UC Advocacy Day in Sacramento 2025
On May 6, Chancellor Frenk led a delegation of UCLA administrators, alumni, students and staff who participated in a University of California (UC) outreach day in Sacramento. UC Day involved all 10 UC campuses and the UC-managed Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The UCLA delegation met with more than 21 state legislative offices and the lieutenant governor. A main message point was deep concern over a proposed 8% cut to the UC budget. Governor Newsom’s January proposal for the 2025-26 state budget included a cut of 7.95% to the UC system. This would have severely harmed all 10 campuses financially and led to a disruption and curtailment of many student services. The state of California is facing a multibillion-dollar shortfall, exacerbated by federal actions and policies. UC
Day provided the opportunity to emphasize to policymakers the negative implications of the proposed cuts and the need for strong state support for UC. Many legislators expressed their agreement and indicated they would work to restore funding for UC. On May 14, Governor Newsom released his recommended revision to the budget which proposed to reduce the UC cut to 3%, a welcome improvement. The legislature is scheduled to pass the 2025-26 budget by June 15 and the governor is expected to sign it by June 30. The fiscal year begins on July 1.
Advocating for Research: UC Vice Chancellors meet in D.C.
UCLA Vice Chancellor Roger Wakimoto, alongside other UC Vice Chancellors, met in Washington, D.C. to engage congressional and federal agency officials. Participants highlighted the critical role of research across their campuses, and stressed that stop-work orders and grant terminations disrupt progress, create inefficiency and waste taxpayer money. The group also discussed the nationwide effort to address facilities and administrative (F&A) costs as well as the stifling impact of recent federal actions on university students and researchers. The UC senior research officers underscored the vital link between robust federal research support and the United States’ global competitive edge. Sustained investment, the group argued, drives innovation, while cuts, freezes,
and uncertainty suppress it.
Supervisor Lindsey Horvath: Taking action L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, in an interview with Blueprint editor-in-chief Jim Newton, outlines her strategies for addressing homelessness, responding to the Palisades fire, and implementing Measure G to expand the Board of Supervisors and enhance county governance. She highlights the creation of a Blue Ribbon Commission (which includes UCLA academic experts) to guide sustainable rebuilding efforts and emphasizes her commitment to fostering greater community engagement in Los Angeles County’s decision-making processes.
Explore more stories from the Spring 2025 Blueprint Issue,including a special report on CASA/L.A.’s challenges and Assemblymember Isaac Bryan’s journey from foster care to the State Capitol.
Villasenor testifies before U.S. Congressional committee
On May 8, UCLA Professor John Villasenor, faculty co-director at the UCLA Institute for Technology, Law, and Policy, testified before Congress on artificial intelligence (AI) and its societal and legal implications. He emphasized the critical role of trade secrets in maintaining American leadership in AI and highlighted the urgent need to protect intellectual property while combating economic espionage from foreign competitors. Joining experts from academia, government, and industry, Villasenor urged policymakers to develop legislation that fosters innovation and strengthens national security. His testimony underscored UCLA’s role in offering guidance on emerging technologies as the U.S. works to maintain its place at the forefront of the global AI landscape.
From Detection to Deflection: Evaluating NASA’s Planetary Defense Strategy
UCLA Professor Amy Mainzer testified before the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee on May 15, focusing on NASA’s mission to shield Earth from asteroid and comet impacts. She detailed NASA’s goal to detect more than 90% of near-Earth objects (NEO) larger than 140 meters across. Mainzer said the upcoming NEO Surveyor mission, set to launch in 2028, will pinpoint the most hazardous asteroids capable of striking the earth and devastating regions. Her testimony championed federal investment in science, research and education as essential to securing Earth’s future.
Related: Watch the NASA trailer and/or full length documentary for 'Planetary Defenders': Humanity's battle against asteroids
The Squid Galaxy’s neutrino game just leveled up
UCLA researchers, alongside scientists from Japan, have uncovered a fascinating mystery in the Squid Galaxy, spotting neutrinos—tiny, hard-to-catch particles—using the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, a special telescope lodged deep in Antarctic ice. Surprisingly, they found far fewer gamma rays than expected, shaking up old ideas about how these particles form near supermassive black holes. The team suggests that helium nuclei in the galaxy’s powerful jet might break apart and create neutrinos. This breakthrough shows why research matters—it not only reveals secrets of the universe but could spark future technologies.
Paving the way for clean trucking
Researchers at UCLA have developed a revolutionary catalyst design that significantly extends the lifespan of hydrogen fuel cells to more than 200,000 hours, nearly seven times the Department of Energy’s target for 2050. This advancement, published in Nature Nanotechnology, employs a graphene-protected platinum catalyst that improves durability for long-haul trucking— a major contributor to automotive greenhouse gas emissions. By preventing degradation of the catalyst, this innovation supports the transition to clean, sustainable transportation.
