MPP Students Win Net Impact Consulting Challenge The team of mostly Luskin MPP students won first place at the UCLA Anderson School’s Net Impact Consulting Challenge.

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By Adeney Zo
UCLA Luskin student writer 

Despite heavy competition from 24 other teams made up of MBA students, an interdisciplinary team of mostly Luskin MPP students won first place at the UCLA Anderson School’s Net Impact Consulting Challenge.

Each team was assigned to assist a nonprofit organization for two weeks. At the end of this period, the teams presented their strategies for improving the organization to a panel of judges. The judges considered criteria such as presentation, quality of analysis, recommendations, and feasibility before reaching a final decision.

“We really didn’t expect to win,” said MPP student Terra Bennett, one of the three Luskin students on the victorious team. “I think it came as a shock to all of us.”

Bennett’s team was assigned to Worksite Wellness LA, a nonprofit that provides healthcare information and resources to workers without access to insurance. The team helped evaluate Worksite Wellness’ program development and provided data analysis and modeling.

“Nobody does what they do. They serve people who are the hardest to reach and hardest to get insured,” said Bennett. “We didn’t do the challenge to win, but to offer something they actually needed.”

Team members Edith Medina (MPP), Magaly Lopez (MPP), Terra Bennett (MPP), Allison Faris (MBA), and Michelle Miro (Civil Engineering PhD) received a $5000 prize for their efforts.

Urban Planning Alumna Aims to Help Cities in World Bank Report Beth Tamayose ('11) co-authors World Bank Report on transportation

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By Alejandra Reyes-Velarde
UCLA Luskin Student Writer

Urban Planning alumna Beth Tamayose UP PhD ‘11 co-authored a recent World Bank Report, which aims to help cities create and capture the benefits of higher land values around urban transit stations and corridors.

The report offers cities methods beyond taxes and fees that will help them to reap the benefits of increases in land value attributable to land use regulations and investments in infrastructure.

In order to overcome financial difficulties of transit infrastructure that accompanies growing developing communities, the report, Financing Transit Oriented Development with Land Values, suggests using development based land value capture. Based on case studies of Hong Kong, Tokyo, London, Delhi and Sao Paulo, Tamayose and co-authors Hiroaki Suzuki, Jin Murakami and Yu-Hung Hong, reported that development based land value capture will generate funds for transit infrastructure, operation and maintenance and promote sustainable urban development.

Tamayose contributed in particular to demonstrating how development based land value capture practices in North America in Europe can “provide analogies and lessons for practitioners in developing countries.” This section of the report notes that urban railways, for example, have helped with mobility and developed “ world-class service and knowledge based business clusters by enhancing economic competitiveness, environmental sustainability, and social equity.”

Tamayose and Murakami focus on several case studies including New York City’s transferable development rights program, which has preserved landmarks and densified commercial activity around Grand Central Terminal.

Case studies also included the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and the King’s Cross rail yard in London, stressing the importance of sharing benefits around newly integrated transit.

Tamayose is currently focusing on similar research involving urban planning, governance structures and resource access and allocation, particularly for Indigenous Pacific Islander populations. She has also served as a lecturer in the Department of Urban Planning.

 

MPP Alumna Nurit Katz to Play Key Role at UCLA Facilities Management

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By Angel Ibanez
UCLA Luskin student writer 

Nurit Katz MPP ’08, UCLA’s first Chief Sustainability Officer, has been selected as the new Facilities Management Executive Officer. Katz’s appointment is effective February 1, 2015. 

As Executive Officer, Katz will work on the strategic aspects of Facilities Management ranging from marketing and campus awareness to benchmarking the key metrics of business and managing the vehicle fleet. She will also maintain her title as Chief Sustainability Officer and continue to oversee that program.

Katz earned a MPP from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and an MBA from the Anderson School of Management. As Chief Sustainability Officer, Katz helped advance UCLA’s sustainability goals and initiatives.  She led the UCLA Sustainability Committee to selection as LA’s Environmentalist of the Year for 2014 and she helped get UCLA listed on the 2014 edition of the Princeton Review Green Honor Roll as one of the 21 most sustainable universities in America. Katz is also an instructor at the UCLA Extension where she is an instructor for the Global Sustainability Certificate Program. Her course was named one of LA Weekly’s 10 Best Classes in LA.

