On Friday, James B. Milliken, a former leader of significant public university systems in Texas and New York, was appointed president of the University of California.
Milliken formerly held the position of chancellor of the University of Texas from 2018 to the present. Additionally, he has served in leadership positions at the University of North Carolina, the University of Nebraska, and the City University of New York.
Berkeley, Los Angeles, and Davis are among the ten campuses that make up the UC system. August 1 is Milliken’s start date. His annual salary will be close to $1.5 million.
“The University of California is universally regarded as the preeminent public research university in the world, and I am deeply honored to have an opportunity to join the many talented faculty, staff, and campus leaders in their vital work,” Milliken stated. “It is more important than ever that we expand the education, research, health care, and public service for which UC is so widely admired and which has benefited so many Californians.”
The announcement coincides with the Trump administration’s efforts to pressure institutions to support the Republican president’s political agenda by slashing federal money.
The U.S. Education Department is investigating dozens of universities, including the University of California, Berkeley, for their involvement with The PhD Project, a nonprofit that aims to diversify higher education faculty and the business sector.
Berkeley is also under investigation by the Trump administration for alleged antisemitism connected to pro-Palestinian demonstrations against the war in Gaza that erupted on campuses around the country last year.
Berkeley responded that their commitment to combating antisemitism is “unwavering.”
In order to ascertain if the admissions practices of three University of California campuses adhere to the ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court to abolish affirmative action in college admissions, the Trump administration also initiated investigations into these universities.
Milliken takes over as president of UC after Michael V. Drake. In the more than 150-year history of the system, Drake was the first Black individual to hold the position.
Drake, who has been president since 2020 and has guided the system through the coronavirus pandemic, a graduate student strike, and numerous campus protests, said last year that he would be stepping down.
He announced his resignation last July, following an especially turbulent spring. Law enforcement delayed hours to intervene after counterprotesters overran a pro-Palestinian camp that had developed on the UCLA campus over several days in April and early May.
The following day, around 1,000 people who had assembled to support the campsite were dispersed by riot-garbed officials.
Milliken “has the depth of wisdom and experience,” according to Drake, to handle the difficulties of running one of the biggest public university systems in the country.
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“I have great confidence in both his leadership and his commitment to the University’s enduring values,” he stated. “I’m excited about his appointment and look forward to seeing all that he will accomplish at the University.”
The appointment of Milliken to “drive the next chapter of innovation, talent, and progress that will shape California and the country for generations to come” thrilled California Governor Gavin Newsom, according to a statement.
