JAMES L. DOTI
President, professor of economics
Chapman University, Orange
Born in Chicago
Age: 65
Lives in Villa Park
WHY: More than 20 years as president of OC’s largest private university. Twelfth president in school’s 150-year history. Comple-ments academic credentials with prolific fundraising, community ties, promotion.
HOW: Joined Chapman in 1974, founded Anderson Center for Economic Research in 1978. Became dean of Argyros School of Business and Econ-omics in 1985, president in 1991. Has held Donald Bren Distin-guished Chair in bus-iness and economics since 1999.
Developed first quarterly econometric model for a metropolitan area. Model still used as teaching tool and aid on Chapman’s annual Economic Forecast conferences, which have been running for more than 30 years.
RECENT: Celebrated 150th year of Chapman. Heading school’s continued ex-pansion plans. Recently broke ground on $100 million Filmmakers Village. Future projects include science center, residence halls and Center for the Performing Arts. School was eyeing Crystal Cathedral Min-istries’ campus in Garden Grove. Outbid by the Catholic Diocese.
Doti still plans to expand overall health sciences program. Set to start school of biopharmacy in 2014 together with Keck Graduate Institute in Claremont. Hopeful of starting an OC branch in subsequent years.
No. 7 in U.S. News & World Report rankings for colleges in Western region, up from No. 8.
COMMUNITY: A Pink Tie Guy, part of a group of men who support Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Involved with several aid programs in Africa, including orphanages in Kenya.
INTERESTS: Co-author of econometrics textbooks. Co-editor of texts that received the Templeton Honor Award for Scholarly Excellence. Author of children’s book A Christmas Adventure in Little Italy. Plans to write second children’s book, co-hosts Dialogue With Doti and Dodge on PBS SoCal.
PERSONAL: Marathon runner since 2002, with 40 overall, seven Boston Marathons to credit. Has climbed four of the Seven Summits: Argentina’s Mount Aconcagua, Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Elbrus in Russia and Mount Vinson in Antarctica. Downhill slalom racer.
EDUCATION: Bachelor’s in economics from the University of Illinois, Chicago; master’s and Ph.D. in economics from University of Chicago.
FAMILY: Wife, Lynne, is Stone Professor of economics at Chapman. Also associate dean of Argyros School. Two adult children, Adam and Cara, two grandchildren. Cats Tommy and Mitzie. Lost beloved dog in December.
—Jane Yu
MICHAEL V. DRAKE
Chancellor
University of California, Irvine
Born in New York
Age: 61
Lives in Irvine
WHY: Leader of OC’s most influential university.
HOW: Longtime University of California faculty member and administrator. Medical degree from UC San Francisco. Joined faculty there teaching ophthalmology, and moved up to department vice chair and senior associate dean for medical school over 20 years. Ap-pointed vice president for health affairs at the UC Office of the President in 2000. Oversaw 15 health sciences schools in UC system. Founded California Health Benefits Review Program.
RECENT: Took top post at UC Irvine in 2006. Has since launched new programs in public health, pharmaceutical sciences and nursing. Oversaw creation of UCI’s law school, California’s first public law school in more than 40 years. Saw inaugural class graduate this month.
Added 5 million square feet of new space for UCI campus, including UCI Doug- las Hospital. School dubbed “Under Construction Indefinitely,” a play on its ongoing expansion on granted land as part of Strategy for Academic Development at UCI through 2015. School ranked No. 45 among U.S. universities by U.S. News & World Report. Had record number of applicants last fall, with about 70,000. UCI ranked third most selective in admission among UC campuses.
COMMUNITY: On boards of California Healthcare Institute and California Health-Care Foundation, Commonwealth Fund in New York and Blue Ridge Academic Health Group at Emory University in Atlanta.
INTERESTS: On Commission on Higher Education Attainment, group of 18 higher-ed leaders with goal for U.S. to have highest post-secondary educational attainment in the world by 2020. Recently named chair of the Association of Public Land-grant Univer-sities Commission on Access, Diversity and Excellence. Co-teaches a freshman seminar on Civil Rights Movement with Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of law school.
PERSONAL: Spent childhood in Engle-wood, N.J., and moved to Sacramento. Enjoys cycling, track and field, music, traveling, stargazing. Musician.
EDUCATION: Bachelor’s in African-American studies from Stanford University. Medical degree from UC San Francisco. Certified by National Board of Medical Examiners and American Board of Oph-thalmology.
FAMILY: Wife Brenda, whom he met in college. Two adult sons.
—Jane Yu
MILDRED GARCIA
Incoming president
Cal State Fullerton
Born in Brooklyn
Age: 60
Will live in C. Stanley Chapman House,
Fullerton
WHY: Will lead largest local college. First Latina president in Cal State system. Fifth president of CSU Fullerton, following Milton Gordon. Outgoing president of CSU Domin-guez Hills.
HOW: Teaching in higher-ed institutions for more than 30 years. Came to CSU system after serving as president of Berk-eley College in New Jersey from 2001 to 2007.
College began of-fering full academic programs in an online format under Garcia’s leadership. Also counts years of teaching at Arizona State Univer-sity, Montclair State University and Hostos Community College of City University of New York.
RECENT: Five-year tenure as president at CSU Dominguez Hills saw school go through big budget cuts. Grew enrollment, increased fundraising and improved graduation rate. Developed school’s first endowed professorship, the Wallis Annenberg Endowed Professor for Innovation in STEM Education. Been on the hot seat amid criticism over salary levels for CSU presidents. Setting plans for Fullerton, including raising graduation rate, which is currently 51%.
COMMUNITY: Serves on the board of Association of American Colleges and Universities. Founding board member of the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships. On the advisory board for Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education.
INTERESTS: Appointed last year to Presi-dent’s Advisory Commission on Educa-tional Excellence of Hispanic Americans. Named to Hispanic Business magazine’s 100 Most Influential Hispanics list for 2007. Author of book Succeeding in an Academic Career; co-author of Assessing Campus Di-versity Initiatives and Transforming the First Year of College for Students of Color.
PERSONAL: Born to parents who came to New York from Puerto Rico. Lost father at age 12. First member of family to go to college. Worked as secretary to support herself during studies. Passionate about holding onto cultural values. Enjoys administration but misses teaching and research.
EDUCATION: Bachelor’s in business education from Bernard Baruch College of CUNY. Master’s in business education and higher education from New York University. Master’s and doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University.
—Jane Yu
