Appointed in 1996 to a twelve-year term as regent of the
University of California, Parsky was elected unanimously by his peers to serve as their chairman. Parsky oversaw the regents' governance of the university, including oversight and negotiations on behalf of the U.S. nuclear labs at
Los Alamos and
Lawrence Livermore, student admissions, expansion of the U.C. Merced campus, as well as budget and fiscal issues, including pension plans for the faculty and staff. Parsky retired as a Regent in 2008, and received a resolution from the Regents. Parsky also served as a charter trustee of
Princeton University from 1981 to 1991; serves as a trustee of the Salk Institute; and the advisory council of Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University. ==Philanthropy==