Our Leadership

Liz Yzquierdo, MPH, Ed.D., works collaboratively across the school to lead and coordinate several units that support, provide and promote student access, retention, degree completion, and career development. She works with a dynamic team that includes Student Affairs, Recruitment, Outreach & Admissions, and Financial Services.

Dong Song An, MD, PhD, was appointed to Associate Dean of Research & Innovation in September 2023. His vision for this role is to support faculty members scholarly work with trust by ensuring best practices in the oversight and management of funded research projects and by leading new initiatives to enhance the research and career development of our faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and students. 

Barbara Bates-Jensen, PhD, RN, FAAN, has been with UCLA for more than 20 years. In her leadership role, she hopes to be a catalyst for excellence in the School of Nursing by creating a culture of openness, transparency, and inclusive communication where all students, staff, and faculty voices are heard, along with actively engaged teamwork and collaboration that empowers faculty to thrive in their roles as educators and mentors for nursing professionals.

Nalo Hamilton, PhD, MSN, APRN-BC, joined UCLA Nursing in 2010. As Associate Dean for EDI, she fosters a culture where everyone in the UCLA Nursing community is valued, supported, and empowered to achieve their highest personal and professional goals.

Karen Grimley, Ph.D., MBA, RN, FAAN, FACHE, NEA-BC, serves as assistant dean within the School of Nursing and is the Chief Nursing Executive for UCLA Health. In that role she is responsible for the overall delivery and management of patient care and professional nursing practice, clinical education, professional development, research and clinical services.

As the Assistant Dean of Administration, Sheila Davis has over 38 years of UC experience; 32 of which have been at UCLA in Human Resources, Payroll, Accounts Payable, Research Administration, Student Affairs, Compliance, Facilities Management, and Administration. She is currently responsible for managing the day to day operations of the School of Nursing, including facilities. Davis is also the Director of Human Resources and oversees and manages all HR related matters for faculty and staff. She represents the Dean’s Office to campus constituencies and serves as the liaison to external agencies regarding administrative matters.

Hector Arguello is the School of Nursing's Chief Financial Officer, responsible for managing the school's resources according to UCLA's financial policies and guidelines. As CFO, Arguello provides accurate and reliable financial information to the Dean and the School's executive committee, which allows the school to formulate short-term and long-term financial goals. The CFO works closely with the Dean and the SON executive committee to identify savings by utilizing the principle of cost effectiveness. Arguello also works to identify new revenue streams in collaboration with the Dean.