Preparing graduates for the local workforce and building business ties are key goals of the incoming chancellor of the University of California, Irvine.
Michael Drake, who’s set to head UC Irvine starting in July, said the school needs to generate “people who really fuel the enterprise and the economy of California.”
“I want our graduates to be the outstanding and preferred employees of this community,” Drake said at a UCI ceremony on Friday. “We need to train people with the knowledge base that will be able to move industry forward.”
Drake called developing ties between the school and business community “essential.”
“If we’re going to be successful we need to be seen as an essential part of the business community,” he said. “The economy depends on businesses growing.”
A critical issue for Drake will be raising money, an area in which UCI lags behind other schools.
Outgoing Chancellor Ralph Cicerone played a big part in luring the school’s biggest single gift to date earlier this year: $30 million from Hot Pockets inventor Paul Merage.
Drake was asked about fund-raising on Friday but didn’t go into details.
“We could be a place the business community will seek out and fund so that we can grow our programs appropriately,” he said.
Drake said he’s developed a good relationship with Mike Gottfredson, UCI’s executive vice chancellor who also was in the running for the school’s top job. He also expressed support for the idea of adding a law school to UCI.
Since 2000, Drake has served as vice president for health affairs for the University of California in the Bay area.
He said he is looking forward to living in Orange County. He and wife Brenda have lived in OC in the past, he said.
