Dr. Onyebuchi Arah receives UCLA's "Faculty Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Mentoring"

Dr. Onyebuchi Arah, professor in the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health's Department of Epidemiology, has received the university's 2026 "Faculty Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Mentoring."

"I’m deeply honored by this recognition, and dedicate the award to all my students for trusting me to be part of their graduate journey and professional growth," said Arah, a physician. "Mentoring them and other students has been a privilege and a cornerstone of my years at UCLA so far. I believe that the quality of faculty mentoring is the most important driver of graduate students’ experience and outcomes."

Arah, along with Dr. Pamela Yeh, with UCLA's Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Dr. Neil K. Garg, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, was one of three recipients of the 2026 award; 66 faculty members were nominated, officials said.

"Mentoring is at the heart of graduate education. The best faculty mentors do more than guide research or academic work. They help students navigate difficult moments, imagine new possibilities, build confidence, and build a sense of belonging in their field,” said UCLA’s Brian Kite, dean and vice provost of graduate education. “Professor Arah is recognized for his deeply intentional, mentee-centered approach to mentoring. He supports students across all stages of their academic and professional development with thoughtfulness, generosity and care. His mentees describe his impact as transformative and note his sustained commitment well beyond formal advising.”

Since joining UCLA in 2009, Arah has held various administrative and academic leadership positions, including serving as associate dean for global health at UCLA Fielding and as director of UCLA Fielding’s Center for Global and Immigrant Health. Additionally, he will serve as interim chair of the Department of Epidemiology beginning July 1, 2026.

"Thoughtful student-centered mentoring celebrates the uniqueness of each student, shapes the campus climate for all, including undergrads, and molds the lifelong connections we have with each other and the university," Arah said. "I feel there is much I need to learn about being an excellent mentor; thankfully, mentoring takes a village."