Thursday, March 28

Former interim dean Susan Ettner to serve as UCLA dean of graduate education


Susan Ettner, a UCLA professor and former interim dean, was named dean of graduate education on June 25. Ettner began her full term July 1. (Courtesy of Susan Ettner)


Susan Ettner, a UCLA professor and former interim dean, began her term as the dean of graduate education July 1.

Ettner is a general internal medicine and health services professor at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and a health policy and management professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.

Ettner was appointed interim dean of UCLA Graduate Division during her third year as an associate dean in the program and began her interim term on August 1, 2020. She was named dean of the program on June 25.

As dean, Ettner plans to focus on funding for education, retention projects and new mentorship programs, she said in an emailed statement. She will also work on annual academic progress reviews and supporting alternative career pathways, Ettner added.

Previously, Ettner worked on academic and admissions policies, including revisions to policies regarding academic disqualification and doctorate committees.

Ettner also said that she is most proud of working on programs supporting financial and mentoring needs, including non-resident supplemental tuition accommodations, summer fellowships and peer mentoring. These programs especially benefit graduate students and postdoctoral researchers from underrepresented backgrounds, she added.

“These goals are related because providing more robust non-pecuniary support for the academic success of our students reduces their time to degree, which in turn frees up funding that can be used for other students,” Ettner said.

Aside from administrative work, Ettner researches behavioral health policy and has published peer-reviewed work more than 220 times.

Before starting as an associate professor at UCLA in 1999, Ettner was a health care policy assistant and associate professor at Harvard Medical School.

Ettner earned her bachelor’s degrees in mathematics/economics and German from University of California, Santa Barbara. Ettner also earned a doctorate degree in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“Chancellor Block and I are grateful for Susan’s distinguished service as interim dean during the past 11 months,” said Emily Carter, the executive vice chancellor and provost, in a campus email. “Both in this role and as associate dean, Susan has proven to be a dedicated, thoughtful, and strong leader, and we are confident that graduate education will continue to thrive under her capable leadership.”

News senior staff

Jung is a senior staff reporter and a photographer for the Bruin. He was a 2021-2022 assistant News editor for the campus politics and city and crime beats. Jung was also the 2020-2021 assistant Enterprise editor. Jung is a fourth-year global studies student.


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