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In Support New initiatives and other fundraising highlights at the Luskin School

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DEAN’S ASSOCIATES EVENT CELEBRATES FELLOWSHIP DONORS

In March, donors who contributed $1,000 or more to the Luskin School over the previous year assembled for our first post-pandemic, in-person Dean’s Associates gathering.

The event is expected to become an annual gathering to underscore the importance and impact of donations, from attracting top-tier students to funding internships at nonprofits that help the communities that have been most damaged by injustice.

Our donors span a wide range of work done at the Luskin School, and we were able to acknowledge donors to all disciplinary areas for their essential roles in investing in communities of need. We cannot emphasize the significance of those gifts enough. They help fight for social justice at the academic, professional and policy level across a range of topic areas. Our donors’ generosity is an integral part of social change through investing in the next generation of leadership.

Interim Dean Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris emphasized to the audience that during this time of change, the School will continue to stress pedagogical excellence. She emphasized the need to protect vulnerable students, and to foster faculty and staff well-being in order for UCLA Luskin to continue its upward trajectory. To advance those academic priorities, she is prioritizing development of two new master’s degrees and a new certificate in e-governance. See details on page 10.

The luncheon highlighted a gift by Ralph, Shirley and Peter Shapiro to UCLA Social Welfare that funds field placements related to special care within dental and orthodontic clinics at UCLA. The gift also supports a clinical supervisor.

The fellowships provide critical social work services to otherwise underserved patients with special needs at the UCLA School of Dentistry, UCLA’s Center for Cerebral Palsy and UCLA’s Orthopedic Clinic, while also encouraging the next generation of social workers to pursue careers working with this patient population. The event allowed UCLA Luskin’s Development staff to thank the Shapiro family, and attendees had an opportunity to learn about the tremendous impact of their gift on our students, staff and patients. This celebratory presentation and luncheon were intended to illustrate the importance of giving and giving back.

Student presentations were given by Meagan Smith-Bocanegra and Mario Rivera, interns in the clinics. Smith-Bocanegra is pursuing her MSW and focusing on social work within medical settings, including biopsychosocial impacts of social work for individuals experiencing chronic health conditions and the implementation of psychosocial supports into medical and dental settings.

“By far the most impactful experience [at UCLA Luskin] is my current internship at the UCLA School of Dentistry’s Special Patient Care Clinic, made possible by your Shapiro Fellowship,” Smith-Bocanegra said. “I am already learning so much about medical social work and gaining so much valuable experience in working with special needs populations and their families.”

Rivera, a second-year MSW student, is focusing on medical social work and plans to become a licensed clinical social worker.

“The fellowship provided me with the opportunity to intern in a hospital setting,” he said. “My internship has been a great experience so far, one that I am learning so much from. I am getting essential tools and clinical skills that are making me a competitive candidate post-program.”

Those interested in supporting student fellowships may contact Nicole Payton, senior executive director of external affairs, at  npayton@luskin.ucla.edu.

—Tilly Oren

 

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Financial support for first-year students at UCLA Luskin is made possible by a gift from Michael Mahdesian.

MAHDESIAN GIFT PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES IN GLOBAL PUBLIC AFFAIRS

The International Practice Pathway opportunity in the Global Public Affairs program provides financial support for first-year students seeking summer placements  in low- and middle-income countries.

Such placements are made possible in  part by the generosity of Michael Mahdesian, chairman of the board at Servicon Systems and a member of the UCLA Luskin Board of Advisors.

Student recipients attest to the program’s far-reaching benefits. Writing in the GPA blog in 2020, Dan Flynn MPP ’21 credited the program for allowing him to “support the work of change agents around the world in combating corruption, gaining invaluable knowledge about the multifaceted nature of anti-corruption work, and gaining exposure to local, regional and global challenges. I am deeply grateful … for the opportunity to gain such meaningful experience and insight.”

The program is a global gatewayfor students to work with international communities whose lives are being negatively affected by political, economic  and environmental processes. The students learn through a cross-disciplinary orientation surrounding international issues in fields such as urban planning, social welfare, public policy, economics, administration, public health and environmental sciences. The goal is to prepare future practitioners for work in complex and diverse settings by providing hands-on experience in international environments.

Another aspect of the program supported by Mahdesian’s gift is an annual educational trip to Washington, D.C., during spring break. Students meet with a range of professionals working in global public affairs in and around the nation’s capital.

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Yaroslavsky fellow Nangha N. Cuadros is the chair and a co-founder of First-Gen Luskin Students.

YAROSLAVSKY FELLOWSHIP ALLOWS FIRST-GENERATION STUDENT TO  FOCUS ON LEARNING

This year’s Yaroslavsky fellow is Nangha N. Cuadros, who is one of the policy fellows for the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute, or UCLA LPPI, where she is developing a policy toolkit about past Medi-Cal expansions.

The fellowship was founded in honor of the late Barbara Edelston Yaroslavsky by her husband and UCLA faculty member, Zev Yaroslavsky BA ’71, MA ’72.

Zev Yaroslavsky is the director of the Los Angeles Initiative at UCLA and a former public official who was at the forefront of Los Angeles County’s biggest issues for many years. After the death of his wife, Barbara, in 2018, he sought to memorialize her spirit of compassionate activism and her dedication to health care for all. The Barbara Edelston Yaroslavsky Memorial Fellowship Fund supports students who demonstrate leadership in their communities, with an emphasis on health and public health policy. Stipends help cover the cost of tuition, fees and other educational expenses, freeing students like Cuadros to focus on their studies while also pursuing hands-on learning and service opportunities during their time on campus.

Cuadros is the chair and one of the co-founders of First-Gen Luskin Students. She is the public policy representative for the Social Sciences Council and is a participant in UCLA Luskin’s Senior Fellows mentoring program. She has held leadership positions with the UCLA Luskin Latinx Caucus and Public Policy Leadership Association. Her career goal is to work for a research entity as a policy research analyst.

Before coming to UCLA, Cuadros did not have health policy experience and this made it more difficult for her to land paid internships in health policy. Because of the fellowship, she was able to apply for meaningful, but unpaid, internships instead.

In summer 2022, she completed an internship with the Bixby Center on Population and Reproductive Health.

The Yaroslavsky fellowship allows Cuadros to gain unpaid experience in the health policy field while still being able to afford her rent and buy groceries. The financial freedom also provided flexibility in the types of internships she could seek, and it is allowing her to devote time toward applying for post-graduation work. She is very thankful to the Yaroslavsky family for the financial freedom to pursue experiences that will uplift her career aspirations.

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Vishal Hira joins UCLA Luskin as associate director of development after previously working in UCLA External Affairs. Photo by Les Dunseith

ANNUAL FUND IS A KEY FOCUS OF NEW DEVELOPMENT STAFF MEMBER

Vishal Hira is the new associate director of development for the Luskin School’s Development team.

