SUBJECT:

Appointment of Dr. Ellen Beck as Faculty Director – UC San Diego Faculty and Leadership Development

I’m delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Ellen Beck (Professor Emerita, Family Medicine and Public Health) as Faculty Director of UC San Diego Faculty and Leadership Development. Since joining my office in January, Dr. Beck has been meeting with colleagues and academic leaders across the campus to learn about existing professional development efforts and to ascertain what may be needed to better support our faculty and academic leaders in their professional growth.

In this role, she will collaboratively design, implement, and support new faculty and leadership development efforts that will strengthen a climate of respect, mutual understanding, tolerance, and self-awareness across the university, and facilitate the growth of faculty skills in education, communication, leadership, and community-building. As Faculty Director, Dr. Beck will also ensure that professional development efforts for faculty and academic leaders are assessed for quality, effectiveness, and inclusivity, that they are improved over time, and that they align with the campus and community strategic goals.

A member of the UC San Diego faculty since 1987, Dr. Beck is a Clinical Professor Emerita and Director of Medical Student Education for the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health. She is Co-Founder and Director of the UC San Diego Student-Run Free Clinic Project, which provides free high quality care with the underserved in four community settings. Its mission is to provide free, high quality, respectful health care with the underserved while inspiring the next generation of health professionals. Dr. Beck is also Founder and Director of three national faculty development programs which have trained more than 300 medical and dental school faculty since 1999: “Addressing the Health Needs of the Underserved,” “Addressing the Oral Health Needs of the Underserved,” and a clinical Fellowship in Underserved Health Care, which was the first in the nation. Dr. Beck received her M.D. and completed her training at McGill University in Montreal, Canada and served on the McGill University faculty prior to joining UC San Diego. Dr. Beck and her programs have won national and state awards including the 2010 James Irvine Foundation California Leadership Award which is designed to advance innovative, proven, and replicable solutions to critical issues facing California and contribute to better public policies and practices in the health care field. She has also been the recipient of several local and national awards in teaching and mentoring, including the Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Award, the Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Trust Award (for teachers who have inspired their former students), and the LEAD San Diego Visionary Award for Diversity.

Dr. Beck’s depth of experience with faculty mentorship and training at UC San Diego and nationally, and her collaborative and thoughtful approach make her exceptionally well suited to lead this critical effort for the campus. Please join me in welcoming and supporting Dr. Beck in this vital new role.

Elizabeth H. Simmons Executive Vice Chancellor