The UC Board of Regents has named Michael Drake, former president of Ohio State University, the new UC president on July 7. Drake started the new role on Aug. 1.
Before his time at Ohio State, Drake was the chancellor of UC Irvine from 2005 to 2014 and the UC systemwide vice president for health affairs from 2000 to 2005. He is the first Black man to hold the position of UC president.
Drake completed his undergraduate education at Stanford University and his M.D. and fellowship in ophthalmology from UC San Francisco (UCSF). He then spent nearly two decades on the faculty of the UCSF School of Medicine.
The UC Board of Regents unanimously approved Drake’s selection after what he called a thorough hiring process in a July 11 press conference. He will succeed President Janet Napolitano, who stepped down on Aug. 1 after seven years in office.
“Much has changed in the 15 years since I was given the privilege of becoming chancellor at UC Irvine, but not my absolute belief in this great university and its time-honored mission,” Drake said in the press conference. “I look forward to working with the regents, chancellors, students, faculty, staff, alumni and our broader community as we, together, guide the university through the challenging times ahead.”
