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The UC Board of Regents on March 27 voted unanimously to appoint Mark Yudof the 19th president of the University of California.

Yudof, a legal scholar, is the current head of the University of Texas system. His UC appointment will begin this summer, though the exact date is yet to be determined, and he will succeed Bob Dynes, who last August announced his intention to step down by June after nearly five years in the position.

Yudof's hiring was done during a special meeting of the regents board following a search committee's recommendation last week.

'A terrific choice'

Yudof, 63, has served as chancellor of the UT system since 2002. He heads one of the largest university systems in the country with 15 campuses, 194,000 students and an annual operating budget of $10.7 billion. Yudof previously was president of the University of Minnesota and a longtime faculty member, dean and provost at the University of Texas at Austin.

Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef has known Mark Yudof since his years at the University of Minnesota.

"He is very thoughtful," said Vanderhoef, "and his decisions always well-reasoned. He comes from a system office at the University of Texas that has similarities and dissimilarities with the UC, both of which will inform his work here."

The chancellor said that in the "final analysis," Yudof cares about people — students, staff and faculty, and "the many people the university serves."

Others agree about Yudof's personal touch and talents. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger described him as a "terrific choice" and "world-class selection" for the university system. "As one of the nation's most important and respected university leaders, Yudof has a proven record of great achievements," said the governor.

Richard Blum, chairman of the UC Board of Regents, said California was fortunate to have secured one of the nation's most sought-after university leaders.

"I cannot think of a more qualified person to meet the day-to-day challenges and provide the long-term vision that is needed at this time in the university's history. The choice of a new leader is an integral part of our effort to restructure the administration of the university and make it more efficient. The most important part of that restructuring is securing a leader to move the effort forward," said Blum.

Yudof reacted to his appoinment by saying he was "deeply honored" by the opportunity to lead "this remarkable institution.

"The UC stands as a model for the world," he said, "creating tomorrow's leaders and innovators and helping to solve many of society's most pressing problems.

Outgoing president Dynes said that he is "thankful to entrust the university to an outstanding successor."

Campuses and collaboration

Yudof currently heads a public university system with nine academic campuses and six health institutions. Before being named chancellor of the UT system, he was a faculty member and administrator at UT Austin for 26 years and then served five years as president of the University of Minnesota. A highly regarded legal scholar and the recipient of many professional awards, Yudof is an expert on constitutional law, freedom of expression and education law.

Yudof said that in addition to academic excellence and student opportunity, among his priorities at the University of California will be continuation of the effort to review and refine the roles and responsibilities of systemwide administration.

"A system office exists to facilitate the work of the campuses and add value to the campuses — to ensure that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts," Yudof said. "It should facilitate collaboration and cost savings among the campuses, not erect obstacles in their quest for excellence. The University of California already is looking intensively at these issues at the Office of the President, and I intend to continue that restructuring effort as president."

Yudof also emphasized the importance of accountability mechanisms at the systemwide and campus levels to demonstrate the return on the public's investment in the university. Likewise, he said he will place a priority on communicating with Californians and building greater understanding of how the university contributes to their daily lives.

"We must earn the confidence of the people of California every day," he said, "and part of that effort involves demonstrating how our work is solving problems that are important in their lives — in health, in the environment, in agriculture and nutrition, and in countless other areas."

UC faculty leader Michael Brown expressed his support for the appointment of Yudof. "Chancellor Yudof brings strong leadership, a commitment to academic excellence and diversity, and a deep appreciation of shared governance."

In addition to serving as president, Yudof will hold a faculty appointment in the School of Law at UC Berkeley.

Yudof, a native of Philadelphia, earned a bachelor's degree and an LL.B. degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He began at UT Austin in 1971 as an assistant professor of law and later became dean of the School of Law from 1984 to 1994 and executive vice president and provost from 1994 to 1997, when he left for the University of Minnesota.

His wife, Judy, is the immediate past international president of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. She also serves on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Council in Washington, D.C., and on the international board of Hillel. The Yudofs have two grown children — a son, Seth, and a daughter, Samara.

As UC president, Yudof will receive a compensation package valued at $828,000 in the 2008-09 year, compared to a current package estimated at $790,000 at the University of Texas. (These figures do not include standard retirement plan funding for future retirement benefits for university employees at both institutions.)

— UC Office of the President