The rumor mills from Sacramento have been speculating on who
will fill the empty seats on the UC Board of Regents, but the most
recent appointment seems to come out of the blue.
The new regent, Eddie Island, was appointed by Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger on Monday.
The opening on the board came last September when Regent Haim
Saban quit the post three years into his term. That leaves Island
with nine years to serve on the board.
Island does not fall into the same group as some of the
high-profile, politically active regents who have sat on the board
in the past. Rather, he has kept a low profile.
“Frankly, he’s a mystery,” said Jennifer
Lilla, president of the UC Students Association. “We’ve
had a fair number of … more public figures that have been UC
regents.”
His strength as a regent comes from his extensive experience in
both energy and aerospace manufacturing, said Julie Soderlund, a
spokeswoman for the governor’s office.
“(He) shares the governor’s belief that … math,
science and technology training is essential to prepare California
students to meet the demands of our economy,” she said.
Island has worked at both the aerospace firm McDonnell-Douglas
Corporation and the energy company Pacific Enterprises.
Some students hope that this will translate into advocacy on
behalf of the students.
“The best students can expect … is that he understands
the value of a research-based education,” Lilla said.
His relative anonymity may be a mixed blessing.
“I think there’s positives and negatives,”
Lilla said.
Unlike some more politically controversial regents who have
served, Island is less likely to draw a lot of attention that can
distract from the work of the board.
But at the same time, this means that students do not really
know what to expect over the next several years.
“It is difficult to predict how effective an advocate he
will be,” Lilla said. “Not knowing certainly is a
little disconcerting.”
Also joining the board this summer is the new appointee for the
position of the 2006-2007 student regent.
Each student regent attends meetings for two years but only acts
as a voting member of the board for one.
Current student regent-designate Adam Rosenthal will assume the
full voting position next year.
If her nomination is accepted, Maria Ledesma, a UC Berkeley
alumna and UCLA graduate student, will become the new regent
designate.
Ledesma said some of her main interests are advocating for
comprehensive review in the admissions process.
The board will discuss Ledesma’s appointment during its
July meeting.