Author Archives: Jonathan Van Dyke

Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia speaks with UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs Dean Gary Segura during a spring meeting at the Long Beach Civic Center.

During the spring, UCLA officials and Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia made a promise to open a dialogue and seek out new ways for the two entities to partner now and into the future.

Luskin School of Public Affairs Dean Gary Segura made the trip, and officials discussed subjects including housing, homelessness, tenants’ rights, multi-modality, the U.S. Census, and even how public policy and social welfare graduate students might be able to intern and work with the City of Long Beach.

As a way to keep the conversation going, Garcia agreed to a short correspondence regarding this new burgeoning partnership, issues affecting his city, and how to get others civically engaged.

The following is the transcript from the email interview.

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Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announces the partnership moving the Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute to WeWork spaces. (photos courtesy Mayor’s Office)

Founded two years ago, the Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CESMII) was a culmination of political willpower from local, state and federal governments, universities and the private sector — with over $140 million in investments from the partnership.

“Smart Manufacturing is an unprecedented exploitation of data into real-time actions that changes the manufacturing industry with ever advancing data and information technologies not unlike what has happened in other industries like Amazon, TrueCar, etc. and how we buy products; ATM and mobile banking; Uber and Lyft ride share services, Airbnb for room sharing,” said Jim Davis, UCLA Vice Provost of Information Technology and co-founder of the Smart Manufacturing Leadership Coalition that was awarded CESMII. “What does next generation digitalized manufacturing look like?”

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Professor Veronica Santos, who works with robotic hands, took her work to Washington, D.C. (photos by Veronica Santos)

UCLA Professor Veronica Santos’ research can be explained in any number of ways. She can even reference Homer Simpson, if the occasion calls for it.

During her trip to Washington, D.C. for the Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF) Day, Santos found her voice talking with staff and members of Congress — taking the theory of her Biomechatronics Lab, and making a pitch for life-saving benefits in the real world. The emphasis of the trip was to advocate for vital National Science Foundation (NSF) funding.

“It’s a good exercise to make you get out of your tunnel vision of what you’re doing in the lab and think at a high level as to what your research is contributing to society,” she said. “You’re trying to sell those advantages to people you hope will champion this for the betterment of society.”

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Young Research Library has been identified as a top priority of deferred maintenance work for this year, along with numerous other projects. (photo by Jonathan Van Dyke)

During the Los Angeles winter, it’s not uncommon for UCLA students looking to study at Young Research Library to be left in the wet and cold.

The issue is one of many facing the university, as administrative officials hope that state legislators approve more money for deferred maintenance — i.e. repair, replacement or renovation projects required to keep campus facilities operationally efficient and modernized.

As for Young Research Library, Kelly Schmader, assistant vice chancellor for Facilities Management, said he and his team identified it as one of the most pressing repair projects on campus.

“During rainy weather, the students can’t sit on the west or south side of the stacks because the windows leak like sieves,” he said, noting it’s been that way during the six years he’s held his position at UCLA. “With growing enrollment, our students need adequate places to study.”

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Assemblymember Sydney Kamlager-Dove hosts the UCLA champions on the floor, with Assemblymember Jose Medina helping hold the hardware. (photo courtesy UCLA Athletics)

2017-18 NCAA Championship teams were recognized by members of the California State Assembly and Senate

Article by Liza David of UCLA Athletics.

Senior Alex Roelse and associate head coach Jason Falitz represented the men’s water polo team, which won its 11th and UCLA’s 114th NCAA title in December. Seniors Christine Peng-Peng Lee and Rechelle Dennis and associate head coach Chris Waller represented the gymnastics team, which won its seventh and the Bruins’ 115th NCAA title in April. First-time champions and UCLA’s 116th champions, the beach volleyball team, was represented by juniors Megan McNamara and Nicole McNamara and assistant coach Jenny Johnson Jordan.

The champions were treated to a VIP tour of the Capitol building, which included a visit to the governor’s office and a climb to the top of the Rotunda for a view of the city, led by UCLA alumnus and Assembly Member Vince Fong.

To view the video, click through.

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The advocacy team enjoyed meetings with a number of legislators including Sen. Holly Mitchell. (photos by Ramona Cortes Garza and Nicole Madani)

Chancellor Gene Block and a group of students took an urgent message to Sacramento in April.

UCLA educates more undergraduates now than it did in 2010, yet total state funding has decreased significantly. To maintain the quality of a UC education, more funding is critical.

“My biggest concern was, where do students come into this conversation, who is voicing our concerns?” USAC president Arielle Yael Mokhatarzadeh said. “When it became clear that there was an opportunity for students and administrators to come together, I felt like it was important to try to forge that relationship and network as early as possible.”

Mokhatarzadeh, transfer student Dayshawn Louden, and Community Programs Office Student Association Chairperson Elizabeth Lizardo ended up forming the student coalition that brought this message to state legislators with Block.

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