Welcoming new UC president
Janet Napolitano, former secretary of homeland security, was welcomed into her new office as the 20th president of the University of California on September 20. She is the first woman to hold the position of overseeing the 10-campus UC system of 234,464 students, 18,896 faculty members, 189,116 staff members and over 1.6 million living alumni.
“We are very pleased to welcome President Napolitano back to California,” said S. Shankar Sastry, dean of the College of Engineering. “She is a good friend of Berkeley Engineering,” he said, recalling her visit to the college as part of a national university tour promoting cybersecurity innovation and education in spring 2011 (see Forefront, fall 2011).
The Board of Regents announced the appointment in July, after the retirement of former UC President Mark Yudof prompted a national search.