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Photo of students on a study abroad program in Scotland.

Early graduation within reach for most bruins

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Photo of students on a study abroad program in Scotland.

Students on a study abroad program in Scotland. Photo Credit: Michael Le

To her surprise, Qiyuan (Grace) Miao realized during her sophomore year that she could graduate a year early, allowing her to begin graduate school ahead of schedule.

Miao is one of many Bruins who choose to complete their undergraduate degrees in less than the traditional four years. Although on different academic paths, these students all share a common message: With good planning and by taking advantage of UCLA programs designed to reduce time to degree, almost anyone can graduate early.

Miao, who graduated in June, pointed to several opportunities at UCLA that enabled her to get ahead on her coursework and finish her communication degree in three years while still enjoying a full undergraduate experience.

Opportunities start freshman year

UCLA offers two intensive programs to introduce incoming students to campus and academic life: the Freshman Transfer Summer Program in the Academic Advancement Program, for students from underrepresented populations, and the College Summer Institute (CSI). Students in both programs take courses that fulfill graduation requirements, giving them a head start before their first fall quarter even begins.

CSI is where Miao first met with Brian Henry, an academic adviser who helped her map out her academic path — something all undergraduates are encouraged to do at least once a year. In advising sessions, students discuss their academic, personal and career goals and learn about opportunities to enrich their university experience. Academic counselors can also advise students on effective ways to maximize their time to degree if their goal is to graduate early.

Another way Miao optimized her time at UCLA was by taking a Freshman Cluster course, “Frontiers of Aging.” These are year-long general education courses offered on topics such as “Evolution of the Cosmos and Life” and “History of Modern Thought.” Each cluster, over the course of a year, satisfies four general education requirements and the Writing II requirement.

“Clusters are a great way to fulfill a lot of requirements very quickly,” Miao said.

UC’s study-abroad intensives

Graduating early doesn’t require students to sacrifice meaningful experiences outside of the classroom.  Michael Le, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience in winter 2019, one quarter early, was still able to study abroad one summer at the University of Glasgow, where UC offers an intensive three-course physics program over two months.

“I completed all three courses in a mere eight weeks, something that would [normally] take 30 weeks,” Le said. “This is an excellent way to get your study abroad ‘fix’ in and be efficient with course planning.”

Shrey Kakkar, a junior majoring in computer science, is on track to graduate one or two quarters early and said many of his peers could do the same, even in a demanding major like computer science. He credits his fast track to his commitment to enroll in four classes every quarter, plus one summer class.  And he still has had time for other activities such as doing research and working for a startup.

Fitting more into four years

Graduating early isn’t every student’s goal. For some, like Mac Casey, maximizing time to degree meant packing a lot into the traditional four years: He was in the rigorous College Honors program, studied abroad for a year, and graduated in 2016 with degrees in both political science and business economics.

“The faculty at UCLA are excellent, and I loved taking courses – the more courses the better,” Casey said. “I really wanted to learn as much as I could and interact with great faculty and researchers.”

Casey said that accomplishing so much in four years is not out of reach for most students. By choosing courses strategically and enlisting the expertise of his honors academic counselor, he was able to complete all his major requirements and stay on track.

Dean and Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education Patricia Turner said that although UCLA already does an excellent job of graduating students in a timely manner, she will continue to work with her faculty colleagues to develop new opportunities to allow students to graduate on time or early while still having a personalized, fully engaged undergraduate experience.

“A student’s undergraduate years are the perfect time to discover what they’re most passionate about,” Turner said. “Students who take advantage of credit-earning opportunities such as service learning, civic engagement and entrepreneurship often find themselves on career paths they otherwise might not have discovered. And because of the way these programs are designed, students can still graduate in four years or less.”

Student researchers on the beach hold up water samples for the camera

Chancellor’s Award for Community-Engaged Research to develop courses that bring research to L.A. community organizations

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Student researchers on the beach hold up water samples for the camera

Chancellor’s Award for Community-Engaged Research to develop courses that bring research to L.A. community organizations

With the launch of the inaugural Chancellor’s Award for Community-Engaged Research, both undergraduate students and faculty have new opportunities to pursue research that impacts not just academia, but also local communities of Los Angeles.

