Miguel García-Garibay

Dean of the Division of Physical Sciences
Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Email: mgarciagaribay@college.ucla.edu
Ph: (310) 825-1042

Prof. Garcia-Garibay has been a Faculty member in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry since 1992. He came to UCLA after doing Postdoctoral research at Columbia University, which followed his PhD studies at the University of British Columbia, in Canada. The earlier portions of Dr. Garcia-Garibay’s education were completed in his native, Mexico, at the Universidad Michoacana, where he did research on natural product isolation and characterization. Dr. Garcia-Garibay was promoted to full professor in the year 2000 and he has served as Vice Chair for Education in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry since 2005 and as chair since July 2012. Dr. Garcia-Garibay is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of the American Chemical Society and the Journal of Organic Chemistry. He has been a member of the CNSI since 2005.

Most recently, as of July 2016, Dr. Garcia-Garibay was selected to be Dean of the UCLA Division of Physical Sciences. His current research efforts are aimed at the development of artificial molecular machinery in highly organized crystalline media, and to the development of green chemistry by taking advantage of organic reactions in molecular nano-crystals.

 Departmental Faculty Page
 Garcia-Garibay Research Group
  UCLA Newsroom article of his Appointment as Dean of Physical Sciences

Victoria Sork

Dean of the Division of Life Sciences
Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Professor, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability

Email: vsork@college.ucla.edu
Ph: (310) 825-4959

Victoria Sork was appointed Dean of Life Sciences in the UCLA College of Letters and Science in 2009. From 2004 to 2009 Professor Sork chaired UCLA’s Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, where she has been on faculty in this department and the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability since 2002.

Elected in 2004 as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, she has conducted pioneering research in the field of landscape genomics, which integrates genomics, evolutionary biology and conservation science. She is particularly concerned with the ecological and genetic processes that will determine whether California oaks will tolerate climate change.

Through studies for tree species in California, eastern US, and the tropics funded by the National Science Foundation and other agencies, her research has yielded more than 100 publications in major evolutionary, ecological, and environmental journals as well as large number of presentations at national and international conferences, symposia and seminars. She is an eclectic and passionate teacher, a dedicated student mentor, and a reputed administrator.

A native of Los Angeles, she holds a Ph.D. in biological sciences from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. She earned a B.S. in biological sciences with honors from the University of California, Irvine.

 Division of Life Sciences Biography
Sork Lab

Albert J. Courey

Associate Dean of Physical Sciences for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Professor of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Email: courey@chem.ucla.edu
Ph:
(310) 825-2530

Dr. Courey, who is from Buffalo, New York, joined the UCLA faculty in 1990 and was promoted to full professor in 1999. He has served the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry as Graduate Advisor (2003-2005), Vice Chair for Education (2001-2005), and Chair (2008-2012). He also serves on the Advisory Committee of the Molecular Biology Interdepartmental Program and is one of the founders of the Gene Regulation Interdepartmental Program. Dr. Courey has instructed a course at Cold Sprong Harbor Lavoratories in Protein Purification and Characterization every spring since 1996. His lab uses Drosophila melanogaster as a model organizsm to study transcriptional control mechanisms as well as the cell and developmental biology of SUMO, a ubiquitin-family protein. He is an avid pianist and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music.

Please visit his Faculty Page for more information on Al.

Blaire Van Valkenburgh

Associate Dean of Life Sciences for Academic Programs
Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Email: bvanval@ucla.edu
Ph: (310) 794-9398

Blaire Van Valkenburgh is a professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Associate Dean for Academic Programs in the Life Sciences. Her research focuses on the evolution of form, function, and behavior in vertebrates, with an emphasis on large, predatory mammals, both fossil and living. As Associate Dean, her current initiatives include major revisions of the quantitative training curriculum for life science majors to create mathematics and statistics courses that better reflect the needs of 21st century biologists. She is also working on integrating more biology into the chemistry and physics series taken by life science students, as well as trying to create more flexible requirements for life science majors that allow them to customize their training. In keeping with her role as Associate Dean, she interfaces directly with the Faculty Advisory Committee and Director for CEILS to ensure this campus unit champions effective teaching, diversity, and scholarship as its mission and serves as an effective advocate for academic programs that promote student learning and persistence in life science majors.

Please visit her website for more information on Blaire.