Greetings FROM
The UCLA School of Dentistry’s Board of Counselors was established by Dean James R. Hooley for the purpose of raising funds for the creation of a dental outreach facility in Venice, California. Dean Hooley’s vision became a reality with the establishment of the Wilson-Jennings-Bloomfield UCLA Venice Dental Center.
Today, the Board functions as a non-governing body of advisors that provides invaluable counsel to the dean and service to the dental school in the form of philanthropic leadership. Board members serve for a minimum of one three-year term on a volunteer basis. Often active behind the scenes and with limited recognition, the various members of the Board of Counselors have played a major role in helping the School of Dentistry to carry out its mission in the past three decades.
The inspiring impact of the Board of Counselors is reflected in every facet of teaching, research, community service, and student life at the UCLA School of Dentistry. Among the Board’s many accomplishments are the following:
• The creation of the Wilson-Jennings-Bloomfield UCLA Venice Dental Center
• The creation of a Board of Counselors Scholarship Program for outstanding dental students, as well as two additional endowed scholarships in Board members’ names
• Seed funding for a community dental outreach program that has made possible oral health screening and sealants for children at community health care clinics and schools
• Spearheading of major capital campaigns and fundraising initiatives, including the School’s general clinic, preclinical teaching laboratory, the Bales Orthodontic Clinic and the Yip Center for Oral/Head and Neck Oncology Research
• The establishment of endowed chairs at the School in the names of four Board members (or their family names); other members have made possible the refurbishment of the School’s boardroom and a new student lounge
• Founding Membership in the Apollonian Society is common to many Board members; Board member Dr. Thomas Rauth (’73) is co-chair of the Apollonian Society
Dr. Naomi L. Ellison '81, Chair
Dr. Russell I. Webb '78, Vice Chair
Mr. Craig Bloom
Mr. Jae Min Chang
Ms. Roxana Graves
Mr. Benjamin Hong
Dr. David Lee
Mr. Harold Matheson
Dr. Elizabeth McNabb '75
Dr. Hal Millstone
Mr. Jun Miyata
Dr. Joan Otomo-Corgel '76
Dr. Margaret C. Pan Quon '68
Dr. Neil I. Park
Dr. Gerald P. Roodzant '79
Dr. Thomas Rauth '73
Dr. Elliot Schlang '74
Dr. Byoung I. Suh
Ms. Linda Tarrson
Mr. Donald Waters
Mr. Robert S. Wilson
Dr. Felix C. Yip
Dr. No-Hee Park, ex officio
Naomi L. Ellison, DDS '81, Chair, Board of Counselors
Since its creation in 1986, the Board of Counselors has provided successive Deans of the UCLA School of Dentistry with advice, action and counsel concerning fundraising, external relations and strategic planning. Our first fundraising initiative, making quality oral health care accessible to underserved communities of Los Angeles, culminated with the creation of the Wilson-Jennings-Bloomfield UCLA Venice Dental Center, which serves thousands of patients each year.
Over the decades, the Board of Counselors has expanded in both size and scope. There are currently 22 members of the Board, seven of which are alumni of the UCLA School of Dentistry. The other sixteen members come from a wide variety of backgrounds and careers including investment, publishing, law, banking, engineering, manufacturing, medicine, energy regulation and community activism. This diversity of experience has helped to provide the School with a continuing source of support and constructive interdisciplinary advice.
The Board of Counselors meets three times a year and its members serve on a voluntary basis. What unites us is our commitment to the UCLA School of Dentistry and its noble mission of excellence in teaching, research, and community service. Whether you are a prospective student, an alumnus, a colleague in the profession of dentistry or simply interested in learning about the School, I would like to welcome you to this website and encourage you to explore the many programs and resources that make the UCLA School of Dentistry one of the world’s very best.
