College Commencement Speakers

Congratulations to all Bruin graduates and their loved ones!

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Jackie Joyner-Kersee ’86
UCLA College Commencement

“It is truly an honor to return to my alma mater, UCLA, and speak to such an extraordinary group of graduates. UCLA helped shape not only my athletic journey but also the woman I have become. To stand before the students and share a message of perseverance, purpose and belief reminds me that greatness begins with faith in yourself. Always believe that your dreams are possible and then go out and make them a reality.”

Jackie Joyner-Kersee is a six-time Olympic medalist who is widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time. Her path to global stardom began at UCLA, where between 1980 and 1985 she excelled as a rare two-sport standout, in track and field and women’s basketball. Following her years as a Bruin, that dominance carried onto the world stage.

Competing in four Olympic Games — Los Angeles (1984), Seoul (1988), Barcelona (1992) and Atlanta (1996) — Joyner-Kersee won three gold, one silver and two bronze medals. In 2000, Sports Illustrated for Women named Joyner-Kersee the greatest female athlete of the 20th century — a reflection not only of her medal count, but of her unmatched combination of excellence, longevity and impact.

Beyond her achievements in sport, she has built a career as a philanthropist and advocate for children’s education, health and wellness and for women’s rights, racial equality and social justice. Read more.

Jeffrey Stafford ’84
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

“Everybody who knows me also knows this: UCLA is a central part of my identity and being associated with it has been a lifelong source of pride.”

Jeffrey Stafford is a veteran biotechnology executive and scientist and is the CEO of 858 Therapeutics. He has helped build innovative biotech companies and lead teams that have discovered medicines for patients worldwide. His discovery teams have been responsible for three FDA-approved medicines: Votrient for cancer, Nesina for diabetes and Byfavo for anesthesia.

Previously, Stafford served as CEO of Jecure Therapeutics, a company developing NLRP3 inhibitors for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases that was later acquired by Genentech. He also served as the founding chief scientific officer of Quanticel Pharmaceuticals, a company that pioneered single-cell mapping of tumor heterogeneity for the targeting of cancer stem cells.

A California native, proud Bruin, and former resident of Sproul and Rieber Halls, Stafford earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from UCLA in 1984 before receiving a Ph.D. from Cornell University and completing an NIH postdoctoral fellowship at UC Berkeley.

Sandy Grushow ’83
Department of Communication

“Being a UCLA graduate has always been a great source of pride and I’m convinced the education I received — particularly as a Comm studies major — was foundational to the career I was able to build.”

Sandy Grushow is a media executive and the CEO of Phase Two Media. A proud member of Phi Beta Kappa, Grushow earned a bachelor’s degree in communication studies in 1983, graduating summa cum laude. He began his career at Fox Entertainment, where he spent 25 years rising through the ranks and overseeing the launch of landmark shows such as “The Simpsons” and “American Idol.”

The rapid growth of Fox’s broadcast network and TV studio reflected Grushow’s own ascent within the company, culminating in his appointment as chairman of Fox Television Entertainment Group. After leaving Fox, he founded the advisory firm Phase Two Media and played a key role in launching the streaming platform Tubi. He continues to serve as an active board member and strategic advisor to numerous companies, crediting UCLA’s academic rigor as foundational to his professional success.

Laurie Leshin
Department of Earth, Planetary and Space Science

“UCLA is where I learned to be an independent scientist, where I first taught at the college level, advised students and received independent research funding. The research environment was rigorous while being incredibly supportive and fun. UCLA was an amazing launch pad for me and I’m so grateful for my time there!”

Laurie Leshin is a space scientist with extensive leadership experience in academia and government. She is currently the University Professor for Space Futures at Arizona State University, where she advises the university president and leadership on opportunities in space exploration, higher education transformation and the future of the nation’s research enterprise.

Leshin was director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory from 2022 to 2025, where she oversaw the successful development and launch of major NASA missions, including Psyche, Europa Clipper and SPHEREx. As president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute from 2014 to 2022, she elevated WPI’s distinctive project-based approach to STEM education and research, and she earlier served in senior leadership roles in NASA’s science and human spaceflight programs.

Leshin is currently chair of the board of FIRST, the largest robotics competition organization in the world. She serves on the academic council of the Schmidt Science Fellows program.
Holding a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Arizona State University and master’s and doctoral degrees in geochemistry from Caltech, Leshin was a University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellow and Rubey Faculty Fellow at UCLA. The International Astronomical Union named asteroid 4922 Leshin to honor her contributions to planetary science.

Peter Nonacs
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

“UCLA has been both a career and a love affair. In my 32 years, there was not a single morning where I woke wishing to be elsewhere. And, even if a ‘today’ turned out to be difficult, I always looked forward to the next ‘tomorrow,’ where it would be my happy place once more!”

Peter Nonacs, born and raised in Kentucky, graduated with a B.S. from the University of Kentucky. He went on to get his master’s from UC Davis and Ph.D. from Simon Fraser University in Canada in 1988. Before joining UCLA in 1994, he was a postdoc at UC Davis and with E.O. Wilson at Harvard. His wife, Smadar Gilboa, recently retired as a longtime administrator in UCLA, daughter Nomi is a current UCLA staff member and son Tom graduates this year with an entomology master’s from UC Riverside.

Nonacs’ research combines evolutionary biology, ecology and behavior to make substantial contributions in three general areas: foraging behavior and animal decision-making; the evolution of cooperation and social behavior, and the various roles played by genetic relatedness, behavioral diversity, and group-level productivity and functioning; and exploring the major evolutionary transitions in Earth’s history of life and the evolution of the modern genetic code.

Ali Haeri ’08
Department of English

“To my mother, UCLA represents the fulfillment of every sacrifice she made when she came to this country with three children and little else. To me, UCLA represents opportunity. I’m honest enough to know that I would not have achieved almost anything in my career if my story had not begun at UCLA.”

Ali Haeri is co-founder and chief marketing officer of Ouma Health, one of the nation’s largest maternity telehealth platforms. He also teaches product marketing in Northwestern University’s Medill IMC graduate program and previously taught digital analytics and marketing at UCLA Extension. He previously served as chief marketing officer of MNTN, a streaming TV advertising software company, where he led marketing from the company’s early days through its IPO. A UCLA English alumnus, Haeri was named to the 2025 Adweek 50 — Adweek’s annual list honoring standout leaders in advertising, marketing, media and technology — and has delivered keynotes at major marketing and advertising events across the country.

Kayan Choy ’06
Department of Linguistics

“UCLA showed me the genuine joy being an expert can bring to a profession.”

Kayan Choy is an engineering program manager at Apple Inc., where she has spent more than 10 years working at the intersection of technology, operations and trust. Her work focuses on protecting platform integrity, from leading global moderation teams to partnering with engineers on systems that detect and prevent abuse at scale.

Choy’s career began in journalism, where she covered public safety and community issues, before transitioning into technology through her work with YouTube. She brings that foundation in storytelling and public impact to her work today. Choy earned a bachelor’s degree in linguistics from UCLA, graduating summa cum laude and with departmental honors.

Jesse Yang ’97
Department of Mathematics

“UCLA invited me beyond my comfort zone and into a space of growth and discovery, offering the range to find my passion and the rigor to prepare me for what followed.”

Jesse Yang recently joined Sony Interactive Entertainment — the company behind PlayStation — as its head of global accounting and treasury. He previously served as deputy chief financial officer of Activision Blizzard, where he was the principal accounting officer and CFO of its esports division, helping steer the company through its acquisition by Microsoft: the largest all‑cash acquisition in history.

Before joining Activision Blizzard, Yang was senior vice president of finance at Seagate Technology. Yang started his career at PwC, spending over 10 years across multiple client service disciplines in the United States and Europe.

Yang graduated from UCLA in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics, a minor in accounting and a specialization in computing.

Anthony Covarrubias ’07
Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics

“UCLA has meant the opportunity to pursue my dream of becoming a scientist, providing the training, mentorship and environment that shaped my career. It now represents a place where I can give back by providing the same opportunities for the next generation of scientists.”

Anthony Covarrubias is a macrophage biologist whose research focuses on immunometabolism and the integration of inflammatory and metabolic pathways in regulating tissue homeostasis, aging and metabolic disease. A first-generation college graduate from Los Angeles, California, he received his B.S. in biochemistry from UCLA and his Ph.D. from Harvard University. He completed postdoctoral training at UCSF, the Gladstone Institutes and the Buck Institute for Research on Aging.

Covarrubias has made key contributions to understanding how nutrient-sensing pathways regulate immune cell function. During his postdoctoral training, he demonstrated that senescent cells drive the accumulation of CD38⁺ pro-inflammatory macrophages, which consume NAD⁺ and promote tissue dysfunction during aging. This work established a mechanistic link between cellular senescence, innate immune activation and systemic metabolic decline.

His current research investigates how senescent macrophages contribute to chronic inflammation during aging and drive age-associated diseases, including cancer and metabolic dysfunction. Through integrated multi-omic and functional approaches, his lab aims to define the molecular programs that govern macrophage senescence and to identify therapeutic strategies to restore immune and metabolic health during aging.

Christine Miceli ’84
Department of Philosophy

“UCLA did not simply educate me: It fundamentally shaped the way I think, reason and engage with the world. In a career spanning 40 years in broadcast journalism, the ability to organize complex information, reason under pressure and communicate with clarity has been indispensable. UCLA also gave me something equally enduring — community. As a member of Delta Gamma, I formed friendships that have lasted a lifetime: bonds built not merely on shared experience, but on shared values. UCLA gave me a foundation that has never left me. It is — in every meaningful sense — where I learned to think.”

Christine Miceli is an Emmy Award-winning senior executive producer at KTLA 5 News in Los Angeles and a seasoned veteran of Los Angeles broadcast journalism. Over the course of her distinguished career spanning four decades, Miceli has been at the forefront of some of the most consequential moments in modern American history, including the videotaped beating of Rodney King, the Northridge earthquake, the Los Angeles riots, the murder trial of O.J. Simpson, the COVID-19 epidemic and the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.

As a trusted leader in one of the nation’s most dynamic media markets, Miceli has shaped the way millions of viewers understand and experience breaking news. Her depth of experience, editorial judgment and unwavering commitment to responsible journalism make her a compelling, authoritative voice on the evolving landscape of broadcast media.

Tim McDonald ’82
Department of Physics and Astronomy

“What has UCLA meant to me? In a few words: everything dear to me. I met my wife Trish here when we worked student jobs at the university research library. It was here that I discovered a passion for the most fundamental physical laws and for energy in particular. I learned the skill and value of collaboration, working with fellow students in labs and in jobs in the dorm cafe, library, and the office of architects and engineers. My UCLA education enabled a 40-year career filled with travel, meeting and working with people from around the world, and solving technical problems with semiconducting materials, devices and circuits.”

Tim McDonald earned his bachelor’s degree in physics from UCLA in 1982. Since then, he’s worked in the field of power semiconductors, initially for International Rectifier and most recently for Infineon Technologies, where he served as senior consulting advisor to the CoolGaN program. McDonald serves on the department of physics and astronomy chair’s council and as a member of the board of advisors for the UCLA Division of Physical Sciences. He’s also a member of the board of directors for Power Sources Manufacturers Association. McDonald and his wife, Trish, are proud Bruins and longtime advocates. They reside in Southern California with their two children and grandchildren.

