UCLA's commencement season featured a diverse lineup of speakers, including California State Senator Caroline Menjivar, California Supreme Court Justice Goodwin Liu, and U.S. Congressman Brad Sherman, addressing graduates across various ceremonies. Six-time Olympic medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee keynoted the UCLA College graduation events, while entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Andrew Yang spoke at the UCLA Extension ceremony. Other speakers included influential figures from film, medicine, and engineering. Nearly 15,500 students graduated this year, many of whom came from underrepresented backgrounds, highlighting UCLA’s commitment to educational access and equity.
The June 2026 UCLA Anderson Forecast highlights that California faces significant economic pressures due to an inflationary shock linked to the conflict in Iran and resulting energy price increases. While the state maintains stronger output and income growth than the nation as a whole, it grapples with a weak labor market, with the employment recession expected to persist through the third quarter of 2026. Nationally, the GDP outlook is stable, inflation is expected to rise, and unemployment is forecasted to increase slightly. Investments in artificial intelligence and previous fiscal measures are helping to mitigate these challenges.
The UCLA Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies partnered with the California Legislative Black Caucus to produce the 2026 State of Black California (SOBC) conference at UCLA. More than a convening, the biennial SOBC brings together elected officials, scholars, community leaders, artists, journalists, advocates, and students from across the state to examine the challenges and opportunities facing Black Californians, while highlighting innovative research, policy solutions, and community-driven strategies.
The conference this spring fostered critical conversations on affordability, technology, democracy, education, culture, youth engagement and civic participation.
The 2026 State of Black California conference presented new data from Unequal Ground, Black Californians’ Employment in a Shifting Economy, the latest report from the Black Policy Project at the UCLA Ralph J. Bunche Center. The report provides a compelling analysis of employment trends and structural barriers affecting Black workers across the state, documenting persistent disparities in labor force participation, occupational segregation, and economic mobility.
On June 5, students, staff, colleagues, family and friends gathered at the UCLA Community School to celebrate the career and retirement of Karen Hunter Quartz, director of the UCLA Center for Community Schooling. She led efforts to advance K-12 university assisted schooling in Los Angeles, across California, and the nation. Hunter Quartz came to UCLA in 1988, and her work helped to create and guide UCLA’s two community schools—UCLA Community School in Koreatown and Horace Mann UCLA Community School in South L.A.
UCLA Government and Community Relations worked with the office of L.A. City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson to hold a “UCLA Connects with South L.A.” event on June 4 at the Council District 8 Constituent Service Center. Several campus units were on hand to provide information and answer questions about UCLA programs as well as services available in the area. UCLA Health staff also provided free blood pressure and blood glucose screenings to interested community members.
UCLA’s Technology Development Group hosted LABEST Week 2026, a summit that attracted more than 1,200 researchers, clinicians, students, and industry leaders, who gathered to focus on translating biosciences and medical technology discoveries into real-world solutions. The nearly weeklong event in late May featured career development opportunities, networking with venture capitalists, and discussions on innovations in healthcare and artificial intelligence. Presentations included insights from industry leaders and the introduction of a platform connecting art and science to address societal challenges. The summit highlighted UCLA’s role in bridging academic research and practical application in the biotechnology and medtech sectors.
It’s the best project in the nearly eight years that the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering’s Makerspace has been open, according to bioengineering professor Jacob Schmidt, who oversees the space. It started with two students — Karina Bender and George Grigoryan — and one piano. Months of planning, designing, building, testing, frustration, roadblocks, redesigning ... and success: A piano that plays itself.
The makerspace serves as a hub for innovation and creativity, hosting activities such as 3D printing, laser cutting, and electronics fabrication. Schmidt estimates it receives 10,000 visits from thousands of students each academic quarter.
UCLA has joined a new regional initiative to enhance the semiconductor and microelectronics workforce in the Southwest. Working alongside the Arizona Commerce Authority and several partners, including the National Network for Microelectronics Education, the effort establishes UCLA as a regional hub in this area. Called NNME Southwest, it will coordinate industry-aligned curriculum and laboratory training for community college students and continuing education learners in semiconductor manufacturing. The work is led by C.K. Ken Yang from UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, and it will build on existing training modules through the UCLA Nanofabrication Laboratory and the California NanoSystems Institute, benefiting students across Southern California.
Los Angeles' Climate Action Plan seeks a minimum of 15% tree canopy in every neighborhood, but many areas currently fall short. To address this, ShadeLA, with support from UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation and USC Dornsife Public Exchange, have released two policy briefs. The first focuses on streamlining tree-permitting processes to overcome barriers like funding and staffing issues. The second outlines ways to simplify the development of built shade structures.
University of California President James B. Milliken recently hosted a conversation with UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk as part of an ongoing series that highlights conversations with UC campus leaders. Their dialogue covered the challenges and opportunities facing higher education, Chancellor Frenk's priorities for the campus, and the impact of AI on the college experience. President Milliken also elicited Chancellor Frenk’s reflections on some of his favorite books, films, and operas.
UCLA soccer legend Cobi Jones is a veteran of three World Cups with Team U.S.A. This year, he is again part of the sport’s greatest spectacle, which is back on U.S. soil for the first time since 1994.
UC is co-sponsoring Senate Bill 895, a critical effort to sustain world-changing research that supports the quality of life for all Californians and fuels the state’s economy. Learn how you can help.
UCLA’s Olympic Analytical Laboratory (OAL) plays a critical role in testing for banned substances during the World Cup, with a 48-hour turnaround for results, significantly faster than the typical 20 days. The lab employs 35 scientists and utilizes advanced technology, including mass spectrometers, to analyze urine samples for a wide range of performance-enhancing drugs. With ongoing challenges from evolving drug formulations, OAL conducts around 45,000 tests annually and collaborates with other WADA-certified labs worldwide to stay ahead in doping detection.
The $3.2-million grant supports the development of advanced imaging and surgical strategies aimed at improving outcomes for patients with glioblastoma.
Supporting Communities: UCLA's Impact
Discover how UCLA's students, staff, and faculty are enhancing the well-being of Greater Los Angeles throughUCLA Community Partnerships.
PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT
With a 57-year history of advancing scholarship, theUCLA Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studiesis the only Organized Research Unit in the UC system dedicated to Black Studies. Through innovative research, academic programs, and community partnerships that center the experiences of people of African descent, the Center deepens understanding of the histories, cultures, and sociopolitical realities of the African diaspora while addressing the psychological, social, economic, and political challenges affecting Black communities. Guided by a commitment to rigorous scholarship and public engagement, the Bunche Center produces knowledge that informs policy, cultivates future leaders, and inspires meaningful social change.