Hira’s position occupies a unique intersection of external affairs, stewardship and alumni affairs, which are distinct areas of specialization at other academic units at UCLA and elsewhere. He will foster interdepartmental collaboration, working in cooperation with the School’s new director of alumni engagement, Karina Mascorro, to emphasize diverse perspectives at all organizational levels.

He is no stranger to UCLA or the Luskin School, having collaborated with his new colleagues in his previous role within the Prospect Management & Development Analytics department of UCLA External Affairs.

Hira also has been part of the university’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion efforts, making his background an ideal match for UCLA Luskin. He sees the new role as an opportunity to expand his reach, as well as a chance to work within a team to benefit a school whose mission and values closely align with his own.

Hiring managers praised Hira’s dynamic outlook and disposition, and his experience “working with stakeholders in diverse environments, ranging from grassroots to corporate, will help us build upon a strong foundation for development in these times of change,” said Ricardo Quintero, senior director of development at the Luskin School.

Upon joining the staff in mid-March, Hira began working to design and execute multichannel communications and solicitation strategies for annual giving. Colleagues expect the School to immediately benefit from his deep passion for fostering relationships, and holistic organizational and community advancement.

Hira has firsthand experience organizing grassroots efforts, including working on dozens of well-attended events for nonprofits that include amBi, Being Alive and Gathering of
the Tribes.

“I would love to bring my well-rounded skill set, passion, diplomacy, integrity and commitment to such a prestigious school,” he said in applying for the job. He also pledged to “be a valuable asset to the Development team at Luskin and continue to build upon its remarkable success story.”

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

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UCLA Luskin resumed its schedule of annual alumni receptions on March 16 when, for the first time since the pandemic, alumni from all departments gathered at the Bonaventure Brewing Co. in Downtown Los Angeles.

This networking event brought together alumni from Public Policy, Social Welfare, Urban Planning and the Undergraduate Program. Joined by staff and faculty that included the current department chairs, alumni had the opportunity to connect (and reconnect) with a vibrant and diverse group of individuals committed to social change, building community and giving back to the Luskin School.

Additional alumni receptions took place April 6 in San Francisco and June 1 in Sacramento.

Alumni are encouraged to be on the lookout for future UCLA Luskin networking opportunities, including monthly Cafecito con Luskin and quarterly Luskin Aperitivos gatherings being held at venues across Greater Los Angeles.

To learn more, just search online for UCLA Luskin alumni relations or contact Director of Alumni Engagement Karina Mascorro, PhD, at kmascorro@luskin.ucla.edu.

 View photos from the Los Angeles gathering

L.A. Alumni Reception 2023

Alumni Notes Social Welfare Alumni Support Students; Cheung Takes on New Role

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A group of MSW alumni who have sustained a close bond developed during their time at UCLA Luskin turned their camaraderie into a commitment to support current students.

Nine members of the class of 2011 launched the Together Crecemos Scholarship Fund to provide financial assistance to a first-year Social Welfare student who is committed to promoting equity, championing social justice and contributing to the community. The inspiration for the fund, whose name means “Together We Grow,” came during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the group met virtually each week for support and encouragement.

They inaugurated the scholarship program in 2021, and the first award was in the amount of $2,011, a nod to their graduation year.

That award was given to Julia Cocilion, who impressed the alumni with her moving personal story and vision to engage in equitable social work practices, said Bridgette Amador, one of the alumni organizers.

“It was a joy to learn more about the first-year students from their applications and to see the high caliber of students in the UCLA MSW program,” Amador said. “We hope to continue to grow the scholarship fund for years to come.”

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Stephen Cheung. UCLA Luskin file photo

ALUMNUS STEPHEN CHEUNG TO LEAD L.A. COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

UCLA Luskin Board of Advisors member Stephen Cheung has been named the new president and CEO of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC), succeeding longtime president Bill Allen when he retires in January.

Cheung, a double Bruin who earned his master’s in social welfare at UCLA in 2007, is currently the chief operating officer at the nonprofit organization, which focuses on equitable economic growth in the region. He also leads the LAEDC-affiliated World Trade Center Los Angeles and previously managed policies and programs related to the Port of Los Angeles.

“Our staff, board and I all agree that LAEDC will be in excellent hands under the leadership of our COO Stephen Cheung,” Allen said in a news release. “Stephen has been a tremendous partner to me in leading the LAEDC and WTCLA for the past seven years, and I’m genuinely excited to see where he will take the organization over the next decade.”

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors chair Holly J. Mitchell said, “Stephen has been a steadfast champion to crush the digital divide and to ensure an economy that works for all county residents. We are indeed grateful for Bill Allen’s 17 years of service and look forward to working with Stephen Cheung in the years ahead.” 

An active alumnus who has been a member of the Board of Advisors at the Luskin School since 2018, Cheung helped conceive the School’s annual Luskin Summit event and continues to serve on its organizing committee.

In Support A look at longtime support from Liberty Hill Foundation, plus new initiatives and an overview of fundraising goals

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LUSKIN FELLOWS AT LIBERTY HILL FOUNDATION TAKE ACTION

Thanks to the ongoing support of Stephanie ’81 and Harold Bronson ’72, Luskin Fellows have been interning with Liberty Hill Foundation since 2014, balancing their academic curricula with experiential work for a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that is “a laboratory for social change philanthropy.”

Luskin Fellows focus on building a just and equitable society, learning from and researching the efficacy of policies that are at the core of Liberty Hill Foundation’s progressive initiatives.

Luskin Fellows intern at Liberty Hill over the summer, focusing on coordinated projects that give practical application to their coursework while illuminating the grassroots efforts necessary to drive change.

Luskin Fellow Christian Lua, a second-year MPP student, had the opportunity to pivot from his work in the public sector to the Public-Private Partnerships team, exposing him to joint work.

The team has a diverse set of interdisciplinary duties with the Housing Justice team and Environmental Justice teams. “It is interesting to see how these duties and responsibilities dissect between each other,” Lua said.

Sonia Zamora, also a second-year MPP student, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to work on the foundation’s Youth Justice team.

“As someone who considers themselves a generalist in the Master of Public Policy program, I was more than delighted to undertake this opportunity,” said Zamora, who had no prior experience in either the work of foundations or youth justice initiatives.

It was a “formative and illuminating experience. I am thankful to have had this opportunity and so grateful to everyone on the Youth Justice team and the Liberty Hill staff for allowing me to be part of their important work,” Zamora said.

The Luskin School expects to continue its partnership with Liberty Hill, enabling future students to continue working on causes at the core of our shared mission.

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Dean’s Associates Giving Society

UCLA Luskin is relaunching the Dean’s Associates giving society, whose members support the School at a leadership level of $1,000 or more. Dean’s Associates receive special communications and an invitation to intimate gatherings. Members also qualify to be a part of the university-wide Chancellor’s Society, another unique opportunity to connect more deeply with fellow UCLA alumni, parents, students and friends, as well as with the university itself. Chancellor’s Society donors of all recognition levels are invited to a special event hosted by Chancellor Gene Block at the end of the academic year.