Sheila Morovati ’99
Department of Sociology

“UCLA has been a portal that revealed how the world can be shaped and reshaped to reflect evolving values. It opened my eyes to the endless possibilities of being a changemaker and to the immense power each of us holds to influence society.”

Sheila Morovati is the founder and CEO of Habits of Waste and the author of the 2024 book “Imperfect Environmentalist: How to Reduce Waste and Create Change for a Better Planet.” Her work is dedicated to reducing waste through systems change, collective action, policy and cultural influence.

Morovati, who earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from UCLA, has led initiatives such as the “Cut Out Cutlery” campaign, which convinced major food delivery platforms to provide an opt-in for plastic cutlery. To date, this default has eliminated 2.5 billion packs of cutlery from entering the waste stream and led to the passing of California’s AB 1276.

After spearheading Malibu’s historic plastic straw and cutlery ban, Morovati has led initiatives aimed at shifting consumer behavior and corporate responsibility, including “Lights, Camera, Plastic?” which aims to eliminate single-use plastics for reusables on television and films in all major Hollywood studios and “Opt-In AI,” among others.

In 2010, she founded Crayon Collection, donating over 25 million crayons globally to vulnerable communities.

David Diez M.S.’08, Ph.D. ’10
Department of Statistics and Data Science

“When I think of my time at UCLA, I think of two things. First: The close friends I made and how — despite many of us now living thousands of miles apart — we still make time to catch up and visit each other. Secondly, I think of hope. Hope for what we can do to make the world a better place and the fun we can have along the way.”

David Diez works as a data science tech lead at YouTube, but he’s better known within the statistics community for his ongoing work as a volunteer and president of the educational nonprofit OpenIntro, which he co-founded in 2009 while he was enrolled as a doctoral student in the UCLA Department of Statistics and Data Science.

OpenIntro reflects deep collaborations with graduates of the department and has volunteers spread across several schools. Their primary contributions include free textbooks and supporting resources to help make classrooms run smoothly. These group efforts have had far-ranging impacts, making education more affordable for tens of thousands of students each year across dozens of countries — and saving tens of millions of dollars in costs for students over the project’s history.

Sara Bareilles ’03
UCLA College Commencement

“My time at UCLA held some of the most treasured years of my life. In many ways it still shapes the person I have become and am still becoming. I feel so honored to get to share in this deeply meaningful time of transition for all the graduates, and to celebrate all the hard work, creativity, dedication and resilience that helped them arrive at this very special day.”

Grammy Award–winning singer, songwriter, actor and UCLA alumna Sara Bareilles will deliver the keynote address at the 2025 UCLA College commencement ceremonies. Bareilles, who earned her bachelor’s degree in communication, grew up in Northern California. As a student, Bareilles performed with the campus’s Awaken a cappella group and competed as a solo act in the university’s annual Spring Sing showcase, which she won in both 2000 and 2003. She credits those early performances with helping her refine her goals as a musician and providing a platform to share her music with a broader audience.

Cinthia Flores ’10
Academic Advancement Program

“UCLA is an important part of my identity. UCLA as an institution, but most importantly, the people I met while at UCLA — mentors, classmates, professors, etc. — have shaped my values and understanding of the world. For that I am grateful.”

Cinthia Flores is a member of the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board. Governor Newsom appointed her to this position in 2020. Flores formerly worked as an immigration lawyer, focusing on removal defense.

Flores is president of Latinas Lead CA, a political action committee dedicated to supporting Latinas to pursue elected and appointed office. Flores also serves as vice president of the UCLA Alumni Association, an organization representing over half a million alumni worldwide.

Flores is past president of the Latina Lawyers Bar Association, an organization dedicated to supporting Latinas in the legal profession. In 2022, the Hispanic National Bar Association recognized Flores as a “Top Lawyer Under 40.”

She earned her juris doctor at UCI Law and served as student regent on the University of California Board of Regents. Flores earned her B.A. at UCLA and served as the first Latina undergraduate student body president. She is the daughter of Salvadoran immigrants.

Nadine Truong ’03
Department of Anthropology

“UCLA taught me how to make mistakes — in my personal, academic and professional life — and how to recover from them with dignity and an eye toward a better future. It was the breeding ground for lifelong friendships, for which I’ll always be grateful. My foundation into adulthood felt shaky at times, but UCLA provided the guardrails to keep me on course. I still wear my UCLA swagger with pride to this day.”

Nadine Truong is an award-winning filmmaker and educator who earned her B.A. in anthropology from UCLA in 2003 and her M.F.A. in directing from the American Film Institute Conservatory in 2009, where she was a recipient of the Mary Pickford Foundation scholarship for excellence in directing. The daughter of Vietnamese refugees and raised in Germany, Truong brings a cross-cultural lens to her work. Her films have screened at festivals around the world, including as part of a U.S. State Department–sponsored cultural diplomacy tour in Kosovo. She has directed acclaimed actors including Mike Faist (“West Side Story,” “Challengers”) and Selenis Leyva (“Orange Is the New Black,” “Diary of a Future President”). Truong serves on several academic faculties at highly respected film programs across Southern California, including Loyola Marymount University, Chapman University and UC Irvine. A former recipient of Visual Communications’ Armed with a Camera fellowship and a frequent speaker on representation in media, she uses her work to uplift underrepresented voices and support emerging artists. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two daughters.

Ross Hul
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

“To the graduates: Have confidence in your abilities and know that you will not always have all the answers to life’s questions. Embracing change, uncertainty and taking on new challenges can create opportunities that you never imagined possible.”

Ross Hull has a lifelong passion for atmospheric sciences and broadcast journalism. His wealth of experience includes bringing weather content and climate stories to audiences across the country and around the globe for close to two decades. Throughout his cross-country travels, Hull has reported on the most important weather stories in Canada. Based in Toronto, Ontario, Hull is a network meteorologist and host of Global News Morning for the Global News television and streaming network. Hull also started acting at a young age, appearing in various television series, including “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” and “Student Bodies” before pursuing a career in meteorology. He is a graduate of the broadcast and operational meteorology program at Mississippi State University and holds a bachelor’s degree in radio and television arts from Toronto Metropolitan University. Hull enjoys staying active under all weather conditions with his partner and his dogs, the “Canadian Bros,” Jasper and Louie.

Jeffrey Edward Miller ’87
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

“The 11 years I spent studying and working in laboratories at UCLA were essential in ensuring my long-term success. Hands-on lab work taught me the skills required to identify opportunities and direct scientific projects. My time at UCLA also resulted in close personal relationships which I have enjoyed for almost five decades. Quite simply: UCLA changed the course of my life.”

Jeffrey Edward Miller is the founder and CEO of Invivoscribe, a global leader in molecular diagnostics and precision medicine. He has spent most of his career advancing diagnostics in the fields of oncology, specifically developing the standardized tests, bioinformatics and technologies used to identify and track hematologic malignancies. Under his leadership, Invivoscribe has assisted in getting multiple targeted oncology drugs approved and continues to develop cutting-edge technologies that improve cancer treatment outcomes worldwide. A proud UCLA alumnus, Miller has dedicated his career to translating innovative research into clinically impactful solutions. Recognized as a key figure in biotechnology, he continues to drive advancements in precision diagnostics, shaping the future of healthcare.

Jennifer Wang Grazier ’99
Department of Communication

“‘Education must not simply teach work — it must teach life.’ — W.E.B. Du Bois. UCLA taught me both — my Bruin experience provided the stepping stones for my adult self to arrive at a place of professional and personal happiness — and so I am eternally grateful.”

Jennifer Wang Grazier currently works at Apple, where she co-heads Apple TV+’s television business affairs and has helped to launch many beloved series on the premium platform, including “Severance,” “Slow Horses” and “Silo.” In her role, Grazier is also in charge of dealmaking for Apple Vision Pro content. Prior to Apple, she headed the TV business and legal affairs at Legendary Entertainment, where, notably, she helped to acquire the rights to the “Dune” series. Grazier also worked at NBCUniversal, where she started her entertainment career, after working as a corporate attorney at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and O’Melveney & Myers.

Grazier serves on the UCLA Dean of Social Science’s advisory committee and the UCLA communication board of visitors and is a major sponsor of the Bruin AdTeam. After graduating from UCLA with the highest departmental honors, summa cum laude, with a B.A. in communication, she obtained her J.D., cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center.

Joe M. Straus M.S. ’69, Ph.D. ’72
Department of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences

“UCLA is where I learned how to carry out independent research, where I learned perseverance and where I learned how to move out of my comfort zone. The last of these, in particular, has led me to places I would never have imagined when I first came to UCLA as a new graduate student.”

Joe M. Straus is formerly the executive vice president of The Aerospace Corporation, a federally funded research and development center headquartered in El Segundo, California.

He joined Aerospace’s space physics laboratory after completing his B.A. in physics, cum laude, from Rice University, where he was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow, and his Ph.D. in earth, planetary and space sciences from UCLA.

Following about 15 years carrying out research in geophysical fluid dynamics and upper atmospheric effects on space systems, he served as director of Aerospace’s chemistry and physics laboratory, as well as a position in which he was responsible for developing Aerospace’s independent research and development program.

After his laboratory assignments, Straus served in increasingly broad management positions in Aerospace’s engineering organization, as well as supporting national security satellite and launch programs.

He became a corporate officer in 1997, responsible for Aerospace’s work to help ensure mission success for critical national weather, communications, navigation and early warning satellite systems. He served as senior vice president for corporate strategic planning and, ultimately, served as Aerospace’s executive vice president from 2001 until his retirement in 2008.

Straus continues to serve as a consultant to Aerospace and to NASA, primarily as an independent reviewer for major space programs. He served as the chair of the Space Communications and Navigation committee for the International Astronautical Congress and as a member of the Science and Engineering Advisory Council for the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation. He served for 12 years as the chair of the standing review board for NOAA’s Joint Polar Satellite System and is a member of the International Academy of Astronautics.

Scott M. Johnston M.A. ’95
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

“UCLA gave me the opportunity to excel in academia with a focus on applied conservation that ultimately shaped my decades-long career. Without the guidance of my major professor and the department, I would not have developed and succeeded in the long career I have enjoyed.”

After graduating with a B.S. in wildlife management at Humboldt State University (now Cal Poly Humboldt), Scott M. Johnston began his career as a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the California Condor Project, based in Ventura. Transferring with FWS, he then led the re-introductions of the ʻalalā (Hawaiian crow), one of the most endangered species in the world.

Johnston then took on a position in the FWS headquarters in Washington, D.C. and helped finalize listing and downlisting documents for the Endangered Species Act, and also served a stint as the national ecosystem coordinator working for the director of FWS. Johnston then worked in Massachusetts and led the Northeast region work on a flyway approach for landbirds, shorebirds and waterbirds and also developed a program managing the effects of offshore wind on migratory birds. He finished his career back in HQ as the national lead for offshore wind.

Terry Kramer ’82
Department of Economics

“My economics degree from UCLA gave me an important window into myself and into the world. It gave me a better ability to understand the greatest opportunities and challenges in the world and how to think about the role that I can play to serve those around me. It gave me an analytic framework and a focus on facts and truth to understand these opportunities and challenges and define the best solutions. The impact of my economics degree has stayed with me for my 43 years since graduating from UCLA and will undoubtedly stay with me forever. And for that, I will always be grateful to UCLA!”

