Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi of the University of California, Davis, today (July 12) released the following statement on the nomination of Janet Napolitano to be the next president of the University of California:

I am very pleased and excited with the nomination of Janet Napolitano as the next president of the University of California. Secretary Napolitano has a distinguished record of public service and leadership, as a state attorney-general, as governor of Arizona and for the past four years as a member of President Obama's Cabinet and Secretary of Homeland Security. I believe Secretary Napolitano will be a transformational leader for the university and I applaud her nomination.

She has run large, complex organizations, and has been a strong advocate for education at all levels from kindergarten to college. With her deep background in politics at both the state and federal levels, she will help the UC system navigate this period of tight federal budgets and continuing reductions in funding.

Secretary Napolitano has also been deeply involved in issues of immigration and immigration reform. These issues are important to us as a university and as a nation, as they enable us to attract the best and the brightest from around the world, and have them contribute to our society and economy. She has been an advocate for the federal Dream Act, and implemented policies to prevent deportations of young people who are pursuing a college education.

I look forward to welcoming Janet Napolitano to the UC family, and hope that one of her first stops will be our beautiful campus at UC Davis.