New UCLA Certificate Program Meets Opportunity and Challenge of Big Data UCLA Luskin and University Extension are collaborating on a graduate-level program offering in-demand skills to a wide range of students

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By Stan Paul

Big data is here and UCLA Luskin is ready.

With the expansion of digital technologies for big data collection and analysis over the past two decades, new opportunities have been created for professionals in the larger policy arena. With this in mind, UCLA Luskin and UCLA University Extension have developed a collaborative certificate program that has been approved by UCLA’s Academic Senate.

The new program, Data Analytics for Public Affairs, won unanimous approval during the November joint meeting of the university’s Academic Senate Graduate and Undergraduate councils, UCLA Luskin Interim Dean Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris announced.

“It’s really exciting. We realized there is a lot of demand from mid-career professionals to develop analytic skills,” said Zachary Steinert-Threlkeld, associate professor of public policy and political science, who has accepted the interim dean’s request to serve as the director for the certificate. “We have put together an excellent program that gives them the opportunity to do that.”

At the same time, program planners recognized that these opportunities come with a number of risks and ethical dimensions that all professionals should be aware of, specifically privacy, the reliability of big data and unequal access to the internet.

New methodologies have emerged for data collection, analysis and visualization, and the Luskin School already offers a Data Analytics Certificate for its policy, planning and social welfare graduate students. But these new skills were not part of the education of professionals who completed their degrees even a few years ago.

Steinert-Threlkeld, who initiated the data analytics certificate program at the Luskin School and has served as the faculty lead, said that a bit of data analysis went into the decision to pursue this new venture. A survey launched to gauge interest in such a program directed questions at those who might be interested in adding data analytics to their skillsets as well as at supervisors who would find a benefit in having employees with these skills.

“We had over 300 responses, so that gave us confidence that there is strong demand for this certificate,” said Steinert-Threlkeld, who was part of a faculty committee assessing the initiative, led by Loukaitou-Sideris.

The program as envisioned in the committee proposal is designed to “attract and produce diverse cohorts of students interested in data analytics that can help enhance their understanding of big data and how they can be collected and analyzed, the ethical/social justice dimensions of big data, and how big data may apply to their professional practice.”

Housed at a school known for its emphasis on diversity and social justice, the program intends to “do better than other institutions in attracting a very diverse student body” and to “develop a broader perspective on data analytics courses designed to benefit a wide range of students,” the proposal says.

The program’s focus on public affairs also is designed to help it stand out from other UCLA Extension offerings. The graduate-level certificate, like other UCLA Extension programs, is open enrollment but targeted at those with prior academic experience, preferably a bachelor’s degree.

Four core courses will be required, including an overview of a variety of advanced technologies and their relevance to 21st-century governance and community development. Another course will examine ethical issues raised by the use of big data and data analytics for governance and community development projects. Topics to be explored include the tension between using data for the public good and protecting individual privacy.

A required data visualization course will allow students to explore approaches to communicating the value and impact of data to stakeholders at different organizational levels. The fourth course requirement is a data science course with two options: an introduction to programming and data science or a geographic information system (GIS) and spatial data analysis class.

Two optional electives included in the program are an introductory statistics class and an urban data science offering.

A launch date for the program has not yet been established but, said Steinert-Threlkeld, “Everyone in the school recognizes the demand for it and the benefit it will give to the enrollees, as well as to the School. We certainly think this will be received well and hope there’s very strong demand.”

Evoking the Essence of L.A.

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Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, interim dean of UCLA Luskin and a distinguished professor of urban planning, was one of several public intellectuals enlisted by the Los Angeles Times to describe “The Real L.A.” ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games the city will host. “The flashy Hollywood imagery of L.A. is often what the world sees. It’s the CityWalk and the Disneyland versions of sanitized public spaces,” Loukaitou-Sideris wrote. “This imaginary world gives you elements of our streets and public spaces, but a lot of the reality of what is out there — the real people going about their everyday lives, the street vendors, the unhoused — is missing.” She called on the city and its residents to focus on the multiple identities and cultures that make L.A. unique. “We have a city that is a fusion, a mix of many things. It would be great if we could highlight our collection of diverse neighborhoods and not show only the cliches or put everything under a bright, sanitizing light.”

