James B. Milliken, chancellor of the University of Texas system, will serve as the next University of California President beginning August 1, 2025. Milliken is the 22nd president of the University of California system and a longtime leader in higher education.
James B. Milliken wil be the 22nd president of the University of California. Photo Courtesy: Charlie Palafox, University of Texas
After a six-month search to replace incumbent University of California (UC) President Michael V. Drake, the Regents — the governing body of the UC — approved the appointment in a special meeting this afternoon. All Regents present voted in favor of appointing Milliken, with one abstention from Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, who sits on the board in an ex officio capacity.
Drake has served as UC president for five years since his appointment in July 2020, and announced his retirement from the position in July 2024.
The Regents approved a base salary of $1,475,000 for Milliken, according to a press release sent after the meeting.
Milliken has been the chancellor of the University of Texas (UT) system since 2018, where he oversaw an initiative to cover the full cost of tuition for students who have family incomes under $100,000. He led UT through record-level enrollment numbers, decreasing levels of college debt and saw the spending of nearly $5 billion in research expenditures — second in the nation to John Hopkins University.
Milliken also served as the chancellor of the City University of New York (CUNY) from 2014 to 2018, president of the University of Nebraska from 2004 to 2014 and senior vice president of the University of North Carolina from 1998 to 2004. As part of his work at CUNY, Milliken aided to almost double the graduation rate of community college students, focusing on underserved communities.
“JB [James B. Milliken] exemplifies the values and qualities we sought; someone who will build upon the work and the legacy of President Drake; someone who brings decades of leadership experience at major public research universities, and a deep understanding of UC’s vital role in advancing opportunity, innovation, and progress,” Board of Regents Chair Janet Reilly said. “He has a demonstrated track record of expanding access, improving affordability and driving student success, especially for low-income and historically underserved communities.”
In his remarks to the Regents, Milliken discussed the importance of higher education at this time, citing how confidence in higher education is “the lowest in decades since its been measured.” He said the UC holds a “special place” among American and global universities, with “unparalleled” success in the history of higher education.
“And while this history is hugely impressive, UC’s importance to California, the nation and the world is greater today than at any other time in history,” Milliken said.
He acknowledged the efforts of Drake, saying he “successfully” navigated the UC through a global pandemic, made strides in expanding enrollment for Californians, prioritized affordability and student support and ensured the UC health enterprise spreads through the state. Milliken and Drake are friends who met 20 years ago, Milliken noted.
“I have the great confidence that you possess the qualifications and the vision and the wisdom to be able to lead this great university and uphold our values moving forward,” Drake said.
Milliken emphasized the importance of higher education to bridge gaps of opportunity, claiming that “talent is universal, but opportunity is not.” He said that public universities are tools for social and economic mobility.
He acknowledged that higher education as a whole faces unprecedented challenges and changes, but through this the UC’s mission will not change — “teaching, research, healthcare and public service.”
Following his remarks, Regents Staff Advisor Mayté Frías asked what Milliken’s plan is to address the current challenges in higher education. Milliken said that “we need to do everything” to “right that ship” in terms of public perceptions of higher education and potential funding cuts from the federal government, but emphasized at the same time the UC focus on keeping up with the evolution of technology, including AI.
Regent José Hernández advised Milliken to remember students in the decision-making process for the foregoing year, when the UC will need to make budget cut decisions due state budget losses.
“I don’t want to ever forget that we’re here for the students and that when we talk about cuts and affecting the students, that we think about this long and hard because these students need programs like that so they can come up to the level and be successful in our university system,” Hernández said, mentioning tutoring services he relied on as a student.
Several speakers during the public comment session of the meeting brought up the ongoing contract negotiations between UC service workers, healthcare workers and other UC employees and administration, with hopes that the new president will help the unions reach solutions. Two UC unions went on their third joint strike of the academic year on Thursday. Milliken did not mention the ongoing union issue in his remarks.
After the meeting, Chancellor Henry T. Yang shared a message welcoming the president-designate to the UC community.
“I would like to take this opportunity to offer our appreciation to UC President Michael V. Drake for his outstanding leadership, wise guidance, and strong support over the past five years. He has led the UC system with great integrity, and been a tremendous champion for our shared values and mission,” Yang said.
Milliken graduated from the University of Nebraska and received a law degree from New York University. Milliken also serves on the Board of Directors of the American Council on Education and previously served on the board of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), the Business-Higher Education Forum and the United States Council on Competitiveness. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
