UC President Napolitano announced the inaugural Outstanding Advocacy award recipients at the Sept. 14 UC Board of Regents meeting. The awards, granted jointly by the university president and Board of Regents chair, recognize the efforts of state legislators who champion public higher education and fight consistently to keep it accessible and affordable for California students.
Four California legislators were honored for their support of higher education and UC: Assemblymember Don Wagner (R-Irvine) and Senator Lois Wolk (D-Davis), who are the two founding co-chairs of the UC Legislative Roundtable; Senator Carol Liu (D-La Cañada Flintridge), who is chair of the Senate Education Committee; and Assemblymember Das Williams (D-Carpinteria), who is the former Chair of the Assembly Higher Education Committee. Additionally, community leader and UCLA alumnus Howard Welinsky was recognized as one of the university’s strongest allies.