If you’re interested in learning more about how you can get involved, contact Assistant Director of Stewardship Tilly Oren at toren@luskin.ucla.edu.

GILBERT FOUNDATION FUNDS UCLA-HEBREW UNIVERSITY SCHOOL VIOLENCE COLLABORATION

A grant from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation will support a new partnership between UCLA and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem focused on developing school violence prevention strategies to turn campuses into safe and welcoming places for children worldwide.

The Collaboration for Safe Schools is a two-year pilot program connecting scholars and practitioners globally and across disciplines
to share research and insights related to the complex underlying causes of school violence. Read more on page 11.

The Gilbert Foundation grant, awarded to UCLA and American Friends of the Hebrew University, covers half of the pilot program’s expected budget of $1.3 million.

The foundation invites other funders to “join this important initiative to create a safer and more peaceable world.”

SCHOOL SETS FUNDRAISING PRIORITIES

Faculty recruitment and retention, equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) programs, internships and partnerships are among UCLA Luskin’s fundraising priorities.

Adding more doctoral fellowships to assist in recruiting PhD students is another priority. A strategic plan to further build fundraising at the Luskin School and increase support for student fellows throughout Los Angeles County also seeks to bolster professional internships for students pursuing an undergraduate public affairs degree.

Amid concern about threats to democracy, the School expects to expand programming, outreach and educational efforts relating to fostering good government. The vision looks beyond California, and a planned expansion of the Global Public Affairs program at UCLA Luskin is on the horizon.

UCLA Luskin’s efforts to enhance partnerships with local governments and policy experts will emphasize the role of civic society institutions in making governments responsible, pushing them ultimately to do more.

The School plans to improve the reach and efficacy of its initiatives in Los Angeles at all levels, from grassroots to governmental. Such programs are a launching pad for a deeper presence and future growth of the academic community, its current students and alumni.

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Students, professionals, board members and faculty gather at a fireside chat focusing on homelessness, housing and government. Photo by Laura Scarano

THE MANY WAYS THAT EDI FUNDS SUPPORT STUDENTS

Equity, diversity and inclusion efforts have long been a priority at UCLA Luskin as departments seek to provide financial support to students from underrepresented backgrounds and diversify the fields related to the School’s degree programs in public policy, social welfare and urban planning.

Such funds provide various types of assistance:

  • internships with nonprofit community organizations that otherwise couldn’t afford to provide a paid internship. This is a double win: The student gets paid while gaining professional experience, and the community organization gets a funded temporary position.
  • fellowships, allowing students to devote more time to learning instead of having to hold down a job or being saddled with unsustainable debt. Eligible students receive $7,500 per quarter.
  • fireside chats at which students can meet in small groups with professionals in their fields of study. The goal is to discuss pressing social issues and policy implications in the professionals’ work within public affairs. Fundraising efforts so far have yielded $115,000 for these gatherings, and the primary goal is to center discussions around racial and social justice. In the 2022-23 academic year, fireside chats will look at homelessness and affordable housing in combination with another component.

    • A fall quarter session dealt with homelessness, housing and government. In winter quarter, real estate developers will be the focus. Finally, in spring quarter, the discussion will turn to the role of nonprofits in working with the unhoused.
  • bolstering a newly reorganized department of student services within UCLA Luskin.
  • supporting the Diversity, Disparities and Differences (D3) group and its activities.
  • funding new efforts such as an initiative within the department of Urban Planning that identified seven students involved with the Racial Justice Action Plan to be fellowship recipients.

The UCLA Luskin Development team continues to seek additional EDI funds to support even more students whose academic promise and career goals embody the mission of the Luskin School. An anonymous donor generously contributed $50,000 in honor of the department of Urban Planning’s 50th anniversary — the largest gift for the fund to date. We are grateful for this transformative gift that directly impacts the lives of students.

Are you interested in learning more or contributing? Contact Nicole Payton at npayton@luskin.ucla.edu.

 

In Support Meyer Luskin sharing life lessons is among recent events, gifts and fellowship efforts

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Meyer Luskin, benefactor and namesake of the Luskin School of Public Affairs, spoke to UCLA students about leadership skills and responsible entrepreneurship at a March 3 gathering held in person and via Zoom.

Luskin shared stories from a long and varied career in investment advising, oil and gas, rental cars, beauty schools and, ultimately, the recycling of food waste. Scope Industries, the company he has led for more than six decades, turns tons of bakery goods that would otherwise have gone to landfills into food for livestock.

“Meyer is a businessman who invented a business, and that’s not common,” UCLA Luskin Dean Gary Segura said at the event. “Meyer had an idea, and his idea was to take something most people threw away and make it into something useful.”

Luskin’s talk included stories from his own UCLA education, which was interrupted by a tour of duty during World War II, and his experiences facing anti-Semitism as a young businessman. Luskin advised students embarking on their careers to examine their motivations, acknowledge conflicts of interests and uphold the highest ethics.

“You have to be retrospective about yourself,” he said. “You have to take time to think about what you’ve done and where you’re going and who you are and what you want.”

He encouraged those blessed with success in business to act responsibly and generously.

“The first principle is get good people, pay them well, think about them,” he said. “When you do something that’s right, it comes back and helps you. … It just works that way in a long life.”

Meyer and Renee Luskin also visited with many of the student fellows currently receiving their financial support while pursuing UCLA degrees, an opportunity that is a meaningful highlight for the Luskins and students that had not been able to take place face-to-face for two years because of the pandemic.

Panelists were Jarrett Barrios, Nina Revoyr and Ruby Bolaria-Shifrin, all of whom work in the philanthropic sphere.

SPEAKERS DISCUSS EQUITY, DIVERSITY DURING FIRESIDE CHAT

“Foundations and Racial Justice — Creating the Pathway for More Equitable and Inclusive Communities” brought together philanthropic leaders on March 31 for a virtual discussion of the critical role that foundations play in funding and working together for a more equitable and inclusive society.

Dean Gary Segura served as moderator. Panelists were Jarrett Barrios, senior vice president of strategic community and programmatic initiatives for the California Community Foundation; Nina Revoyr, executive director of Ballmer Group’s philanthropic efforts in Los Angeles County and California; and Ruby Bolaria-Shifrin, director of housing affordability at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

“If we always wait until we are sure,” said Revoyr about making decisions in unfamiliar circumstances, “we’re never going to do it.”

The event was organized by the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) committee of the Luskin School advisory board and schoolwide departmental leadership in support of UCLA Luskin’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion funds. 

The financial support provided to students from underrepresented backgrounds advances the goal of diversifying the fields of public policy, social work and urban planning, providing several types
of support: 

  • Funded internships with nonprofit community organizations that otherwise couldn’t afford to provide a paid internship. This is a double win: The student gets paid while gaining professional experience, and the community organization gets a funded temporary position.
  • Student fellowships, allowing students to devote more time to learning instead of having to hold down a job or being saddled with an unsustainable debt load.
  • Creation of these fireside chats to support opportunities for students to meet in small groups with professionals in the field. The goal is to discuss pressing social issues and the i mplication on their work within public affairs.

