In first week in office, Dirks moves to strengthen ties in the Capitol

Nicholas Dirks, UC Berkeley’s new chancellor, made his first official trip to Sacramento on Thursday, meeting with Assembly Speaker John Perez and assemblymembers Joan Buchanan, Nancy Skinner and Roger Dickinson.

Berkeley’s new chancellor, Nicholas Dirks, with Assemblymember Nancy Skinner

Dirks was in the state Capitol to further strengthen UC Berkeley’s partnership with legislative leaders, an important step in the campus’s efforts to communicate its priorities moving forward.

“I realize how important a role Sacramento plays, not only from a budgetary perspective but also in terms of setting new policies that impact our students,” said Dirks. “Therefore I believe that now is the time for us not just to preserve and protect Berkeley’s past record of accomplishment, but to work together to strive to do more.

“The students we educate, the research we conduct, the intellectual work we do, the public services we perform – all leave an indelible mark on our state, our nation and our world,” he said. “We are rightly known for our comprehensive excellence and for the way we reimagine the world by constantly challenging conventional thinking.”