Terry Kramer has a 35-year career in technology and telecommunications. For 18 of those years, he worked for Vodafone Group Plc/AirTouch Communications in a variety of roles domestically and internationally, including group strategy and business improvement officer and regional president, Vodafone Americas, which included oversight of Vodafone’s 45% interest in Verizon Wireless and Vodafone’s venture capital activities. Kramer also sat on the executive committee of Vodafone Group Plc and on the board of Verizon Wireless.

In June 2012, Kramer received an appointment by President Obama to serve as ambassador, head of the U.S. delegation for the World Conference on International Telecommunications. This 100-person delegation — comprised of members of the U.S. government, industry and civil society — formulated and communicated the U.S. policy regarding the criticality of a free and open internet; the criticality of inclusive, multi stakeholder governance; the need to proactively address cybersecurity threats; and the need for liberalized, open markets which encourage accelerated broadband access globally.

He is currently the faculty director of the UCLA Anderson’s Easton Technology Management Center, which is responsible for preparing the next generation of leaders for a world driven by technology-based innovation. He is also a full-time adjunct professor at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, teaching three courses: the foundational technology management course covering the impact of disruptive innovation on products, services, markets and competition; another course on technology and society addressing the changing nature of leadership and the benefits technology can offer juxtaposed against a growing techlash; and a global immersion program covering the transformational impact of technology on the greater China region. From 2011-13 he was an entrepreneur-in-residence at the Harvard Business School. In each year from 2017-2024, he was awarded UCLA Anderson Teacher of The Year by the Fully Employed Executive M.B.A.’s and, in 2019, additionally received the Citibank Teaching Award.

Kramer sits on the advisory board of RapidSOS, Revilico and is the board chair of the Harvard Business School California Research Center and is a member on the UCLA Department of Economics Board of Visitors. He was also the former board chair of Skylo Technologies, Envivio and FiberTower.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from UCLA and M.B.A. from Harvard University and resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Kwame J. Granderson ’92
Department of English

“Write your future in your own words.”

As a real estate attorney, Kwame J. Granderson represented Fortune 500 clients in commercial real estate transactions, including The Capital Company of America’s financing of the acquisition of Fox Plaza in Century City. He has worked as a consultant to large financial firms in connection with the underwriting of development projects including shopping centers, hotels and high-rise condos.

Currently, he is a founder and managing partner of MHC Capital, LLC, which owns and operates 28 manufactured housing communities in the Midwest with over 4,300 sites worth in excess of $250 million; he also owns the property management company and construction company. Committed to giving back to his community, Granderson has funded a scholarship program for inner-city students. He earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School, cum laude, and a bachelor’s degree in English from UCLA, summa cum laude. He is the author of “Write to the Top.”

Valeria De Gonzalez ’06
Department of History

Valeria De Gonzalez is a law partner at Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai LLP. As an immigration attorney, she has provided advice and counsel to hundreds of families from around the world on U.S. immigration matters. De Gonzalez is a San Diego native and daughter of working-class immigrant parents. She earned her undergraduate degree in history from UCLA and received her law degree from Columbia Law School.

De Gonzalez began her legal career at the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice, where she advocated for survivors of domestic violence. Currently, she represents hotel and restaurant workers throughout the L.A. area in their immigration matters. De Gonzalez specializes in complex adjustment of status, consular processing and naturalization cases. She is the proud mom to two young daughters who inspire her commitment to justice and to making the world a better place.

Larry M. Hyman ’69, M.A. ’69, Ph.D. ’72
Department of Linguistics

“I would be nowhere if it weren’t for UCLA, particularly my mentor Victoria Fromkin, who spotted something in me that she decided to nurture. UCLA graduate school was also a supportive environment where I made lifelong friends. From my admission to UCLA in the high school program in 1965, so many teachers, administrators and others also participated in supporting me, getting me special honors culminating in the Distinguished Service Award in the Humanities in 1972. Just when I thought it was over, the Linguistic Society of America awarded me the Victoria Fromkin Lifetime Service Award in 2021.”

Larry M. Hyman was both an undergraduate and graduate student at UCLA, receiving his Ph.D. in linguistics in 1972. Except for a two-year leave with a postdoctoral fellowship from the Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science (U.C. Berkeley, 1973-75), he taught at the University of Southern California from 1971 to 1988. Hyman came to Berkeley’s department of linguistics in 1988, which he chaired from 1991 to 2002. Hyman has worked extensively on phonological theory, especially tone and other aspects of language structure, particularly as concerns the history, typology and description of Bantu and other Niger-Congo languages of Africa.

Hyman has written and edited several books, grammars and numerous theoretical articles in major journals and served as president of the Linguistic Society of America in 2017. Hyman has been director of the France-Berkeley Fund since 2010; has held visiting positions in Paris, Lyon and Toulouse; and was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques in 2022. He currently holds the title of distinguished professor of the graduate school in the department of linguistics, University of California, Berkeley.

Michael S. Turner
Department of Physics and Astronomy

“To the graduates: Stay idealistic, use everything you have learned while at UCLA — in and out of class — to change the world for the better, and have fun doing so.”

Michael S. Turner is a visiting professor of physics and astronomy at the University of California, Los Angeles and the Bruce V. & Diana M. Rauner Distinguished Service Professor (emeritus) at the University of Chicago. Turner’s previous positions include scientist at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, chair of the department of astronomy and astrophysics at UChicago, assistant director for the mathematical and physical sciences at the National Science Foundation, chief scientist at Argonne National Laboratory, director of the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, president of the Aspen Center for Physics, president of the American Physical Society and senior strategic advisor at the Kavli Foundation.

Turner received his B.S. from Caltech and his M.S. and Ph.D. from Stanford, all in physics. His scholarly contributions include predicting cosmic acceleration and coining the term dark energy, showing how quantum fluctuations evolved into the seed perturbations for galaxies and other cosmic structures during cosmic inflation and several key ideas that led to the cold dark matter theory of structure formation. Through his scientific contributions, his students and his leadership, Turner played a major role in bringing together elementary particle physics and astrophysics/cosmology and he led the influential National Academies study “Quarks to the Cosmos” that laid out the strategic vision for the field.

He has been involved, as a member, chair or reviewer, in more than 20 National Academies studies as well as serving on advisory committees for NSF, DOE, NASA and the OECD. Turner is a Fellow of the American Astronomical Society, the American Physical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and was elected to membership in the National Academy of Sciences in 1997 and the American Philosophical Society in 2017.

Lisa Markus ’89
Department of Mathematics

“UCLA means opportunity and growth, both personally and professionally. As a student, it taught me how to learn and be a thoughtful problem-solver. As an adult, UCLA offers the opportunity to give back and continue to be part of the inspiring Bruin community.”

Lisa Markus is a proud UCLA alumna, graduating with a bachelor of science in mathematics-applied science with actuarial science as her focus. She enjoyed her time as a Bruin, especially her role as president of the Bruin Actuarial Society. She is thrilled to see the growth in the club today, along with the many benefits it provides to the members.

After graduation, Markus jumped into working as an actuary for a variety of companies, including Transamerica, EY, Pacific Life and now Corebridge Financial. She is a fellow of the Society of Actuaries and senior vice president and chief finance actuary for Institutional Markets and the chief actuary of Corbridge’s Bermuda subsidiary.

She is married to another UCLA graduate and proud mom of two children, one who graduated from CU Boulder and the other from UCLA this weekend! She enjoys running, wine tasting and being with family and friends.

Scott H. Richland ’83
Department of Political Science

“UCLA will always be a special place for me. It’s where I met my wife 44 years ago. It’s where I fell in love with learning and it’s where I began to see and explore what the world had to offer.”

Scott H. Richland recently retired as the chief investment officer of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California, which he joined in 2010. In his role he oversaw the investment of Caltech’s $4.2 billion endowment and $550 million capital expenditure fund and also oversaw the Institute’s insurance risk management and off-campus real estate acquisition and divestiture programs. Prior roles included president of Andell Holdings, managing director at AIG, executive vice president of SunAmerica Financial and senior associate at Citicorp North America. He now focuses his time on senior governance roles on for-profit and not-for-profit boards, including Jiko Group, Inc.; Pasadena Private Lending, Inc.; and Foldax Inc. In addition, Richland is currently a member of the investment committees of the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles and John Muir Health System and serves as a senior advisor to Fin Capital.

Richland earned his MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, where he was designated an Arjay Miller Scholar (top 10%), and his bachelor’s degree, cum laude, in political science from UCLA. He resides in Orinda, California, with Cathleen, his wife of 40 years, whom he met at UCLA as a sophomore. They have two adult sons who both live in the San Francisco area.

Ellen Goldsmith-Vein ’93
Department of Sociology

“The conversations and experiences I had with my fellow UCLA students and faculty still inspire me. Even today, when I walk across the main quad and pass Royce Hall and Powell Library, it reinforces my belief that together we can be exceptional. Go Bruins!”

Producer Ellen Goldsmith-Vein is the founder and CEO of The Gotham Group, a global entertainment company anchored by its literary management practice representing some of the most prolific, award-winning writers, directors, producers, publishers and authors in television, film, publishing, journalism and content creation across all genres. The Gotham Group has become a major force in film and television production and have been widely known as the “go to” for universally recognized and award-winning intellectual property. Gotham remains the only major management/production company in Hollywood owned solely by a woman. Goldsmith-Vein serves on multiple advisory boards, including the Center for Scholars & Storytellers at UCLA and was appointed by Mayor Karen Bass as the chair of the Entertainment Industry Council for the city of Los Angeles.

Goldsmith-Vein’s producing credits include films such as “The Spiderwick Chronicles,” the “Stargirl” franchise at Disney, “The Maze Runner” film trilogy, the NAACP and AAFCA award-winning “Wendell & Wild” for Netflix, the Clint Eastwood-directed “Juror #2,” and “Deliver Me From Nowhere,” based on the book by Warren Zanes about Bruce Springsteen and the making of his album “Nebraska” starring Jeremy Allen White and Jeremy Strong. Her television and streaming credits include the multiple Emmy® Award-winning Disney+ series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” Roku’s Award-Winning “The Spiderwick Chronicles,” “WondLa” on Apple TV+ and the Hulu limited series “Washington Black” along with the Emmy®-nominated animated series “Creature Comforts.”

Brian Kriegler M.S. ’04, Ph.D. ’07
Department of Statistics and Data Science

“UCLA is where I began my journey as a statistician. I am forever grateful for the way the university — and especially the statistics department — supported and believed in me from day one. The technical knowledge and people skills I gained there will stay with me for life. I can’t imagine a better place to have attended graduate school.”

Brian Kriegler is managing director at Econ One Research in Los Angeles. He is one of the nation’s leading experts in wage and hour data analysis and damages calculations, having been retained in over 400 cases involving labor law compliance, class action claims and statistical modeling. He holds M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in statistics from UCLA.

Kriegler served as the damages expert in Senne v. Major League Baseball, a landmark class action lawsuit addressing unpaid wages owed to minor league players. To calculate the amount owed to each individual, he analyzed 15 years of player transactions, team schedules, rosters, payroll data, game information from the Minor League Baseball website, Google Maps and survey results.

