’R Lab and EPIC (Entrepreneurial Proof of Concept and Innovation Center,) – a collaboration between UCR and Riverside city and county.

Orbach also commented that when he was Chancellor, he wanted to reverse the flow of traffic in the region (i.e. make Riverside the center of economic growth). If recent campus collaborations are any indicator of progress, he might see his wish come true as industry begins to call Riverside home, and UCR a partner, all of which is thanks in part to the UCR Library and a rich legacy of campus leadership.