Robert J. Birgeneau, an internationally distinguished physicist and president of the University of Toronto, was appointed the ninth chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, by the UC Board of Regents.
Acting on the recommendation of UC President Robert C. Dynes, the regents appointed Birgeneau to the Berkeley post effective on or about Oct. 1. He replaces Robert M. Berdahl, who announced his intention to step down after seven years as chancellor.
Birgeneau, 62, has been president of the University of Toronto since 2000. He previously was dean of the school of science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he spent 25 years on the faculty. He has been elected a foreign associate of the National Academy of Sciences, has received numerous awards for teaching and research, and is one of the most highly cited physicists in the world.
To read the release, click here.