School of Public Health dean retires after nearly a decade of service

The assistant dean of student affairs at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health will retire after eight years of helping students navigate graduate school.

David Clark said he is proud the number of students enrolled at the School of Public Health has doubled during his tenure. He added he has enjoyed traveling the country to recruit and advise students and watching the consistent high caliber of students at UCLA and the School of Public Health.

“It’s amazing to me how talented and driven students here are,” he said.

The School of Public Health will hold a celebration for Clark that will be held on March 7 at noon.

Clark said his position will be split into an assistant dean for student affairs position and a director of admissions and financial aid position, so his successors can better manage their workloads. He added applicants for his replacement are currently being vetted, and he intends to stay on the job long enough to make the transition smooth for students.

Many students said Clark transformed their experiences at UCLA.

Cesar Robles-Martinez, a fourth-year psychology student who is minoring in public health, said he went into an office at the School of Public Health one day early in his fourth year feeling completely lost because he did not know what to do after graduation.

Robles-Martinez said Clark overheard his conversation with a receptionist and invited him into his office to talk about his concerns. An hour later, Clark had answered all of Robles-Martinez’s questions and helped him find a master’s program that fit his academic passion, Robles-Martinez added.

“Over the past year, I have seen him once or twice a week and (he is always) cheerful,” he said. “I see him now not only as a mentor, but as my friend.”

Sharona Sokolow, a graduate student in environmental health, said she once met a student from Minnesota who seemed lost. The student told Sokolow she had never been to Los Angeles before, but decided to attend the School of Public Health because one conversation with Clark convinced her UCLA was the place she had to be.

“I wasn’t surprised at all,” Sokolow said. “Dave made me feel instantly comfortable, and from the moment I met him, I knew I had a friend at the school. He always coupled problem-solving sessions with a chat about life and a good laugh.”

Clark said his philosophy can be described in one word – access.

“As someone who grew up an Iowa farm boy who was the first in his family to go to college, I really believe that it should not matter what your background, skin color or ZIP code is, or how much money you have,” he said. “These things should not determine the kind of education you get.”

When he was applying for colleges, Clark said he initially had very little assistance from counselors.

“My only meeting with a high school guidance counselor lasted around three minutes,” he said. “When I first got to Iowa State, I felt like a fish out of water, but one of the deans was very nice to me and took me under his wing. I was very grateful and never forgot that.”

Michael Nguyen, a UCLA alumnus who teaches environmental health science at CSU San Bernardino, said Clark is the friendliest and most modest person he has ever met in academia.

“He goes above and beyond to help his students, and is someone you can just go and have a coffee with and chat,” Nguyen said. “He certainly doesn’t come across as a dean – he never condescends.”

Clark said he avoids using his professional title when dealing with students.

“When I’m at a conference or event and someone introduces me as ‘Dean Clark,’ I lightheartedly correct them by saying that’s my father’s name,” Clark said. “It’s never about me or my title, it’s about what I can do for students.”

Jill Richardson, a student affairs officer at the School of Public Health, said Clark has been a great face for the school.

“He does his job with seeming effortlessness and a calm, even-keeled demeanor,” she said. “He is also just plain fun to be around. I have always looked forward to our meetings with him.”

Clark said interacting with students always re-energizes him, even when he is tired and lacks his usual energy.

“I have loved helping students find and pursue their passion,” he said. “Finding out what subjects excite (students) is the key to determining what area of study they should pursue.”

Clark said he hopes to spend his retirement involved in philanthropy and plans to continue his involvement with Westmark School in Encino, California, which serves elementary, middle and high school students with learning disorders.

“Expanding access to education to people regardless of the obstacles they may face is at the heart of what has motivated me in my career,” Clark said.