Van Schultz ’74, M.S. ’75

For Van Schultz, a passion for engineering didn’t just shape his career and studies, it also influenced how he spent his free time. His love for building model trains allowed him to think about the intricacies of an engine or a train car and create a miniature working world. This pastime allowed him to channel his love for problem solving into a creative and artistic project. As our current UC Alumni Regent, it is by applying these same principles of problem solving that he is able to think about strategic initiatives within the multi-layered UC system.

When he wasn’t taking engineering courses at UCLA, Schultz filled his free electives with history classes. This love of history, everything from Medieval History to the Civil War, is an interest he continues until today. He understands that learning doesn’t stop once a student graduates and believes that universities have an interesting challenge to continue to find ways to educate their alumni and remain relevant in their lives.

Even as a student, Schultz often gravitated towards leadership roles. As an undergraduate he served on a team of students that offered feedback on current curriculum and while a graduate student he served as a senator for the Graduate Student Association. However, his alumni leadership role did not really begin until he was attending his son’s orientation at UCLA. It was there that Scultz ran into an old friend who asked him if he had considered getting involved in the Engineering Alumni Association.

This stepping stone led to Schultz serving on various committees, eventually being asked by Larry Siegler ’59 to serve as president of the Engineering Alumni Association. His work eventually caught the attention of Eleanor Brewer M.B.A. ’86 who asked if he would consider becoming president of the UCLA Alumni Association Board of Directors.

In his work with various UCLA organizations he has seen the UCLA engine at work and has an understanding of the many moving parts that work together to propel the university forward. He brings this knowledge with him during his service as Alumni Regent for the UC system. There he tries to navigate a delicate balance between the various governing bodies and institutions with competing goals that try to focus equal energy on research and teaching.

Schultz views the university’s relationship with the state as symbiotic and while the UC can benefit from state funding, the state can also benefit from the UC community. The alumni population is growing at a fast pace and many graduates from the UC system will remain in California. This year alone UCLA will add around 8,000 new graduates. The vast majority of this population will end up living in a state that can benefit from what is being accomplished at UC campuses statewide. He would love to see a cultural shift in alumni involvement to reflect that and looks forward to helping incorporate more active alumni roles in the organization.

Van Schultz received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in engineering. His wife, Susan Schultz ’75 and son, Stephen Schultz ’04 are also graduates of UCLA.