In addition, board members Laura Shell, Vivian Rescalvo, Lourdes Castro Ramirez and Jacqueline Waggoner hosted a salon focused on EDI fundraising on May 3 at Shell’s home. The salon is an extension of the EDI efforts by Ramirez and Waggoner highlighted in the previous issue of Luskin Forum.

Los Angeles city planner Ken Bernstein, right, gave remarks at a Senior Fellows event in the fall. Photos by Mary Braswell and Amy Tierney

MENTORS, MENTEES CELEBRATE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF SENIOR FELLOWS 

The Luskin School celebrated 25 years of mentorship and meaningful engagement through the Senior Fellows program on May 24. 

The mission of the premier leadership career training program is to engage prominent leaders as role models for graduate students from UCLA Luskin Public Policy, Social Welfare and Urban Planning. The program features policy, public service and community leaders who serve as mentors to guide Luskin students toward careers in the public interest.

The special occasion also provided an opportunity to honor and reflect upon the work of VC Powe, who was the heart of the program for years prior to her death in 2020. Her leadership, dedication and finesse in matching Senior Fellows to students was integral to its success. 

In recognition of the 25th anniversary and in memory of VC, the school also launched a successful fundraising campaign that raised over $25,000 to help sustain and grow this valuable program. The funds are being used to support programming and supplemental internship stipends
for students.

New scholarships for undergraduate public affairs students were established thanks to gifts from UCLA alumna and former congresswoman Lynn Schenk, left, and H. Pike Oliver, a UCLA Luskin Urban Planning alumnus.

NEW SCHOLARSHIPS BENEFIT PUBLIC AFFAIRS MAJORS

Several well-deserving students were selected as the first recipients of two new undergraduate scholarships beginning in the spring quarter. 

Established by UCLA alumna and former congresswoman Lynn Schenk, the Congresswoman Lynn Schenk Capstone Scholarship in Public Affairs will support students completing the required experiential learning capstone opportunity during their senior year. UCLA Luskin undergraduate majors participate in a three-quarter experiential learning capstone program that integrates the classroom and community. This experience gives students the opportunity to build practical expertise while also deepening understanding of their coursework.

The second award was established by H. Pike Oliver MA UP ’73 as the H. Pike Oliver Scholarship in Public Affairs to support students from underrepresented communities with an interest in addressing complex interdisciplinary issues related to urban and regional development. Students pursuing the public affairs degree are deeply engaged in learning skills and gaining knowledge that will improve how people live and help communities thrive. 

Like Schenk and Oliver, donors can create scholarships through current-expenditure or endowed gifts, providing essential support
to students whose academic promise and career goals embody the mission of the Luskin School.

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Students, colleagues and friends gathered to honor the legacy of transportation scholar Martin Wachs. Photo by Mary Braswell

URBAN PLANNING CELEBRATES 50 (PLUS!) YEARS AT UCLA

Half a century after the study of urban planning got its start at UCLA, alumni, faculty and friends returned to campus to celebrate the program’s enduring focus on activism and equity. 

Throughout the spring quarter, several of the nation’s thought leaders on urban planning and environmental justice shared their scholarship in a series of lectures. The commemoration included reflections on the legacy of the late Professor Martin Wachs, a renowned educator, researcher and influencer of transportation policy and planning. 

The celebration culminated on May 14 with a keynote speech by Dolores Hayden, a scholar of the history of the American urban landscape, followed by a festive gathering in the UCLA Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden outside the Public Affairs Building that houses the Luskin School.

Alumni and friends are encouraged to support the Urban Planning department’s current top priority: student fellowships. By contributing to this fund, you help allow students to devote more time to learning instead of having to hold down a job or being saddled with an unsustainable debt load.

In Support Social justice, equity and diversity are among the priorities for new gifts, fellowships and other initiatives

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SHAH IS FIRST RECIPIENT OF GILLIAM CHAIR IN SOCIAL JUSTICE

When the Luskin School formally presented its fifth and newest endowed chair to Professor Manisha Shah in November, former Dean Frank Gilliam and benefactors Meyer and Renee Luskin were in attendance.

The Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr. Chair in Social Justice, which was created by the Luskins as part of their naming gift to the School in 2011, is now fully funded. It will provide financial support for Shah’s research throughout her five-year term as holder of the chair.

Gilliam, who is the chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, said he was honored to have his name attached to an award focusing on social justice.

“Meyer and Renee have ambitious goals about how to change the world and how to make it a better place,” Gilliam said. “At the core of that commitment is social justice: What, in a democracy, are you going to do about vast inequality?”

He pointed to a statement by sociologist W.E.B. Du Bois that the so-called color line is the great American dilemma. “Whether it’s African Americans or Muslims, Latin Americans or Asian Americans, it’s about integrating all people into the society and determining the rules upon which entry to society will be considered legitimate,” Gilliam said.

Dean Gary Segura credits Gilliam with codifying social justice as a unifying theme among the disparate departments that were rolled together decades ago into one school of public affairs.

“Frank is very much the dean that put the social justice stamp on the School,” Segura said. “The Luskin School we know today came into existence as a social justice-oriented entity because of his ingenuity.”

The Luskins have also endowed three other chairs benefitting professors at UCLA Luskin, Segura noted. One provides funding to research projects under his direction as dean. Another funds the research endeavors of the director of the UCLA Luskin Institute on Inequality and Democracy, a position held by Ananya Roy since it was founded five years ago. The third supports the director of the Luskin Center for Innovation, a position held by JR DeShazo prior to his departure in August to become a dean at the University of Texas. A search for DeShazo’s permanent replacement is underway. The fifth endowed chair at UCLA Luskin is the Marjorie Crump Chair in Social Welfare, currently held by Ron Avi Astor.

Segura said all these chairs were funded with gifts of $2 million to $3 million to provide funding in support of academic research endeavors. UCLA Luskin does not currently have any endowed chairs of another type offered at UCLA in recognition of gifts at the $5 million level. Those chairs include salary support for a recipient.

Shah is a professor of public policy who joined the UCLA Luskin faculty in 2013. Her scholarship tends to focus on issues of health equity and exploitation of disadvantaged people around the world, and she is the director of Global Lab for Research in Action at
UCLA Luskin, which she founded in 2019.

So, what is it like to have one’s name attached to an endowed chair?

“As with any sort of institutionalized thing like this, the naming of a school or a professorship or a scholarship is significant because it goes on in perpetuity,” Gilliam said, smiling broadly. “If somebody has the misfortune of asking one day who Frank Gilliam was, and they go back and discover who I was and what my connection was to the Luskin School, then that story gets told again.”

Jacqueline Waggoner, left, and Lourdes Castro Ramirez will co-chair a newly created Equity, Diversity and Inclusion committee on the UCLA Luskin Board of Advisors.

