| Linda P.B. Katehi | |
|---|---|
| Sixth Chancellor University of California, Davis | |
| Term | August 17, 2009 – |
| Born | January 30, 1954 Greece |
| Alma mater | National Technical University of Athens, Greece UCLA |
| Residence | Davis, California |
| Profession | Electrical Engineering |
Pisti Basile "Linda" Katehi-Tseregounis (Greek: Πιστή Βασιλική "Λίντα" Κατέχη-Τσερεγκούνη, born January 30, 1954) is a Greek-American engineer and university administrator. Since 2009, she has served as the sixth chancellor of the University of California, Davis.[1]
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Katehi was born in Athens and grew up on Salamis Island in Greece. She received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece, in 1977.
Katehi, was a student during the uprising against the dictatorial regime that occurred at that university in 1973, an uprising that was violently crushed on November 17 by a combined military and police force.[2]
She came to the United States in 1979, then earned a master’s degree and doctorate in electrical engineering at the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of California, Los Angeles, in 1981 and 1984, respectively.[3]
Since her early years as a faculty member, Chancellor Katehi has focused on expanding research opportunities for undergraduates and improving the education and professional experience of graduate students, with an emphasis on underrepresented groups. Katehi has mentored more than 70 postdoctoral fellows, doctoral and master’s students in electrical and computer engineering. Twenty-two of the forty-four doctoral students who graduated under her supervision have become faculty members at research universities in the United States and abroad.
Katehi's work in electronic circuit design has led to numerous national and international awards both as a technical leader and educator, 19 U.S. patents, and an additional five U.S. patent applications. She is the author or co-author of 10 book chapters and about 650 refereed publications in journals and symposia proceedings.[4]
A member of the National Academy of Engineering, she chaired until 2010 the President’s Committee for the National Medal of Science and the Secretary of Commerce’s committee for the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. She is a fellow and board member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a member of other national boards and committees, including the National Security Higher Education Advisory Board.[5][6]
In April 2011, Katehi was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.[7] She is also on the Board of Directors of John Wiley & Sons.[8]
Previously held positions include the John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering and professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue University, and associate dean for academic affairs and graduate education in the College of Engineering and professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the University of Michigan.
Before coming to UC Davis, Katehi served as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She oversaw the admissions office during much of the time period that came to be investigated as part of the University of Illinois clout scandal. Katehi denied involvement, saying the "Category I" decisions were made at higher administrative levels.[9]
Katehi was appointed chancellor by the University of California Board of Regents on May 7, 2009, effective August 17, 2009. She holds UC Davis faculty appointments in electrical and computer engineering and in women and gender studies. [10] Katehi charged a committee with creating a new "Vision of Excellence" for the school.[11] She also launched several blue ribbon committees: tech transfer and commercialization,[12] research,[13] information technology excellence,[14] and organizational excellence.[15] Katehi also created the Chancellor's Colloquium Distinguished Speaker Series to bring together distinguished scholars and government leaders who promise intellectual spark and enriching engagement with our academic community[16] As of 2009, Katehi's base annual salary was $400,000.[17]
In response to acts of hate and intolerance on campus in 2010, Katehi launched the Hate-Free Campus Initiative to reaffirm the campus’s values and commitment to one another.[18] The initiative included creation of "Beyond Tolerance Tuesday," collaboration with the Museum of Tolerance, and the creation of a speakers series and the Civility Project, which began with a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Under Katehi's leadership, UC Davis co-hosted the Governors' Global Climate Summit 3: Building the Green Economy in November 2010.[19] Participants included Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the United Nations Development Programme, and the United Nations Environment Programme. The summit’s focus was to continue to build subnational collaboration on policies and strategies to stimulate economic growth, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, create green jobs, promote clean energy solutions and reduce greenhouse gas pollution.
On November 18, 2011, Katehi requested Occupy movement protesters on the UC Davis campus remove their tents from the quad. When a group of non-compliant protestors refused to move, campus police officers pepper sprayed them.[20] Eleven protesters received medical treatment; two were hospitalized.[21] The incident led to further protests and calls for Katehi's resignation from the 100-member UC Davis Faculty Association,[22][23] the UC Davis Department of English,[24] and a majority of the faculty of the UC Davis physics department,[25] among others. The UC Davis Academic Senate, which represents the entire faculty, did not immediately announce its position publicly.[26] Senate Chair Linda Bisson criticized Katehi's slow response in providing information and taking disciplinary action against police, but she said most faculty want Katehi to stay in her post while being held accountable in some way.[27] Katehi stated that she will not step down, instead encouraging the development of public discussion of the matter.
On November 19, Katehi called for creation of a task force to review the incident and report their findings and recommendations within 90 days.[28] Katehi said she took "full responsibility for the incident" and placed two officers and the chief of campus police on administrative leave.[29] Katehi and State Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez requested an outside investigation, and Mark G. Yudof appointed former Los Angeles Police Department Chief William J. Bratton to head the investigation.[30]
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