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Loukaitou-Sideris on Public Transit Crime

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Professor Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, interim dean of UCLA Luskin, commented in a Chicago Tribune story on crime and violence on Chicago’s public transit system and efforts by the city and transit officials to stem crime rates that are higher than before the pandemic. While the odds of being a victim of violent crime on the Chicago Transit Authority’s “L” train system were lower in the first half of 2024, the Tribune reported that transit crime has remained “stubbornly above” pre-COVID-19 levels. “Transit is such an open environment that it is much more difficult to protect it like you protect, let’s say, airports,” Loukaitou-Sideris said. She said that visible police presence is a deterrent, but costly, and noted that police and security can’t protect every train and station. Measures such as cameras are helpful only after a crime has been committed, she said, while suggesting that improved lighting can be a deterrent to robberies and assaults.

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Protecting Transit Riders, Serving the Unhoused

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Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, interim dean of the Luskin School, spoke with UCLA Blueprint about her research into strategies that address the rising number of unhoused people seeking shelter within public transit systems. Nationwide, transit agencies are partnering with law enforcement, health departments, social workers and others to ensure the safety and comfort of all passengers while connecting homeless riders with services. But challenges abound, including a lack of funding, staffing and available housing, Loukaitou-Sideris has found. Her team has assessed a wide variety of programs, including discounted fares, rides to shelters and, in Philadelphia, an expansive facility for resources located in the region’s public transit hub. Loukaitou-Sideris’ goal is to help transit agencies learn from one another’s experiences. “You cannot resolve the problem overnight,” she said. “If instead of seeing the numbers going up and up and up, we start seeing a trend going down, down, down, then it’s a step in the right direction.”

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Dean’s Message

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I am writing this note at a time when UCLA and many other universities around the country are in a state of upheaval, conflict, anger and sorrow. War and violence are still raging in Gaza. In the United States, pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protests have become common occurrences on university campuses. Academic officials are caught between often conflicting responsibilities — to uphold freedom of speech and the right to protest, while also ensuring safety, well-being and a welcoming environment for everyone regardless of their political views. As we witnessed during the violent confrontations that took place at a pro-Palestinian encampment on our campus this spring, efforts to satisfy this dual mandate are not always successful.

In the past, social causes often have served to unite university communities around an overwhelmingly shared view during controversy. This time, it is different. The core issues are complex, divisive and deeply tied to individual identities and beliefs. As a microcosm of society, UCLA faculty, staff, students and alumni encompass a wide range of characteristics and perspectives, many of which inform passionate opinions about the tragic ongoing developments in Gaza. Significant, deeply held divisions exist about the Middle East and what type of responses are appropriate to the related protests at UCLA and other universities.

The path forward is uncertain, but I feel strongly that the most important role that universities can play is to foster tolerance, openness and appreciation of our disparate identities, ideologies and religions. Universities have been and should remain society’s premier public forums — places where competing ideas are nurtured and conflicting ideologies are given opportunities for explanation, discussion and thoughtful debate. Universities foster scholarship, which helps us understand the historical roots, context and impacts of current events and policies. Through a deeper understanding, we seek to promote sound policy solutions and compassionate responses to conflicts. We treasure diversity — not just in gender or ethnicity or upbringing, but in ideas as well. The Luskin School must seek to lift up all voices and provide a place where competing ideas are not just tolerated but welcomed.

This issue of Luskin Forum was in production before conflicts on campus came to a head. Even so, in some ways it exemplifies the power of our School as a public forum. One example is the Luskin Briefing in Sacramento, which in mid-February brought together in the state’s capital an assemblage of scholars and Advisory Board members with senators, assemblymembers and other state officials to discuss two issues of vital importance in California: water management and housing affordability.

Later, the sixth annual Luskin Summit provided a wonderful forum for discussion of a variety of topics and policy responses to extremely pertinent issues in Southern California. Panels on mobility, transportation infrastructure, elections, governance, climate resilience and equity were bookended by presentations from two prominent public servants. Former Los Angeles Councilman and County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky opened the Summit with findings from the ninth Quality of Life Index, a survey that presents the pulse of Angelenos on important matters affecting the region. And Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass closed the event in conversation with Jacqueline Waggoner, president of our Board of Advisors and an urban planning alumna. In a frank, open-ended Q&A with Waggoner and the audience, the mayor related her vision regarding the city’s efforts on homelessness.

