Chair of the UC San Francisco Department of Emergency Medicine, Peter Sokolove, MD, FACEP, has been named a recipient of the School of Medicine's 2025 Holly Smith Award for Exceptional Service. This award was established in 2000 to recognize exceptional career service that has resulted in broad and long-lasting benefit to the School of Medicine. It is the School's highest honor for service, celebrating colleagues who exemplify Dr. Smith’s innovative, principled, and devoted legacy.
In the 12 years that he’s chaired the Department of Emergency Medicine, Dr. Sokolove has made outstanding contributions to our department and UCSF by supporting talent, encouraging collaboration, and creating opportunities for others to succeed. His accomplishments include founding the Pediatric Emergency Medicine division and growing the department’s research efforts, and advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and wellness. Dr. Sokolove is a trusted leader and thoughtful collaborator who listens to different perspectives and helps find practical solutions that balance the needs of his department, the School of Medicine, UCSF Health, and the broader campus. He approaches the serious challenges of emergency medicine with calm, compassion, and humor—creating a supportive environment where teams can thrive and lead with purpose.
"I am profoundly grateful and privileged to have received the Holly Smith Award. I sincerely value the opportunity to collaborate with exceptional colleagues and engage in meaningful work together. Dr. Smith’s remarkable legacy continues to inspire all of us," Dr. Sokolove said.