FUNDING CAMPAIGN TIED TO EQUITY LAUNCHES AS BOARD WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS

The UCLA Luskin Advisory Board welcomed six new members to start the academic year: Lourdes Castro Ramirez, Andy Cohen, Brien Kelley, Travis Kiyota, Alex Rose and Wendy Wachtell. Castro Ramirez and continuing board member Jacqueline Waggoner are urban planning alumnae, and they will co-chair a newly created Equity, Diversity and Inclusion committee. The committee will focus on confronting disparities, driving equity and creating greater access in the field of public affairs. To kick off this initiative, Castro Ramirez and Waggoner created a matching gift campaign to encourage others to join them to support this cause. Funds raised during the campaign will go toward the Urban Planning Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Fund. The fund seeks to diversify the field of planning, providing two kinds of support: funded internships with nonprofit community organizations that otherwise could ill afford to provide a paid internship; and student fellowships, allowing students to devote more time to learning instead of having to hold down a job or being saddled with an unsustainable debt load. For more information, contact Nicole Payton at npayton@luskin.ucla.edu.

Research grant from W.K. Kellogg Foundation will seek to broaden the understanding of issues affecting Latinos.

KELLOGG GRANT WILL SUPPORT LATINO-FOCUSED RESEARCH DATABASES

The UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Initiative (LPPI) was awarded a $2.5 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to support a pair of new research databases that will become available to policymakers, scholars and the public as resources for broadening understanding of issues affecting the Latino community.

“As the largest nonwhite minority group in the United States,
Latinos are integral to building a prosperous future for all Americans,” said Sonja Diaz, founding director of LPPI. “Yet Latinos face significant barriers to economic opportunity, political representation and social mobility. This funding will enable us to reliably collect data that brings Latinos and the issues that impact them out of the shadows
and to create real policy solutions that build a truly inclusive economy and democracy.”

The first of two databases, the Latino Data Hub, will contain verified data on demographics, socioeconomics and civic participation that will help decision makers promote policies that benefit Latino communities. It is intended to become a go-to resource for national, state and local data, and it will also include statistics and information on climate change and the environment, economic opportunity and social mobility, education, health and housing.

The second database, the Latino Research Redistricting Hub, will help identify how the drawing of state and federal electoral maps affects Latinos. The hub will be a resource for officials engaged in redistricting decisions with a goal of ensuring fair representation in politics and government for the nation’s diverse Latino communities.

“Before we can address inequity, we must tell the truth about our conditions, and that is what data does,” said Cicely Moore, program officer at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. “We are proud to invest in creating tools that help us see our biggest challenges clearly and identify equitable solutions that enable us all to thrive.”

FIRST GROUP OF YAROSLAVSKY FELLOWSHIPS AWARDED

The inaugural group of graduate fellows to receive support from the Barbara Yaroslavsky Memorial Fund recently met virtually with their benefactor, Zev Yaroslavsky, to share experiences and talk about their futures.

The fellows include students working toward graduate or doctoral degrees in public policy, social welfare or public health at UCLA, or any combination thereof. Their areas of expertise and concentration include mental health as it relates to chronic disease, refugees in connection with forced migration and human rights, family services, and health and mental health across the lifespan.

Zev Yaroslavsky, whose long career in public service included time as both a county supervisor and city councilman in Los Angeles, is now on the faculty at UCLA Luskin. He established the fellowship with support from friends and family after the death of his wife in December 2018, honoring her legacy of advocacy and commitment to health care for all.

URBAN PLANNING FELLOWSHIP CIRCLE FINDS SUCCESS

The recently created Urban Planning Fellowship Circle has raised $53,350 to benefit urban planning students impacted by the pandemic, surpassing its goal of $50,000 with more donations on the way.

Led by co-chairs Joan Ling MA UP ’82 and Nicole Vermeer MA UP ’96,  a group of Urban Planning alumni banded together to help the next generation of urban planners weather a challenging year.

Other committee members were Toni Bates ’82, Alice Carr ’95, Robert De Forest BA ’99, MBA ’06, MA UP ’06, Nancy Lewis ’77, Reagan Maechling ’05, Katherine Perez ’97, Michele Prichard ’89, Anson Snyder ’90, James Suhr ’87, Yasmin Tong ’92 and Dwayne Wyatt ’83. Staff support was spearheaded by Robin McCallum, department manager.

The UCLA Luskin Development team is looking to replicate this model for the other departments. Anyone interested in making a similar impact to benefit students from public policy or social welfare may contact Laura Scarano, associate director of development,
at lscarano@luskin.ucla.edu.

CENTER FOR INNOVATION FUND HONORS DESHAZO

JR DeShazo

A campaign has been created to seek gifts in honor of JR DeShazo to the student fellowship fund for environmental justice.

Former UCLA Professor DeShazo, inaugural director of the Luskin Center for Innovation, became the dean of the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas in August. The student fellowship fund seeks to reflect the spirit of his enduring contribution and the Center for Innovation’s long record of support for hundreds of students during his tenure, helping to shape the next generation of policy.

The effort reflects the Luskin Center for Innovation’s commitment to supporting first-generation Bruins, students of color and other emerging environmental leaders via two types of fellowship opportunities:

  • one providing paid opportunities for students to collaborate with community-based organizations to advance environmental justice;
  • the other expanding opportunities in the center for students to conduct research that shapes environmental policy.

 

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SHAPIRO FAMILY GIFT PROMOTES SOCIAL WORK WITHIN SPECIAL PATIENT CARE SETTINGS 

A new three-year special patient care fellowship has been created thanks to a generous gift from UCLA Luskin Advisory Board member Peter Shapiro and the Shapiro family.

Field education is a critical component of the master of social welfare, and promoting collaborative engagement between UCLA Luskin Social Welfare and local social work agencies is vital to the education process. The degree program relies heavily on experiential learning through partnerships with community agencies, producing practitioners with real-world experience.

Personal experience helped motivate Peter Shapiro and the Shapiro family to build an interdisciplinary learning experience for social welfare students interested in serving the special patient care population. One of the Shapiro children has cerebral palsy, and her light has been a source of inspiration within the family — the Shapiros hope their gift will share her light and life experiences with many others.

Previously, the Shapiros have supported UCLA Dentistry’s Special Patient Care Clinic and UCLA cerebral palsy clinics, and they have built solid relationships with leading faculty members and patient providers. The new fellowship is a perfect fit for the Shapiros to establish an interdisciplinary collaboration that will provide UCLA Luskin social workers with an opportunity to serve patients within those clinical settings.

Their funding will support a part-time contract staff supervisor position and two second-year social work students each year for three years.

The contract social work supervisor position is designed to be two days per week, with one day spent assisting Dr. Eric Sung and his team in providing comprehensive care for patients and families of the UCLA Dentistry Special Patient Care Clinic. The other day would be spent assisting Dr. Rachel Mednick Thompson with her pediatric cerebral palsy patients at a clinic for the Orthopaedic Institute for Children in downtown Los Angeles.

The Luskin School connection has come full circle, with alumna Michael O’Hara MSW ’14 having recently taken on this role.