The Chancellor’s Award for Community-Engaged Research comes from the UCLA Center for Community Learning and the Chancellor’s Office and has awarded six faculty members each a $10,000 research grant to develop a new undergraduate research course. In each course, students will carry out research activities in partnership with local community organizations. The course will advance their professor’s research goals and also benefit the communities served by each organization.

Over the next academic year, the six faculty will participate in a workshop on best practices for teaching undergraduate community-engaged research and attend quarterly meetings to advance their course design. By the end of spring 2020, each faculty will have a new course syllabus, ready to be offered to undergraduates in 2020-21 or 2021-22.

Shalom Staub, director of the Center for Community Learning, said the research reflects some of the most critical issues affecting people in and around UCLA.

“The range of issues includes representation of minority communities, health disparities, education disparities, environmental justice – that’s a catalogue of the big issues facing Los Angeles and southern California communities,” he said.

Maylei Blackwell, associate professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies, will develop a course called “The Latin American Indigenous Diaspora in Los Angeles: Mapping Place through Community Archives and Oral Histories.” Students will work with Zapotec and Mayan community organizations in Los Angeles to conduct interviews with community leaders and archive historical records such as community newspapers and home videos.

“I thought this course would be a perfect opportunity for community engagement: how do we produce those histories, how do we support those communities in documenting their own history, and [how do we] let the communities control how the process happens?” Blackwell said.

Chancellor Gene Block said the benefits of the Chancellor’s Award for Community-Engaged Research are threefold.

“Community-engaged research creates outstanding learning opportunities for undergraduate students, advances the research of our faculty, and benefits our community,” Block said. “The Community-Engaged Research Scholars will deepen UCLA’s commitment to public service by creating more opportunities for students and faculty to pursue research that has a positive impact on our world.”

Meredith Phillips, associate professor of public policy and sociology, is developing a course titled “Making Data Useful for Educational Improvement.” Students will analyze student and staff survey data from elementary, middle, and high schools, and present those data to school and district staff to help inform school improvement efforts.

The idea for the Chancellor’s Award for Community-Engaged Research is “brilliant,” Phillips said.

“This award recognizes faculty for their community-engaged research efforts and at the same time creates a new set of community-engaged course offerings for undergraduates,” she said. “This first set of courses is just the beginning of what I expect will eventually be an extensive suite of courses, across a wide range of disciplines, that will connect UCLA students’ research training with the needs of our local community.”

Read more about the inaugural 2019-2020 cohort in the UCLA Newsroom.

U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu says government can help make society more just for all

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U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu came from Taiwan to the United States with his family when he was 3 years old. And since then, he has tried to champion the ideals that propelled him and his family to success.

All-star panel examines race, politics and activism in sports

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The one-hour discussion about athletes and activism was part of a series of events recognizing the 100th birthday of Jackie Robinson, the UCLA alumnus who broke the Major League Baseball color barrier in 1947.

Students and Faculty at Amgen Scholars UCLA Poster Session

UCLA receives grant from the Amgen Foundation to continue hosting Amgen Scholars Program

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Through a $74M, 16-year investment, Amgen Scholars Program will partner with 24 top educational and research institutions worldwide.

Students and Faculty at Amgen Scholars UCLA Poster Session

Amgen Scholars Poster Session | Photo credit: Reed Hutchinson

 

UCLA has been awarded a four-year grant from the Amgen Foundation to continue providing hands-on laboratory experience to undergraduate students across Southern California through the Amgen Scholars Program. The Amgen Foundation is expanding the Amgen Scholars Program, bringing the program to a total of 24 premier institutions across the U.S., Europe, Asia and, for the first time, Australia and Canada, to provide undergraduates with financial support and hands-on summer research opportunities in biomedical and biotechnology fields.

