During UCLA's annual Volunteer Day, students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members engaged in more than 30 service projects across Los Angeles, contributing to efforts such as beautifying school campuses; assisting at food banks and farmers markets; watering trees, some of which have been taxed by late-summer heat; and maintaining community spaces. Chancellor Julio Frenk and Mayor Karen Bass emphasized the importance of service and community connection during the event kickoff, which marked its 18th year and is the largest volunteer initiative for new university students in the U.S. Donning "Bruins Give Back" T-shirts, volunteers installed a native micro-forest adjacent to campus, which will deliver cooling and restore habitat ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games.
More Volunteer Day: UCLA partners with communities
UCLA’s Volunteer Day provides an annual opportunity for the university to connect with communities through acts of service, in partnership with schools, nonprofit organizations, and legislative offices. These partnerships reflect UCLA’s commitment to serving diverse communities, deepening engagement, and strengthening ties with LA. UCLA Community Partner banners were distributed to partner organizations at multiple volunteer sites and serve to highlight theUCLA Community Partnerships website, which provides information on free programs and resources available to Angelenos across the region.
UCLA will lead a significant new effort to strengthen Southern California’s quantum technology ecosystem through a $9.74 million investment announced by Governor Gavin Newsom as part of the California Jobs First Regional Investment Initiative. The SoCal Quantum Alliance for Development (SQUAD) involves universities, industry, workforce training, and economic development partners across Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego. It focuses on improving regional coordination, increasing pathways into quantum careers, and fostering growth in the quantum technology sector. SQUAD builds on UCLA's existing leadership in quantum science and engineering and aligns with the university's expanding quantum infrastructure, including the Quantum Innovation Hub at UCLA Research Park. The funding
is part of a broader $48.5 million investment to create new jobs, while advancing regional economic priorities in key sectors across the state.
The UCLA Anderson Forecast’s September 2026 outlook concludes that the California economy has weathered a series of disruptions, and foresees economic growth even as inflation and interest rates have risen and labor markets remain weak. The forecast highlights that this resilience is partly driven by investments in artificial intelligence and consumer spending related to AI technology stocks. However, it also warns of potential risks stemming from the war in Iran, which could further impact oil prices and lead to another Federal Reserve interest rate hike.
As artificial intelligence reshapes daily life, it’s also reshaping local landscapes — literally. Across the United States, communities are pushing back against a wave of data center construction and, according to UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs scholar Megan Mullin, the resistance is doing something rare in contemporary American politics: uniting people across party lines. Critics of divergent political views are coming together to warn of strains on resources, threats to local control, and worrisome growth of corporate influence tied to AI. Local governments are responding in varied ways, with some enacting bans while others pause developments for review. As data storage costs rise, developers face increased pressure to negotiate community benefits, though resistance
may merely redirect projects rather than stop them entirely. Politicians are shifting their positions in response to the evolving views of their constituents.
Michelle Fisher, a seasoned broadcaster at ABC7 in Los Angeles, grew up in a media-focused family but initially pursued a law career. After discovering her interest in journalism, she enrolled in UCLA Extension's Journalism Certificate Program, which provided her with affordable, high-quality education and practical experience. Fisher has since worked for major news networks across the country and is now an anchor at ABC7, where she has earned multiple awards. This fall, she will teach The Practice of Journalism at UCLA Extension, part of her commitment to guiding the next generation of media professionals.
On September 22, UCLA and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem signed two memorandums of understanding to enhance joint efforts in biomedical research and academic activities. The first agreement focuses on developing the UCLA–Hebrew University Biomedical Research Collaboration, identifying research priorities and fostering interdisciplinary projects through the David Geffen School of Medicine. The second agreement establishes a five-year partnership between the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for Israel Studies at UCLA and The Hebrew University to promote academic activities, including faculty visits, student exchanges, and joint conferences as resources allow.
The UCLA William Andrews Clark Memorial Library is marking its 100th year as part of the university. The West Adams landmark holds the world’s most comprehensive Oscar Wilde collection along with important collections in book arts, printing history, and materials on Montana and the West. Benefactor William Andrews Clark Jr., son of a mining magnate and founder of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, pledged his private library and grounds to UCLA in 1926. The European revival-style building has long drawn researchers, visitors, and Hollywood figures, and it carries a colorful lore that includes unexplained experiences and even a taxidermy barn owl that became an unofficial mascot. Under head librarian Derek Christian Quezada Meneses, a UCLA alumnus, the library is refreshing its grounds
with native plants and launching centennial programming that began with an opening reception and exhibition on Clark Jr.’s role in shaping Los Angeles. Future events will be held over the next year.
UCLA researchers created tiny, lab-grown models of human brain circuits that respond to general anesthesia in the same way a patient’s brain does. These models produce the slow brain waves linked to unconsciousness, giving scientists a new way to study how anesthetic drugs work safely in people. The research offers a practical tool to improve understanding of anesthesia and to examine other conditions that disrupt normal brain activity, such as traumatic brain injury, coma, and epilepsy.
A recent UCLA study reveals that the January 2025 Eaton fire significantly affected air quality downwind, showing spikes in airborne toxic contaminants such as lead, arsenic, chlorine, bromine, and copper. But researchers found no lingering toxic smoke or heavy metals, with air pollution levels returning to normal within six days and remaining stable for several months. The study highlights the challenges in identifying the specific sources of pollutants from urban versus wildland fires, emphasizing the need for further understanding of local soil dynamics in relation to smoke emissions.
The Rape Treatment Center at UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center and its Stuart House program for child victims hosted their annual fundraising brunch in September at the Skirball Cultural Center. The event featured remarks from Noah Wyle and Katherine LaNasaof The Pitt, who noted that the center guided the show’s depiction of a patient being treated after a sexual assault. The center, established in 1974, provides free 24-hour emergency medical care, forensic services, advocacy, counseling, and longer-term therapy for survivors of all ages, while Stuart House brings together police, prosecutors, and specialists in a child-friendly setting.
Dr. Amy Vandiver, a dermatologist at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center and assistant professor at UCLA, investigates aging in skin by studying cellular damage and mitochondrial mutations. Her research reveals that two individuals of the same age can exhibit vastly different biological aging characteristics, prompting the need for specific "aging clocks" for various tissues. By examining DNA mutations in stem cells and differentiating them into skin cells, Vandiver's lab explores how to prevent, slow, or reverse molecular damage in tissues, improving our understanding of how environmental factors and natural aging impact skin health.
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
The UCLA Center for LGBTQ+ Advocacy, Research & Health(C-LARAH) is a research-driven, community-focused public health organization that aims to improve the lives, health, and experiences of sexual and gender minorities. C-LARAH is committed to sharing its expertise — in public health, including epidemiological methods, developing and testing bio-behavioral interventions, program design and analysis, health policy initiatives and implementation science — with community-based organizations and other academic institutions.
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