SACRAMENTO — James B. Milliken, who has led major public university systems in New York and Texas, was named president of the University of California on Friday.

Milliken comes to the role from the University of Texas, where he has served as chancellor since 2018. He has also held leadership roles at The City University of New York, the University of Nebraska and the University of North Carolina.

The UC system has 10 campuses, including Berkeley, Los Angeles and Davis. Milliken starts on Aug. 1. He will be paid nearly $1.5 million a year.

Experienced Leader Takes Helm

“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 UC press release. “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 announcement comes at a time when the Trump administration is targeting federal funding at universities in an attempt to get them to comply with the Republican president’s political agenda.

Navigating Political Challenges

The University of California, Berkeley, is among dozens of colleges under investigation by the U.S. Education Department over its ties to The PhD Project, a group aimed at diversifying the business world and higher education faculty. The Trump administration is also investigating Berkeley over allegations of antisemitism linked to pro-Palestinian protests against the war in Gaza that broke out last year across campuses nationwide.

In response, Berkeley said it has “an unwavering commitment” to fighting antisemitism.

The Trump administration also launched probes into three University of California campuses over their admissions policies to determine whether they comply with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn affirmative action in college admissions.

Milliken succeeds Michael V. Drake as UC president. Drake was the first Black person to serve in the role in the system’s more than 150-year history. Drake announced last year that he would step down after serving as president since 2020, leading the system through the coronavirus pandemic, a graduate student strike and various campus protests.

Leadership Transition and Future Outlook

His announcement last July that he planned to step down followed a particularly tumultuous spring. Over several days last April and early May, counterprotesters attacked a pro-Palestinian encampment at UCLA that had grown on campus and law enforcement waited hours to step in. The next day, authorities in riot gear dispersed more than 1,000 people who had gathered to support the encampment.

Drake said Milliken “has the depth of wisdom and experience” to deal with the challenges that come with leading one of the nation’s largest public university systems.

“I have great confidence in both his leadership and his commitment to the University’s enduring values,” he said in a statement. “I’m excited about his appointment and look forward to seeing all that he will accomplish at the University.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement that he was excited to see Milliken selected for the role to “drive the next chapter of innovation, talent, and progress that will shape California and the country for generations to come.”