UCLA Luskin Alumna Confirmed as U.S. Ambassador to Croatia

UCLA Luskin Public Policy alumna Nathalie Rayes has been confirmed as U.S. ambassador to Croatia. “I promise to always lead and serve with integrity and in the best interest of our country, while continuing to strengthen our diplomatic relations with the people of Croatia,” Rayes said after the U.S. Senate voted to confirm her nomination on Dec. 6. The double Bruin who earned a bachelor’s in sociology in 1996 and a master of public policy in 1999 has had a distinguished career in public service. Rayes most recently served as president and CEO of Latino Victory, an advocacy group focused on increasing Latino representation. Prior to that, she was vice president of public affairs for the Mexican conglomerate Grupo Salinas and executive director of its philanthropic arm, Fundación Azteca America. She also served in Los Angeles city government, including as deputy chief of staff to then-Mayor James K. Hahn. President Biden appointed Rayes to the board of the United States Institute of Peace, and she has served on the boards of numerous organizations in the fields of politics, civil rights, education and health. During her time at UCLA Luskin, she was a Department of State Fellow in the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. She was named the UCLA Luskin Public Policy Alumna of the Year in 2014. Earlier this year, in comments to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, California Sen. Alex Padilla cited Rayes’ “unwavering commitment to public service, a drive to diversity the highest levels of leadership in our nation, and a fundamental understanding of the hope and stability America’s leadership brings to the world stage.”


 

Magnifying the Work of Grassroots Leaders in Watts

The UCLA Watts Leadership Institute (WLI) has welcomed six new community advocates into a program that provides training, resources and ongoing support aimed at elevating grassroots work done on behalf of the people of Watts. The leaders make up the third cohort of the institute, which is housed at UCLA Luskin. The multi-year program includes intensive one-on-one coaching as well as group learning that taps into the experiences and strengths of each leader. Areas of focus include goal-setting, operational essentials, establishing a compelling digital presence, funding and finances, and planning for future growth — all aimed at creating a safer, healthier and more vibrant Watts. Founded in 2016 by Jorja Leap and Karrah Lompa of UCLA Luskin Social Welfare, WLI is supported by a diverse group of collaborators including nonprofit foundations and Los Angeles city officials. Members of WLI’s newest cohort are:

  • Kristal Gilmore of Yung Power Foundation, who hosts food and resource distribution events with a focus on empowering women;
  • Jorge Gonzalez of 5 La Nuevo Comienzo, which strengthens families and communities through sports, excursions and other activities;
  • Miguel Gonzalez, who uses dance as a tool to educate people about LGBTQ+ rights and prevention of sexually transmitted infections;
  • Shawn Lampley of Home of Kings & Queens, which distributes food, school supplies and personal hygiene supplies to low-income communities;
  • Raul Panuco, a photographer and artist working to educate youth on media arts and ensure that outlets for creative expression are broadly available;
  • Jennifer Williams of Gifted Creations, who hosts back-to-school, Halloween and holiday activities for residents of public housing.

 Read the full release.


 

Stalled Momentum in Reforming L.A. Governance

UCLA Luskin Public Policy Professor Gary Segura spoke to LAist about a delay in the decision to move forward with reforms at L.A. City Hall. Segura is co-chair of the L.A. Governance Reform Project, a coalition of scholars who came together in response to a series of corruption scandals that have plagued the city. Their recommendations for better governance include increasing the number of seats on the L.A. City Council, currently made up of 15 members representing 4 million Angelenos. “One of the advantages of a larger council is that it makes it possible for smaller communities to maintain a voice,” Segura said. Council members are debating the anticipated impact of the proposed change on the delivery of city services, as well as on the balance of power between the council and the mayor. The decision to delay action and possibly hand the question over to a yet-to-be-created charter reform commission has stalled momentum and is deeply concerning, Segura said.


 

Taylor on the Addition of New Toll Lanes on the 405

Brian D. Taylor, director of the Institute of Transportation Studies at UCLA Luskin, spoke to the Orange County Register about the opening of new express lanes on the 405 Freeway. Motorists who use the two express lanes on 16 miles of the freeway in Orange County will have the option of paying a toll or carpooling. The lanes will be free to three-person carpools, but two-person carpools during rush hours will need to pay. Taylor, a professor of urban planning and public policy, said express lanes help keep traffic flowing compared to general lanes. For example, the two express lanes on the 91 Freeway carry about 45% of its total traffic. “Those two lanes are operating so much more efficiently that more people are getting through as a result,” Taylor said.


 

Monkkonen on L.A.’s Challenge to Meet Affordable Housing Goals

Paavo Monkkonen, professor of urban planning and public policy at UCLA Luskin, spoke to LAist about the status of Mayor Karen Bass’ pledge to fast-track affordable housing construction in Los Angeles. Development projects in single-family neighborhoods are now ineligible for the accelerated permitting due to a rules change in June. About three-quarters of L.A.’s residential land is zoned for single-family homes, and proposing large apartment developments in those areas can lead to outcries from homeowners opposed to neighborhood change. Monkkonen said leaving suburban areas untouched brings its own risks. Under state law, the city of Los Angeles must plan for 185,000 new low-income homes by 2029 and reverse long-standing patterns of segregation by putting many new affordable homes in wealthier areas. “Once you take them off the table, it’s really hard to live up to the fair housing mandate,” Monkkonen said.