UCLA Magazine: From Westwood to Waymo
Steven Kan, a UCLA Anderson School of Management M.B.A. graduate (‘06), leads Google’s Other Bets as director, driving transformative research and innovation in ventures such as Waymo’s self-driving cars, Wing’s drone delivery, Verily’s AI-powered pharmaceutical discovery, and Calico’s aging research. His team harnesses Google’s computing resources and data to tackle global challenges, from revolutionizing transportation to advancing healthcare and combating climate change. Kan advocates strategic decision-making, informed by his UCLA training, to optimize groundbreaking technologies with far-reaching societal impact.
Innovation challenge tackles data centers, wildfires, and soil health
UCLA Anderson School of Management’s Easton Technology Management Center hosted the sixth annual Cross-Campus Innovation Challenge on April 18. Student startups presented innovative sustainability solutions that utilized artificial intelligence and technology. Among the projects was OpalAI’s FireVision, created in collaboration with UCLA Engineering, which used AI and satellite data to improve wildfire risk assessment in vulnerable areas. Other initiatives focused on enhancing energy efficiency in data centers and promoting soil health.
Prepare to be amazed! UC graduate students wow at Grad Slam
UC graduate students showcased groundbreaking research at the 10th annual Grad Slam on April 29, captivating audiences with three-minute talks that distilled complex discoveries into accessible insights. From developing HIV therapies to forecasting electricity demand and combating Alzheimer’s, these students demonstrated how their work tackles pressing global challenges. UCLA’s Pablo Alvarez
, among others, brought creativity to the stage, swatting at mosquitoes that wage an attack on the human brain. This event, emceed by UC President Michael Drake, highlights the vital role of graduate research in driving innovation and solving societal problems, underscoring the University of California’s leadership in fostering transformative science.
Journalist Elizabeth Dias shares lessons from the fall of Roe
In 2022, the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade, the culmination of decades of organized efforts to eliminate abortion rights. At a panel hosted by UCLA's Center for Reproductive Science, journalist Elizabeth Dias, co-author of “The Fall of Roe: The Rise of a New America,” discussed her research, which included more than 350 interviews with people who sought to shape the Supreme Court's view of abortion. Dias explained that anti-abortion groups established alternative institutions and recruited aligned scientists to counter mainstream scientific narratives. That work helped fashion new legal arguments and expert testimony. This strategic approach contributed critically to the ruling.
Undergraduates help tackle the human realities of a warming world
UCLA's Heat Lab, led by Associate Professor Bharat Venkat, actively confronts the growing challenge of heat and its unequal toll on vulnerable communities. Their student-produced podcast, "Hot Takes," amplifies real human stories, spotlighting issues such as thermal inequality and shade disparities to educate and engage a wide audience. By uncovering how extreme heat deepens social vulnerabilities, the lab’s work informs policy leaders, pushing for more equitable climate adaptation strategies. UCLA stands at the forefront, delivering actionable insights to shape policies that safeguard at-risk populations from climate change’s harshest impacts.
Spotlighting Latino entrepreneurs’ growth and challenges in California
The UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute (LPPI) released a policy brief on May 8, highlighting a 44% increase in Latino self-employed entrepreneurs in California from 2008 to 2022, reaching 807,000. Researchers emphasized the significant economic contributions of Latino entrepreneurs. They urged California to expand state grants, multilingual outreach, and mentorship networks to counter federal cuts to minority-owned small businesses.
UCLA William Andrews Clark Memorial Library
2520 Cimarron Street, Los Angeles
Saturday, May 31
11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
UCLA Connects: Bruin Talks The day before Chancellor Frenk’s inauguration, a symposium featuring six UCLA scholars and artists will highlight the university’s mission of education and research.
Watch the livestream
Wednesday, June 4
3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Watch the livestream
Thursday, June 5
10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Sustainable Bruin Move Out Partnering with local nonprofits and government entities for two sustainable move-out events, allowing students to donate items and responsibly discard waste. Volunteer and join the effort!
On campus - Residence halls
Wednesday, June 11
12 to 4 p.m.
Off campus - North Westwood Village Thursday, June 12
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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 Asia Pacific Center (APC)promotes greater knowledge and understanding of Asia and the Pacific region on campus and in the community through research, teaching, public programs, and local and international collaborations. APC focuses on inter-Asian and transpacific cultural and social connections from from various perspectives and promotes interdisciplinary work on issues like culture, environment, technology, politics, and socioeconomic development in the context of globalization.