These two events highlighted the terrific research carried out by UCLA Luskin scholars and the School’s many research centers. Additionally, our continuing series of Luskin Lectures furthered our mission to serve as a public forum. This year, attendees heard from former L.A. Laker and current housing developer Devean George and others working to advance real estate development in Black neighborhoods. Professor Barbara Ransby of the University of Illinois, Chicago, delivered a Luskin Lecture on the “new McCarthyism” on college campuses. And the series featured a joint presentation by three UCLA Luskin alumni who now serve as elected or appointed government officials — Lourdes Castro Ramírez, Caroline Menjivar and Isaac Bryan — on their efforts
to address homelessness and the affordable housing crisis.

These events represent just a few examples of the academic environment’s potential at its best — a positively transformative agent for society, one that espouses diversity and tolerance of ideas and people. I remain proud of our university and the Luskin School, and I know that our academic community will survive the traumatic experiences of recent months and continue to thrive.

Anastasia

Using Technology to Make Public Transit Safer

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Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, interim dean of UCLA Luskin, spoke to the Los Angeles Times about the possible use of facial recognition technology and fare gates on the LA Metro system following a recent fatal stabbing and other attacks taking place on public transportation. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority board has asked Metro staff to explore various measures to increase security across the vast citywide system. Loukaitou-Sideris, distinguished professor of urban planning, noted that cities across the country are dealing with crime on public transit and trying to find ways to make transportation safer. Technologies like facial recognition may raise privacy concerns, she said, suggesting that the use of fare gates and Metro transit ambassadors could help. “Transit environments are really very open environments. Everybody can get in and enter, and if you try many of these measures, you put delays into the system,” she said. “The public is not going to like it. So it’s a dilemma.”

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Poco Kernsmith Appointed New Chair of Social Welfare Alumna will return to her doctoral alma mater this summer as a professor

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By Stan Paul

Poco Kernsmith, a social welfare scholar from the University of Texas at Arlington, has been appointed to serve as the next chair of UCLA Luskin Social Welfare.

Kernsmith, who earned her PhD in social welfare at UCLA Luskin in 2002, currently serves as the doctoral program director at UT Arlington’s School of Social Work. Previously, she was a longtime faculty member at Wayne State University in Michigan, where she recently finished a second master’s degree in public health focused on public health methods.

Originally from Minnesota, she graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 1994 with a bachelor’s in psychology and women’s studies, then earned a master’s in social work at the University of Michigan in 1995.

“We are excited to welcome Poco to Luskin this summer,” announced Interim Dean Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris. Kernsmith will officially join the UCLA Luskin Social Welfare faculty as professor and chair on July 1.

Kernsmith said in an interview that she is looking forward to coming back to the Westwood campus after more than two decades and getting reacquainted with the Luskin School.

“Really, I want to understand this whole experience and the people who are in the School and the students, so that I can get a big-picture understanding of what’s happening now.”

Loukaitou-Sideris noted Kernsmith’s expertise in violence prevention, school-based violence interventions and intimate partner violence. Her research has received substantial funding and recognition from federal sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In 2020, she received $2.25 million in federal funding to strengthen violence prevention and response efforts in Michigan schools. Other CDC support has included a $1-million grant for Supporting Healthy Adolescent Relationships and Environments (SHARE), which explored causes of intimate partner violence and identified school connectedness, parental engagement, hopefulness and community involvement as important protective factors for preventing violence perpetration among youth.

Kernsmith’s current work involves the analysis of school policy to create inclusive, trauma-informed environments to prevent and respond to violence or threats of violence in middle and high schools. Other areas of her research include sexual health education, hate-motivated violence and domestic terrorism.

“She will also bring her leadership experience in directing the PhD program at UT Arlington for the past two years and her experience for 20 years prior to this, as a scholar, teacher and faculty member at Wayne State University School of Social Work,” Loukaitou-Sideris wrote in a memo announcing the appointment.

Kernsmith said she is also interested in mentorship and best practices related to graduate and doctoral students — as well as faculty — over their careers, explaining that people who are just starting out or new to a position are generally the only ones considered for mentorship.

“Mentorship is something we need across our lifespan … any time you are making a change to the next step in your career and even into retirement,” she said. “Every transition brings new questions and new opportunities.”

