About This Episode

Season 4. Episode 13.

In this episode of Education Insight, Chancellor Kim Wilcox of the University of California, Riverside, takes a reflective look back at his remarkable career in higher education as he prepares for retirement. Over the course of his tenure, Chancellor Wilcox has led UCR through significant milestones, shaping the university’s growth and impact on the Inland Empire and beyond. In this candid conversation, he shares insights into his leadership journey, the challenges and accomplishments that have defined his time at UCR, and his thoughts on the future of the university.

Chancellor Wilcox also discusses the evolving landscape of education, the importance of community partnerships, and what he hopes to see in the years ahead. Join us for an inspiring dialogue on leadership, education, and the legacy of UC Riverside as Chancellor Wilcox reflects on his time at the helm and looks ahead to new adventures in retirement.

Featured Guest

Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox

As ninth chancellor of UC Riverside (UCR), Dr. Kim A. Wilcox has overseen transformational change, leading expansive growth in research, enrollment, graduation rates, and physical development. The campus has added schools of medicine and public policy. Enrollment has grown more than 25%, supported by over two million square feet in additional leading-edge classroom, laboratory, housing, and dining facilities. 

UCR has also grown its faculty, adding UCR’s first two Nobel Prize winners and increasing the racial, ethnic, and gender diversity among incoming faculty members. In 2023, UCR joined the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU), one of just four members to be both an Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI).  

Wilcox is a champion for access and a leading voice in the reassessment of rankings systems to value metrics for student success over wealth and exclusivity. UCR has been named the no. 1 leader in social mobility by U.S. News and World Report four times in six years. 

Wilcox was a founding leader of the University Innovation Alliance (UIA) and the alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities (HSRU). His commentary has appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Politico, and Chronicle of Higher Education, among others.  

A first-generation college student, Wilcox received his B.A. from Michigan State University and his M.A. and Ph.D. in speech and hearing science from Purdue University. Prior to UCR, he served as provost at Michigan State, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Kansas, and president and chief executive officer of the Kansas Board of Regents. 

Interview Highlights

3:57 – Adrienne describes dual enrollment and its benefits.

7:15 – Adrienne speaks to how recent California mandates and initiatives may have influenced the growth of these new programs.

8:34 – Adrienne explains what research shows about the impact of dual enrollment on a student’s academic achievements or even their future success.

9:24 – Adrienne shares examples of dual enrollment activities that are taking place in our region and what is happening in the IE. 

13:11 – Adrienne talks about strategies in place to make sure that equal opportunities are available for all students.

20:18 – Jorge explains how dual enrollment aligns with his role at Riverside County Unified School District.

21:28 – Jorge shares his experiences and thoughts on the current dual enrollment programs that are being offered at Riverside Unified School District.

23:32 – Jorge gives insight into how dual enrollment makes students career ready.

25:58 – Jorge describes what challenges students typically face in dual enrollment programs and how he addresses those issues. 

32:43 – Jorge shares what he would like to see be the future of the dual enrollment program in his district and beyond. 

36:31 – Special Feature: Avijeet Randhawa, 8th-Grader, Auburndale Intermediate School in the Corona Norco Unified School District.

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Education Insight tells the story of education in the Inland Empire through the diverse voices of those in and around the regional education community. The show is produced by Growing Inland Achievement, a collective impact organization in the Inland Empire with a mission to increase economic prosperity in the region by increasing educational attainment. Hosted by 30-year broadcast veteran Lacey Kendall, monthly shows explore topics ranging from education challenges and shortcomings to innovations and groundbreaking ideas that are driving student success.