Spinoff

From the LA Business Journal: ...Equatic is a spinoff company of UCLA’s Institute for Carbon Management (ICM). It was created to activate the size and scale of the oceans to effect affordable and globally accessible carbon management solutions. The oceans are the world’s largest carbon removal machine. Year after year, they remove about 30% of the carbon dioxide emitted by human activities into the atmosphere.

At ICM, [Equatic] has been driven by two strategic considerations. First, the traditional paradigm of sequestering carbon dioxide in geological reservoirs using Carbon Capture and Storage, or CCS, will not mature quickly enough, or sufficiently, to affect the trajectory of climate change. Second, we must focus on catalyzing affordable climate change mitigation because existing carbon management solutions remain far too expensive for widespread adoption. To address these two concerns, Equatic’s technology platform was designed to leverage the oceans to both remove and store carbon dioxide while producing green hydrogen, a clean fuel, as a co-product...

Equatic, a Santa Monica-based carbon removal startup, is using the world’s largest and most abundant carbon capture technology: the ocean.

Equatic, the brainchild of Gaurav Sant and Erika La Plante, was born out of the Institute for Carbon Management at the University of California, Los Angeles. The company raised $11.6 million in series A funding in August – led by Catalytic Capital for Climate and Health, a division of Singapore-based Temasek Trust, and climate-focused private investment firm Kibo Invest. At its core, Equatic is creating a 100-kiloton commercial-grade carbon dioxide removal facility. The goal is to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and use it to produce carbon-negative green hydrogen in one process. 

The platform feeds seawater into its facility and, using renewable energy, dissects that seawater into hydrogen, oxygen, base and acid components. The acid is neutralized and returned to the ocean, while the base helps remove carbon dioxide from the air. Equatic’s platform is designed to solve two problems. One is sourcing and collecting valuable green energy, which is meant to help the world wean off fossil fuels; and the other is neutralizing existing carbon emissions from the atmosphere...

Full story at https://labusinessjournal.com/special-reports/whos-who-in-tech-equatic-is-sinking-in-the-ocean/.

Straws in the Wind - Part 294

From Inside Higher Ed: Kansas lawmakers cut a deal that would end in-state tuition for undocumented students... House Republicans in the State Legislature supported the decades-old policy for months, passing legislation that allowed immigrant students to receive in-state tuition if they attended a Kansas high school for three years and applied for citizenship. The Senate’s version of the bill ended the program entirely.

However, during talks to resolve the different versions of the legislation, SB 254, a conference committee agreed to nix the policy in exchange for the Senate dropping provisions aimed at denying bond to undocumented immigrants and presumed those charged with a crime were a flight risk. The House signed off on the compromise last week, and the Senate has yet to vote on it as of Monday afternoon. The effort to strip in-state tuition from undocumented students comes as the Trump administration has sued several states over similar policies, arguing they violate federal laws. In three of the seven lawsuits, the states agreed with the administration and scrapped their state laws. Kansas was not targeted, but state Attorney General Kris Kobach wrote in an opinion that the state law was illegal...

Full story at https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2026/03/24/kansas-could-end-state-rates-undocumented-students.

UC-San Diego Med School Admissions Investigation

The US Dept. of Justice has announced an investigation into three med schools including at UC-San Diego, apparently related to the Supreme Court's anti-affirmative action decision. From the NY Times:

The Trump administration has opened investigations into admissions policies at three major medical schools, expanding the federal government’s pressure campaign beyond campus culture and taking aim at the heart of scientific authority in the United States. The Justice Department on Wednesday informed Stanford University, the Ohio State University, and the University of California, San Diego, about the investigations and demanded that the schools turn over extensive lists of data by April 24 or risk interruptions to essential federal funding...

The government is seeking information about medical school applicants from each of the past seven years, including test scores, home ZIP codes and any familial relationships to alumni or ties to university donors. The administration also demanded copies of any internal messages at the universities about diversity, equity and inclusion and any correspondence between school officials and pharmaceutical companies about admissions policies...

Officials at all three universities confirmed they had been notified about the inquiries. A Stanford spokeswoman declined to comment. U.C. San Diego said it was reviewing the notice from the Justice Department and that it was “committed to fair processes in all of our programs and activities, including admissions, consistent with federal and state anti-discrimination laws.” ...

Full story at https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/26/us/politics/trump-medical-schools-civil-rights.html.

Time to Reconsider?

Back in 1974, a change in the state constitution allowed for the appointment of a student regents and a faculty regent. At the time, however, the faculty - or at least the Senate - decided that having a voting faculty regent wouldn't be appropriate. As a result, the faculty head of the Academic Council is a nonvoting representative at the regents, but not a regent. Students had no such scruples about what was appropriate and student regents (with voting rights) began to be appointed.

