James B. Milliken
Milliken will succeed Dr. Michael V. Drake, who has served as UC president since 2020 and was the first Black president in the system's history. Drake announced last year his intention to step down in July 2025.
“The University of California is universally regarded as the preeminent public research university in the world, and I am deeply honored to have an opportunity to join the many talented faculty, staff, and campus leaders in their vital work,” Milliken said in a statement. "It is more important than ever that we expand the education, research, health care, and public service for which UC is so widely admired and which has benefited so many Californians."
The 68-year-old Nebraska native brings extensive leadership experience in public higher education. Prior to his role at the University of Texas system, which he has led since 2018, Milliken served as chancellor of the City University of New York from 2014 to 2018, president of the University of Nebraska from 2004 to 2014, and senior vice president at the University of North Carolina from 1998 to 2004.
Milliken steps into the leadership role during a complex period for the UC system, which faces both federal research budget cuts from the Trump administration and potential cuts from California state funding. Though not directly addressing these issues in his initial statement, Milliken signaled his approach in remarks to Regents at UC San Francisco following the announcement.
"We need to do everything we can to right that ship, to address those challenges head-on," Milliken said. "But, at the same time, the rest of the evolution of technology and knowledge is not going to wait for us to do that. AI will tremendously change how we offer education, how we do healthcare, how we do many of the things that we do every day."
Janet Reilly, chair of the UC Board of Regents, expressed confidence in Milliken's ability to navigate these challenges.
"Chancellor Milliken embodies the qualities and leadership experiences the University of California community needs at this moment," Reilly said. "He understands how critical UC's contributions are to the state and the country, and he has decades of experience leading public institutions during times of unprecedented change in higher education."
The UT system, which Milliken has overseen, includes nine academic universities and five health institutions serving approximately 256,000 students. The system ranks second nationally in annual federal research spending among public universities, with research expenditures of nearly $5 billion.
The University of California system is larger, with ten campuses serving nearly 300,000 students, six academic health centers, and three nationally affiliated laboratories. UC receives approximately $6 billion annually in federal funds for research and program support, not including additional large sums its hospitals receive through Medicare and Medicaid.
