Julio Frenk, current president of the University of Miami and public health researcher, will be elected as the next president of UCLA.
The University of California's Board of Trustees unanimously approved Frenk on Wednesday to become the first Latino president born in Mexico to lead UCLA.
Frenk will earn an annual base salary of $978,904 and will assume the position Jan. 1.
“I want to take on this role for a number of reasons,” Frenk said while addressing the regents on Wednesday. “This is a critical moment for higher education. “We need bold innovation, and UCLA has a track record of embracing that innovation.”
Frenk, 70, will succeed current president Gene Block, who is scheduled to step down on July 31. Darnell Hunt, UCLA's vice president and provost, will serve as interim president until Frenk takes office.
Frenk's appointment comes as UCLA is reeling from months of pro-Palestinian protests. Earlier this spring, Block was criticized for being unprepared after a crowd of counter-protesters attacked a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus. This week, about two dozen pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested on campus.
“Currently, campus communities across the country face complex challenges related to protecting student well-being, stopping all forms of discrimination, and defending the right to free speech,” Frenk said Wednesday. “University leaders must address these issues carefully while continuing to champion the tremendous value that higher education creates.”
Frenk has led the University of Miami since 2015. There, he was recognized for several accomplishments, including organizing a $2.5 billion fundraising campaign and leading the university through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Frenk is the second high-profile education leader to leave the Miami area for Los Angeles in recent years. Alberto Carvalho, superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District since February 2022, previously served as superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
Before leading Miami, Frenk was a faculty member at Harvard University's T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He also previously served as Mexico's federal health minister, where he was credited with reforming the country's health system.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Frenk as the next president of UCLA,” Richard Leib, chairman of the UC Board of Trustees, said in a statement. “Doctor. “Frenk’s strategic and inspirational leadership, coupled with his extensive background in education and health, including his career as Mexico’s Federal Minister of Health, uniquely positions him to lead UCLA into a future of impact and innovation.”
Frenk was born in Mexico City in 1953. His father, then 6 years old, escaped Nazi Germany with his parents and older sister in the 1930s. Frenk's father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all doctors.
Frenk received his medical degree from the National University of Mexico in 1979. He also holds degrees from the University of Michigan, including a Master of Public Health, a Master of Science in Sociology, and a joint doctorate in Health Organization and Sociology.
The field of candidates for UCLA's next president was “remarkable,” but Frank “stood out for his unique combination of academic, medical, administrative and political expertise,” James Steintreger, president of the UC Academic Senate, said in a statement. “The way he straddles the university’s research and health care delivery areas makes him a great fit for UCLA.”