Students are now pushing for a second voting student regent and a constitutional amendment to that effect is floating around in the legislature.* Of course, there is a long distance between dropping a bill in the legislature to put a constitutional amendment and the enactment of such an amendment by state voters. But maybe it's now time for faculty to consider having a faculty regent, a position which is authorized but not filled.

You can argue that it is rare for a single vote to decide matters at the regents. On the other hand, it is certainly not clear that not having a vote buys the faculty more influence, whatever folks may have thought in 1974.

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*https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260aca18.

Straws in the Wind - Part 293

From the Columbia Daily Spectator: The Middle States Commission on Higher Education has reaffirmed Columbia’s accreditation, the University acknowledged Thursday. It came months after the commission previously threatened its status in June 2025, issuing a warning due to “insufficient evidence” that Columbia was in compliance with its “Ethics and Integrity” standards. The commission, a nonprofit recognized by the Department of Education, wrote in a March 12 web page update that Columbia’s accreditation has been reaffirmed because the University “is now in compliance with Standard II (Ethics and Integrity),” which mandates that an institution adhere to its mission and represent itself truthfully.

The accreditation warning came amid wider federal scrutiny on Columbia, including the University’s May 2025 violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 due to the federal government finding Columbia to have acted “with deliberate indifference” toward the harassment of Jewish students on campus since Oct. 7, 2023. The University resolved the Title VI violation in its July 2025 $221 million deal with President Donald Trump’s administration, which restored $400 million in canceled federal funding to Columbia.

The deal also saw the Department of Education notify the commission that Columbia was no longer in violation of federal antidiscrimination laws. That violation was the department’s initial reasoning for the University failing to meet its accreditation standards in June 2025...

Full story at https://www.columbiaspectator.com/news/2026/03/23/middle-states-commission-on-higher-education-reaffirms-columbias-accreditation-after-previous-warning/.

New and Renewed Regents

President James B. Milliken statement on Board of Regents appointments and reappointments

March 23, 2026

UC President James B. Milliken welcomed Gov. Gavin Newsom’s appointments of Carl “Chip” Robertson, Dorene Dominguez, Mabelle Hueston, and John “Rusty” Areias to UC's governing board, and the reappointments of Board of Regents Chair Janet Reilly and Regent Greg Sarris, and released the following statement today (March 23, 2026):

I am delighted that Governor Newsom has named four new members to the UC Board of Regents today. Each brings new perspectives and a depth of experience that will strengthen our board and serve the University of California. I look forward to working with them as we build on the University’s extraordinary legacy of academic excellence, life-saving research, and world-class patient care.

I’m also pleased that Board Chair Janet Reilly and Regent Greg Sarris have been reappointed to the board by the Governor. Chair Reilly has been a valuable partner and leader in my first months as president. Regent Sarris’s deep commitment to student support and success is a cornerstone of how we fulfill our mission. I am grateful to them both for their collaboration and commitment to our University.

Source: https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/president-james-b-milliken-statement-board-regents-appointments-and-reappointments

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From news release of governor:

https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/03/23/governor-newsom-announces-appointments-3-23-2026/

New Appointments:

Dorene Dominguez, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the University of California Board of Regents. Dominguez has been Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Vanir Construction Management since 2004 and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Vanir Group of Companies since 1989. She is Chairwoman of The Dominguez Dream, a Trustee of Hesburgh Women of Impact at the University of Notre Dame, a Board Member of the Audit Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee at Douglas Emmet Inc., Board Member at kb Home, and Member of the Aspen Conexión Advisory Council. Dominguez earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance from the University of Notre Dame. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Dominguez is a Republican.

Carl “Chip” Robertson, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the University of California Board of Regents. Robertson has been a Co-Managing Partner at Warland Investments Company since 2009. He was a Management Committee Member at Dax LLC from 2000 to 2014. Robertson was an Associate at Paul Hastings LLP from 1999 to 2001. He is a Member of the Board of Directors of the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, Jewish Vocational Services of Los Angeles, and the California Coalition for Public Higher Education, and Member of the Board of Visitors for the University of California, Los Angeles School of Education and Information Studies and Board of Advisors for the UC/CSU Collaborative for Neuroscience, Learning and Diversity. Robertson earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, a Diploma in Business Studies from the London School of Economics, a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of California, Berkeley. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Robertson is a Democrat.

John “Rusty” Areias, of Walnut Grove, has been appointed to the University of California Board of Regents. He has been a Partner at California Strategies since 2002. He was the Director at the California Department of Parks and Recreation from 1998 to 2001. Areias was an Assemblymember in the California State Assembly from 1982 to 1994. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from California State University, Chico. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Areias is a Democrat.

