People / Spotlight on achievers
- Share via
UC Irvine Chancellor Laurel L. Wilkening was presented an honorary degree of doctor of science from the University of Arizona during its 115th commencement ceremony in December.
Wilkening, a faculty member at Arizona from 1973 to 1988, earned international acclaim as an expert on comets and meteorites during her tenure. She wrote 50 research papers and three books on the topic.
In 1981, Wilkening was named head of the school’s department of planetary sciences and director of its Lunar and Planetary Laboratory.
She later became the university’s vice president of research and dean of its graduate college.
During her teaching career at Arizona, she served on several national advisory panels, including NASA’s Solar System Exploration Committee, the National Committee on Space and NASA’s Science Assessment Team.
She also founded the Women in Science and Engineering Program at Arizona.
In 1993, she became UCI’s third chancellor.
--COMPILED BY LESLEY WRIGHT, JOHN CANALIS AND LORI HAYCOX
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
