Dr. Ralph Clayman named dean of medical school

Dr. Ralph Clayman has accepted the position of dean of the UC Irvine School of Medicine, pending regental approval. Chancellor Michael Drake and Executive Vice Chancellor & Provost Michael Gottfredson said Clayman will provide academic and financial leadership for the medical school and continue to advance its academic and research missions while facilitating collaboration between UCI faculty and administration. Clayman, who has served as the school’s interim dean since March, came to the university in 2002 to found the Department of Urology. Under his guidance, UCI has become a major center for minimally invasive robotic and laparoscopic surgery and is home to the nation’s first mini-residency program for teaching urological surgeons trauma-minimizing techniques. The Department of Urology was ranked among the country’s top 20 in U.S. News & World Report’s most recent “Best Hospitals” issue. A prolific researcher, Clayman has invented about two dozen urinary tract devices and minimally invasive surgical instruments.