Drawing on decades of experience as an expert witness, Kriegler founded EmployeeMetrics® to help restaurants reduce operational inefficiencies while staying compliant with complex labor laws. His innovative software enables owners and operators to boost profit margins and navigate today’s regulatory landscape with confidence, clarity and peace of mind.

He grew up in Los Angeles and is an avid Bruins, Dodgers, Kings and Rams fan. He lives in Studio City with his wife Kathy, daughter Jenna, son Matt and dog Emma.

Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher J.D. ’98
Institute for Research on Labor and Employment

“For me, UCLA meant a first-class legal education without having to go into debt. I received a law degree and could still pursue a career in public service and union organizing.”

A graduate of Stanford University, Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher also holds a master’s degree from Georgetown University and a law degree from UCLA. Fletcher served as the political director and eventual secretary-treasurer of the San Diego Labor Council.

In 2013, Fletcher was elected to the California State Assembly, promising to fight for California’s working and middle classes. In 2019, Fletcher passed Assembly Bill 5, the strongest law in the country protecting workers against misclassification and wage theft. In 2021, Fletcher passed legislation to ensure employers in California can be criminally prosecuted and sent to prison for engaging in intentional wage theft and she authored the nation’s first law establishing worker protections against Amazon’s dangerous warehouse production quotas.

Fletcher was the first Latina to serve as chairwoman of a legislative appropriations committee and was the longest-serving chair in history.

Fletcher now serves as the first woman and first person of color to serve as chief officer of the California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO.

Carribean Fragoza ’03
Division of Humanities

Carribean Fragoza is a fiction and nonfiction writer from South El Monte, California. She received her bachelor’s degree from UCLA with a double major in comparative literature and Chicana/o studies. She then earned her M.F.A. in critical studies and creative writing at California Institute of the Arts.

Her collection of stories “Eat the Mouth That Feeds You” was published in 2021 by City Lights and was a finalist for a 2022 PEN Award. Fragoza’s co-edited compilation of essays “East of East: The Making of Greater El Monte” was published by Rutgers University Press and her collection of essays “Writing Home: New Terrains of California” is forthcoming with Angel City Press. She has published in Harper’s Bazaar, The New York Times, Zyzzyva, Alta, BOMB, Huizache, KCET, the Los Angeles Review of Books, ArtNews and Aperture Magazine. She is the prose editor at Huizache and the creative nonfiction and poetry editor at Boom California, a journal of UC Press.

Fragoza is the founder and co-director of South El Monte Arts Posse, an interdisciplinary arts collective, along with her husband, Romeo Guzmán ’05, whom she met while they were both students at UCLA. She is a 2023 Whiting Literary Award recipient and creative writing faculty at California Institute of the Arts.

Sean Astin ’97
UCLA College Commencement

Actor, advocate and UCLA College alumnus Sean Astin will deliver the keynote address at all three 2024 UCLA College commencement ceremonies. He transferred to UCLA from Los Angeles Valley College and graduated with honors in 1997, earning degrees in American literature and history. In addition to his acting career, Astin is a vocal advocate and volunteer for issues including climate activism, literacy, mental health awareness and civic engagement.

Shannon Speed, director, UCLA American Indian Studies Center and Paula Gunn Allen Chair in Gender Studies
Academic Advancement Program

“UCLA provides students with a richly diverse learning environment in which many direct their knowledge and talents to creating a better, more socially just world.”

Shannon Speed is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation. She is currently the Director of the American Indian Studies Center and Associate Professor in Gender Studies and Anthropology. Speed has worked for the last two decades in Mexico, and her research and teaching interests include indigenous politics, legal anthropology, human rights, neoliberalism, gender, indigenous migration and activist research. She has published five books and edited volumes, including “Rights in Rebellion: Human Rights and Indigenous Struggle in Chiapas,” “Human Rights in the Maya Region: Global Politics, Moral Engagements, and Cultural Contentions,” and “Dissident Women: Gender and Cultural Politics in Chiapas.” Speed has published numerous journal articles and book chapters in English and Spanish, as well as two books in Spanish.

Her current research is on indigenous Latin American women migrants and gender violence, and her book in progress is entitled, “States of Violence: Indigenous Women Migrants and Human Rights in the Era of Neoliberal Multicriminalism.” She serves on the Council of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA) and as co-chair of the Otros Saberes/Other Knowledges section of the Latin American Studies Association (LASA). In 2013, Speed was awarded the Chickasaw Dynamic Woman of the Year Award by the Chickasaw Nation and in 2014 she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the State Bar of Texas Indian Law Section.

Stephen DeBerry ’95
Department of Anthropology

“UCLA is where I built my foundation as an adult human being. I learned how to think here. I met my wife here. I had two of the most painful and triumphant moments of my life here. UCLA has meant everything to me.”

Stephen DeBerry is founder and general partner of BRONZE, a leading U.S. venture capital firm focused on profitably moving disparity to prosperity. The firm manages capital for leading consultants, universities, foundations, corporations and ultra-high-net-worth investors. Stephen earned a B.A. in anthropology with College honors and highest departmental honors from UCLA, and graduate degrees in anthropology and business from Oxford. He is a former USA national track and field champion (400 meter hurdles) who competed for the Bruins. He was also a member of the first African-American mountaineering team to ascend Denali, the highest mountain in North America. The film “An American Ascent” (Amazon Prime) chronicles that expedition. His seminal talk on Eastside communities has been translated into 21 languages and viewed more than 1.7 million times. He is currently a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Both Ebony magazine and The Root/Washington Post have called him one of the 100 most powerful African-Americans in the United States.

Geoffrey Knight ’84
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

“As a son, husband and father of UCLA alums, the university has always been part of my life. From basketball games and Royce Hall events as a child, through my own years on campus, to watching my daughter deliver the student speech for her department on graduation day, I couldn’t be prouder of my lifelong connection to the Bruin family!”

Geoff Knight is a career environmental consultant who has assisted a wide variety of clients meet the challenge of growing their businesses while addressing the ever-increasing environmental expectations from government regulators and each client’s own stakeholders. He is an expert in complex waste, water, air and spill-related regulations and has completed hundreds of assessment, permitting and compliance tasks at major industrial and governmental facilities.

Geoff has lived and worked across the U.S. and managed projects internationally throughout North and South America, Europe and the Far East. California remains home for Geoff and he is now focused on helping clients navigate compliance with California’s leading-edge environmental requirements, from chemical and waste minimization to climate change. Geoff is a principal scientist at Yorke Engineering LLC, an Orange County-based environmental science and engineering firm where he divides his time between client work and teaching environmental permitting and compliance to the next generation of environmental advisors.

Julia L. Sabin ’83
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

“My UCLA experience not only became the foundation on which I built my career, but it embedded in me the tools I needed to construct and adapt to an ever-changing world. When I graduated, I had no idea what path I would embark on — but the confidence I gained at UCLA gave me the courage to act on my dreams.”

Julia Sabin has spent her entire career with The J.M. Smucker Company, holding leadership roles of increasing responsibility across the business, including supporting operations, sustainability and government relations, which she currently oversees.

In her current role, Sabin directs the company’s efforts to positively impact its industry and communities through governmental engagement and advocacy.

Along with her functional leadership, Sabin is passionate about supporting the company’s sustainability journey to ensure a responsible approach across operations and its value chain. Additionally, she is committed to playing an active role in driving the company’s dedication to realizing its vision to cultivate an equitable, diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects its consumers and its communities. This work includes providing leadership opportunities to the GROW (Greater Resources and Opportunities for Women) employee resource group.

In addition to her work at The J.M. Smucker Company, Sabin has provided leadership across the industry, including serving as chairwoman for the American Frozen Food Institute, the Organic Trade Association and the Chico Chamber of Commerce. After being appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, she also served on the USDA National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education and Economics Advisory Board. While living in Ohio, Sabin supported her local community as a board member for the Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens in Akron and In Council with Women in Cleveland.

Sabin currently serves on the Agriculture Technical Advisory Committees for Trade within the Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA, having been appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and the U.S. Secretary of Commerce.

She resides in Washington, D.C. with her husband, Darryl Stephens.

Mark Itkin ’75
Department of Communication

“Growing up in L.A., I always saw UCLA as the true magic kingdom. My dad was a student there when I was a kid and we cherished UCLA sports. My dream to attend UCLA came true — I was fortunate to be admitted to the new major of communication studies, which well prepared me for my very successful career as a television packaging agent and television producer.”

Mark Itkin graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from UCLA and followed it with a J.D. from Boalt Hall, UC Berkeley. He was an associate in the music department of the law firm of Mitchell, Silberberg & Knupp, and joined the William Morris Agency in 1982, becoming a television packaging agent specializing in first-run syndication, pay and basic cable television. Itkin has packaged such varied television series as “The Real World,” “Project Runway,” “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Kitchen Nightmares,” “Deal or No Deal,” “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne,” “Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns,” “Big Brother,” “Fear Factor,” “People’s Court,” “The Ricki Lake Show,” “American Gladiators,” “Biggest Loser” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

Until he retired in December 2015, he was co-head of television at and a member of the board of directors of William Morris Endeavor. Currently, he is a corporate board of director member, consultant and an entrepreneur in the media business.

In 2016, Itkin founded Tough Lamb Media, Inc., a production company specializing in television and film. Tough Lamb Media, Inc. produced “The Tent Mender” docuseries for Amazon and the game show “College Bowl” for NBC. Currently in production is “America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation,” a cooking competition series for Amazon/Freevee, a game show pilot for ABC titled “Nation’s Brightest” and a feature film with producer Mark Platt for A24.

Itkin has been a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for 30 years, a two-term governor and spent six years on the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences executive committee. In addition, he chaired the Blue Ribbon Panel Committee which successfully instituted “at-home” viewing of the prime-time Emmy awards and was the Chairman of the ATAS Hall of Fame Committee for four years. Itkin was also the first agent appointed to the National Association of Television Programming Executives’ Executive Board. He is currently on the board of governors of Cedars-Sinai Hospital, the board of directors of the Zimmer Children’s Museum and the board of directors for The National AIDS Monument. Itkin has been a guest lecturer at Harvard Law School and is a member of the Dean of Social Sciences Advisory Board at UCLA.

Jennifer Scully Ph.D ’15
Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences

“UCLA, my home department in particular, provided me with much-needed academic and personal roots when I moved to Los Angeles, knowing nobody, from Ireland. Like any good foundation, my UCLA roots have given me a wonderful base from which to grow and evolve, even long after I have graduated.”

Jennifer Scully is a planetary geologist who works at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Graduating in 2015, Scully earned a Ph.D. in geology from the department of earth, planetary, and space sciences. She specializes in geologic mapping and geomorphic investigation of small, icy celestial bodies, in particular Ceres, Vesta and Europa. She was a collaborator on NASA’s Dawn mission to Vesta and Ceres since the start of her Ph.D. and, more recently, has joined NASA’s Europa Clipper mission as an affiliate. She is also involved in the formulation of new planetary science missions to ocean worlds and small bodies. In particular, she works on reconnaissance and landing site selection for Ceres and Europa. Born and raised in Ireland, Scully moved to the United States in 2010 to attend graduate school at UCLA.

