Michael Drake
Michael V. Drake, MD, longtime University of California faculty member and administrator, and current UC vice president for health affairs, was appointed chancellor of the university's Irvine campus on May 26.
Acting on the recommendation of President Robert C. Dynes, the UC Board of Regents appointed Drake the fifth chancellor of UC Irvine at its regularly scheduled meeting in San Francisco.
Effective July 1, Drake will take the helm from Ralph J. Cicerone, chancellor since July 1998 who has been elected president of the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC.
"UC Irvine is a campus that has risen to great heights in its relatively brief 40-year history, and Dr. Drake brings the perfect credentials and depth of experience to further that momentum," said Dynes. "He is an accomplished academic, a skillful and energetic leader, and one who understands the role that UC Irvine plays as a leading force for educational, social and economic growth in Orange County and beyond."
Drake, 54, emerged as Dynes' top choice for the position after a national search that produced approximately 650 prospects. During the search, Dynes solicited advice from a committee representing regents; UCI faculty, students, staff, and alumni; and the UC Irvine Foundation.
"UC Irvine is among America's top research universities, and I am deeply honored by this appointment," Drake said. "The campus's growing reputation for excellence is a testament to the leadership of Chancellor Cicerone and Executive Vice Chancellor Mike Gottfredson, and to the work of the outstanding faculty, staff and students of UCI. I am very eager to begin working with them and the broader UC Irvine community to take on the challenges and many exciting opportunities that lie ahead."
Drake began his long-time association with the University of California as a medical student at UCSF in 1975. He later joined the UCSF faculty, rising through the ranks to become professor of ophthalmology. In 1991, Drake assumed the post of assistant dean for student affairs at UCSF, later becoming the school's associate dean for admissions and student programs. From 1998-2000, he served as both the Stephen P. Shearing Professor and vice chair of the department of ophthalmology, and senior associate dean for admissions and extramural academic programs in the UCSF School of Medicine.
In March 2000, Drake was appointed University of California vice president for health affairs in the Office of the President. As systemwide vice president, he oversees education and research activities at UC's 15 health sciences schools (medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, public health, optometry, veterinary medicine), which are distributed among seven campuses. Additionally, the Office of Health Affairs has oversight responsibility for numerous special research programs, including tobacco-related diseases, breast cancer and HIV/AIDS; the California/Mexico Health Initiative; and the newly developed California Health Benefits Review Program.
Under the supervision of the Office of Health Affairs, the University of California is the largest single producer of trained physicians in the United States.
In recognition of his career-long efforts to promote social justice in medical education, in 2004, Drake became the fifth recipient of the Herbert W. Nickens, M.D., Award, one of the highest honors bestowed by the Association of American Medical Colleges.
He has been the recipient of a number of awards for teaching, public service, mentoring and research, including the UCSF School of Medicine's Clinical Teaching Award, the Chancellor's Award for Public Service, the Alumnus of the Year Award, the Speaker's Gold Headed Cane, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Award.
Drake is a member of several national scientific and scholarly societies. He is the current national president of the
Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, and serves as a trustee of the
Association of Academic Health Centers. In 1998, he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences'
Institute of Medicine.
In addition to his academic achievements, Drake has published numerous articles and co-authored four books. He serves as a reviewer for several medical journals, including the Journal of the National Medical Association, New England Journal of Medicine, Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science and the American Journal of Ophthalmology.
Drake's extensive public service experience includes the American Medical Association, the National Eye Institute, the American Association of Medical Colleges, the California Health Manpower Commission and the Committee on The Protection of Public Health.
He holds an MD from UCSF, and two undergraduate degrees: an AB in African and African American studies from Stanford University, and a BS in medical sciences from UCSF. He also holds certifications from the National Board of Medical Examiners and the American Board of Ophthalmology.
Born New York City, Drake spent his childhood in Englewood, NJ, and then later moved to Sacramento, CA, with his family. He and his wife, Brenda, whom he met in college, have two sons, ages 24 and 21. In his spare time, he enjoys cycling, travel, music, track and field, and stargazing.
The UC Board of Regents approved an annual salary of $350,000 for Drake, which represents a zero percent increase over his current salary and a 25 percent increase over the position's current salary of $280,700.
Photo by Paul R. Kennedy
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