David Dolan, M.A. '86, M.P.H. '86

David Dolan, M.A. '86, M.P.H. '86, was honored at the 114th Explorers Club Annual Dinner in March, receiving the Sweeney Medal in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the welfare and objectives of the club. Other honorees at the black-tie dinner, which was attended by over 1,000 people, included Capt. James Lovell, commander of Apollo 13, and Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos.

Dolan has committed his life to combining his passion for exploration with his desire to perform international humanitarian service. He has established health clinics, orphanages, water wells, and housing projects on four continents and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya to raise funds to fight poverty. In addition to his humanitarian work, he is committed to environmental justice and animal conservation, volunteering for several non-profit organizations including the Cheetah Conservation Fund.

Dolan has served on the Explorers Club’s board of directors and was its first vice president for development. Currently he is the co-chair of the development committee, founder of the Explorers Club’s Famous Firsts campaign, and chair of the Legacy Society Committee. Last July, four years after being diagnosed with severe lung disease, Dolan received a double lung transplant at UCSD and has fully recovered from this life-saving surgery. His new-found health has allowed him to continue his commitment to service, for which he is very grateful.

Dolan attended the recent Alumni Affairs-sponsored "2nd Act: Unlock Your Inner TED," and came away quite moved. "It was an informative and exciting session and I'm inspired to submit a proposal myself for next year's UCLA TEDx session. Further, I met four fellow graduates of the Fielding School of Public Health that night and had great fellowship with them - and made new friends."

In addition to his Master of Public Health degreee, Dolan earned an M.A. in Latin American studies.