Stephanie Ellis-Smith ’93
Department of English

“It is no exaggeration to say that UCLA changed my life. Beyond actual coursework, my undergraduate years taught me how to learn — anything! That skill has served me well as my career and trajectory in life are testaments to the depth and breadth of the education I received.”

Stephanie Ellis-Smith is the CEO and founder of Phīla Engaged Giving, a philanthropic advisory firm founded in 2017 that works with donors who are ready to activate their assets for social change. As an advisor and social impact specialist, she works toward a world where philanthropy is a nurturing and equity-centered practice that connects wealth to the people and communities who need it most.

Ellis-Smith is a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy and has extensive experience in advising high-impact individuals and companies. She believes strongly in being a compassionate and generous member of society and brings nearly 30 years of her professional and personal life experience in governance, family wealth and nonprofit leadership to the social sector.

In the wake of the racial uprisings of 2020, she co-founded Giving Gap, an online database of Black-founded and led organizations as a means to help donors find and support them in their communities. Having served in a variety of professional capacities — nonprofit CEO, social enterprise COO, foundation and nonprofit trustee, and corporate board member — her diverse experience and deep knowledge makes her uniquely well-positioned to be a trusted advisor to the world’s most generous families and institutions.

Ellis-Smith’s expertise in navigating wealth, impactful generosity and civic engagement is frequently sought by leading philanthropic institutions and mainstream publications and as a keynote speaker of major social sector convenings. She has been appointed by multiple Seattle mayors and former Washington Governor Gary Locke to serve on a variety of boards and public commissions. She currently serves on the Seattle Art Museum’s Museum Development Authority Board and is on the board of the National Center for Family Philanthropy. She was appointed a dean of philanthropy in 2022 by The Purposeful Planning Institute.

She has two children and lives in Seattle with her husband and fellow UCLA alum Douglas Smith Ph.D. ’96.

Karen Emmorey ’82, M.A. ’86, Ph.D. ’87
Department of Linguistics

“I look back on my time as a UCLA student with great fondness. I was supported by wonderful female mentors — in particular, the late Victoria Fromkin — and my interdisciplinary interests in psychology and neuroscience were supported and encouraged by my home department of linguistics.”

At San Diego State University, Karen Emmorey is a distinguished professor in the School of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences and the director of the Laboratory for Language and Cognitive Neuroscience. Her research focuses on what sign languages can reveal about the nature of human language, cognition and the brain. She studies the processes involved in how deaf and hearing people produce and comprehend sign language and how these processes are represented in the brain. Her research interests also include bimodal bilingualism (i.e., sign-speech bilingualism) and the neurocognitive underpinnings of reading skill in profoundly deaf adults.

Brian D. Lakamp ’93
Department of Mathematics

“UCLA provided an incredible educational and social springboard that produced the critical thinking skills and confidence that helped me build a meaningful, fulfilling life and career. I look back on my time at UCLA and marvel at the role that the experience had in shaping who I am today. Once a Bruin, always a Bruin!”

Brian Lakamp’s career spans business and technology operations, financial and business modeling, product development, strategy, and management. At Paramount Global, Lakamp is responsible for the development and operation of Paramount’s media supply chain. Lakamp manages a team of over 800 people that prepare, localize, package and deliver CBS, Showtime, Paramount, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central and P+ original content to Paramount+, Pluto, Prime Video, Apple, Netflix and hundreds of additional distribution partners worldwide.

Lakamp brings extensive experience building innovative media platforms from his previous roles. At iHeartMedia, Lakamp served as president of digital, where he launched and managed iHeartRadio, the industry-leading streaming music and digital radio service. Under Lakamp’s leadership, iHeartRadio registered over 65 million users faster than any previous music service.

In 2007, Lakamp co-founded Fluxe, a digital startup focused on cloud-based media. Before Fluxe, Brian developed and deployed MovieLink, one of Hollywood’s first internet movie services.

Vera Moore-Shaheen ’05
Department of Sociology

“UCLA is an academically talented yet grounded community of scholars bonded by a shared commitment to continuous learning, growth, evolution and emotional vulnerability. It’s a place where you have an open invitation to join meaningful conversations because others are interested in your perspectives. We add value to the places and spaces we occupy! Bruins are not only prepared to compete, but also prepared to win. As such, we are calculated risk-takers and embrace opportunities to break down barriers while modeling respectful discourse. UCLA sets the standard.”

With nearly 20 years of experience leading strategic initiatives that drive business and improve prosperity for all, Vera Moore-Shaheen has dedicated her career to connecting low-income communities and communities of color to quality jobs, business growth opportunities and more economically secure futures.

Moore-Shaheen is the west regional executive for U.S. community relations at Citi. She brings an equity-focused lens to how the voices and perspectives of nonprofit leaders and the communities they serve are reflected through Citi’s work to help close the racial wealth gap. Her team manages relationships with key stakeholders, increases access to safe and affordable financial products, and facilitates employee engagement in the community. Prior to Citi, Moore-Shaheen helped spearhead JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s commitment to invest $75 million in the Bay Area through its AdvancingCities initiative — a five-year, $500 million effort to create greater economic opportunity nationwide.

Moore-Shaheen’s career in economic development and wealth creation began in the nonprofit sector. She has held leadership roles at national nonprofit organizations such as the National Urban League, where she brought evidence-based restorative justice principles and innovation to employment training programs for young adults with prior justice system involvement. With Seedco, Moore-Shaheen provided consulting services to government agencies and philanthropic organizations in the U.S. and abroad that wanted to increase their grantees’ capacity to implement high-impact workforce development programs.

A UCLA College alumna, Moore-Shaheen earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the division of social sciences and went on to earn a master’s degree in urban planning from New York University and serve as a community planning fellow with the Office of the Manhattan Borough President. While at UCLA, she was an active member of the Academic Advancement Program (AAP), Student Transfer Outreach Mentor Program (STOMP), Afrikan Arts Ensemble, Law Fellows Program and UCLA’s first Greek life organization, the Pi Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Moore-Shaheen transferred to UCLA from Diablo Valley College.

Currently, Moore-Shaheen serves on the Coro Northern California Board of Directors and the leadership council at the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center. She is also an appointed member of the Entrepreneurship and Economic Mobility Task Force formed by the California Office of the Small Business Advocate, a division of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. Moreover, Moore-Shaheen was recognized on the San Francisco Business Times “40 Under 40” List in 2021. A heart-centered leader, Moore-Shaheen has been named “Community Reinvestment Visionary of the Year” by ASIAN, Inc. and a “Powerful Woman of the Bay Area” by Black Women Organized for Political Action and the Training Institute for Leadership Enrichment. She was also recognized as a corporate leader by the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. Oakland Bay Area Chapter. and the National Urban League.

A native of Pittsburg, California, Moore-Shaheen resides in the Bay Area with her husband, Charlie, and their two dogs, Opie and Rosie.

Eric B. Laber ’05
Department of Statistics and Data Science

“UCLA is where I found my people: science-obsessed, endlessly curious and driven students. These are exactly the types of students I now try to recruit into my lab.”

Eric B. Laber graduated from UCLA in 2005, earning a B.S. in mathematics with a specialization in computing and in 2011, he earned his Ph.D. in statistics from the University of Michigan. At Duke University, Laber is a professor of statistical science and biostatistics and bioinformatics and is a James B. Duke Distinguished Professor. His work focuses on data-driven decision-making with applications in precision medicine, public health, sports and retail. He is the recipient of the Noether Award, the Raymond J. Carroll Award and the NSF CAREER award. Laber is also passionate about K–12 STEM outreach.

Rita Kampalath M.S. ’06, Ph.D. ’10
Institute of the Environment and Sustainability

“My time at UCLA taught me a few things. First, that I wanted to continue to be challenged intellectually — to find opportunities to continue to learn, grow and stretch my understanding. Second, it really taught me how important it was to me to spend my time working toward a purpose and mission.”

Rita Kampalath joined the County of Los Angeles’s chief sustainability office in June 2017 as a sustainability program director and was appointed chief sustainability officer in August 2023. As the CSO, she leads a team of policy experts focused on implementation of the county’s sustainability plan, in addition to providing policy support for other county sustainability-related initiatives. Prior to joining the county, Kampalath was the science and policy director of the nonprofit Heal the Bay, where she oversaw advocacy and research projects related to water quality and water resources. Before joining Heal the Bay, she worked for Geosyntec Consultants on a range of water quality projects, primarily focusing on stormwater. Kampalath received a B.S. in chemical engineering from Columbia University and at UCLA, she earned an M.S. in chemical engineering and a Ph.D. in civil/environmental engineering.

Randall Park ’97
UCLA College Commencement

Actor, writer, comedian and UCLA alumnus Randall Park delivered the 2023 UCLA College commencement keynote address. A native Angeleno born to Korean immigrant parents, Park earned his bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in Asian American studies in 1997. As an undergraduate, he co-founded Lapu, the Coyote that Cares Theatre Company, an Asian American troupe that, nearly three decades later, remains a vibrant presence on UCLA’s campus. Watch his commencement address here.

Kiet Lam ’98, M.P.H. ’00
Academic Advancement Program

“As a first-generation minority college student from a low-income family, I was lost when it came to understanding what it takes to succeed in college and beyond. Fortunately, UCLA and the Academic Advancement Program provided the critical support and opportunities I needed to not only graduate, but also develop key skills I’ve leveraged to succeed in my professional career. I am forever indebted to my Bruin family.”

Kiet Lam is the founder and CEO of Climb Healthcare Consulting, a boutique consulting firm dedicated to helping hospitals elevate their financial performance. He has over 23 years of health care reimbursement and financial operations experience. Prior to founding Climb Healthcare, he served as a senior partner at Triage Consulting Group, where he led multiple large-scale consulting engagements for health systems nationwide. Throughout his career, Lam has held multiple leadership roles for his industry trade association, within which he has been recognized on multiple occasions for his leadership excellence.

Lam takes great pride in serving the UCLA Alumni Association through his role as a member of the Academic Advancement Program (AAP) Advisory Council and as president of the AAP Alumni Network. His dedication to UCLA and AAP has earned him the distinct recognition of UCLA’s 2023 Volunteer of the Year for his significant impact in UCLA’s Bay Area community as well as helping launch and lead the newly established AAP alumni network.

Christopher “Cre” Engelke Ph.D. ’13
Department of Anthropology

“UCLA is more than a place; it is a commitment to collaboration, exploration and sharing. This foundation shaped the way I understand human experience and approach the task of creating products that help people.”

Cre Engelke is the vice president in charge of research and development for Ultratec, Inc., a technology company that specializes in creating products for people with disabilities. He completed his Ph.D. at UCLA in linguistic anthropology, where he did research on how non-speaking people use augmentative communication. Drawing from the education and perspectives he gained in UCLA’s anthropology program, Engelke has developed several new assistive communication technologies for people with hearing, speech and movement disabilities. These include a braille captioned telephone for people who are deafblind, a text output device for people with locked in syndrome and a speech-to-text system that has revolutionized the field of real-time closed captioning. Engelke works regularly with government and non-government agencies to develop quality and testing guidelines for assistive technology and recently served as an invited expert to the United Nations’ International Telecommunications Union in Geneva, Switzerland.

