UC Davis Statement On "Chancellor May, Leidos Corp., and “heart-wrenching political tactics” for refugees" Published on the Davisite.org
On behalf of Chancellor Gary S. May and UC Davis, I must address the accusations and incorrect information made by Nick Buxton in his June 20 article, “Chancellor May, Leidos Corp, and ‘heart-wrenching political tactics’ for refugees.” In addition to the inflammatory and wildly inappropriate placement of Chancellor’s May’s picture with that of children detained by ICE, Buxton made false statements related to May’s Leidos Board seat and how that position impacts his role here at UC Davis.
For starters, Chancellor May has been transparent about his board service from the very beginning. He disclosed his board service and salary candidly with the search committee that ultimately recommended unanimously to select him as the next UC Davis Chancellor. The UC Office of the President and UC Regents were also informed about his board leadership prior to selecting him. He has discussed this topic with the campus community and during many media interviews. He continues to make himself available to anyone who wants to discuss this with him in person.
The article states campus concern for May’s board service; in fact, there were a very small number of people who voiced concern and May met with that group in person.
Had Buxton contacted Leidos or Chancellor May as any good journalist would, he would have learned that the border security work performed by Leidos for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is to provide safety and security through cyber security and data analytics techniques applied to cargo, baggage, and vehicle screening (on both the northern and southern borders).
Leidos has no involvement with ICE policies or activities. The company is not supporting the building of the border wall, either as a prime or sub-contractor.
Buxton also questions the benefits of Chancellor May’s board service to UC Davis students. The Chancellor has served in his role here for less than a year. Is it really fair or even realistic to make such a statement that Buxton makes? In working with other leaders on the Leidos Board, Chancellor (then Dean) May was responsible for bringing in major contributions for facilities and student scholarships at Georgia Tech. One could argue that the level of awareness he brings to the other prominent board members about the value of UC Davis is enough; however, I know he has broader expectations related to issues of diversity, inclusion and inspiring students to pursue careers in STEM.
Finally, to state that Chancellor May is responsible for “tearing children away from their parents” is wholly inaccurate and meritless; I can only conclude the statement is made out of sheer malice or prejudice. I call on Buxton to retract the erroneous claims made in his article and to issue an apology.
Anyone who is genuinely interested in what Chancellor May has said and done in response to various national and local issues can visit https://leadership.ucdavis.edu/news/messages/chancellor-messages to learn more.
Submitted by Dana Topousis UC Davis Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
Davisite 
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