12 March 2026

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Dr. No-Hee Park, Dean Emeritus and Distinguished Professor, Announces Retirement

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No-Hee Park, D.M.D., Ph.D., the longest-serving dean in UCLA School of Dentistry history and the first Korean-American appointed dean of a U.S. university, will retire effective January 1, 2026.

A distinguished professor with joint appointments at the School of Dentistry and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Dr. Park has made enduring contributions to the UCLA and global scientific communities as an educator, researcher, and administrator. His leadership from 1998 to 2016 marked a period of significant transformation that helped position UCLA Dentistry among the world’s premier dental schools.

“Serving UCLA for more than four decades has been the privilege of my life,” said Dr. Park. “As dean for 18 years, the most meaningful part of my career was helping the School of Dentistry grow into a nationally recognized leader in education, research, patient care, and community service. This transformation was made possible only through the dedication of our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and donors.

Dr. Park’s 18-year deanship – the second-longest among UCLA’s schools and colleges –provided the stability needed to implement long-term strategic goals. When he assumed the role in 1998, the School had no endowed chairs, modest research funding, and limited infrastructure. By the time he returned to full-time teaching and research in 2016, UCLA Dentistry had undergone a remarkable evolution:

• Annual extramural research funding increased from roughly $3 million to $25 million.
• Ten endowed chairs had been established to support and retain top faculty.
• Endowment and gift commitments grew fivefold.
• Student scholarship support increased 16-fold.

Dr. Park managed a budget approaching $90 million and a community comprising approximately 400 faculty, 450 students, 100 residents, and 200 staff. He guided the development and modernization of major research and clinical facilities – including two world-class research centers focused on head and neck oncology and reconstructive biotechnology, respectively – and strengthened interdisciplinary partnerships across UCLA Health Sciences.

He also championed innovations in the D.D.S. student experience, including the creation of the Dean’s Leadership Institute (now the Board of Counselors’ Leadership Institute) and the Apollonian Society.

Source: https://dentistry.ucla.edu/