One of the two Shapiro student fellows will conduct their field placement three days per week within the dentistry clinic, with a fourth day in the cerebral palsy clinic. They will receive field education credits toward completion of their MSW degrees.

The second Shapiro fellow would conduct their field placement three days per week with Mednick Thompson at the Center for Cerebral Palsy, supporting pediatric and adult patients at her weekly clinic in Santa Monica.

The UCLA Luskin Development team views privately funded student fellowships and support as among the most effective means of attracting the world’s brightest students to fields that profoundly impact local communities and lives.

Robert Schilling

GIVING BACK THROUGH DISCOURSE: THE ROB SCHILLING SERIES ON INEQUALITY  

Professor Emeritus of Social Welfare Robert Schilling and his wife, Sheryl Miller, donated $25,000 in December to establish the Rob Schilling Series on Inequality at UCLA Luskin.

“Given the times we live in, it is not difficult to ponder themes, hardly original, that demand our attention,” Schilling said about the gift.

The gift agreement lists potential topics and themes for the lecture series to include inequality that relates to race/ethnicity, gender, class and geography; social determinants of infectious and chronic disease, from domestic and international perspectives; imagining health care in 2021 and beyond; reinventing child welfare policy; changing criminal justice in the world’s most incarcerated nation; and the disappearance of work and solutions to employment woes.

In light of the ongoing pandemic, the donors have asked that these funds be allocated to the School in an unrestricted manner until such time that in-person events resume without COVID-19 restrictions.

Personal experience motivated the gift. One of the first positions held by Schilling was as a social worker at a United Way-supported child welfare agency, and it seemed entirely reasonable to him that those whose salaries were in part paid for by community giving should also feel compelled to contribute to the United Way.

Likewise, in his roles as a clinical faculty member at the University of Washington, Columbia University and UCLA, it seemed only right to Schilling and his wife for them to participate in the annual development campaigns at those institutions.

Schilling also drew inspiration from his father, an alumnus and faculty member at the University of Wisconsin and the co-founder of the Wisconsin Medical Alumni Foundation, who gave generously to an institution that had provided so much to him.

Schilling and Miller chose to create a lecture series after reflecting on the stimulating guest lectures they attended at the Luskin School and other parts of UCLA. Although the needs of the School are many, they felt the time was right to focus on the intellectual conversation within UCLA Luskin.

The donors said they hope their gift will enable UCLA Luskin Social Welfare to actively pursue lectures of significance to the educational experience of all units at the Luskin School.

 

GAY SEXUALITY AND SOCIAL POLICY INITIATIVE LAUNCHES 

As COVID-19 continued to disproportionately impact communities at the intersection of multiple vulnerabilities across the world, the UCLA Hub for Health Intervention, Policy and Practice (HHIPP) continued to produce knowledge to improve health outcomes among these groups and bring about positive social change.

This year, UCLA HHIPP also committed to a new undertaking: the Gay Sexuality and Social Policy Initiative @ UCLA Luskin, or GSSPI.

Seventy countries across the world still criminalize homosexuality, enforcing laws and policies that overwhelmingly target same-sex sexual behavior among men. In collaboration with global gay communities, GSSPI was launched to conduct cutting-edge research relating to gay male sexuality and the unique experiences of gay men related to sex.

The new initiative seeks to prioritize research about gay male sex today, 40 years after researchers and policymakers largely failed to take up the mantle at the beginning of the HIV epidemic. Instead, GSSPI founders say that gay sex was de-prioritized in sexual health research and left out of interventions to improve sexual health among gay men, which only increased health risks and further fostered shame and stigma.

As noted on the GSSPI website, specific U.S. policies such as the Helms Amendment from 1987 exclude gay sex from public health initiatives and withhold funding for activities that explicitly address gay sex.

UCLA Luskin Development officials are seeking philanthropic support for GSSPI as an investment that will help increase the effectiveness of ongoing efforts to improve the quality of life for gay men around the world. Potential donors to GSSPI may contact Ricardo Quintero at rquintero@luskin.ucla.edu for
more information.

ITS LAUNCHES STUDENT AWARD FOR TRANSPORTATION EQUITY AND JUSTICE

The UCLA Luskin Development team recently assisted the UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies in launching a crowdfunding campaign for a new Excellence in Transportation Equity and Justice Capstone Prize in support of students conducting impactful research to advance transportation equity and justice.

“Understanding systems of injustice is critical because of the long-lived nature of our work,” said Isabel Cardenas, who was involved in the effort as a second-year MURP student and also served as co-chair of the Women’s Transportation Seminar and co-founder and facilitator of the Disability Club. “Without centering racism, sexism and ableism, we will continue to produce systemic injustice and harm vulnerable communities for decades. There is urgent need to prioritize equity and justice in transportation planning, research and education, and this capstone prize will move us forward in all three areas.”

Almost $15,000 was raised through a matching gift from Tim Papandreou MA UP ’04. He is a member of the ITS Board of Advisors and founder of Emerging Transport Advisors, where he prepares clients for changes impacting the transportation industry through shared, electric and automated mobility options.

Each year, ITS will award the new prize to a student whose work best advances transportation equity and justice through a combination of intellectual merit and the potential for broader impacts.

“Representation matters in transportation equity and justice,” said Professor Brian D. Taylor, director of ITS. “These structural injustices result from a lack of representation of those who have been marginalized in transportation decision-making.”

Interested in learning more? Contact Laura Scarano, associate director of development, at lscarano@luskin.ucla.edu.

DEVELOPMENT TEAM WORKS DIRECTLY WITH FACULTY SEEKING FUNDING  

Nicole Payton and Ricardo Quintero of the Development Office held office hours virtually this academic year for faculty interested in pursuing funding for their various projects and research as part of a philanthropic effort in cooperation with colleagues from the UCLA Office of Corporate, Foundation and Research Relations.

The team helps connect UCLA Luskin faculty with local, regional and national foundations, or with individual donors who may want to invest in their work.

Grants that are awarded to faculty often depend on understanding a nuanced process that varies from foundation to foundation. The Development officials coach faculty members on strategy and how to think from a foundation perspective when seeking funding or answering requests for proposals, or RFPs.

Faculty save time and effort through UCLA Luskin’s guidance on best approaches and knowledge of a foundation’s grant management process.

The team plans to continue working with faculty and the Luskin School’s research centers and institutes to build ongoing relationships and expertise when operations normalize after the pandemic.

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SUPPORT FOR UCLA LUSKIN’S UNDOCUMENTED GRADUATE STUDENTS

UCLA Luskin’s student body includes a sizable number of undocumented individuals, some of whom are first-generation or come from low-income families. Over the summer, alumni, faculty and staff contributed to a fund launched to support undocumented master’s and Ph.D. students at the School.

These students already faced adversity, and the pandemic has hit them harder than ever. Many have lost jobs yet do not benefit from government stimulus programs. Undocumented students are not eligible to receive federal financial aid. And in addition to supporting themselves, some also contribute financially to their households.

