Tuesday, February 11, 1997
AWARDS:
Gov. Wilson adds William Friedman to Air Resources BoardBy Peggy
Shen
Daily Bruin Contributor
Only a handful of people can claim to be associated with the
governor of California, but William Friedman, with two governor’s
appointments under his belt, is merely taking it in stride.
Friedman, a professor of pediatric cardiology at the UCLA School
of Medicine, was appointed earlier this year by Gov. Pete Wilson to
the Air Resources Board of the California Environmental Protection
Agency.
As a member, Friedman will meet with the Air Resources Board
once a month at a public conference in Sacramento to discuss
various aspects and issues of improving air quality in
California.
According to Friedman, five board positions automatically belong
to each supervisor of a county, while other positions on the board
usually tend to be filled by scientists. Out of all the numerous
candidates, all scientists and physicians, Dr. Friedman was
selected to hold one of these positions.
Friedman said he was chosen for this honor because he is a "big
figure in medicine" and science. Dr. Gerald Levey, a close friend
of Friedman and provost and dean of the UCLA School of Medicine,
said that Friedman is an "extraordinary physician," adding that he
was recently named by a survey to be "the most prominent pediatric
surgeon in the United States." Levey emphasized that he was very
pleased with his colleague and friend’s appointment.
Friedman spent his first 11 years in California at UCSD. He was
the first person hired at the UCSD Department of Medicine, where he
contributed to the establishment of the UCSD Medical School.
Friedman first came to UCLA in 1979, serving as chairman of the
Department of Pediatrics for the next 15 years.
Friedman’s professional activities also extend outside of UCLA.
He has served on several other boards, including editorial boards
of major scientific journals, leadership positions in the American
Heart Association, and as California governor for the American
College of Cardiology.
Upon resigning as chairman of the UCLA Department of Pediatrics,
Friedman then became senior advisor to the provost and dean of the
School of Medicine and was asked by Gov. Pete Wilson to serve on
the Medical Board of California. He will soon start meeting with
the Medical Board of California as vice president of the Division
of Licensing.
Now with a second appointment by the governor to the Air
Resources Board, Friedman said he is having fun and is learning a
lot about air pollution and the environment. In addition to this
new knowledge, the pediatric cardiologist said he feels his
background will help him fulfill his duties as an appointed member
of the Air Resources Board.
"By being a scientist and a physician, you understand how to
analyze things and understand how to ask questions," said Friedman.
"My own focus is a function of my background as a physician and
scientist, so I will focus on the biology of air pollution and its
affects."
Friedman said his main goal as a member of the board will be to
"get the air progressively cleaner."