 

Jorja Leap’s Gang Expertise Tapped by Media The Social Welfare professor has been quoted extensively about gang related trends and behavior.

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By Alejandra Reyes-Velarde
UCLA Luskin student writer 

Social Welfare professor, Jorja Leap has recently gained national media attention for her expertise in gangs and criminal justice. Her research is based on observation of gangs and communities affected by gang activity with the purpose of informing policymakers.

Leap’s work and findings have been cited in articles about different criminal trends in Los Angeles and on a national level, such as the decline in homicides in LA, homicides of Latino men, and their relationship to gang activity.

A recent article in the Los Angeles Daily News reported that homicides in Los Angeles have declined from 1,231 in 2002 to below 700 in 2010. According to the article several sociologists and police workers attribute the decline to gang intervention programs and more effective policing and legislature, but Leap said the problem has not necessarily been solved.

Instead, a police crackdown in Los Angeles has moved gang activity from LA to economically depressed areas such as the Inland Empire and Las Vegas, where they are less impeded, she said in the article.

Another article by the LA Daily News titled “ Homicides of young Latino men twice as likely to go unsolved in LA county, analysis shows,” focused on the reasons why homicides of Black and Latino populations are not only higher but less likely to be solved.

Leap attributed that discrepancy to Black and Latino men living in areas that are more high in crime and gang activity, where illegal weapons are more accessible. She also said that witnesses’ fear of retaliation if they speak may contribute the the cases remaining unsolved.

Professor Leap was also quoted in a Detroit News article about a former motorcycle gang member currently on trial for a series of crimes and murders across the country. She offered insight into the lifestyle of motorcycle gang members and the criminal justice process.

 

Luskin Welcomes New Director of Alumni Relations UCLA alumna Marisa Lemorande is eager to connect with fellow Bruins in her new role.

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By Adeney Zo
UCLA Luskin student writer 

Marisa Lemorande (BA ‘01), new director of alumni relations for the Luskin School of Public Affairs, is a week into the job and is already eager to connect and build relationships. In her role, Lemorande will be reaching out to Luskin alumni and designing programs that meet the needs and wants of the dynamic groups of individuals that make up our global Luskin alumni network.

“I’m excited to learn the stories, accomplishments, and changes our alumni are making in their communities and equally excited to keep them updated and involved with the current activities here at Luskin,” she says.

Although she is a new addition to Luskin, Lemorande is no stranger to the UCLA campus. She graduated from UCLA with a degree in women’s studies, is a former staff member at the Center for Culture & Health as well as the Hammer Museum, and is a long-time member of the Bruin Masters Swim Team.

“As an alum, I am very excited to be reconnecting and diving back into this vibrant community,” says Lemorande.

Outside of UCLA, Lemorande has combined her passion for program development and engagement with her work at Center for the Arts Eagle Rock and the Napa Valley Grapegrowers Farmworker Foundation.

“I have worked a great deal in program development and community engagement, by either developing programs from the ground up or infusing existing programs with a new energy and strategic vision,” says Lemorande. “Getting people excited about and involved with new programs is something I love to do.”

Lemorande brings a similar optimism and enthusiasm to her work at Luskin. “We have an outstanding group of alumni from every corner of the world who are still actively involved [with Luskin],” she says. “I am excited to reach out and expand our network even further.”

Lemorande’s office is located on the third floor of the Public Affairs Building in the Dean’s Suite. Her contact information can be found here.

Equipping Students for Life After Luskin

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This winter and spring quarter, UCLA Luskin will host a series of skill-building workshops, career talks and networking events to prepare students for success in the working world.

Some of the main highlights in the series of events include “LA County: Challenges and Opportunities,” featuring high-level speakers like Governor Brown’s director of economic development, and a career fair for students to “speed network” with alumni and professionals.

“Sometimes students forget about the resources available to them, but UCLA Luskin has great leadership events and career services like this to help prepare students to be the best they can be,” says Career Services director Michelle Anderson. “This series of events will help make them as competitive as possible for summer internships or full-time careers after graduation.”

