Jane Czech, MS, MBA, associate chair for finance and administration in the UC San Francisco Departments of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and Neurology, has been selected as one of this year's recipients of the Holly Smith Award for Exceptional Service to the UCSF School of Medicine.
The award, which recognizes exceptional service to the School of Medicine, is the school's most prestigious honor and provides an opportunity to celebrate colleagues who embody the qualities and contributions exemplified by Holly Smith, MD, professor emeritus and former associate dean. Smith, who passed away in June 2018, joined UCSF as the chair of the Department of Medicine in 1964 and was well known for his dedication to the School of Medicine, diversity in roles played, commitment to sustaining UCSF's position as a world-class institution, and accomplishing those goals with humor and grace.
When announcing this year's recipients, School of Medicine Dean Talmadge E. King, Jr, MD, noted that Czech, "has made outstanding contributions to UCSF by stepping into key leadership roles during major transitions—including serving as interim CAO for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences—and by leading impactful projects across departments. She has helped expand community engagement, guided important departmental changes, and served on key School of Medicine committees. Her work on the WIN initiative and her role in planning and recruitment for the Weill Neurosciences Building highlight her ability to drive innovation and organizational change."
"Jane’s leadership is defined by positivity, humor, and grace," he added. "She brings people together, builds strong teams, and creates a workplace culture that is both supportive and inspiring."
Czech, who also serves as the administrative director for the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, came to UCSF in 2007 and joined the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in 2019. She was also recognized with the UCSF Chancellor Award for Exceptional University Management in 2019.
"I am elated and humbled to receive this award. It’s a highlight of my career!," said Czech. "I’ve tried to follow Holly Smith’s approach to leadership, and it’s a great formula for making a positive impact. I treasure my colleagues in the School of Medicine and all that we can accomplish together."
About UCSF Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
The UCSF Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute are among the nation's foremost resources in the fields of child, adolescent, adult, and geriatric mental health. Together they constitute one of the largest departments in the UCSF School of Medicine and the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, with a focus on providing unparalleled patient care, conducting impactful research, training the next generation of behavioral health leaders, and advancing diversity, health equity, and community across the field.
UCSF Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences conducts its clinical, educational, and research efforts at a variety of locations in Northern California, including the UCSF Nancy Friend Pritzker Psychiatry Building; UCSF Langley Porter Psychiatric Hospital; UCSF Health medical centers and community hospitals across San Francisco; UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals in San Francisco and Oakland; Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center; the San Francisco VA Health Care System; UCSF Fresno; and numerous community-based sites around the San Francisco Bay Area.
About the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences
The UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, established by the extraordinary generosity of Joan and Sanford I. "Sandy" Weill, brings together world-class researchers with top-ranked physicians to solve some of the most complex challenges in the human brain.
The UCSF Weill Institute leverages UCSF’s unrivaled bench-to-bedside excellence in the neurosciences. It unites three UCSF departments—Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Neurology, and Neurological Surgery—that are highly esteemed for both patient care and research, as well as the Neuroscience Graduate Program, a cross-disciplinary alliance of nearly 100 UCSF faculty members from 15 basic-science departments, as well as the UCSF Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, a multidisciplinary research center focused on finding effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and other neurodegenerative disorders.
About UCSF
The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is exclusively focused on the health sciences and is dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. UCSF Health, which serves as UCSF’s primary academic medical center, includes top-ranked specialty hospitals and other clinical programs, and has affiliations throughout the Bay Area.
