year 2012–2013, Sandoval is on a partial leave of absence from Santa Clara Law. During this time, Sandoval taught a course in telecommunications law at UC Berkeley School of Law. California Public Utilities In January 2011, California Governor Jerry Brown named Sandoval to a six-year position as one of five commissioners on the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), based in San Francisco. She is the first female Hispanic to serve on the CPUC. The board oversees rates and rules for privately owned electric, gas, water, telecommunications, rail and passenger transportation utilities. She and the CPUC have been tasked with beginning the process of increasing the ratio of renewable energy use in California to 33% of total energy consumption by 2020. Sandoval convened rulemaking workshops in 2011 to analyze the proposed merger of AT&T and T-Mobile which would combine their customer base encompassing 47% of California's mobile phone market. The CPUC's investigation examined whether the merger would serve the public interest under California law in light of T-Mobile's large market share in California. The hearings were seen as creating a precedent that would inform federal investigators seeking to block the merger, according to Dan Morain, columnist for the Sacramento Bee. Chemical Safety Board In June 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Sandoval to be a member of the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. On November 17, 2022, the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held hearings on her nomination. On December 13, 2022, the United States Senate discharged the committee from further consideration of the nomination by unanimous consent agreement, and confirmed the nomination by voice vote. She was sworn in on February 2, 2023. Personal life Sandoval lives in Campbell, California, with her husband Steve Smith. Sandoval has been involved with nonprofit organizations, including Comisión Femenil Mexicana Nacional which was formed to help U.S. Latinas seeking higher education. A similar group—Olga Talamante's Chicana/Latina Foundation—honored Sandoval with its Legacy Award in 2011. Diplomat Vilma Socorro Martínez and Judge Dorothy W. Nelson are two of Sandoval's heroes. Publications References External links News article from 1983 including a photo of Sandoval and her parents C-SPAN video from 1996, an open forum hosted by the FCC C-SPAN video from 1999 regarding minority ownership and management in media Alumni of St Antony's College, Oxford American people of Mexican descent American Rhodes Scholars American women lawyers Lawyers from Los Angeles Living people