By Christina Boufis, PhD
“Here at Pacific, we grow people, and along the way they become doctors.” This statement by the late Dr. Arthur A. Dugoni ’48 “fits me pretty well,” says Dr. Craig Yarborough ’80, former associate dean for institutional advancement and director for the Center for Success, who retired in December 2025 after more than three decades of service to the dental school.
“First and foremost, I love the profession,” Yarborough says. “When I was in the sixth grade, I decided I wanted to be a dentist someday. And, to have the opportunity to change my life and become a dentist at the same time, that was pretty cool.”
In addition to a DDS degree, Yarborough earned a bachelor’s degree from University of the Pacific in 1977 and an MBA from Pacific’s Eberhardt School of Business in 1999. “I bleed orange and black,” he jokes.
He and his wife Nancy are parents of two Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry graduates—Dr. Jenna Atwood ’09 and Dr. Matthew Yarborough ’14, who is married to Dr. Amy Au ’12. They also have five grandsons.
Yarborough began his journey with the dental school in 1977 as an incoming dental student. Upon graduation, he immediately started teaching one day a week at the dental school’s extramural clinic at San Joaquin General Hospital in Stockton. In 1993, following 13 years in private practice in his hometown of Lodi, California, he became a full-time faculty member at the dental school in San Francisco. Since then, Yarborough has held many vital roles, including group practice leader, associate dean of admissions, associate dean for student services, executive associate dean, associate dean for institutional advancement and director for the Center for Success. In every position, he has remained steadfast in his belief that people come first—always lifting others up and helping them thrive.
“It’s immediately clear how much the Dugoni School means to him,” says Eric Dumbleton, associate dean for advancement and executive director of the Dugoni School Foundation board. “When he’s on campus or at school events, people constantly stop to thank him for what he’s done. He brings a warmth, authenticity and generosity of spirit that truly reflects the humanistic values we hold dear here.”
Dr. Bernadette Alvear Fa ’06, a professor in the Department of Preventive and Restorative Dentistry, director of the Center for Success and chair of the Health and Wellness Committee, agrees. She first met Yarborough when she was an undergraduate pre-dental student on the Stockton campus and he was associate dean for student services. “He was just so knowledgeable and inspiring,” Fa recalls. “He made us laugh but also made us think about who we are, not as just future dentists but as individuals.”
From this first encounter, through matriculation, and then recently succeeding Yarborough as director of the Center for Success, Fa says, “It’s been humbling getting to know him and now I have the opportunity to build on the great foundation he started for our students. I’m very thankful to have had the joyful presence of Dr. Yarborough guiding me.”
Indeed, it is Yarborough’s characteristic warmth, good humor and genuine interest in helping others succeed that come through in all he does for the school. “You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give” is a saying that resonates with him.
While this applies to philanthropy, it’s also true for Yarborough as an educator, mentor and role model. “The thrill of teaching is always about lifting students up and helping them see possibilities they might not have seen before,” he says. He believes in giving generously to students.
How does he help them advance? “People tell me I’m not very good at actually giving them answers,” Yarborough says. “But what I take pride in is asking the right questions to help people find the answers themselves.”
Yarborough has given back to the school generously for decades in the three T’s of philanthropy—time, talent and treasury. Dr. Tom Bales ’74B, with the support from many alumni and friends, led the establishment of the Craig and Nancy Yarborough Family Endowed Scholarship to benefit dental students.
In recognition of his many contributions, Yarborough received the Alumni Association’s highest honor—the Medallion of Distinction—in 2005, recognizing his exceptional service to the school, the profession and the community. In May 2026, he received the prestigious Order of Pacific, the university’s highest honor, and was granted emeritus faculty status.
One of the highlights of his career was serving on the Admissions Committee for a decade and getting to meet with and talk to prospective students. “I’d like to think I had a small hand in convincing many of them to join the Dugoni School family because they were qualified and competitive enough to have gone to any school in the country,” he says modestly.
Yarborough is proud of his work leading the Dugoni School Foundation board during two record-setting capital campaigns. “Raising $135 million for the dental school, with the support of so many alumni and friends, to help secure the school’s future really stands out,” he says.
What’s next? Retirement means spending more time with his family, including his five grandsons, and focusing on one project at a time. He will continue to serve on the Executive Committee of the Dugoni School Foundation. “My main capacity right now is fundraising for our new Ambulatory Surgery Center,” says Yarborough. The Multidisciplinary Advanced Care Clinics and Ambulatory Surgery Center will serve individuals of all ages with special healthcare needs and is scheduled to open in fall 2026.
“He’s just as committed as ever to helping the school continue to advance and thrive,” says Dumbleton. “I don’t see that ever changing.”
And what would Yarborough like to see from those who’ve known him over the years? “Pay it forward,” he says. “You don’t need to pay me back for whatever I did in your life, just pay it forward to the Dugoni School, the profession, your communities and your families.”
A life lived in helping others succeed is indeed a dividend that keeps on giving.
Christina Boufis, PhD, is a freelance health and medical writer from the East Bay.
