Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano approved as next University of California president

SAN FRANCISCO – The University of California governing board has approved Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano as the first female president of the 10-campus college system.

The Board of Regents voted Thursday to approve Napolitano, who is expected to begin the job in September.

Supporters lauded Napolitano as a leader who has managed large, complex public agencies, and said her political aptitude would help the financially embattled university system secure money from the state and donors.

Others criticized Napolitano for having little experience in the education field. Immigration activists took issue with her deportation record.

Napolitano was the unanimous choice of a 10-member search committee that considered more than 300 people for the job.

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