The city of Los Angeles plans to transition to completely renewable electricity over the next 12 years, which is a significant step towards a cleaner and healthier future. However, past clean-energy efforts have not been inclusive for all communities in the city. Wealthier communities have received the majority of the benefits, while disadvantaged communities of color have been left behind. In light of these challenges, over 20 UCLA researchers have collaborated with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), and others to produce LA100 Equitable Strategies, a comprehensive report that provides strategies for promoting equity and justice in LADWP’s transition. The report aims to guide the city in implementing the
transition in a way that centers social and environmental justice while benefiting all Angelenos. The UCLA team will continue to work closely with the city throughout the transition to ensure that the vision of a clean and equitable energy future is realized.
The UC Board of Regents has given the green light to the UCLA Gayley Towers redevelopment project, which is aimed at providing affordable housing options to students in financial need. The project offers significantly below-market rents thanks to a state subsidy and will increase the stock of accessible, affordable, well-designed student housing. Additionally, UCLA Chancellor Gene Block was recently honored with the Los Angeles Business Council Chairman’s Award for his leadership of the university's student housing and renovation projects. Over the past five years, UCLA has added approximately 5,300 beds to its student housing facilities that provide comfortable and convenient living spaces to
students. In presenting the award to Block at the council’s annual Los Angeles Architectural Awards gala, California Assembly Member Rick Chavez Zbur commended the university for its transformative work, especially during a time when college students in Los Angeles and across the state are increasingly vulnerable to housing insecurity.
UCLA, the No.1 ranked public university for veterans, honored veterans and military-connected individuals in different parts of the country. Operation Mend, which is a partnership between UCLA Health and the U.S. military, took part in New York City's Veterans Day parade, the largest in the country. Over 20,000 parade participants, including leaders from UCLA Health, Operation Mend healthcare professionals, patients, supporters, and UCLA Chancellor Gene Block, marched along a cheering crowd of 400,000. Operation Mend, now in its 16th year, provides medical, surgical, and psychological treatment to post-9/11 veterans and service members injured in the line of duty, at no cost to the veterans. Other UCLA Veterans
Day activities included a luncheon on campus for military students, veterans, staff, and alumni.
Three UCLA professors contributed to the Fifth National Climate Assessment, emphasizing the pervasive and inequitable nationwide harms of climate change. The report includes issues of climate justice and represents the role of knowledge of social sciences and arts. The co-authors are Aradhna Tripati, Alex Hall, and Will Rafey. Tripati joined a White House panel discussion of the assessment where she emphasized that climate change is happening now, with severe effects impacting all weather patterns and causing more frequent disasters that are fueling one another.
Los Angeles Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky, who represents the Fifth District, recently sat down with the Daily Bruin to discuss her achievements in the first year of her four-year term, and to share her insights on what Westwood can expect in the future.
Batteries made from sodium have the potential to replace lithium batteries, which are expensive and subject to geopolitical constraints. A new Department of Energy center established at UCLA aims to enhance sodium batteries to the level of lithium batteries within the next decade. Currently, sodium-ion batteries have a slower charging rate and a shorter lifespan than lithium-ion batteries.
Congressman Ted Lieu, who has a background in computer science, is concerned about the slow progress made by the U.S. government and industry in safeguarding people from AI's most dangerous applications. He is collaborating with his congressional colleagues to pass bipartisan legislation that would regulate new technologies. Lieu is currently focused on a bill that aims to prevent AI from autonomously launching nuclear weapons; he also aims to promote more trustworthiness in the development of AI.
On November 8, the UCLA Chancellor Search Advisory Committee hosted a series of virtual town halls with the Bruin community. The targeted sessions for faculty, staff, students, and alumni offered opportunities for various stakeholders to provide input regarding priorities, attributes and qualities of the next UCLA chancellor. Feedback included that the new leader should have a strong appreciation for building and maintaining relationships with policymakers and that the next chancellor continue the university’s focus on becoming a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution.
Chancellor Gene Block will step down at the end of July 2024 after 17 years leading the campus. UC President Michael Drake is heading the committee, which includes UC regents, university faculty, staff, students, and alumni, to assist in the international search for the next chancellor. A professional search firm is also assisting the committee.
On November 15, University of California President Michael Drake announced new initiatives and investments to support students, enhance campus safety, and improve the climate on campus in light of recent events in Israel and Gaza. The remarks at a UC Board of Regents meeting followed a letter
that President Drake and the 10 UC chancellors sent to the university community that condemns bigotry, intolerance, and intimidation on UC campuses. The letter highlights UC’s obligation to uphold the First Amendment and also to impose consequences on behavior that crosses the line into unprotected speech, such as persistent harassment of individuals or groups, or credible threats of physical violence. The UC leaders underscored a shared commitment to providing an educational environment free of discrimination, intolerance, and intimidation.
The UC Advocacy Network (UCAN) launched a LinkedIn page. Follow the page to join the 50k+ members who advocate on the issues impacting the UC community with state and federal lawmakers.
Investigators from the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model based on epigenetic factors that is able to predict patient outcomes successfully across multiple cancer types. The study's first author, Michael Cheng, who is a graduate student in UCLA’s Bioinformatics Interdepartmental Program, said, "Our research provides a roadmap for generating similar AI models utilizing publicly-available lists of prognostic epigenetic factors." The study reveals how certain influential factors can be identified in different types of cancer and has exciting potential for predicting specific targets for cancer treatment.
Funding from the National Cancer Institute, Cancer Research Institute, Melanoma Research Alliance, Melanoma Research Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and the UCLA Spore in Prostate Cancer helped support the study.
According to a UCLA study, hospitals that serve Black, Hispanic, and other minority patients are less likely to offer the complete range of core cancer services than other hospitals. The researchers analyzed nearly 4,400 hospitals across the United States, including 864 that serve a high number of minority patients. Apparently, PET/CT scanners, robotic surgery and palliative care services are not as accessible in these hospitals. The study suggests that it is important to further investigate how factors such as geography, language, culture, cost, and discrimination contribute to these disparities in cancer care.