For Kernsmith, one of the biggest challenges in education is promoting respectful dialogue and a free exchange of ideas from different perspectives.

“How do we engage in our intellectual curiosity to better understand separate perspectives when the issues are so heated and emotional? … It’s always a balance.”

Kernsmith will step into a leadership position held by Laura Abrams, professor of social welfare, for seven years. Under Abrams’ leadership, the program saw its reputation grow, achieving the No. 8 standing among social work programs nationally in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings. During that time, UCLA Luskin Social Welfare also hired more than a dozen new faculty and graduated hundreds of skilled practitioners and scholars.

“It has been an honor to serve as the department chair in social welfare for the past seven years … and it is now time to pass the baton,” Abrams said. “I am thrilled that Dr. Kernsmith, an alumnus of our PhD program, will be joining us in the fall as our next chair.”

Loukaitou-Sideris on Making Transit Hubs More Welcoming

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Professor Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, interim dean of UCLA Luskin, spoke to WHYY about efforts to restore confidence in the SEPTA public transit system serving the Philadelphia area. Financial pressures have delayed infrastructure projects to improve safety and accessibility on the system’s aging subway network, and some riders say they are anxious about recent episodes of violence. Loukaitou-Sideris, an authority on transit safety who studied SEPTA during the COVID-19 pandemic, said the openness of transportation hubs is a mark of both inclusivity and inherent risk. “If we all start getting afraid of agoraphobia and not going to these public spaces, we will end up in a cocoon of private spaces,” she said. Loukaitou-Sideris added that she is encouraged by Philadelphia’s Hub of Hope, a space within the SEPTA system where unhoused individuals can receive essentials such as food and medical care.

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Social Welfare Rises to Top 8 in U.S. News Rankings Luskin School also continues to rank among the nation’s top graduate schools overall in public affairs

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UCLA Luskin’s overall ranking this year remains among the top public affairs graduate schools in the nation based on the latest U.S. News & World Report ratings released today, including a boost in ranking among social work programs to No. 8.

The School’s Social Welfare program moved up a notch nationwide, sharing its No. 8 position with Boston University, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Texas, Austin. Among public universities, the UCLA Luskin Social Welfare program is now one of the top 5 nationwide and remains among the top 2 in California.

“It is an honor to be rated so highly by our peer institutions for our master’s in social welfare program, and that our ranking continues to climb,” said UCLA Luskin Social Welfare Professor Laura Abrams, who has served as chair for the past seven years. “Our program’s mixture of pedagogy, cutting-edge research and opportunities for leadership continue to attract an amazing group of motivated MSW students. I am very proud to see our program acknowledged on the national stage.”

The School — with graduate departments in Public Policy, Social Welfare and Urban Planning, and a Public Affairs undergraduate program — also received high marks for subcategories that include urban policy (No. 7), social policy (No. 6) and public policy analysis (No. 14).

“Our rank among top Public Affairs schools in the nation is a reflection of our commitment to excellence in research, teaching, and service to the community,” said UCLA Luskin Interim Dean Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris.

These latest rankings are calculated from qualitative ratings on academic quality submitted by top officials at colleges and universities. U.S. News surveyed deans, directors and department chairs representing 271 master’s programs in public affairs and administration, and more than 300 social work programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the Council on Social Work Education. The National Association of Deans and Directors of Schools of Social Work supplied U.S. News with the lists of accredited social work schools and programs, plus the respondents’ names.

See the full list of the 2024 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools. Read more about the public affairs ranking methodology.

Restoring Confidence in New York’s Subway System

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UCLA Luskin Interim Dean Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris spoke to the New York Times about strategies to increase safety on New York’s subway system. A string of recent attacks, some involving firearms, have eroded many subway riders’ sense of security. To keep guns out of the subway system, officials should consider stepping up security screenings in ways that affect service as little as possible, said Loukaitou-Sideris, who co-authored a chapter of the 2015 book “Securing Transportation Systems.” In addition to conducting frequent and rigorous bag checks, transit officials could install metal detectors and X-ray machines — a more expensive option but one that the Shanghai Metro has implemented efficiently, Loukaitou-Sideris said. Transportation officials around the world have also been studying the addition of firearm-detecting sensors to fare-collection devices and ticketing machines. “You have to eliminate the opportunity to bring the gun on the train,” Loukaitou-Sideris said.

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