Share this pageFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 11, 2002
For More Information, Contact:
Kristina Loquist at (916) 651-4011
SACRAMENTO – Assemblyman Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) will receive the Legislator of the Year Award from the Alumni Associations of the University of California (AAUC) on Tuesday, March 19, 2002.
“I’m honored by this recognition from the University of California alumni,” Simitian said. “I know first-hand that the UC system provides a top-quality educational opportunity, and I look forward to continuing to support both K-12 and higher education.”
Jeffrey Seymour, UC Regent and AAUC President, noted that “AAUC selected Assemblyman Simitian for his exceptional leadership in supporting the University of California and furthering the University’s research and education missions. Assemblyman Simitian has been an influential champion of the UC Silicon Valley Center and a responsive and involved representative at both UC Santa Cruz and UC Berkeley.”
“Assemblyman Simitian’s work has helped UC maintain its reputation as the finest public university in the nation and has allowed the University to pursue its goals for educating future generations of students,” said Richard Atkinson, President of the University of California.
Simitian, a former School Board President, received a Master of City Planning degree from UC Berkeley as well as a Juris Doctor law degree from UC Berkeley (Boalt Hall).
Simitian said he was “appreciative” of the recognition and joked that he was particularly appreciative given the fact that he also holds a graduate degree from UC’s archrival, Stanford University.
As Chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance, Simitian has been an advocate for the University’s Silicon Valley Center and the newly approved Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS). He has also been an advocate for increased participation by underrepresented populations and expanded summer session opportunities to accommodate the demand of a growing student population (sometimes referred to as Tidal Wave II).
UC Regent George Marcus, a Palo Alto businessman and resident of Los Altos Hills, said Simitan has been “an extraordinarily effective partner— someone who seeks to enhance both opportunity and excellence in the system.”