The event calendar includes:

UCLA Luskin’s Annual Career Fair
Tuesday, April 7
4-7 p.m., Ackerman Grand Ballroom

 

Skill-Building Workshops

Professional Etiquette
Thursday, January 15
12:15 p.m., Public Affairs Room 2343

LinkedIn & Social Networking
Thursday, January 22
12:15 p.m., Public Affairs Room 2355

Interviewing Tips & Tricks
Thursday, February 5
12:15 p.m., Public Affairs Room 2355

Global Public Affairs: Guide to Site Visits
Friday, February 6
10 a.m., Public Affairs Room 2343

Leadership Initiative: Public Speaking
Thursday, February 12
12:15 p.m., Public Affairs Room 2343

Leadership Initiative: Framing the Message with Dean Gilliam
Thursday, February 26
12:15 p.m., Public Affairs Room 2355

Exercising Natural Leadership
Thursday, March 5
12:15 p.m., Public Affairs Room 2343

Resume Writing
Tuesday, March 31
12:15 p.m., Public Affairs Room 2355

Leadership Initiative: Working the Room with Barbara Osborn and Kafi Blumenfield
Thursday, April 23
12:30 p.m., Public Affairs Room 2355

Salary Negotiation
Thursday, May 7
12:15 p.m., Public Affairs Room 2355

 

Career Talks & Networking
Student/Alumni Networking Night
Tuesday, January 27
6 p.m., Faculty Center California Room

Careers in Global Public Affairs
Thursday, February 5
12:30 p.m., Public Affairs Room 2343

L.A. County: Challenges & Opportunities
Presented with L.A. County Business Federation
Thursday, February 5
5 p.m., Faculty Center California Room

Public Service Jobs at the Local Level
Thursday, February 21
12:15 p.m., Public Affairs Room 3343

Diversity in Leadership Conference
Saturday, April 25
All Day

“You Can Run But You Can’t Hide”

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01907409 By Adeney Zo
UCLA Luskin student writer 

Professor Laura Abrams, chair of the social welfare doctoral program, and alumna Diane Terry BA ’01 MSW ’04 Ph.D. ’12 recently published an article in the Children and Youth Services Review titled, “You can run but you can’t hide”: How formerly incarcerated young men navigate neighborhood risks.”

This qualitative study offers a window into the lives of formerly incarcerated youth, focusing on the struggles they encounter while transitioning out of the incarceration system and into adulthood.

In light of the viral nationwide reaction to the shooting of Michael Brown and subsequent events, this article addresses very relevant issues of racial disparity in the criminal justice system and police violence by turning to a more personal, narrative focus.

Seventeen formerly incarcerated young men were interviewed about their methods for navigating everyday risks, a complex survival strategy which balances obligation to gang brothers, avoiding of re-incarceration, and steering away from dangerous areas and situations. Through analyzing how formerly incarcerated youth develop strategies for safety and survival into adulthood, this study may provide a stepping stone to solving the issues of poverty, racial tensions, and police brutality which are currently the center of debate and discussion in America.

Planning Professor’s Research Cited in Mexico Housing & Urban Policy Report

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Since 2012, Mexico has been working on an ambitious structural reform agenda across various sectors to boost the country’s competitiveness and economic growth. Housing and urban policy is considered a priority within this reform agenda as authorities are hoping to reduce a housing deficit that affects roughly 31% of Mexican households.

This attention to housing and urban policy, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) recent urban policy review on Mexico, is unprecedented for the country, and differs from past approaches to housing and urban policy in that it is focusing more on qualitative housing and the environment as opposed to quantitative goals. Over 200 Mexican political figures, policy makers and academics attended the launch of the report. Speakers included INFONAVIT Director General, Alejandro Murat; Governor of the State of Mexico, Eruviel Ávila Villegas; and Mayor of Mexico City, Miguel Mancera. They were accompanied by the Minister of Public Administration, Julián Alfonso Olivas Ugalde, and Mexican Ambassador to the OECD, Dionisio Pérez-Jácome Friscione.

Urban Planning Professor Paavo Monkkonen has conducted extensive research on housing vacancy in Mexico, including two projects in collaboration with OECD and the World Bank. His work was cited heavily in OECD’s urban policy review, which generated over 30 articles in the Mexican press. The policy review discusses the role of large housing lenders in housing policy for Mexico, priorities that will make the country create more competitive and sustainable cities, and various reforms to urban governance that will improve housing and development outcomes. The issue of vacant housing received particular attention in the media.