Donald J. Boucher ’73, M.S. ’75
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

“In looking back, UCLA launched a wonderful, lifetime interest in atmospheric and oceanic research that benefited not only the academic community, but the safety and mission success of our nation’s armed forces.”

Donald (Don) J. Boucher began his professional career development early, becoming a certified commercial pilot at the age of 18. After high school, he attended UCLA with a major in meteorology to address weather as a “mortal enemy” of commercial aviation. As he progressed through the rigors of UCLA, he became consumed with the emerging elegant science of researching how the oceans and atmosphere interact on large scales. Boucher was gifted the opportunity to work with one of the department’s founders, Professor “Jack” Bjerknes on the ENSO problem, and graduated with an B.S. in 1973 and an M.S. in 1975. His flying took a back seat to research — prior to graduation, Boucher secured a job at The Aerospace Corporation, working on the new Defense Meteorological Satellite Program. He spent the next 45 years working the weather programs at Aerospace, and has recently retired to continue his ENSO research and his flying.

Omar Farha ’02, Ph.D. ’06
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

“UCLA is where aspirations take root, a wellspring of motivation and direction. It holds a special place in my heart and continues to be a home away from home. I feel immense pride in being a Bruin.”

Omar Farha is the Charles E. and Emma H. Morrison Professor in Chemistry at Northwestern University, an executive editor for “ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces” and president of NuMat Technologies. His current research spans diverse areas of chemistry and materials science ranging from energy to defense-related challenges.

His research accomplishments have been recognized by several awards and honors, including a fellow of the European Academy of Sciences, the Kuwait Prize, the Japanese Society of Coordination Chemistry’s international award for creative work, the Royal Society of Chemistry’s environment, sustainability and energy division early career award, the American Chemical Society’s Satinder Ahuja Award for Young Investigators in Separation Science and the ACS ENFL emerging researcher award.

In addition, an award was established by the department of chemistry at Northwestern University in his honor: the Omar Farha Award for Research Leadership, awarded for stewardship, cooperation and leadership in the finest pursuit of research in chemistry and given annually to an outstanding research scientist working in the department.

Farha has more than 600 peer-reviewed publications, 17 patents, 88,000 citations and an h-index of 144 (Google Scholar). In addition to being named a highly cited researcher from 2014 to 2022, he is one of Research.com’s top 100 chemists (#35) in the world. Farha is the co-founder and president of NuMat Technologies, the first company to commercialize an engineered system-level product enabled by metal-organic framework materials.

Martine Rothblatt ’77, J.D. ’81, M.B.A. ’81
Department of Communication

“UCLA meant I had an affordable opportunity as an in-state resident to gain an amazing education, free of boundaries, and to explore all of my intellectual curiosities to their deepest roots.”

Martine Rothblatt is the chairperson and CEO of United Therapeutics Corporation and the grandchild of immigrants from Odessa, Ukraine. She started UT to save her youngest child’s life from a rare illness after having previously created SiriusXM satellite radio and other satellite communications systems.

She is also responsible for enhancing aviation safety by delivery of real-time weather information to aircraft in flight, designing and piloting an electric helicopter to earn a Guinness World Record and creating the world’s largest zero-carbon footprint building. Her company is now saving hundreds of lives a year with medicines for pulmonary hypertension and neuroblastoma and by restoring otherwise discarded donor lungs to transplantability.

She is also leading her company’s development of manufactured kidneys, hearts and lungs to be delivered via autonomously flown electric vertical takeoff and landing systems and led efforts that created the first genetically modified porcine hearts and kidneys transplanted into humans (xenotransplantation), resulting in the world’s first lifesaving “xenoheart” transplant in January 2022.

Rothblatt earned her Ph.D. in medical ethics from the Royal London College of Medicine and Dentistry after earning J.D. and M.B.A. degrees from UCLA, which also recently awarded her the UCLA Medal, its highest honor. She is an inventor on several patents and the author of several books, the most recent of which pertain to artificial cognition and cyber-consciousness. She and her wife Bina have established a charitable foundation, the Terasem Movement, to promote diversity, unity and technological extensions of joyful life.

Fritz Demopoulos M.B.A. ’97
Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences

“My time at UCLA was one of the most formative and inspirational, proving to be an incredible kick-start to an array of life adventures. I hope to continue to reciprocate the favor by supporting our brilliant learning and research institution. Go Bruins!”

Fritz Demopoulos has been involved in the media and technology industries for over two decades. He co-founded Qunar, one of China’s largest travel platforms, and Shawei, one of China’s largest digital sports media companies. He coordinates his entrepreneurial business activities through Hong Kong-based Queen’s Road Capital. Demopoulos is a member of the listing committee of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and a trustee of the Asia Society in New York, the SETI Institute and Jazz at Lincoln Center. He was educated at UCLA, Cal State Fullerton and the Chinese University of Hong Kong and serves on the board of advisors to UCLA’s Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences.

Valentina Glaviano ’85
Department of Economics

“The education I received at UCLA gave me the courage to take risks in my continual pursuit to evolve. It gave me the confidence to know that I would always be able to learn from failures and adapt to challenges. Those skills have helped me forge new paths throughout my career in an industry that is ever changing. I will always be grateful for the foundation UCLA provided, enabling me to have the most rewarding career I could have ever imagined.”

Valentina Glaviano is a partner and managing director for Strategic Investment Group, a pioneer of the Outsourced Chief Investment Office (OCIO) governance model. Glaviano has extensive experience in corporate strategy and governance, client development and management, ESG and impact investing. She is particularly skilled at helping institutions with complex investment and risk management needs. She is passionate about serving clients whose purpose is to serve others, such as foundations, endowments and defined benefit plans, seeking to help them make a transformational impact in the fulfillment of their missions.

Known for her strategic approach to business management with revered firms such as Strategic Investment Group, iShares, Guggenheim and Lazard, Glaviano is a frequent speaker on capital markets, portfolio construction, risk management, responsible investing and governance.

Antoine Wilson ’94
Department of English

“I pursued a preposterous number of options, academic and otherwise, on my tortuous undergraduate path toward self-determination. By the time I graduated I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. To me, UCLA will always be a place where rigor and elasticity exist in equal parts, where the freedom to experiment coexists with the opportunity to commit completely.”

Antoine Wilson is the award-winning author of the novels “Mouth to Mouth,” “Panorama City” and “The Interloper.” His fiction has appeared in “The Paris Review,” “StoryQuarterly,” “Best New American Voices” and the “Los Angeles Times,” among other publications, and he is a contributing editor of “A Public Space.” Wilson attended UCLA and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and was a recipient of the Carol Houck Smith Fiction Fellowship from the University of Wisconsin. He lives in Los Angeles.

Scott Waugh ’70
Department of History

“I have spent almost my entire adult life at UCLA: as an undergraduate, professor, administrator and even patient. I have seen and marveled at every aspect of a dynamic organization devoted to research and learning. While the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts, each part, like the department of history, is a rich, complex and meaningful community. That community has given me colleagues and friends — faculty, students and staff alike — whose society I have treasured and from whom I have learned so much. I count myself incredibly fortunate to have been a part of UCLA and the department of history for so many years.”

After completing a bachelor’s degree at UCLA and a Ph.D. at the University of London, Waugh joined UCLA’s history department in 1975. Before being appointed executive vice chancellor and provost in 2008, he was chair of the department of history, dean of the division of social sciences and acting EVC and provost. His systemwide and national service includes three terms as convener of the UC Council of Vice Chancellors, chair of the UCDC Governing Council, key member of the UC Executive Budget Committee and chair of the board of directors for the Center for Research Libraries. After stepping down from his EVC and provost role in 2019, Waugh returned to the faculty, where this scholar of medieval English history is now a professor emeritus. Among his many honors and awards, Waugh is proudest of receiving the UCLA Distinguished Teaching Award.

Erika Varis Doggett ’05
Department of Linguistics

“UCLA was my first introduction to linguistics, language as an object of analysis that you could puzzle out. It was a huge eye-opener for me; before that, I didn’t know linguistics existed! What really made the department special though was the immediate feeling that there were still discoveries to be made and work to be done. I felt welcomed to a field of active study, to which I could make my own contribution.”

Erika Varis Doggett did her bachelor’s in linguistics and Spanish at UCLA before continuing on to a Ph.D. in linguistics from the University of Southern California. She taught at the University of Nevada Reno, and then transitioned to industry as a data scientist in natural language processing and AI. Erika joined Disney Studios in 2016 and broadened her area of expertise to a wide range of AI and machine learning topics targeting the entertainment and media pipeline. She now works as a senior research scientist at Disney Research|Studios, with special attention to both computer vision and natural language processing techniques.
Erika Varis Doggett did her bachelor’s in linguistics and Spanish at UCLA before continuing on to a Ph.D. in linguistics from the University of Southern California. She taught at the University of Nevada Reno, and then transitioned to industry as a data scientist in natural language processing and AI. Erika joined Disney Studios in 2016 and broadened her area of expertise to a wide range of AI and machine learning topics targeting the entertainment and media pipeline. She now works as a senior research scientist at Disney Research|Studios, with special attention to both computer vision and natural language processing techniques.

Daniel D. Gutierrez ’78
Department of Mathematics

“My UCLA experience has been transformative in many ways over the years. Both professionally and personally, UCLA has shaped my life in a positive direction and for that, I will always be grateful.”

Daniel D. Gutierrez is an independent consultant in data science through his firm AMULET Analytics. He’s also a technology journalist, serving as editor-in-chief for insideBIGDATA.com, where he enjoys keeping a pulse on this fast-paced industry. Gutierrez is also an educator, having taught data science, machine learning and R classes at the university level for many years. He currently teaches data science for UCLA Extension and has authored four computer industry books on database and data science technology, including his most recent title, “Machine Learning and Data Science: An Introduction to Statistical Learning Methods with R.” Gutierrez holds a B.S. in mathematics and computer science from UCLA.

Omar Hurricane M.S. ’92, Ph.D. ’94
Department of Physics and Astronomy

“As for what has UCLA meant to me, it was the foundation of my career and, in many respects, my life.”

Omar Hurricane completed a B.S. summa cum laude in physics and applied mathematics from Metropolitan State University of Denver in 1990 and his M.S. and Ph.D. in physics from UCLA in 1992 and 1994. Hurricane is chief scientist for the inertial confinement fusion program at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a fellow of the American Physical Society and the recipient of the American Nuclear Society 2021 Edward Teller Award for his “visionary scientific insights and leadership of National Ignition Facility experiments resulting in the achievement of fuel gain, an alpha-heating-dominated plasma and a burning plasma.” Prior to Lawrence Livermore, he worked as a postdoc at the UCLA Institute of Plasma & Fusion Research.

Jill Tananbaum ’88
Department of Political Science

“UCLA shaped my life by introducing me to the interconnectivity of the political, economic, cultural, artistic, social and innovative world. My UCLA degree has opened many doors for me — including as an intern for the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court — and has kept me connected to Los Angeles despite living out of state. I’m a ‘north campus’ student by degree, but I owe my life to Dennis J. Slamon, M.D., Ph.D., director of clinical and translational research at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, who developed the monoclonal antibody called Herceptin.”

