Statement on the selection of Michael V. Drake as the 21st president of the University of California

Photo via Wikimedia Commons: Gmartineau86 / CC BY-SA

Today, the University of California (UC) Board of Regents selected Michael V. Drake as the 21st president of the UC system. President-elect Drake follows outgoing President Janet Napolitano, who has served since 2013.

“The Board of Regents embarked upon a presidential search to find the most qualified leader for the UC and California in 2020 and that leader is Michael V. Drake. Drake is the first Black president of the UC system in its 152-year history and comes with a remarkable record of being unabashed in supporting access, completion, and racial equity,” stated Michele Siqueiros, president of the Campaign for College Opportunity.

Michael V. Drake is a seasoned higher education administrator and has served as a former president of The Ohio State University (OSU) and a former chancellor of UC Irvine. “We applaud the UC Regents for their diligent work to identify and select a president who understands the urgency to improve access, transfer, and graduation rates at UC and who we expect will close persistent racial and ethnic gaps in student outcomes,” added Siqueiros.