Gov. Newsom appoints Jose Hernandez to UC Board of Regents
Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Jose Hernandez to the UC Board of Regents on Friday. (Creative Commons photo by NASA via Wikimedia Commons)
By Christine Tran
Aug. 20, 2021 6:38 p.m.
This post was updated Aug. 22 at 7:49 p.m.
Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Jose Hernandez to the University of California Board of Regents, according to a press release Friday.
Hernandez must be confirmed by the California State Senate, and once approved, he will begin his 12-year term as a regent.
Hernandez has served as the president and CEO of Tierra Luna Engineering, LLC since 2012. He worked at NASA’s Johnson Space Center for 10 years, and during his time there, he served as an astronaut, legislative analyst, materials research engineer and branch chief. In 2009, Hernandez was selected to be a mission specialist on board the space shuttle Discovery.
Newsom also appointed four new members to the California State University Board of Trustees and five members to the California Community Colleges Board of Governors.
“These leaders bring a wide array of knowledge and experience from across the state’s diverse regions, including the Central Valley, to our world-class colleges and universities, and share a deep commitment to serving our state,” said Newsom in the press release.
Hernandez is a member of the League of United Latin American Citizens and Latinos in Science and Engineering. In 2016, he received the National Hispanic Hero Award from the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute.
Hernandez, a first-generation student, earned a master’s degree in electronics engineering, signals and systems from UC Santa Barbara in 1986.
UC President Michael Drake and UC Board of Regents Chair Cecilia Estolano congratulated Hernandez for his appointment in a press release Friday.
Estolano said in the press release that she looks forward to working with Hernandez and knows Hernandez will be a strong advocate for the UC due to his background in science.
Drake said Hernandez will bring decades of experience into his role and will guide the UC to greater heights.
“As a native Californian, an alumnus of the University of California, Santa Barbara, a former researcher at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and an astronaut, Jose exemplifies the power of a UC education,” Drake said in the press release. “His deep and diverse expertise will be a tremendous asset to the Board as we work together to serve students and families across the state.”
