The Board of Regents last Thursday selected the next UC president. He is Mark G. Yudof, currently head of the University of Texas system.

This follows Yudof’s unanimous recommendation for the position by the regental committee conducting the nationwide search, which was led by Regents and search committee chair Richard C. Blum.

The choice of the educator and legal scholar was announced as 93106 was going to press.

Yudof, 63, is one of the leading figures in American higher education and has served as chancellor of the UT system since 2002. He currently heads one of the largest university systems in the country with 15 campuses, 185,000 students, and an annual operating budget of $10.7 billion.

UC includes more than 220,000 students, 170,000 faculty and staff, and an $18 billion annual budget at its 10 campuses.

Yudof previously was president of the University of Minnesota and a longtime faculty member, dean, and provost at the University of Texas at Austin.

The new chief executive would replace President Robert C. Dynes, who last August announced his intention to step down no later than June 2008 after nearly five years of leading the University.

A highly regarded legal scholar and the recipient of many professional awards, Yudof is an expert on constitutional law, freedom of expression and education law. His academic works include four editions of the book “Educational Policy and the Law.” More about Yudof can be found on the UCOP Web site.