EVENT: Rob Bonta, California’s 34^th attorney general, will deliver keynote addresses at two UC Irvine commencement ceremonies on June 16. The first, at 8:30 a.m., is for graduates of the School of Social Ecology, and the second, at 12:45 p.m., is for graduates of the School of Social Ecology and the School of Humanities.

WHEN/WHERE: 8:30 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. Monday, June 16, at the campus’s Bren Events Center, 100 Mesa Road, Irvine, CA (bldg. 901, grid D3 on this campus map: https://web.communications.uci.edu/assets/email/dfa-tds/TDS-Website/maps/Main_UCIrvine-Map.pdf)

INFORMATION: Bonta will be available for interviews between the ceremonies, from about 11:15 a.m. to noon. Media planning to attend should contact Cara Capuano at 949-501-9192 or ccapuano@uci.edu for assistance with obtaining the necessary media credentials.

Campus parking is complimentary during commencement ceremonies. Media are advised to park in Lot 7 (grid E4 on this campus map: https://web.communications.uci.edu/assets/email/dfa-tds/TDS-Website/maps/Main_UCIrvine-Map.pdf)

ABOUT ROB BONTA: Sworn into office in 2021, Bonta is the first Filipino American to be elected as the state’s attorney general. He credits his passion for justice and fairness to his parents, who served on the front lines of some of America’s most important social justice movements. That’s why Bonta decided to become a lawyer – to help right wrongs and fight for people who have been harmed. He graduated cum laude from Yale University with a B.A. in history in 1993 and earned a J.D. from Yale Law School in 1998.

Before his appointment as attorney general, Bonta served with distinction in the California State Assembly for more than eight years, representing the 18^th District. The first Filipino American in the California Legislature, he quickly rose to the position of assistant Democratic leader.

As attorney general, Bonta has prioritized critical issues facing California, including combating gun violence, protecting civil rights, fighting hate crimes and supporting crime victims. He has also taken on challenges such as public safety, homelessness, housing and meaningful prison reform.

Throughout his career, Bonta has championed landmark legislation, including bans on for-profit prisons and immigration detention centers, sentencing reform following marijuana legalization, and strong renter protections. He has been a powerful voice for environmental justice and has worked tirelessly to strengthen hate crime laws.

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