Renewed Appointments:

Janet Reilly, of San Francisco, has been reappointed to the University of California Board of Regents, where she has served since 2019. Reilly has been Co-Owner and Columnist for the San Francisco Examiner since 2020, Columnist for the Nob Hill Gazette since 2016, and Co-Founder and President of the Board of Directors for Clinic by the Bay since 2008. She was Director of The Presidio Trust from 2015 to 2018. Reilly was Director of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District from 2003 to 2015. She was Executive Producer and On-Air Television Host of The Mix with Janet Reilly at NBC Bay Area – KNTV from 2014 to 2015. Reilly was Director of Public Relations for Mervyn’s Department Stores from 1997 to 2001. Reilly was a District Representative for Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan from 1993 to 1995. She was an On-Air Television Reporter and Anchor at KGWN-TV from 1990 to 1992. Reilly is a Member of the Board of Directors of CommonSpirit Health Foundation and Advisory Board of the Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good at the University of San Francisco. She earned a Master of Science degree in Journalism from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from University of California, Los Angeles. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Reilly is a Democrat.

Gregory Sarris, of Sonoma, has been reappointed to the University of California Board of Regents, where he served since 2023. Sarris has been Chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria since 1996. He was the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria Endowed Chair in Creative Writing and Native American Studies at Sonoma State University from 2005 to 2021. Sarris was a Professor of Creative Writing and Literature at Loyola Marymount University from 2001 to 2005. He was a Full Professor of English at the University of California, Los Angeles from 1989 to 2001. Sarris earned a Doctor of Education degree in Modern Thought and Literature and a Master of Arts degree in Creative Writing from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of California, Los Angeles. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Sarris is a Democrat.

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According to the bios on the Regents' website, Regent Richard Leib, former Board chair, had his appointment expire this month. It apparently was not renewed.

Ex Officio: A Brief Look at the Governor's Proposal

An Ex Officio Brief

Most of the UC Regents are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the State Senate for 12-year terms. However, there are also alumni and student Regents who serve as voting members for one year. And finally, there are the ex officio Regents: the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the State Assembly, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the president of UC who serve as long as they are in office.

Except for the last, the other ex officio Regents are all elected, statewide officials whose positions are enshrined in the state constitution. The governor and the Speaker of the Assembly are generally busy with their main duties and - with the exception of former governor Jerry Brown - typically don't attend Regents meetings. The Lieutenant Governor - currently Eleni Kounalakis - doesn't have much to do under the constitution. She would become governor on the death or resignation of the governor. She also becomes acting governor whenever the governor is out of state. (That situation is becoming more frequent during the current governor's non-campaign for president.) So, without much else to do, she often does attend Regents meetings.* 

The Superintendent of Public Instruction primarily is involved in matters related to K-12 on a day-to-day basis. However, Governor Newsom recently proposed downgrading the responsibilities of Superintendent, essentially moving his responsibilities to the governor and his cabinet. Undoubtedly, he would have proposed eliminating the position entirely, but since it is enshrined in the constitution, that step would take a constitutional amendment. Depending on where you stand, the proposed downgrading of the Superintendent could be seen as a power grab or, alternatively, as a reform designed for good governance and efficiency. Either way, we would primarily be talking about governance of K-12 education.

As it happens, however, the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) has generally endorsed the governor's proposal. You can find the details at:

https://edsource.org/2026/newsom-education-restructuring-california/754254 and

https://lao.ca.gov/reports/2026/5165/2026-27_Re-Envisioning_State_Education_Governance_031826.pdf.

What is absent from the LAO's analysis of the plan is higher education. As noted, the Superintendent is an ex officio Regent. If the governor and LAO have their way, the role of the Superintendent would become some kind of external evaluator of K-12 operations. He would, however, continue as an ex officio Regent. So we would then have two ex officio Regents with day jobs that don't give them much else to do, as opposed to only the Lieutenant Governor now.

Is that a Good Thing for UC? Yours truly doesn't know. If you think of the Superintendent of Public Instruction as a link between UC and the K-12 system, a weakened Superintendent, as proposed by the governor, would mean a weakened link. Maybe that doesn't much matter; maybe it does. But now you know.

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*Lieutenant Governors often have gubernatorial ambitions. (Newsom was Lieutenant Governor for 8 long years before being elected governor.) But those ambitions don't always work out. Lieutenant Governor Kounalakis is currently running for State Treasurer after dropping a campaign for governor. (Tony Thurmond, the current Superintendent of Public Instruction, is running for governor.)