The UCLA Luskin community has come together to provide funds for those with the most need, but more help is needed. Your support can help these talented master’s and doctoral students bridge the gap during this particularly challenging time, allowing them to purchase books, pay for tuition and fees, and manage the high cost of living in Los Angeles.

If you would like to help make an impact, please contact Associate Director of Development Laura Scarano at lscarano@luskin.ucla.edu.

Scholarship recipients Devina Ortega, left, and Sylvia Hopkins chat remotely with benefactor Laura Shell.

2 UNDERGRADS RECEIVE 2020 SHELL FAMILY CENTENNIAL SCHOLARSHIP

Third-year public affairs majors Devina Ortega and Sylvia Hopkins are the inaugural recipients of the Shell Family Centennial Scholarship, which was launched to benefit the Luskin School’s undergraduate program.

Laura Shell, a member of the UCLA Luskin Board of Advisors, and her husband, Jeff, established the endowed scholarship in 2019 to support students who have declared the public affairs major and have demonstrated financial need.

It was among the first awards established to support UCLA Luskin’s undergraduate students and was matched by the UCLA Chancellor’s Centennial Scholars Match Initiative. The initiative matches gifts for such scholarships at 50%.

The Shells met Hopkins and Ortega over Zoom this fall to engage in a conversation about their futures in policy work. The students also had an opportunity to talk about their experiences as UCLA students who are civically engaged even during a pandemic.

WHY DO ALUMNI GIVE BACK?

UCLA Luskin is grateful to all of its donors, but we are especially proud of the alumni who have been donating for 10 years or more. So, we spoke with them about why philanthropy is important. Here are their stories.

Astrid Beigel MA ’67, Ph.D. ’69 is one of the Luskin School’s most loyal donors, with 23 consecutive years of giving. In 1996, Beigel helped establish an award in memory of her friend and former professor of urban planning, Julie Roque. She hopes that, with her award, students are able to treat themselves to something fun that they normally wouldn’t consider doing. That is what her friend Julie would have wanted. Beigel believes it is not important how much you give, but that you simply do it, and carry on the memory of others.

Elaine Leader BA ’68, MSW ’70 says giving back has always been part of her culture, instilled by her parents from an early age. Inspired by their commitment to helping others in need, Leader founded a nonprofit called Teen Line to assist distressed youths dealing with troubled relationships; verbal, emotional or physical abuse; substance abuse; peer pressure; and other challenges. Leader continues helping others as one of the Luskin School’s most loyal donors, with 26 years of giving combined. She encourages others to give back because it not only helps the giver feel good but is even more meaningful to the receiver.

Celia Yniguez BA ’88, MA UP ’90 lives in Sacramento and has given to the Luskin School for nearly 20 years. As an alumni volunteer, she was involved with reviewing UCLA scholarship applications and saw firsthand the great need for student support. Yniguez received a
full scholarship to what is now UCLA Luskin and believes it is her duty to give back. In Sacramento, she often encounters others from the Graduate School of Architecture and from the Luskin School of Public Affairs, and she is impressed by their passion and desire to implement change. The students she encounters always energize her, and she feels that alumni need to do whatever they can to support them.

Kara Heffernan MA UP ’00, now based in New York City, loved studying planning at UCLA and engaging with complex issues in various neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles. Heffernan works for the City University of New York (CUNY). As an insider of higher education, she knows firsthand the constraints public universities face, as well as the importance of giving back. When Heffernan was in school, she knew that many students did not have the resources or access to achieve their greatest potential. That is why she is compelled each year to help current students with financial need succeed.

Scott Kutner BA ’81, MA UP ’85 and Linda Kutner BA ’84, MSW ’88 received their professional degrees before their schools merged to become part of the School of Public Affairs. Both received fellowships as students and now pay it forward by supporting UCLA Luskin. Scott Kutner believes that people do what they can based on their own circumstances but, for them, feeling like they are part of something larger than themselves is important and meaningful. Although the Kutners have increased their giving over the years, the gratification they feel from being a donor was just as strong in the beginning as now.

John Petrilla MPP ’09 and his wife, Bree, donate annually. John Petrilla quips that he has a personal debt to UCLA Luskin because he landed his first job out of school through the connections he made on campus. He says even if a person doesn’t feel personally indebted, it still benefits them to give back because more funding helps attract the best students through scholarships. Then, the reputation of one’s alma mater increases and that can benefit alumni too. By donating each year, he wants to ensure that others will have an experience that is just as good or even better than he had.

Ricardo Quintero

RICARDO QUINTERO: WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES TO KEEP THE LUSKIN SCHOOL STRONG

Few students would recognize him, but Ricardo Quintero is among the most crucial people supporting students at UCLA Luskin.

As director of development, Quintero is responsible for raising funds for the School and its many programs, faculty, research initiatives and scholarships. His role is critical to UCLA Luskin’s mission to train change agents at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.

So who is Quintero and what drives him to work to improve the UCLA Luskin student experience? We let him tell his story.

Where are you from?

I was born in Queens, New York, and I grew up in Statesville, N.C., a small town just north of Charlotte. My family relocated there when I was 5 years old and I’ve lived in Los Angeles since 2007.

How long have you been at UCLA Luskin?

I’ve been at Luskin for four years, and I have 13 years of fundraising experience at UCLA overall.

Tell us a little bit about your personal history. Why does higher education mean so much to you?

I was a first-generation college student so higher education has always been important to me. It was my pathway to success, and the experience was deeply and personally rewarding. However, I wasn’t ready to attend a four-year university straight out of high school due to financial and other personal reasons. But I knew a college education was essential for my future. So to get there, I enlisted in the Marine Corps and utilized my GI Bill and a scholarship to pay for school after leaving the service.

What motivates you most to do what you do for Luskin?

I believe in our mission and supporting our amazing students. I’m always impressed by the caliber of their work and the impact our graduates are having in their communities and beyond. People establish scholarships and fellowships for many reasons, and each one is heartfelt, for the donor as well as for us at UCLA Luskin. These gifts help us compete for top students, provide unique opportunities and better prepare our graduates for career success.

Is there a particular student or a donor who has inspired you in your time at Luskin?

I have so many, but they all share a through-line: connecting donors with the students who benefit from their support. It is one of the most rewarding aspects of my job. Donors get to see the direct impact of their investment, and our students learn, as recipients of someone else’s philanthropy, the importance of paying it forward.

 

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PRITZKER FAMILY FOUNDATION SUPPORTS FELLOWSHIP IN OFFICE OF CHILD PROTECTION

For the past four years, UCLA Luskin has awarded a full-year fellowship to a hardworking student seeking to measurably improve child safety in Los Angeles County. Thanks to the generous support of the Anthony & Jeanne Pritzker Family Foundation, the Luskin School will offer this prestigious award again for the upcoming 2020-21 academic year.

