An endowed professorship named after a Korean professor is to be established at the University of California, Los Angeles.

UCLA announced on January 12,"The Shapiro Family Charitable Foundation had made a US$1 million pledge to the UCLA School of Dentistry for the establishment of the Dr. No-Hee Park Endowed Chair in Dentistry."

The endowed professorship is intended to support the teaching and research of a distinguished faculty member in the field of oral biology and medicine.

Ralph Shapiro said in an interview with the school newspaper, UCLA News,"Dr. Park has made significant advances in cancer biology, and for 10 years he provided exemplary services as dean of the UCLA School of Dentistry." Ralph and Shirley Shapiro, both UCLA alumni, have made donations worth more than US$24 million.

"I am deeply moved that Shirley and Ralph Shapiro have chosen to create this chair in my name. This is the most significant honor of my career," Park said.

Park received his D.D.S. degree from Seoul National University and earned a PhD in pharmacology from the Medical College of Georgia. Having earned a D.M.D. degree from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, he joined the faculty of the UCLA School of Dentistry in 1984. As a world authority in oral cancer treatment, Park received a Distinguished Scientist Award from the International Association for Dental Research in 2001.

January 14, 2009
SNU PR Office