Bruins Elected 2024
The UCLA Alumni Association highlights the increasing number of UCLA alumni serving in political office, fulfilling the Bruin commitment to leadership and community improvement. Last month, the association featured nearly 140 Bruins who ran in the November elections. Many Bruins won their races in 2024 and are now serving in various local, state, and national offices.
As we head into the holidays and prepare to usher in 2025, UCLA takes a look back at the accomplishments of the Bruin community and the highlights of 2024. In January, we look forward to welcoming Dr. Julio Frenk as the new chancellor, who will guide the university into an exciting new chapter in UCLA’s history.
The 2024–25 undergraduate class at UCLA is academically strong, more diverse than its predecessors and proof of the institution’s commitment to social mobility. One in three new students are first-generation college students, and more than a third come from low-income backgrounds. UCLA saw a 4% rise in entering transfer students, with over 90% transferring from California community colleges. The university's outreach efforts and support programs play a crucial role in these students' academic success, emphasizing partnerships with high schools, community colleges, and community-based organizations. This commitment to excellence, opportunity, and access has helped UCLA achieve its eighth consecutive year at the top of U.S. News and World Report’s rankings of the
nation’s best public universities.
The latest issue of UCLA’s Blueprint magazine was released in print and online last month. Blueprint, Issue 20 – "The Future of Mobility," explores the future of transportation, bridging the gap between technological possibilities and real-world challenges. It offers some of the freshest and most promising research on transportation and its implications.
FEATURES INCLUDE:
The Car of the Future: Is It Here?
UCLA professor Jiaqi Ma studies threats to the transportation network. He’s also an expert on autonomous vehicles, which already are on the streets of San Francisco and Los Angeles. Are they safe?
Katy Yaroslavsky: A Pragmatist at City Hall
The councilmember, elected in 2022, has brought her commitments to public safety, climate change, homelessness and transportation – among other things. She discusses that hard work – and the difficult obstacles that confront L.A.
Commuting and Families
Time spent getting to and from work is time away from home and children. How is commuting affecting families, and how are those burdens spread across the region?
If Paris Can Do It…
Paris’ ambitious attempt to link its suburbs through a gigantic overhaul of its train system may provide insights to L.A. planners who face some of the same challenges.
UCLA hosts Lunch and Learn on student support services
On November 19, UCLA Government and Community Relations, together with Student Affairs, hosted staff from the district offices of nearly 20 local, state, and federal elected representatives for a “Lunch and Learn” event centered on the various services and resources UCLA provides to support students' basic needs. Attendees engaged and visited several sites on campus, including UCLA’s BruinHub, Basic Needs Center, Community Programs Office Food Closet, and Teaching Kitchen, gaining firsthand insights into the essential support the university offers. UCLA strives to create an environment where students from all backgrounds have access to the resources, support, and opportunities they need to thrive both during their time on campus and after graduation.
UCLA faculty are among the world’s most influential researchers
Thirty-eight faculty members and researchers from UCLA have earned recognition as some of the world’s most influential, according to the annual “Highly Cited Researchers” list published by Clarivate. This list highlights scholars whose work has received the most citations over the past decade, reflecting their significant contributions to their fields. This year’s list includes 6,636 researchers from 59 nations, with the U.S., particularly California, leading in representation.
After completing his master’s in linguistics at UCLA, Tom Bye earned a doctorate in three years with support from his husband, David Bohne. Although he had not originally planned to pursue an academic career, Bye was drawn to linguistics. The couple pledged $2 million in 2020 to establish the Thomas J. Bye Linguistics Laboratory Program and recently donated $1.5 million to create the Thomas J. Bye and David Bohne Endowed Term Chair in Linguistics. Their contributions support the connection between theoretical linguistics and practical language use.
UCLA’s Jason De León wins National Book Award for Nonfiction
UCLA alumnus and professor, Jason De León, received the award for "Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling." Drawing from seven years of ethnographic research, the book illuminates the lives of young men who smuggle migrants from Central America and Mexico into the U.S., highlighting the complexities of undocumented immigration. This honor marks De León as the second UCLA alumnus to receive this prestigious award in just two years.
Study reveals prevalence of astigmatism in Hispanic children UCLA's Mobile Eye Clinic has provided free eye care for nearly 50 years, recently revealing that Latino preschoolers show a higher persistence of astigmatism compared to other ethnicities. The study emphasizes the need for early vision screenings to prevent long-term issues like amblyopia.
Why are young adults and nonsmokers getting lung cancer? Lung cancer rates are rising among younger adults, with about 10% of cases occurring in those 55 and younger, many of whom are nonsmokers. Key risk factors include air pollution, genetics, occupational exposure, radon, and secondhand smoke, making awareness and early detection crucial for this demographic.
Supporting Communities: UCLA's Impact
Discover how UCLA's students, staff, and faculty are enhancing the well-being of Greater Los Angeles through UCLA Community Partnerships.
PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT
The UCLA Community Programs Office (CPO)is dedicated to building and nurturing a network of community-minded student leaders through programs that include mentorship, community service, and multicultural engagement focused on fostering a supportive and inclusive community. For more than 50 years, CPO ensures students have access to the resources and opportunities needed to succeed, from basic and essential needs to mentoring and leadership programs.
