The Board of Directors of the University of California has today approved the appointment of James B. Milliken as 22nd president of the UC world renowned system of 10 campuses, six academic health centers and three laboratories affiliated at the national level.
A experienced leader in higher education, Milliken has been the Chancellor of the University of Texas (UT) system since 2018. His distinguished career also includes the Chancellor’s post at the University of the City of New York (CUNY) from 2014 to 2018, president of the University of Nebraska from 2004 to 2014, and senior vice-president at the University of North from 1998 to 2004.
“The University of California is universally considered to be the pre -eminent university of public research in the world, and I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to join the numerous leaders of professor, staff and talented campuses in their vital work. It is more important than ever that we extend education, research, health care and public services for which UC is so widely admired and which has benefited from so many Californians, “said Milliken.
Guided by its commitment to extend the opportunities and success of students, Milliken was a leader in expanding access to higher education for low -income students. In UT, he led a bold initiative to cover the total cost of tuition fees and the fees for eligible students whose families have an income of less than $ 100,000. Milliken leadership at UT also includes record registration levels, low university debt and nearly $ 5 billion in annual research expenditure, ranking second in the country. The UT system health company, with seven medicine schools, is one of the country’s largest health care providers.
“Chancellor Milliken embodies the leadership qualities and experiences, including the needs of the University of California community at the moment,” said Janet Reilly, president of the UC Board of Regents. “He understands how criticism of the UC are critical to the state and the country, and he has decades of experience at the top of public institutions in times of unprecedented change in higher education. Chancellor Milliken is simply the right person for UC at the right time. ”
At Cuny, Milliken has expanded a pilot program called ASAP (Study Acceleraled in Associate Programms), almost double the three -year diploma rate of community college students and supervised the launch of the Cuny School of Medicine, specifically focused on bad communities in New York. Milliken was an eminent professor of law, public policy and education at the Cuny Graduate Center. At the University of Nebraska, Milliken led a record fundraising campaign and launched a partnership with the United States Strategic Command, creating one of the few research centers affiliated to university in the country. Thanks to the Collegebound of Nebraska program, he provided free tuition fees and compulsory costs to students whose family income was less than $ 50,000. In Nebraska, he held teachers in law schools and public policies.
“Chancellor Milliken has the depth of wisdom and experience to meet the challenges and opportunities for this position,” said the current UC president Michael V. Drake, MD “I have great confidence in his leadership and his commitment to the university’s sustainable values.”
Milliken was a graduate of Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Nebraska and obtained a law degree from New York University, where he was a scholar of Racine-Tolden. He has received many prestigious honors, notably the Distinguished Nebraskan Award awarded by the Governor of the State, the order of The Long Leaf Pine, awarded by the Governor of North Carolina, the prize for the production of City & State New York.
Milliken is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Council on Education and previously sat on the Board of Directors of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU), the higher education forum and the competitiveness council. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and is a member of the Council for Foreign Relations.
“During the last year, we have heard a lot of students, teachers, staff, former students and the deep impact partners that the UC had on their lives and aspirations in the future. In Chancellor Milliken, we have found common ground to support a leader who will serve with integrity, openness and a deep commitment to the promise of public education – has advanced the opportunity, access and outings in diversity, the special committee to examine the selection of a president. “The distinguished career of the Chancellor and the commitment of life to public education is preparing him to direct the University of California in this new era. As the university is evolving, it is essential that we are committing the leaders followers to sail in change and position the institution for long -term success. And advice in the process and our incredible research team, Alberto Pimentel and the SP&A team, for their partnership and their advice through this process. »»
Milliken will assume his role as president of the UC on August 1, 2025, with an annual salary approved by the council of $ 1,475,000. He succeeds President Drake, who has been president of the university since 2020 and who announced that he would resign in July 2025.
“The solid history of collaborative leadership of Chancellor Milliken, his ability to listen to and his talent for consensus are used for it while we are entering a period of major change in higher education,” said Steven W. Cheung, MD, president of the academic Senate of the Faculty. “In Milliken, we found a highly respected leader who shares our highest aspirations for the CU. I am convinced that he will rely on the tradition of academic excellence of the university, shared governance, indomitable resilience and exceptional talents to ensure its continuous positive impact on society and the world. ”
The six -month search for the next leader of the university system started in November 2024. Guided by rigorous criteria approved by the regents, the in -depth research process incorporated precious contributions from a wide range of stakeholders, including teachers, students, staff, alumni and community partners.
With nearly 300,000 students and generating more than $ 80 billion in economic activity, UC improves the daily life of the inhabitants of California and across the country thanks to world -class educational opportunities, revolutionary research and best rated health care.
“The research committee service was a huge responsibility and an opportunity to represent the votes of students,” said student Regent Josiah Beharry. “Throughout this process, we were looking for more than a simple leader – we were looking for someone who could speak the language of equity with action, which understands that affordability is not a privilege, but a promise. In Chancellor Milliken, we found someone who does not only believe in the transformative power of public education, but who knows how to communicate his value in value, for families and dreams. The walls.
Milliken, 68, and his wife, Nana Smith, have three adult children.