Last year, Professor Monkkonen delivered a presentation at the Institute of Social Research of the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico in Mexico City on the topic of housing finance in urban policy, which also received a lot of attention by Mexican media outlets. Monkkonen argued that the Mexican government’s support of urban infill and higher density development would only be achieved with larger and more comprehensive reforms of the Mexican housing finance system than those currently proposed.

 

 

 

Urban Planning Student Awarded Switzer Fellowship

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By Alejandra Reyes-Velarde
UCLA Luskin student writer 

Aaron Ordower, a graduate student pursuing a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning in the Luskin School was awarded the Switzer Environmental Fellowship, a highly competitive and merit based award, by the Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation.

The fellowship is awarded to 20 environmental leaders recognized by their academic institution or environmental experts. Through the fellowship, Ordower was awarded $15,000 to complete his degree and will be supported by the Switzer Foundation to continue his work facing crucial environmental challenges in Los Angeles.

Ordower has focused on urban sustainability and studies strategies for the development of transit friendly neighborhoods and urban growth to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reverse the effects of urban sprawl. He is also interested in how the different sectors of urban development, transportation, resource management and others can affect one another and work together for a more sustainable urban environment.

Urban planning students who have previously been awarded the prestigious award include Colleen Callahan who focused on transportation planning and environmental policy (2010) as well as John Scott-Railton and Miriam Torres who focused on climate change adaptation and water quality in low income communities (2011).

Ananya Roy to direct new UCLA Luskin Institute on Inequality and Democracy Appointment effective July 1, 2015.

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International development scholar Ananya Roy will lead a new institute examining inequality and democracy at UCLA Luskin as its inaugural director, Dean Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr., announced today. Roy’s appointment is effective July 1, 2015.

Roy’s charge at the new institute will be to oversee a multifaceted program of research, training, and public outreach operating at the nexus of democracy, social justice and governance/political participation. The project is a major initiative of UCLA Luskin’s five-point strategic plan, adopted in the wake of the $50 million naming gift from Meyer and Renee Luskin to UCLA’s School of Public Affairs in 2011.

Roy comes to UCLA from the University of California, Berkeley, where she served as a professor of city and regional planning and distinguished chair in global poverty and practice. She was also the education director at the Blum Center for Developing Economies. In 2010 The New Yorker called her “one of Berkeley’s star teachers,” and in 2006 she earned the Distinguished Teaching Award, the college’s highest faculty teaching honor, and the Distinguished Faculty Mentorship Award.

“I am thrilled to welcome Ananya to UCLA Luskin as the head of the institute,” Dean Gilliam said. “Her creativity, collaborative spirit and impeccable academic credentials are an exact match for the positive change inherent in this new endeavor, and I know she will serve as an inspiration to our faculty and students.”

With research interests ranging from social theory to comparative urban studies, Roy has dedicated much of her scholarship to exploring and understanding the formation of geopolitical hierarchies. Her book Poverty Capital: Microfinance and the Making of Development won the 2011 Paul Davidoff Award from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning, given for books that promote participatory planning and positive social change. She is also the author of City Requiem, Calcutta: Gender and the Politics of Poverty and co-editor of Urban Informality: Transnational Perspectives from the Middle East, South Asia, and Latin America; The Practice of International Health; and Worlding Cities: Asian Experiments and the Art of Being Global.

Projects under her direction have received funding from the National Science Foundation, the Social Sciences Research Council, the Ford Foundation, USAID and others. Roy’s service on editorial boards includes the publications Public Culture and Territory, Politics and Governance, among many others.

As the institute builds an interdisciplinary approach to solving societal problems and leveraging the work of our three departments and across the campus, Roy’s previous experience at the University of California will play a key role. As the founding chair of Berkeley’s undergraduate program in global poverty and practice, she led a field of study that brings together hundreds of students from over 30 majors to understand the challenges of global poverty through creativity and practical experience. She also served as chair of the urban studies major, which takes a holistic approach to designing a new, humane approach to urbanism for a global populace.

At UCLA Luskin, Roy will hold an endowed chair provided by Meyer and Renee Luskin. Born in Calcutta, she earned her master’s and doctoral degrees at Berkeley and took her bachelor’s at Mills College.