Twice each year, Luskin Forum magazine highlights UCLA Luskin’s latest projects, publicizes recent research advances, and introduces our alumni and friends to the various personalities who make the School special. The stories are also posted on this web page, and PDF copies of Luskin Forum editions since 2013 can be downloaded from the linked images at the bottom.

Current Issue

eight men and women who work at UCLA research lab look up toward the camera above them

Data to the People
Data experts like Jianchao Lai SW PhD ’23 of the UCLA Agile Visual Analytics Lab strive to make information accessible and meaningful for all.

Young woman stands in front of the U.S. Capitol.

Learning the Language of Technology
Students like Rocio Perez MPP ’23 can now earn a certificate to show they understand the power of programming in policy analysis.

a blue line shows route of proposed 210 freeway passing closer to the Rose Bowl than it was actually built

Inequality and California Freeways
Routing the 210 away from the Rose Bowl disproportionately impacted people of color.

young woman sits on steps outside a building

Making Data More Used and Useful
Undergraduate courses meet growing desire of students like Arielle Cunanan to master new technologies.

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New Director of Field Education
Susan Lares-Nakaoka is one of four faculty additions to UCLA Luskin Social Welfare this academic year.

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Research Funding
Faculty like Emily Weisburst benefit from vitally important grants and gifts.

two young men smile in stands as UCLA football game goes on behind them

Why They Give
Matt Kaczmarek, Aaron Ordower share how a UCLA education shaped their career trajectories.

Board members gather after a meeting for a group photo

In Support
New members join Board of Advisors; EDI and Yaroslavsky funds benefit students.

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Alumni Notes
Alumni discuss careers during a weeklong Alumni Engagement Week series of events.

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Alumni Accolades
The latest news and career highlights from alumni representing all four departments at the Luskin School.

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Luskin Up-Close
Fresh flowers and other plantings mark the end to monthlong seismic upgrades.

Previous Issue

Social Welfare Turns 75 … Continued
UCLA Luskin celebrates the founding of UCLA Social Welfare — and some of its key players — during a gala on the roof of the Luskin Conference Center.

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Fernando Torres-Gil, a Lifetime of Service and Resiliency
As an educator and public official, the retiring UCLA Luskin professor has spent four decades ‘finding a silver lining’ amid life’s misfortunes.

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A Time of Transition
The Luskin School welcomes several new additions and charts a path forward under Interim Dean Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris.

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Their Alumni Connection Extends to Sacramento
Three 2018 Master of Public Policy graduates have been working together on legislation before the California Legislature.

Message From the Dean
Interim Dean Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris expresses ‘excitement, optimism and joy.’

In Support
A gathering of UCLA Luskin Dean’s Associates is among recent highlights relating to donor support.

Alumni Notes
Luskin School hosts in-person gatherings in Los Angeles, Sacramento.

Alumni Accolades
Career updates and other news about graduates of UCLA Luskin’s various degree programs.

A Selection of Stories From Earlier Issues

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Recalling Social Welfare’s ‘Finest Moment’
After Los Angeles erupted in racially charged violence 30 years ago, UCLA faculty and students gave people in a city under siege the chance to talk.

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Seeing the Forest and Filling in the Blanks
Professor Susanna Hecht says the popular notion of Amazonia contrasts starkly with the real story of the region: extraction, depletion and destruction of natural resources.

young woman with arms crossed stands near railing of bridge crossing the Seine river

World Cities Serving as Learning Laboratories
Jinglan Lin is studying in Paris with the first cohort in a dual-degree program pairing UCLA Luskin Urban Planning and the European research university Sciences Po.

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Holding Governments Accountable
An international who’s who of governance scholars comes to UCLA to critique an ambitious index that seeks to quantify government effectiveness on a global scale.

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(Almost) Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Our Research Centers
With a theme of “Research Centers in Action,” most stories in this issue focus on the vital role of research entities in the UCLA Luskin educational experience and their importance to the School’s research and community-service missions.

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ITS, Lewis Center Have Thrived for Decades
Two of Luskin’s oldest centers promote a faculty-student research relationship that for many is a hallmark of the Luskin School experience.

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A Case Study of Community-Led Research
Luskin Center for Innovation’s approach to the Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) project exemplifies community-driven research.

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An Institute Whose Name Is Also Its Mission
The Luskin Institute on Inequality and Democracy, now in its sixth year, produces research in support of providing activists and advocates a voice in policymaking.

man smiles as he stands beneath sign that designates office location for research hub

At the Intersection of ‘Multiple Vulnerabilities’
Hub for Health Intervention, Policy and Practice connects scholars, policymakers and advocates for those battling poverty, racism, homophobia and discrimination of all kinds.

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Growing Influence
Our cover story highlights UCLA Luskin research that influenced policy decisions about throwaway plastic tableware, street harassment and community policing.

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Mike Dukakis Taught Here
Faculty colleagues, past students and the former Massachusetts governor himself talk about Michael Dukakis and his lasting impact at the Luskin School.

The UCLA Luskin Trailblazers were the first Bruins to complete the School’s bachelor of arts in public affairs in June 2021. Read about the program and how its energetic students and new alumni are already making an impact. Also highlighted is a special report about four of the Trailblazers.

Tapping Into People’s Passion to Do Good
Paul Ong and the Center for Neighborhood Knowledge have already issued dozens of research papers on the impacts of the pandemic — often without securing funding first.

Social Welfare Seeks to Dismantle Anti-Blackness
Students, faculty and alumni examine curriculum and address racial disparities in social work education.

From Professional Skateboarder to Urban Planner
Photographer-turned-student changes course after more than 10 years working in the skateboard industry

Who We Are

A special series of essays written by staff members from Communications and our various research centers. It’s a snapshot of the people and projects that make UCLA Luskin such a vibrant, thought-provoking and entertaining place to be.

PDF Archive

If you prefer to view the current issue or an older edition in the form in which it was printed, here is our archive of PDFs from the past few years.