 

Shock Waves of Trauma Following UNLV Shooting

UCLA Luskin Social Welfare scholars Mark S. Kaplan and Ron Avi Astor spoke to the Las Vegas Review Journal about the lasting trauma experienced by school communities in the aftermath of campus shootings. On Dec. 6, a gunman killed three members of the faculty at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and gravely injured a fourth. “This is going to send shock waves through the campus,” said Kaplan, who teaches a class on firearm violence prevention policy at UCLA. Access to counseling is critical for students, faculty and the entire UNLV community, he stressed. Astor said memorials and vigils can help the community come together to process grief and trauma. He added that school safety literature shows that many people rate their own schools — both K-12 and college — as very safe even as they express anxiety about campus shootings.


 

Torres-Gil on Ageism in Electoral Politics

Fernando Torres-Gil, professor emeritus of social welfare and public policy at UCLA Luskin, spoke to USA Today about ageism in electoral politics. At 81, Joe Biden is the oldest president in U.S. history, and polls indicate that some voters view his age as a liability. Yet these concerns are not routinely aired in conversations about other politicians from Biden’s generation, including Donald Trump, 77, and Bernie Sanders, 82. “I think it has a lot to do just with style and personality, how you are perceived” — and appearances can be superficial, said Torres-Gil, director of the UCLA Center for Policy Research on Aging. “We still have a relatively ageist and ableist society where if you look old and act disabled, it creates a more negative impression.”


 

Astor Receives 2023 School Mental Health Research Award

The National Center for School Mental Health has selected UCLA Luskin Social Welfare Professor Ron Avi Astor as the recipient of the 2023 School Mental Health Research Award. Launched in 2018, the award recognizes scholars who have made a significant contribution to advancing research and practice in school mental health. Astor received the award on Dec. 5 at the 2023 Annual Conference on Advancing School Mental Health, held in New Orleans. At a summit on the eve of the conference, Astor shared his scholarship on campus climate, social-emotional learning and social justice with leading school mental health researchers from across the country. In his decades of research, Astor has studied tens of thousands of schools and millions of students, teachers, parents and administrators, and his work has been published in more than 200 scholarly manuscripts. His latest research examines antisemitism in K-12 settings, and he is spearheading research exchanges focusing on schools that empower students in Arab, Jewish and other diverse communities in the Middle East and Los Angeles. Astor’s far-reaching impact on the field of school mental health was cited in three separate nominations he received for this year’s School Mental Health Research Award. “This interdisciplinary career award coming from such an important organization that does critical work for our schools means the world to me,” said Astor, who has a joint appointment at the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies. “I appreciate the recognition and hope to use it as a platform to spread peace and mental health support to our world’s children.” 


Michael Stoll Joins Board of Directors of American Institutes for Research

Michael Stoll, professor of public policy and urban planning at UCLA Luskin, is one of two new appointees to the American Institutes for Research Board of Directors. Stoll, an expert in labor markets and the impacts of poverty, joins Mayra E. Alvarez, a national leader in public health policy and systems, on the board of the nonprofit organization, which is based in Washington, D.C. “We are excited to have Mayra E. Alvarez and Michael A. Stoll on the board and welcome the deep expertise they bring to key areas of AIR’s work,” said Patricia B. Gurin, chair of the AIR board. “Their experience, knowledge and insights will help the board guide the institution’s strategic direction today, and in the years ahead.” David Myers, chief executive officer of AIR, said that Stoll will join a group of experts who will provide guidance and understanding to AIR’s leadership team and ensure that the organization’s research and technical assistance work is “relevant, meaningful and mission-focused.” Stoll has previously served as a fellow for the institute, which is focused on behavioral and social science research and providing technical assistance to solve national and global challenges. He has also been a fellow at the Brookings Institution, the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and the National Poverty Center at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He has served as a past visiting scholar at the Russell Sage Foundation. In congratulating Stoll, Professor Robert Fairlie, chair of UCLA Luskin Public Policy, said, “AIR is an amazing place doing extremely important and impactful work.”


 

Bringing Shade to Bus Stops Across L.A.

Madeline Brozen, deputy director of the Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies at UCLA Luskin, spoke to LAist about new funding to build more bus shelters in the city of Los Angeles. The Sidewalk and Transit Amenities Program will add 3,000 bus shelters and 450 shade structures to the city over the next 10 years, part of an initiative to help Angelenos withstand the impact of climate change, Mayor Karen Bass said. Brozen welcomed the announcement. “Extreme heat kills more people than any other natural disaster,” she said, adding that building bus shelters is one effective way of offering relief through shade and protecting public health. Brozen’s research has found that only about a quarter of Los Angeles Metro bus stops have shelters that provide shade, creating health risks for many of L.A. County’s most vulnerable people.