Our Leadership
The Dean
Lin Zhan, PhD, RN, FAAN, was appointed as the 8th dean of the UCLA School of Nursing in 2021 after a national search. Prior to her UCLA appointment, Dr. Zhan served as the dean for the University of Memphis Loewenberg College of Nursing for nearly 11 years as the chief academic officer for the college’s programs on two campuses in Memphis and Jackson, Tennessee. Prior to her Memphis Loewenberg College appointment, Dr. Zhan served as the founding dean for the school of nursing at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health sciences in Boston, in charge of three campuses located in Boston (Massachusetts), Worcester (Massachusetts), and Manchester (New Hampshire).
Dr. Zhan’s research and scholarly work has focused on 1) improving health for the vulnerable populations such as Asian American Immigrants, 2) developing valid and culturally appropriate measures for health-related behaviors, and 3) higher education and nursing workforce development. Dr. Zhan has published more than 100 articles, edited six books, and obtained funded projects over several millions of dollars, and is frequently invited to give keynote speeches and professional presentations nationally and globally.
Dr. Zhan was inducted as a Fellow of American Academy of Nursing in 2001 for her outstanding, sustainable, and high impact contributions to improve health for the vulnerable groups. Since then, she has served on the Academy’s expert panel on aging and global health, the Academy’s fellow selection committee, and this year she was invited to serve on the Academy’s newly established international fellow selection committee. As the Dean of Nursing, Dr. Zhan has been elected 4 times by AACN members to serve on the Board of Directors and served two terms as Treasurer of the AACN. She has also served on numerous advisory groups within AACN as well as on the AACN New Essentials Leadership Team. In her scholarly work, she serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Gerontological Nursing and the Journal of Aging and Geriatric Medicine. In 2020, Zhan was named as one of the “Visionaries in Geriatric Nursing: A Legacy for the Future” in the Journal of Geriatric Nursing. In 2023, Dr. Zhan was invited to serve as a mentor for global women leadership development program.
Dr. Zhan is the recipient of numerous honors and awards ranging from “the best book of a year Award” by the American Journal of Nursing, Community Outreach Service Award, to outstanding Leadership Award in Nursing and Education.
Associate Dean of Student Affairs
Liz Yzquierdo, MPH, Ed.D., works collaboratively across the school to lead and coordinate several units that support, provide and promote student access, retention, degree completion, and career development. She works with a dynamic team that includes Student Affairs, Recruitment, Outreach & Admissions, and Financial Services.
Associate Dean of Research & Innovation
Dong Sung An, MD, PhD, was appointed to Associate Dean of Research & Innovation in September 2023. His vision for this role is to support faculty members scholarly work with trust by ensuring best practices in the oversight and management of funded research projects and by leading new initiatives to enhance the research and career development of our faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and students.
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
Barbara Bates-Jensen, PhD, RN, FAAN, has been with UCLA for more than 20 years. In her leadership role, she hopes to be a catalyst for excellence in the School of Nursing by creating a culture of openness, transparency, and inclusive communication where all students, staff, and faculty voices are heard, along with actively engaged teamwork and collaboration that empowers faculty to thrive in their roles as educators and mentors for nursing professionals.
Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Nalo Hamilton, PhD, MSN, APRN-BC, joined UCLA Nursing in 2010. As Associate Dean for EDI, she fosters a culture where everyone in the UCLA Nursing community is valued, supported, and empowered to achieve their highest personal and professional goals.
Assistant Dean & Chief Nursing Executive, UCLA Health
Karen Grimley, PhD, MBA, RN, FAAN, FACHE, NEA-BC, serves as assistant dean within the School of Nursing and is the Chief Nursing Executive for UCLA Health. In that role she is responsible for the overall delivery and management of patient care and professional nursing practice, clinical education, professional development, research and clinical services.
Chief Financial Officer
Hector Arguello is the School of Nursing's Chief Financial Officer, responsible for managing the school's resources according to UCLA's financial policies and guidelines. As CFO, Arguello provides accurate and reliable financial information to the Dean and the School's executive committee, which allows the school to formulate short-term and long-term financial goals. The CFO works closely with the Dean and the SON executive committee to identify savings by utilizing the principle of cost effectiveness. Arguello also works to identify new revenue streams in collaboration with the Dean.