Jill (Goldberger) Tananbaum grew up in Northern California, graduated from UCLA in 1988 with a political science-business emphasis degree and received her J.D. cum laude in 1992 from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. After an externship in the United States District Court for the Central District of California and a clerkship with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, she spent many years as a trial lawyer in private practice with Coudert Brothers in New York City and Jones Day in Dallas. Tananbaum founded her general practice firm serving as a litigation consultant and outside general counsel to public company clients and family offices. While continuing to serve her clients, she serves as O’Melveny & Myers LLP’s director of client services and business development, Southwest region, focusing on the Austin, Dallas and Houston offices.

Tananbaum is a UCLA Alumni Association life member and serves on the UCLA Social Sciences Dean’s Advisory Board and the UCLA Political Science Department’s Board of Advisors. She previously served on the UCLA Social Sciences Centennial Campaign Committee.

Her extensive leadership experience includes past or current service on the board of directors or chairing philanthropic activities for many organizations, including American Cancer Society, Cattle Baron’s Ball, The Family Place, The Arts Community Alliance, Aaron Family Jewish Community Center of Dallas, Vogel Alcove, Baylor Celebrating Women for the BSW Foundation, The Sandler-Kenner Foundation, Highland Park Boy’s Lacrosse, Inc., Friends of the Highland Park Library, Highland Park Literary Festival, Highland Park Community League and the University of Texas McCombs BBA Parents Council.

Despite her strong Bruin allegiances, Tananbaum is the proud mother of two Longhorns: Kyle (UT McCombs BBA 2022) and Jason (UT McCombs BHP and BBA 2025) and is Cookie’s primary dog walker.

Karen Baker ’83
Department of Sociology

“Here at UCLA is where I first experienced the euphoric feeling of learning how I could make a difference in the world. Graduating with a B.A. in sociology exposed me to smart, creative and diverse students who understood the importance of solving complex social problems.”

Karen Baker is a nonprofit and public sector leader, strategist and community program innovator. Currently, she is the executive director of Yolo Food Bank, and she has served in cabinet positions and agency lead posts under California Governors Schwarzenegger, Brown and Newsom leading California Volunteers. Prior to her current position, Baker was the architect and co-chair of Listos California, a statewide disaster preparedness campaign aimed at educating diverse and vulnerable populations. Prior to her work in state government, she was a managing partner with Valley Vision in Sacramento and was the director of innovation at Share Our Strength, an anti-hunger national nonprofit. Baker also served as a Clinton administration presidential appointee to establish the national service program AmeriCorps, and she led Chrysalis, a nonprofit dedicated to job readiness for individuals experiencing homelessness. After graduating from UCLA with a B.A. in sociology, she completed a year of service with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. She now lives in Sacramento with her husband and two children.

Neda Bathurst M.S. ’03, Ph.D. ’06
Department of Statistics and Data Science

“UCLA is a fun and pivotal experience, bestowing upon its graduates the foundations to discover new paths for global progress and the realization of dreams.”

Neda Bathurst is currently a data science leader at Google, managing a team of 20 data scientists working on Google Assistant, a private and secure virtual assistant powered by artificial intelligence. It enables users to interact using natural voice or keyboard input to get everyday tasks done more easily than ever before. She began her career at Rand Corporation as a statistician and research scientist while she was finishing her Ph.D. After graduating from UCLA, she was a data scientist consultant at FTI Consulting, where she discovered her passion for the tech sector. Bathurst then joined eBay, followed by Ask.com, before joining Google in 2012. She also served on the MSBA Industry Advisory Board for the graduate school of management at the University of California Davis.

Bathurst presently lives in San Francisco with her husband, a senior intellectual property counsel at a prominent boutique Silicon Valley firm. They enjoy golfing and gardening (sometimes simultaneously, depending on how well they’re playing), spending time with family and traveling.

Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks ’00
Institute of the Environment and Sustainability

“UCLA’s exceptional academic rigor, great minds and engaged student body cultivated my critical thinking skills and nurtured my deep and abiding belief in creating a business for good.”

As president and CEO of ECOS, Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks leads the strategy and production of environmentally friendly cleaning products at four U.S. facilities and a European manufacturing platform. She has been widely recognized for her influential voice in corporate social responsibility and sustainable manufacturing. Under her leadership, ECOS has become a climate-positive company and has won many awards for its innovations in safer green chemistry, including the U.S. EPA’s Safer Choice Partner of the Year. As a woman of African American and Greek descent, she has made environmental and social justice a cornerstone of ECOS’s mission and is proud to lead a WBENC- and NMSDC-certified business. With a B.A. in communication studies and history from UCLA and an M.B.A. from Chapman University, she is an active member of several boards of directors, including the XPRIZE Foundation and the UCLA Stavros Niarchos Foundation.

Katelyn Ohashi ’19
UCLA College Commencement

“I am so proud to address my fellow Bruins and help celebrate this wonderful accomplishment in their lives. I hope to inspire them to embrace challenges, love themselves and find their voice.”

Katelyn Ohashi has been an avid gymnast since childhood, making her debut at the 2009 Junior Olympic national championships at age 12. She went on to become the 2011 junior national champion and defeated Simone Biles to win the 2013 American Cup. Despite suffering a back injury the next year and being told by doctors she might not be able to compete again, Ohashi persisted — earning a full gymnastics scholarship to UCLA.
An eight-time All-American and four-time member of USA Gymnastics’ junior national team, Ohashi became one of the most decorated gymnasts in UCLA history. During her Bruin career, she earned 11 perfect 10s — including for a 2019 floor routine that became an internet sensation. She was named Pac-12 specialist of the year in 2018 and 2019, and was 2018 NCAA and Pac-12 co-champion in the floor exercise as well as 2019 Pac-12 co-champion in the floor exercise and balance beam. During her senior year, Ohashi took first place for each of her first seven routines.

Medell Briggs-Malonson ’01, M.S. ’11
Academic Advancement Program

“For over 25 years, UCLA has been my source of inspiration and purpose. UCLA instilled in me the principles of service, advocacy and excellence. I strive to uphold these principles each day, and I remain forever grateful to this institution.”

Medell Briggs-Malonson, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.H.S. is the chief of health equity, diversity and inclusion for the UCLA hospital and clinic system. She is also an associate professor of emergency medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. In her current role, she is responsible for the implementation and oversight of organizational structures and initiatives that promote inclusivity and equity among UCLA Health staff, patients and communities.

Briggs-Malonson prides herself in building a culture of innovation, collaboration and excellence. This has led her to become a nationally recognized health care improvement advisor, speaker and bestselling author. Throughout her career, she has held several administrative and academic roles focused on innovative health care system redesign to advance health equity within diverse communities.

Briggs-Malonson received her undergraduate degree from UCLA, her M.D. from Harvard Medical School, her M.P.H. from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and her M.S.H.S. from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. She has received several awards of recognition, including being named among the 2015 top health care professionals under 40 from the National Medical Association and the Los Angeles Dodgers 2021 Healthcare All-Star.

Jakobi Williams M.A. ’02, Ph.D. ’08
Department of African American Studies

“UCLA afforded me the opportunity to transform my vision and dreams into reality and to forge my own path toward success, and the work ethic to exceed my own expectations!”

Jakobi Williams is the Ruth N. Halls Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies at Indiana University–Bloomington, with a joint appointment in the Department of History. A civil rights, Black power, social justice and African American history scholar, he has provided hundreds of invited lectures domestically and abroad on the subjects of civil rights and social justice movements.

Williams serves as a civil rights issues and history consultant for the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Southern Poverty Law Center, National Civil Rights Museum, Social Justice Initiative at the University of Illinois–Chicago, and Kairos Center for Religion, Rights and Social Justice. His most recent book, “From the Bullet to the Ballot: The Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party and Racial Coalition Politics in Chicago,” was published by the University of North Carolina Press under the prestigious John Hope Franklin Series in African American History and Culture. The book was the foundation for the script to the Oscar-winning Warner Bros. film, “Judas and the Black Messiah.”

His most recent awards include a Mellon Foundation-funded Black Metropolis Research Consortium fellowship, a National Endowment for the Humanities grant, a National Humanities Center fellowship and the Big Ten Academic Alliance Academic Leadership Program award. He received his B.A. in history from Southern Illinois University–Carbondale, and both his M.A. in African American studies and his Ph.D. in history from UCLA. He has held positions at UCLA, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Kentucky.

Neetu S. Badhan-Smith ’99
Department of Anthropology

“UCLA is the place where dreams begin. It is there the hope for a better tomorrow is born in the hearts and minds of students to take into the world and promote lasting, promising and positive change. I am eternally grateful for my UCLA education and proud to be part of the Bruin community. UCLA broadened my mind, expanded my horizons, made me a better human being and continues to open doors both of understanding and opportunities.”

Born and raised in Sacramento, Neetu S. Badhan-Smith is a first-generation South Asian American. She attended a visual and performing arts public high school before she was accepted to UCLA. She was the second person in her family to attend college, and the first to go to graduate school. As a student at UCLA, Badhan-Smith worked with the Women’s Resource Center as a peer educator, participating in sexual and domestic violence awareness work, including the Clothesline Project and Take Back the Night. Throughout college, she worked at the library, as a note-taker and at a local arbitration firm. She was also active with the UCLA radio station and with Sangam, a South Asian student group.

Badhan-Smith is a graduate of Southwestern University School of Law, class of 2002. While in law school, she was the chair of the trial advocacy honors program, where she developed a love for trial and social justice work. She was a deputy public defender for 13 years in Los Angeles County, where she represented indigent individuals in criminal cases. Prior to that, she was a staff attorney for two years at the Southern California Housing Rights Center, where she represented individuals in housing discrimination cases in both state and federal court. She was appointed to the Los Angeles Superior Court in May 2017 by Governor Brown, and currently sits in a trial courtroom at the Van Nuys Courthouse. She lives in Los Angeles with her family of humans, two big dogs and a school of fish.

Susan Baumgarten ’73, M.S. ’76, M.B.A. ’79, Executive Program Certificate ’91
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

“My UCLA degrees gave me the entrée to my career; the educational experience gave me a breadth of knowledge which informs and enriches my life; and the campus to this day provides beauty and intellectual stimulation. Through all, the people of UCLA are a family, which is always there for me, and for others.”

Susan Baumgarten was a teenage ballerina who transitioned to STEM and an extensive career in electrical/systems engineering, business development, and executive leadership at Hughes Aircraft and Raytheon Company. She led a breadth of organizations in space and airborne sensor development, eventually as a corporate vice president. She later served as president of Raytheon International, integrating activities in 76 countries around the world. Throughout her career, Baumgarten led business and organizational turnarounds, demonstrating her abilities as a visionary leader of technology and as a business strategist. Additionally, she served as an executive-in-residence at the UCLA Anderson School of Management from 2009 to 2017, lecturing and counseling on leadership and advancement in technology companies. She holds three degrees from UCLA: a bachelor’s in mathematics and biochemistry, a master’s in electrical engineering, and a master’s in business administration.

Her efforts now focus on encouraging STEM education and arts access for all. She occasionally presents to Women in Engineering at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, and serves on the board of advisors for the UCLA Division of Physical Sciences, on the UCLA Chemistry Advisory Council, and on UCLA’s Women & Philanthropy board. She is president of Center Dance Arts at The Music Center of Los Angeles, and serves on The Music Center’s board of directors and on the board of Everybody Dance LA.