“I leveraged the knowledge and skills gained at [the Office of Child Protection] to apply for doctoral programs in social welfare and have received three offers of admission — from UCLA, UC Berkeley and the University of Washington — to continue my studies and conduct research in child welfare,” said Anthony Gomez MSW ’20, who received the fellowship in the most recent year. “I would like to thank the Pritzker Foster Care Initiative for providing a fellowship that has served as the launching pad for the next chapter of my career.”Each year’s fellowship recipient is chosen through a competitive process. A staff and faculty committee evaluates applicants and coordinates interviews with staff from the Office of Child Protection to select the student who is best-qualified for the needs of the position.

BANK OF AMERICA SUPPORTS LATINO ECONOMIC MOBILITY

The Luskin School has received a $125,000 gift from Bank of America to support a social mobility and economic opportunity agenda for Latinos in California.

At nearly 18.5% of the national population, Latinos are a central engine in the growth of the American economy. Despite high rates of employment and entrepreneurial activity, Latinos own fewer homes and have smaller savings and significantly fewer investments than other ethnic groups in the United States.

The gift will be used by the Latino Policy & Politics Initiative (LPPI) to evaluate and identify scalable interventions and best practices across California. It will help expand mobility and opportunity through applied research under the direction of
LPPI faculty experts.

Award recipient Amy Zhou, left, with Astrid Beigel.

SUSTAINING DONOR HONORS FRIEND’S MEMORY

Astrid Beigel MA ’67, Ph.D. ’69 is a sustaining donor of the Julie Roque Award for Environmental Justice, a memorial fund that honors her longtime friend and former professor of urban planning, Julie Roque.

For over two decades, Beigel, who is an established leader in mental health services in Los Angeles, has been supporting the fund annually to keep Roque’s memory alive. The award provides funds to students whose research and community activities demonstrate an awareness of and commitment to environmental justice and pollution prevention, with an emphasis on social issues pertaining to communities of color, particularly Filipinos and Asian Americans.

This year’s recipient, urban planning student Amy Zhou, met with Beigel over lunch on campus prior to the “Safer at Home” order in Los Angeles and personally thanked her for giving back.

Jim and Judy Bergman are UCLA alumni who fund a mental health fellowship at UCLA Luskin.

GIFT FROM BERGMAN FAMILY CLOSES OUT CENTENNIAL CAMPAIGN

Jim and Judy Bergman, UCLA alumni and longtime supporters of the Luskin School, have made a generous gift to augment their existing Bergman Family Mental Health Fellowship in Social Welfare by utilizing the UCLA Chancellor’s Centennial Scholars Match Initiative.

Their endowed gift, which was matched at 50%, supports graduate students whose field of study is directed toward the improvement and advancement of programs and services for the mentally ill.

Approximately one in five adults in the United States suffers with mental health issues in any given year, with some of the Bergmans’ loved ones among them. In Los Angeles, concerns are growing around issues of homelessness, incarceration and use of emergency services among people with severe mental illnesses.

The Bergmans’ meaningful gift to UCLA Luskin closed out the Centennial Campaign for UCLA, one of the most ambitious fundraising campaigns ever by a public university. When it ended on Dec. 31, the university had raised a total of $5.49 billion and the Luskin School had exceeded its goal, raising over $74 million in gifts during the course of the campaign.

Barbara Yaroslavsky

BARBARA YAROSLAVSKY MEMORIAL FUND: AN UPDATE

When the Barbara Yaroslavsky Memorial Fund was established by Zev Yaroslavsky, it was an unprecedented campaign for the Luskin School. It has also turned out to be one of the most successful.

The campaign included additional support from friends and family to honor the legacy of advocacy and commitment to health care for all by Yaroslavsky’s late wife. The fund will support fellowships and internships for graduate students focusing on health and public health policy at UCLA Luskin.

“Barbara dedicated her life to the core belief that health care should be a right, not a privilege. She served on multiple state,
city and nonprofit boards in that quest,” Yaroslavsky said. “We believe that the most appropriate way to honor her memory is to support a new generation of students who will tirelessly pursue the goals and policies to which Barbara committed herself until
the very end of her life.”

So far, the Barbara Yaroslavsky campaign has raised more than $811,000 from individual donors and received an additional match of more than $400,000 from the university through the UCLA Chancellor’s Centennial Scholars Match Initiative.

New Scholarship Offers Support to Emerging Latino Leaders Partnership with Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute aims to bolster student diversity

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By Mary Braswell

UCLA Luskin and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute have entered a partnership to support underrepresented students in the School’s graduate programs.

Beginning this fall, alumni of the institute’s programs — aimed at developing the next generation of Latino leaders — will receive a $7,500 scholarship if they go on to pursue a master’s degree at UCLA Luskin. The scholarship is renewable in the second year of study.

“We are thrilled to start building our partnership with CHCI” to further the School’s goal of diversifying its student body, said Kevin Franco, recruitment and advising officer for UCLA Luskin Public Policy.

Franco credited MPP student Michael Rios with bringing the alliance from idea to reality.

“I kept hearing about some of the initiatives we were discussing for recruiting students of color, but I felt that there was a huge missing link, that there was a solution that we weren’t really pursuing,” Rios said. That solution, he concluded, was funding.

MPP student Michael Rios initiated the partnership between the Luskin School and CHCI.

“The pool of students of color who go into a graduate program is small, and the pool who go into a policy program is even smaller,” he said. Top candidates may be weighing handsome offers of financial assistance from private universities. Students considering UCLA must also consider the cost of living on L.A.’s Westside.

“As a student of color, you often have financial hardships, so you’re going to do what makes the most sense financially,” Rios said.

To tip the balance in UCLA’s favor, Rios researched potential partners who might work with the Luskin School to attract and support a diverse student body. Late one night in the spring of 2019, he decided to act.

Impressed by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, which creates opportunities for leadership and civic engagement for young Latinos, Rios sent an inquiry via the Contact Us tab on the group’s website. It was the first modest step of a yearlong rollercoaster ride.

Along the way, Rios worked to keep both sides engaged in what often seemed like a long shot. But his patience paid off in February when CHCI and the Luskin School finalized the agreement.

In the end, Rios said, “it was a match made in heaven,” one that would benefit students of color, advance the Luskin School’s recruitment goals and support the institute’s efforts to expand its reach.

The scholarships, awarded by UCLA Luskin to students who complete CHCI’s leadership program, are renewable for a second year for those with top grades, making them worth a total of $15,000. Rios’ efforts will benefit students entering all of the School’s master’s programs: public policy, social welfare, and urban and regional planning.

With the CHCI scholarship as a model, Franco said he is interested in pursuing similar partnerships with student leadership institutes representing the black and Asian communities.

Rios anticipated that future agreements would be easier to complete.

“We have the foundation, we’ve gone through the formalities, we know what the agreements look like, and we now know that we have the backing of the faculty and staff,” he said.

Rios hopes his efforts, spurred by his own sense of isolation when he first arrived at UCLA, will resonate with ethnically diverse students considering a graduate education at the Luskin School.

“For prospective students, I think it would be cool to see that there are students in the program who are doing things to benefit other students of color,” he said.