SUBJECT:

A letter from Chair of the Board of Regents Bruce Varner

Dear UC Colleagues,

As chairman of the UC Board of Regents, I am pleased to announce that yesterday (July 18) U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano was appointed as the 20th president of the University of California.

She will take office in late September, bringing extensive experience in tackling tough challenges and leading large, complex organizations. The Special Committee to Consider the Selection of a President unanimously chose Secretary Napolitano from a dynamic pool of more than 300 potential candidates. We were all impressed with her extraordinary character, intellectual curiosity and commitment to higher education.

As governor of Arizona, Napolitano was a strong advocate for public education, from K-12 to the university level. She appreciates the importance of public research universities, faculty scholarship and research and UC's role in shaping California.

I am confident that she has the background and attributes needed to build upon the excellent work of her predecessor, Mark G. Yudof, and to lead the University forward to even greater achievements.

Already, she has expressed an eagerness to join the UC community and to get to know the stellar faculty, staff, students and alumni who make this University great. I am looking forward to working with her and benefitting from her vast stores of expertise.

Sincerely, Bruce D. Varner Chairman, UC Board of Regents

Learn more about Janet Napolitano at this website:
http://ucop.edu/napolitano/