UC Riverside’s retiring chancellor Kim Wilcox will be honored with the 2025 Riverside Hero Award later this month. Wilcox, who plans to retire in summer after nearly 12 years at the helm of UCR, is scheduled to receive the award given by the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce. The presentation will be at Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson’s State of the City address. RELATED: UC Riverside Chancellor Kim Wilcox will retire after 12 years The award goes to a group or person who has “made a significant contribution to promote the community at the state and/or national level during the past year,” a news release states. The chamber is saluting Wilcox for his dedicated service “over four decades to academia, including leadership roles at the University of Kansas and Michigan State University, culminating in his transformative tenure as UCR’s ninth chancellor,” according to the release. Related Articles Local News | Basketballer Kyle Owens, a Valley kid and player for UC Riverside, fights cancer Local News | New drought-resistant bermuda grass created by UC Riverside Local News | UC campus and hospital worker strike continues across university system The chamber credits Wilcox for improving retention and graduation rates, boosting enrollment and expanding the faculty, which includes two Nobel laureates. It also cites campus growth, including the School of Medicine expansion, the North District project and the upcoming Undergraduate Teaching and Learning Facility. The chamber is also recognizing Wilcox’s work with the city to bring the California Air Resources Board’s Southern California headquarters to a site near UCR. “Beyond infrastructure growth and increasing enrollment, UCR’s national reputation has soared, earning recognition as the top institution for social mobility and the fastest-rising university for five consecutive years,” the release states. The State of the City Address, with the theme “Our Time Is Now,” will be Thursday, Jan. 30, at the Riverside Convention Center. The reception is at 4:30 p.m., with the program starting at 6 p.m. General seating is free but reservations are encouraged by emailing [email protected].