Distinguished Alumnus (Posthumous), Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health
A leader in preventive medicine and public health, Dr. Mark Malek is the posthumous recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from UC Irvine’s Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health.
Mark believed the measure of a physician was not simply what he knew, but whom he served. After earning his bachelor’s degree in biological sciences at UC Irvine, he received his medical degree from the Charles R. Drew/UCLA Medical Education Program and completed a surgical internship at Stanford. He earned a Master of Public Health and completed a General Preventive Medicine Residency at Johns Hopkins University.
As an Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Officer with the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), he investigated infectious disease outbreaks in the United States and abroad. Returning to Southern California, he led infection control, epidemiology and employee health programs for the Los Angeles County jail system, expanding vaccination, HIV testing and infectious disease prevention for people often overlooked by the healthcare system. He taught epidemiology at UCLA and with his sister, Dr. Irene Malek, operated a Long Beach medical practice focused on prevention and whole-person care.
At UC Irvine, Mark served on the Wen Public Health Community Advisory Council. He and Jennie established the Malek Family Scholarship to support doctoral students’ research each summer, reflecting his philosophy that investing directly in people creates lasting change.
Mark’s influence reached beyond institutions. A devoted mentor, he welcomed aspiring physicians into his practice and guided public health students. His faith and commitment to service led him on medical missions to Fiji, Bolivia and Zambia. Jennie recalls that after volunteering in Fiji, Mark was touched when people thanked him for simple acts like driving the bus to bring them to church.
Above all, Mark cherished his wife, Jennie, and their daughters, Catherine, Amelia and Anastasia. Near the end of his life, he told his priest to “spread love” – words Jennie remembers as his guiding principle. His legacy lives on in the patients he cared for, the students he inspired and the family he treasured.
“Dr. Malek left this world too soon in 2025, yet the light he cast on public health, his patients, his community and our school continue to shine.”
Join us as we honor this year’s distinguished recipients and celebrate the remarkable achievements of the Anteater community.
