William Powers Jr. entered UC Berkeley just as the Free Speech Movement began in 1963.
Since then, Powers has held many titles, ranging from professor of law to 28th president of the University of Texas at Austin — and, now, 2014 UC Berkeley Alumnus of the Year.
“He’s a great leader, a visionary,” said UT Austin spokesperson Gary Susswein. “He’s very easy to talk to and open-minded. He listens to students and faculty to make sure everyone has a voice.”
Powers joins a list of prolific Alumnus of the Year recipients, including writer Joan Didion and former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara.
During his undergraduate years at UC Berkeley, Powers was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry in 1967. After graduating, Powers joined the U.S. Navy for three years before graduating from Harvard Law School magna cum laude.
In 1997, Powers joined UT Austin as a professor of law before becoming dean of the law school in 2000 and the university’s president in 2006.
“He’s been one of the best presidents in UT Austin history,” Susswein said. “He’s not only committed to (UT Austin) but to higher education in general.”
Even though Powers has moved to Texas, he remains in touch with his California roots.
Powers met UC Berkeley physics professor and former chancellor Robert Birgeneau through the Association of American Universities when he became president of UT Austin. Their friendship grew stronger when Birgeneau discovered Powers was a UC Berkeley alumnus.
“I admire a lot of the work he’s done,” Birgeneau said. “He’s set a very high standard for the alumnus of the year.”
One of Powers’ many contributions to the Texas campus as president was founding the School of Undergraduate Studies, Susswein said. The school allows students to experiment with different courses before officially declaring their major.
Powers also worked to raise the four-year graduation rate of UT undergraduates and to increase diversity among the student population.
Powers’ support of holistic admissions and affirmative action was taken as far as the U.S. Supreme Court in Fisher v. University of Texas, a case that considered the constitutionality of using race in university admissions.
He committed to making the student body at UT Austin a more accurate representation of the diversity of the state, Birgeneau said.
Birgeneau said that when he served as chancellor of UC Berkeley, he and Powers would discuss the best ways to balance intercollegiate sports and academics.
“I like him because he’s a very straightforward person. He’s not pretentious. He’s a really decent human being whom you can trust,” Birgeneau said. “That’s the kind of Berkeley undergraduate all of us really admire.”
Contact Lydia Tuan at [email protected].