This post was updated July 20 at 7:56 p.m.
The UC Board of Regents appointed Miguel Craven on Wednesday to be its student regent for the 2026-27 academic year.
Craven, who will be the first student regent with an engineering background, received a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from UC Merced in May and will pursue a master’s in energy systems at UC Davis this fall. Craven was appointed during the Regents’ July meeting, which is taking place Tuesday to Thursday at UCLA.
Craven was UC Merced’s student body president for two years and previously served as the student observer to the board’s committee on finance and capital strategies. As a student observer, he called for “systemwide improvements in housing and financial access,” according to a press release announcing his appointment.
While he was president of the Associated Students of UC Merced, Craven advocated for the construction of a campus student union building, funding for student organizations and professional development opportunities, according to a press release.
Craven said in a press release that he was grateful to continue working with the regents and support the development of educational and extracurricular opportunities across the University.
“It’s been truly life changing for me to be in the UC,” Craven said during the meeting. “We all know how impactful the UC is and what it really can do for an individual and how it can transform their lives.”
The board will adopt a resolution Thursday honoring past student regents and recognizing their role in advocating for issues such as affordability and student support. The resolution commemorates the 50th anniversary of the appointment of the first student regent in 1975.
“I am continually impressed by the caliber and the excellence of our student regents – each one bringing new experiences, ideas and knowledge to this table that helps to make our board stronger,” Janet Reilly, the board’s chair, said. “I’d like to acknowledge and thank Regent Brooks and her former colleagues who served in this role for their contributions, their tireless advocacy and their unwavering dedication to the University of California.”
Two panels of student leaders reviewed the student regent applications and interviewed semifinalists, who were then passed along to a special regents committee that reviewed finalists and selected Craven as the nominee. Josiah Beharry, the 2024-25 student regent, served as the chair of the selection committee, and was the first student regent to hold this role.
“It’s about time we see leaders trained in engineering and what they can bring to governance,” Beharry said during the meeting.
The Regents also announced that Charles Melton, a UC Davis and UC Berkeley alumnus, and Karl Tokita, a UCLA and UC Irvine alumnus, will serve as the 2026-27 UC alumni regents – another yearlong voting position on the board – starting July 1, 2026.
Ann Wang, who graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts in international development studies in 2013, assumed her role as UC alumni regent July 1.
Sonya Brooks, the 2025-26 student regent – and the first Black woman to hold the position – began her term July 1. Craven will serve as the student regent-designate, allowing him to attend meetings but not vote on the UC Regents’ agenda items until July 1, 2026, when he will begin his one-year term as student regent.
[Related: UC Regents appoints UCLA graduate student Sonya Brooks as 2025-2026 student regent]
“It’s always stood really close to my heart – being able to be a part of this grand organization and getting to represent students in my previous roles, which I never anticipated I would be able to do as an engineer,” Craven said during the meeting. “I’m really excited for the upcoming years to set that pathway and show what a diverse UC looks like.”
