UC Day in Sacramento 2024

UCLA's commitment to campus safety and review of recent activity 

How a mom’s determination – and a UCLA transplant – saved her daughter’s life

Klarissa Hope was determined to find out what was making her daughter, Raylee Osuna, sick. Her persistence led to a lifesaving liver transplant. Raylee was added to the transplant list at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital and received a smaller part of an adult donor liver in an in-situ split procedure.

Mayor Karen Bass focuses on housing needs at UCLA Luskin Summit

The Luskin School of Public Affairs at UCLA hosted the 2024 UCLA Luskin Summit: Transformative Action. The conference brought together 300 scholars, civic leaders, community partners, and the philanthropic community to discuss research-informed strategies to tackle the most pressing problems affecting the Los Angeles region.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass delivered the keynote, emphasizing long term solutions to homelessness.

Related: L.A. quality of life is at a record low, survey shows. Why political leaders shouldn’t ignore that

Mayor Bass visits UCLA Law to discuss philanthropic responses to homelessness

On April 12, the UCLA School of Law hosted "Philanthropy, Business, Government and the Homelessness Crisis." The event highlighted the role that philanthropic enterprises play in addressing homelessness. Mayor Karen Bass in conversation with retired California state senator Kevin Murray discussed the need for public-nonprofit collaboration. The event was presented by the Lowell Milken Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofits, whose mission is to enhance the understanding of the philanthropy and nonprofit sector and to support it through leading-edge education, leadership, and research.

Capturing carbon

L.A.-based startup, Equatic, is working to turbocharge the ocean’s natural processes for storing carbon (CO2). Deploying technology created and developed at UCLA's Institute for Carbon Management, the company runs an electric current through seawater to split the oxygen and hydrogen in the water into two streams, a technique called electrolysis. Water processed in this way can absorb additional atmospheric CO2 and convert it into dissolved inorganic carbon and solid calcium carbonate, both of which exist in ocean-based organic material. On the heels of the successful launch and operation of pilots in Los Angeles and Singapore last spring, UCLA and Equatic are gearing up for their next phase: a $20 million full-scale demonstration plant supported by Singapore’s national water agency and its National Research Foundation, and by UCLA’s Institute for Carbon Management. Check out the video to learn more about this innovative process.

Related: UCLA Magazine: Saving the Planet, One Block at a Time

Guns and suicide

Mapping UCLA’s global impact

Kaya Mentesoglu and UCLA's International Institute are actively working to expand UCLA's reach as a global university. This work involves developing an interactive global map that houses rich and dynamic information about international students, study abroad opportunities, international visitors to campus, formal international agreements, faculty interests, alumni abroad, impact stories, and more.

Political scientist named 2024 Carnegie Fellow

UCLA's Chris Tausanovitch has been awarded a 2024 fellowship from the Carnegie Corporation of New York to write a new book that explores the increasing polarization among elected officials. The fellowship includes a $200,000 stipend and comes after a one-year pause in 2022. Tausanovitch, who co-authored "The Bitter End: The 2020 Presidential Campaign and the Challenge to American Democracy," aims to shed light on why the middle of the spectrum has so little representation in present-day American politics.

Paying airlines to scrap — instead of sell — old planes

In an effort to speed up decarbonization of the aviation industry, researchers from UCLA Anderson, UC Irvine and USC have proposed a cash-for-clunkers program for airlines. The program would encourage airlines to scrap less-efficient aircraft, which would reduce total carbon emissions by 20.5 million metric tons. The authors suggest that if designed correctly, the program would more than pay for itself in reduced carbon emissions, and airlines could be induced to scrap rather than sell older planes upon retirement with a payment that is less than the forgone carbon damage, yielding net social benefits.

Hammer Museum honors Ann Philbin for 25 years of leadership

The 19th Annual Gala in the Garden, hosted by the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, celebrated the museum's director, Ann Philbin, ahead of her retirement in November. The sold-out event raised a record-breaking $3.6 million to support the museum's internationally acclaimed exhibitions and public programs, which are free to the public. Artists, collectors, patrons of the arts, cultural and civic leaders, and celebrities were among the attendees. The night featured speeches by renowned personalities, including Oscar-winning actress Jodie Foster, tribute speeches by various artists, and a performance by k.d. lang. More than 700 guests attended the event, which was the Hammer Museum's largest Gala ever.

Related: Hammer Museum gala honors director Ann Philbin in star-studded event

Antonia Hernández: Championing Latinx communities and receiving the UCLA Medal

This week, double Bruin Antonia Hernández received the UCLA Medal — our highest honor. She has dedicated her career to enhancing the quality of life for Latinx communities as an attorney, activist and philanthropist. From housing and education to health and immigration initiatives, her impact resonates throughout L.A. County and beyond. Antonia embodies our Bruin values and we are proud to honor her with this well-deserved recognition. Learn more about her contributions and work.

UCLA's women's water polo and men's volleyball teams secure NCAA titles

The UCLA women’s water polo team secured its eighth NCAA title and 12th national championship, completing their third undefeated season in program history. The win brought UCLA its 123rd NCAA title overall. Additionally, the men’s volleyball team captured the 2024 National Collegiate Volleyball Championship, marking UCLA's 122nd NCAA title across all sports.

New California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy to spark research discoveries

UCLA Health named official team physicians of USA Basketball

USA Basketball and UCLA Health have announced a multi-year partnership that will make UCLA Health the Official Team Physicians of USA Basketball. The partnership will provide first-class orthopaedic and sports medical care to USA Basketball's roster of talent, with UCLA Health providing physician coverage for the men’s and women’s basketball national teams in the next two Olympic Games, FIBA Basketball World Cups, and training camps. Additionally, UCLA Health will support young athletes and leaders by partnering with USA Basketball’s Women in the Game initiative, which educates high school girls, college women, and young professionals about career paths in the sports industry.

Related: UCLA Health Named Official Team Physicians of USA Basketball

UCLA professor David Myers discusses the history of Zionism and how the term has become so polarizing on college campuses | Press Play KCRW

L.A. voters are frustrated with housing costs | Los Angeles Times

Scientists study the mysteries of bird migration in the mountains of Los Angeles  | NPR

California shifting into warmer pattern | Los Angeles Times

Bill could end holdup for research on psychedelics | Los Angeles Times

Census soon will ask about sexual, gender identity | Orange County Register

Teen mental health crisis deepens: What to know | WebMD