The UCLA Amgen Scholars Program, which has hosted 276 Amgen Scholars since 2009, offers an intensive research experience for students to work in the labs of distinguished UCLA faculty members. Students are matched with faculty mentors of their choice and work full time within their mentor’s laboratory for 10 weeks during the summer. In addition to laboratory research, students attend weekly seminars where they learn about the research of invited faculty speakers as well as discuss graduate school applications and interviews, how to prepare research presentations, and discuss the different career opportunities in the basic sciences.

“The Amgen Scholars Program has long been an integral part of Undergraduate Education – offering students both from UCLA and other institutions the unique opportunity for intensive lab work and mentorship opportunities during the summer,” said Dean and Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education Patricia Turner. “We’ve seen that graduates of this program are better prepared and motivated to attend graduate school and pursue research careers.”

This signature initiative builds upon the Amgen Foundation’s mission to advance excellence in science education and empower tomorrow’s innovators, a goal to which the Foundation has contributed nearly $150 million globally to date. Eight new partners — Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, National University of Singapore, Tsinghua University, University of Melbourne, University of Toronto, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Yale University — will join the already distinguished group of host institutions including UCLA.

“As the pace of innovation increases, so too does the need to educate the scientists of tomorrow,” said Robert A. Bradway, chairman and chief executive officer at Amgen. “We look forward to further expanding the reach of the Amgen Scholars Program, which has already provided research opportunities to thousands of talented undergraduates at premier institutions around the globe, and now has the potential do much more.”

Since its inception in 2006, the Amgen Scholars Program has made research opportunities at premier institutions possible for more than 3,900 undergraduate students representing 700 colleges and universities. Of those alumni who have completed their undergraduate studies, nearly 900 are currently pursuing an advanced graduate degree in a scientific field, and another 280 have earned their Ph.D. or M.D.-Ph.D. More than 500 are employed in scientific fields across 33 countries, with 99 percent of surveyed alumni saying the program impacted their academic or professional direction. Alumni of the program are beginning to make a growing impact across academia, industry and government, garnering numerous awards and recognitions such as the Rhodes Scholarship, NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, and selection to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in Healthcare.

Amgen Scholars provides a unique opportunity for students to engage in the process of discovery and build intellectual connections with some of the most accomplished scientists around the world. Undergraduate participants benefit from undertaking a research project with the mentorship of top faculty, being part of a cohort-based experience, participating in seminars and networking events and taking part in a symposium in their respective region where they meet their peers, learn about biotechnology and hear from leading scientists in both industry and academia.

The program aims to break down barriers for many students who otherwise would not have the opportunity to engage in science at the world’s top educational and research institutions. Financial support for students is a critical component of the program, which seeks to ensure that eligible students, regardless of their financial status, can participate.

UCLA will soon be accepting applications for the 2019 Amgen Scholars Program through February 1, 2019.

 

Amgen Scholars Program Host Institutions:

*Indicates New Host Institution for 2019

  • United States:  California Institute of Technology, Columbia University, Duke University,* Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University,* National Institutes of Health, Stanford University, UC Berkeley,  UC Los Angeles, UC San Francisco, UT Southwestern Medical Center,* Washington University St. Louis, Yale University*
  • Europe:  ETH Zurich, Institut Pasteur, Karolinska Institute, LMU Munich, University of Cambridge
  • Asia:  Kyoto University, National University of Singapore,* Tsinghua University,* The University of Tokyo
  • Australia:  University of Melbourne*
  • Canada:  University of Toronto*

 

About the Amgen Foundation:

The Amgen Foundation seeks to advance excellence in science education to inspire the next generation of innovators and to invest in strengthening communities where Amgen staff members live and work. To date, the Foundation has donated over $300 million to local, regional and international nonprofit organizations that impact society in inspiring and innovative ways. For more information, visit www.AmgenInspires.com and follow us on Twitter at @AmgenFoundation.

 

Photo of Royce Hall and Powell Library

UCLA seeks community feedback during accreditation process

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Photo of Royce Hall and Powell Library

Royce Hall and Powell Library

 

UCLA has begun the three-year accreditation process administered by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).

