2018

Yifang Zhu appointed acting dean of UCLA Fielding School of Public Health

Dr. Yifang Zhu, professor of environmental health sciences and associate dean for academic programs at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, has been appointed acting dean by UCLA Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Scott L. Waugh, effective September 1.

Dr. Zhu, an alum of the Fielding School, brings a wealth of local and global leadership experience to the role of acting dean. She was appointed to the California Air Resource Board’s Research Screening Committee in January 2014 and is collaborating with Chinese researchers to address critical air pollution faced by Chinese cities and to advocate for measures to improve air quality in China. Dr. Zhu was recently selected by Los Angeles Supervisor Hilda Solis to serve as her expert advisor on air quality issues in Los Angeles County, and also serves as an editor for Aerosol and Air Quality Research, a guest editor for Aerosol Science and Technology, and as a member of the editorial board for Atmospheric Environment.

Dr. Zhu’s scholarship and creativity have been recognized by a series of national and international awards, including the Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award from the Health Effects Institute in 2007, the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation in 2009, the Haagen-Smit Prize from Atmosphere Environment in 2011, and the prestigious “Eminent Young Overseas Chinese” award from the State Council of the People’s Republic of China in 2015. Dr. Zhu has been recognized for both her exceptional teaching and mentorship of public health students.

Waugh previously announced that the dean of the Fielding School, Dr. Jody Heymann, would step down at the end of August. “Dean Heymann has worked tirelessly to increase student scholarships, to support innovative community-based training and educational programs, and to expand the Fielding School’s national and global impact with a focus on addressing health disparities and improving population health at scale,” Waugh shared in a message to the university community. “Financial support to public health students grew 32% during her deanship. Additionally, Dean Heymann helped to raise $70 million in the FSPH fundraising campaign with the overwhelming majority of funds going to ensuring world class research is translated into public health impact and to student scholarships.”

Dr. Heymann developed and disseminated new publicly accessible data tools and led the creation of a novel public use data portal to provide ready public access to the data generated by faculty at the Fielding School. She also substantially expanded the School’s scholarship on health equity by launching a new center focused on addressing health disparities caused by racism and related forms of discrimination, raising funds for a junior faculty chair dedicated to increasing health equity, and successfully recruiting a group of new faculty in this area.

Throughout her tenure as dean, Dr. Heymann remained active in her service to national and global institutions. She served as a member of the National Academy of Medicine, met with state policymakers working on family and labor policy, and worked with UNICEF, UNDESA, the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and a wide range of national and global civil society organizations on increasing equal opportunity and reducing health and educational disparities. Dr. Heymann returned full-time to policy work, research, and teaching as a Fielding School faculty member on September 1.


The UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, founded in 1961, is dedicated to enhancing the public's health by conducting innovative research, training future leaders and health professionals from diverse backgrounds, translating research into policy and practice, and serving our local communities and the communities of the nation and the world. The school has more than 600 students from more than 25 nations engaged in carrying out the vision of building healthy futures in greater Los Angeles, California, the nation and the world.

Faculty Referenced by this Article

Dr. Yifang Zhu
Yifang Zhu
Environmental Health Sciences
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Jody Heymann
Jody Heymann
Epidemiology Health Policy and Management
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Michael Collins
Michael Collins
Environmental Health Sciences
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Tao Huai
Tao Huai
Environmental Health Sciences
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Arabzadah, Hamid
Hamid Arabzadeh
Environmental Health Sciences
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Curtis Eckhert
Curtis Eckhert
Environmental Health Sciences
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Pablo Cicero-Fernandez
Pablo Cicero-Fernandez
Environmental Health Sciences
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Arthur Cho
Arthur Cho
Environmental Health Sciences
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Feng Gao
Feng Gao
Environmental Health Sciences
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Brian Cole
Brian Cole
Environmental Health Sciences
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Rosenstock
Linda Rosenstock
Environmental Health Sciences Health Policy and Management
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Jesus Araujo
Environmental Health Sciences
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Dr. Beate Ritz
Beate Ritz
Environmental Health Sciences Epidemiology
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Dr. Kevin Njabo
Kevin Njabo
Environmental Health Sciences
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Richard Ambrose
Richard Ambrose
Environmental Health Sciences
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Dr. Robert Schiestl
Robert Schiestl
Environmental Health Sciences
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Miriam Marlier
Miriam Marlier
Environmental Health Sciences
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Jian Li
Jian Li
Environmental Health Sciences Epidemiology
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Mel Suffet
Irwin Suffet
Environmental Health Sciences
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Dr. Wendie Robbins
Wendie Robbins
Environmental Health Sciences
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Angelo J Bellomo
Angelo Bellomo
Environmental Health Sciences
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Michael Jerrett
Michael Jerrett
Environmental Health Sciences
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Kirsten Schwarz
Environmental Health Sciences
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Rachael Jones
Rachael Jones
Environmental Health Sciences
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Dr. Candace Tsai
Candace Tsai

Associate Professor for Industrial Hygiene and Environmental Health Sciences

Environmental Health Sciences
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Timothy Malloy
Environmental Health Sciences
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Dr. Oliver Hankinson
Oliver Hankinson

Dr. Hankinson is a Distinguished Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and of EHS, and Chair of the Molecular Toxicology IDP

Environmental Health Sciences
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Nicole Green
Environmental Health Sciences
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Dr. Pouran D. Faghri
Pouran D. Faghri
Environmental Health Sciences
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Jared Diamond
Jared Diamond
Environmental Health Sciences
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Richard J. Jackson
Richard J. Jackson
Environmental Health Sciences
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Andre Nel
André Nel
Environmental Health Sciences
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Niklas Krause
Environmental Health Sciences Epidemiology
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Dr. Shane Que Hee
Shane Que Hee

Industrial Hygiene & Analytical Chemistry

Environmental Health Sciences
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Arthur Winer
Environmental Health Sciences
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Dr. Daniel Uslan
Daniel Uslan
Environmental Health Sciences
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Dr. Lara Cushing
Lara Cushing
Environmental Health Sciences
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Dr. Jane Valentine
Jane Valentine
Environmental Health Sciences
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