The regional accrediting agency serves higher education institutions in California, Hawaii, and the Pacific Region. The agency has accredited UCLA since 1949, and the most recent accreditation was reaffirmed in June 2010.

“UCLA aims to use the reaffirmation process to highlight and enhance ongoing efforts to improve our educational effectiveness,” said Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education Patricia Turner, who is co-chair of the campus’ accreditation steering committee. “Together, as a campus, we engage in reflection and self-study, and then apply the insights gained to refining our goals and strengthening our programs.”  

The first step in the accreditation process will be the submission of UCLA’s institutional report in December 2018.

Turner noted that the institutional report will drafted in close collaboration with faculty, administration, students and staff. To make the review process as transparent as possible, the steering committee has published all documents for review online. The campus community is encouraged to provide feedback on the Reaffirmation of Accreditation by WSCUC website no later than Friday, November 16.

“This process is meant to assure the educational community, the general public, and other organizations that an accredited institution has met high standards of quality and effectiveness,” Turner said.

Following the submission of the institutional report, there will be an offsite review in Spring 2019. The final phase of the accreditation process will include a three‐day campus visit in Fall 2019, culminating in WSCUC’s commendations and recommendations.

Photo: Hoover Photographic Collection, UCLA Library

UCLA Honors Legacy of Arthur Ashe on 50th Anniversary of His Historic US Open Win

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Photo: Hoover Photographic Collection, UCLA Library

Photo: Hoover Photographic Collection, UCLA Library

The 2018 US Open Tennis Championships kicks off today, marking 50 years since UCLA alumnus Arthur Ashe ’66 won the tournament’s first men’s singles title. In honor of this milestone, UCLA will pay tribute to his legacy as a tennis champion and humanitarian.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of Ashe’s win, the UCLA College has launched a special Arthur Ashe Legacy social media campaign. Tweet about how Ashe and his legacy inspires you using the hashtag #ArthurAsheLegacy to join in the conversation.

A new UCLA Spark campaign will support the Arthur Ashe Legacy Fund. If the campaign’s goal of 50 individual donations of any size is met, $25,000 will be donated to the Arthur Ashe Legacy Fund. The Arthur Ashe Legacy Fund will be used to create physical and digital exhibitions of Ashe’s humanitarian and athletic accomplishments, or to host public events in Los Angeles and around the country. Donor support will help UCLA faculty and historians to develop academic events which will explore Ashe’s life and connect his legacy to the realities faced by current students and community members.

As in previous years, UCLA staff and volunteers are operating the Arthur Ashe Legacy booth on the grounds of the US Open for the duration of the tournament. The booth sells merchandise, offers free educational materials and informs visitors about Ashe’s life and accomplishments.

Ashe was the first African American male to win the US Open men’s singles title, and the first winner of the tournament in the Open Era. In addition to his 51 titles and over 800 wins throughout his career, Ashe was known for his published writing and his activism around issues including apartheid in South Africa and AIDS awareness.

The US Open is one of the Grand Slam tennis tournaments along with the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon, and is one of the oldest tennis tournaments in the world. It is held annually at the end of August at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York.

Startup UCLA Accelerator teams meet Chancellor Block

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Chancellor Gene Block offered encouragement to UCLA’s newest entrepreneurs during his visit to Startup UCLA’s Summer Accelerator in early August. Startup UCLA’s annual Summer Accelerator provides a workspace, guidance, legal services and mentors to early-stage companies. The 10-week program connects teams of UCLA students or recent graduates with top entrepreneurs, investors and tech experts. At the end of the summer, teams pitch their companies to Startup UCLA’s network of local entrepreneurs and investors.

Chancellor Block pictured with students of the Startup UCLA Summer Accelerator

During his visit to the Startup UCLA co-working space in Covel Commons, Block met briefly with Executive Director of Entrepreneurial Programs Deanna Evans and Director of Startup UCLA’s Summer Accelerator Robert Jadon before visiting with each team at their work stations, hearing about their projects and asking questions.

Several participants showed Chancellor Block their product prototypes on their smartphones and laptops, while others explained what inspired them to start their company and how they came together as teammates.

“Having Chancellor Block take time from his schedule to learn about the innovative ideas of Startup UCLA’s 2018 Summer Accelerator teams meant a great deal to our program,” Evans said. “The teams were excited to share their products and early stage progress with UCLA’s chief executive officer.”

Chancellor Block is photographed with accelerator student Nick Pfister '17

Pictured: Nick Pfister ’17

While meeting with Magnus Care, a team that is developing a video check-in service for seniors, Block commented that research on circadian rhythms, an area he specializes in, has found that older people benefit from sticking to a routine. Magnus Care’s service enabling care providers or family members to check in remotely throughout the day could be beneficial, he said.

“It was helpful to hear the Chancellor address the importance of our core mission, which is helping seniors stick to a daily routine,” said Jai Kyeong Kim ‘17. “He gave us some scientific examples and addressed the growing market and opportunities.”

Kim’s teammate Bryan McDermott ’16, who quit his banking job to work full-time on the start-up, added that having the support of the Chancellor of his alma mater is especially meaningful.

“When there’s support from UCLA, it really validates my decision and what we’re trying to do here,” McDermott said.

Block also asked detailed questions about a high protein pancake mix for athletes, which Marcel Salapa ’18 is developing through the e-commerce brand Phoros Nutrition. Salapa explained that he’s gotten positive feedback from customers who like the taste and consistency of the product.

Chancellor Block speaks with accelerator students Bhupendra Chaudhary and Sonali Galhotra MBA ‘18

Chancellor Block with Startup UCLA participants

Salapa said he appreciated the Chancellor taking time to visit Startup UCLA and acknowledge the work being done at the Summer Accelerator.

“Having the [Startup UCLA] space and all these awesome people around, and having the Chancellor come by and recognize that, I think is really awesome,” Salapa said.

Kim Seltzer ’17 and Sachin Medhekar ‘15, who are building an app for discovering self-guided adventures called Disco – Discover Local, said they were excited to meet the Chancellor. From the questions he asked and his interest in their project, Seltzer and Medhekar felt he was engaged in their conversation.

“It’s cool already that UCLA provides us this space, but that the head of UCLA came to talk to us was a great feeling,” Medhekar said.

UCLA’s Bunche Center Launches New Arthur Ashe Legacy Website

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Hundreds of videos, interviews, photos, articles and other resources related to the life of tennis legend and UCLA alumnus Arthur Ashe are now accessible via the Ralph J. Bunche Center at UCLA on its new Arthur Ashe Legacy website.

The website was migrated from the site of the former Arthur Ashe Learning Center (AALC), which transferred its activities to UCLA in October 2017.

Ashe’s widow, Jeanne Moutousammy-Ashe, founded the AALC in 2008 to promote her late husband’s legacy and values.

Arthur Ashe at UCLA, 1965 (Hoover Photographic Collection, UCLA Library)

Visitors to the new website can read a brief biography of Ashe’s life and an excerpt from his book, A Hard Road to Glory, and watch archival video clips featuring Ashe and Moutousammy-Ashe. Educators can download activity books about Ashe for elementary and middle school students.

The website also retains hundreds of blog posts written by former AALC staff and other guests about topics such as civil rights, African-American leaders in sports, arts and the military, and historic events.

Along with the website, UCLA will acquire exhibit materials including photographsby Moutousammy-Ashe and artworks, and endow an Arthur Ashe scholarship to be awarded to students who exemplify the ideals Ashe displayed as a UCLA student.

Dean and Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education Patricia A. Turner said it is an honor for UCLA to become the guardian of Ashe’s legacy and that the new website ensures that Ashe’s life and achievements will live on, accessible to anyone around the world, at the alma mater he loved so much.

“This is a truly special moment for UCLA, and we are grateful to have been entrusted with Arthur Ashe’s towering legacy,” Turner said. “The scholarship and exhibit materials are tangible reminders of his transformative impact on the world.”