Chip McLean ’87
Department of Communication

“To me, UCLA has always meant opportunity the opportunity to be inspired and challenged in reaching for one’s potential, knowing that you are truly welcomed, supported and valued as a member of a rich and diverse community of scholars, students and others of the highest caliber and integrity on so many levels.”

Chip McLean serves as senior vice president, head of business affairs and business development for Disney Music Group (DMG) and as general manager of Disney Concerts Worldwide, which he helped to launch. He also serves as The Walt Disney Company’s senior executive responsible for Disney Music Publishing. Over his 16-year tenure with Disney, McLean has led the development and implementation of many innovative business initiatives and strategic alliances for the company, including recently overseeing DMG’s successful efforts in structuring, negotiating and closing new deals fortifying DMG’s global relationships with its recorded music and music publishing partners around the world.

McLean launched his career as an associate attorney with a prominent Washington, D.C., communications law firm. He later joined the new media practice group of Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati in Palo Alto, California. In 1995 he joined Warner Bros. Records, serving in various capacities there, including as vice president of business and legal affairs. A native of Southern California, he graduated magna cum laude from UCLA (B.A., communications with business emphasis) and from Stanford Law School (J.D.).

Doug Pak ’96
Department of Economics

“I was fortunate enough to get accepted and attend UCLA only four years after my family immigrated to the United States from South Korea. I feel indebted to UCLA, as it offered me education, fun, friendships and personal growth opportunities during a critical time in my life. Thank you, UCLA.”

Doug Pak is a serial entrepreneur and seasoned executive who founded a chain restaurant and franchise investment company, BLD Brands, with no money in his pocket and raised more than $120 million. The company grew from scratch to more than $200 million in eight years, and such fast growth earned him the MVP Award for Mega Growth Leadership. He recently launched BLD Ventures to focus on building and supporting companies and organizations that make a positive impact and deliver high value; the company also makes opportunistic investments. His prior work and startup experiences include such diverse areas as technology, real estate, finance and restaurants.

Pak graduated from UCLA in 1996 with a degree in business/economics and currently serves on two UCLA advisory boards. In addition, he established the Pak Family Endowed Speaker Series in Economics, which will launch in the 2023 academic year. He has also served on the Pepperdine University board and on the boards of several private companies and nonprofits.

Shawn Holley ’84
Department of English

“My mom and her brother both went to UCLA, and I grew up in L.A. with a real sense of pride about that. For that reason, UCLA is the only college I ever wanted to attend, but it wasn’t a certainty that I would get in. UCLA saw my passion and gave me a chance. For me, UCLA means pride and opportunity.”

Shawn Holley is a partner at Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump Holley LLP, a boutique Santa Monica law firm, where she practices entertainment/business litigation and criminal defense. She started her career as a Los Angeles County public defender and later worked as an associate at the Law Offices of Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr., where she practiced civil litigation and criminal defense, notably as a highly visible member of the O.J. Simpson defense team.

Holley’s list of past and present clients includes Kanye West, Justin Bieber, Michael Jackson, Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg, Tory Lanez, T.I., Kathy Griffin, Rosario Dawson, Ryan Phillippe, Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie, Paris Hilton, the Kardashian/Jenner family, Katt Williams, Charlamagne tha God, Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard, Lamar Odom, Reggie Bush and members of Black Lives Matter. Holley is also co-executive producer on a scripted television show that was inspired by her life and career and will air on Hulu in the fall.

Anthea M. Hartig ’86
Department of History

“I am an eternally proud, third-generation Bruin! When I graduated in 1986, 60 years had passed since my great aunt received her diploma from ‘the southern campus’ in 1926. My grandmother, father, uncle and sister all hail as proud daughters and sons of Westwood. My training as an historian there truly shaped my life, career and advocacy, for which I am so grateful.”

Anthea M. Hartig is the Elizabeth MacMillan director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and the first woman to hold that position. Hartig stewards a collection that includes 1.8 million objects and more than three shelf-miles of archives, and has set a vision for the museum to be the most accessible, inclusive, relevant and sustainable public history institution possible. An award-winning public historian and cultural heritage expert, Hartig previously served as the executive director and CEO of the California Historical Society and as the director of the Western region for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She has been involved in historic preservation and public history projects since the 1990s.

Kamil Ud Deen ’94, Ph.D. ’02
Department of Linguistics

“UCLA has given me an identity and has opened doors for me. Since graduating, everywhere I go, I am identified as a graduate of UCLA linguistics, and upon that identification, opportunities have been opened to me. It is no exaggeration to say that I would not be where I am were it not for UCLA.”

Kamil Deen is currently a professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, researching and teaching on child language acquisition. Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, Deen came to UCLA as a freshman intending to study economics and business administration. He discovered linguistics in his second year, and eventually declared himself a linguistics major.

His B.A. in linguistics opened many doors, but he took the academic route, obtaining an Ed.M. from Harvard University in 1995 and returning to his alma mater to receive his Ph.D. in 2002. He has received numerous teaching and research awards, and has held a number of research grants over the 20 years of his time at the University of Hawaii. He credits much of his success to the outstanding education in linguistics he received at his beloved UCLA.

Robert S. Harrison ’86
Department of Mathematics

“UCLA provided me with the foundation for my career in banking with my applied math degree. It also allowed me to pursue my other love—a diverse selection of history classes. After all, it’s not all about the numbers!”

Bob Harrison is chairman, president and chief executive officer of First Hawaiian Bank. He has been CEO since January 2012, was reappointed president in August 2019 and has been chairman of the bank’s board of directors since May 2014. A 26-year veteran of the company who joined First Hawaiian Bank in 1996, he has over 30 years of financial industry experience working for banks in New York and in Hawaii.

Harrison currently serves on the boards of directors of the Hawaii Bankers Association, Hawaii Business Roundtable, Hawaii Community Foundation and Pacific Guardian Life and is chairman of Hawaii Medical Service Association, the Hawaii licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. He served in the U.S. Navy before earning a B.A. in applied mathematics from UCLA and an M.B.A. from Cornell University.

D’Juan Farmer ’10
Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology

“UCLA is where I discovered my passions and where I made lasting relationships that changed the trajectory of my life. I am so thrilled to have found a way back!”

D’Juan Farmer is an assistant professor in the Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology at UCLA, with a joint appointment in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. He received his bachelor’s degree at UCLA with a major in molecular, cell and developmental biology and a minor in biomedical research.

Following a post-baccalaureate at the National Institutes of Health, Farmer received his Ph.D. at the University of California, San Francisco, where he investigated the roles of microRNAs during organogenesis in the laboratory of Michael McManus. In 2017, he joined the laboratory of Gage Crump at the University of Southern California and investigated the development of cranial sutures using mouse and zebrafish models. His laboratory now focuses on investigating the inter-cellular and intra-cellular mechanisms of skeletal progenitor specification and function at cranial sutures.

Donald M. Korn ’65, M.S. ’66, Ph.D. ’71
Department of Physics and Astronomy

“As a UCLA freshman, I was most impressed by the academic opportunities and the water polo team on which I played. Sixty years later, I recognize that much of my success is due to having been educated at the highest-ranked public university in the United States.”

Don Korn received his B.S. in physics in 1965, Phi Beta Kappa, and his Ph.D. in physics in 1971, both at UCLA. As a postdoctoral researcher at M.I.T. Lincoln Labs, Korn was recognized for identifying the residual impurities in ultra-pure semiconductors. He joined 3M Central Research Laboratory and pioneered the field of digital radiography by inventing a size-scalable digital X-ray sensor. For this work, he was awarded the Charles Ives Medal by the Journal of Applied Photographic Engineering.

Korn then joined Eastman Kodak, where he conducted research in medical imaging devices and simultaneously held three different vice president positions. After he retired from Kodak in 1999, the business that he pioneered sold for $2.3 billion and is now known as Carestream. Korn served as CEO of two different medical imaging startups and was a senior executive in Silverbrook Research, which brought the Memjet inkjet imaging technology to market. He is now retired in Sanibel, Florida, and has an interest in bird photography.

Marcellus McRae ’85
Department of Political Science

“In many respects, UCLA opened and expanded my intellectual world across different historical periods, continents, languages and cultures. It also was a launching pad for my lifelong curiosity and fascination with ideas, political theory and philosophy. It was a seemingly endless source of knowledge that helped frame my view of the world and my place in it. And it is where I met my wife of 31 years.”

Marcellus Antonio McRae is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, where he serves as co-chair of the firm’s global trial practice group. California Lawyer magazine featured him as an honoree in its 2015 Attorney of the Year Awards. McRae has first-chaired numerous jury trials, bench trials and arbitrations in both federal and state courts. He also writes and speaks on trial and litigation skills, white-collar criminal defense, labor and employment law and other topics.

From 1995 until joining Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in February 1998, McRae served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Criminal Division, Major Frauds Section, in Los Angeles. During this time, he investigated and prosecuted complex white-collar crimes (tax, securities, bankruptcy and other business frauds) and traditional crimes that involved both jury and non-jury trial experience with a 100% conviction rate at trial. He also drafted numerous appellate briefs filed in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and had several arguments before that court. Prior to joining the United States attorney’s office, McRae was an associate with Debevoise & Plimpton.

McRae received his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1988 and earned a B.A. summa cum laude in 1985 from the UCLA Departments of Political Science and History. He currently serves on UCLA’s Social Sciences Dean’s Advisory Board and Political Science Board of Advisors.

Jeremi Gorman ’99
Department of Sociology

“UCLA is in my blood; my first words may have been the eight-clap. Both of my parents are UCLA sociology graduates, and my older sister has both a B.S. and a master’s from UCLA. Beginning in 1985, my family journeyed to Bruin Woods each summer, where I ultimately became a counselor for the summer of 1996. It’s no surprise I married a Bruin to keep the tradition alive. UCLA has meant family and lifelong friendships for as long as I can remember.”

Jeremi Gorman is chief business officer at Snap Inc., where she is a member of the executive team and is responsible for revenue and revenue operations, leading global sales, creative strategy and Snap’s newest creative studio for augmented reality, Arcadia. She has spent her entire career in tech, with leadership positions at Monster.com and Yahoo! Prior to joining Snap, she spent nearly seven years at Amazon, where she led global enterprise advertising sales.

Gorman is a proud 1999 graduate of UCLA in sociology. She serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board for the UCLA Division of Social Sciences, the board of directors of Samba TV and the board of Women for Women International. A travel-lover and thrill-seeker, Gorman has traveled to over 50 countries, with a goal to double that.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee ’86
UCLA College Commencement

“It is truly an honor to return to my alma mater, UCLA, and speak to such an extraordinary group of graduates. UCLA helped shape not only my athletic journey but also the woman I have become. To stand before the students and share a message of perseverance, purpose and belief reminds me that greatness begins with faith in yourself. Always believe that your dreams are possible and then go out and make them a reality.”

Jackie Joyner-Kersee is a six-time Olympic medalist who is widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time. Her path to global stardom began at UCLA, where between 1980 and 1985 she excelled as a rare two-sport standout, in track and field and women’s basketball. Following her years as a Bruin, that dominance carried onto the world stage.

Competing in four Olympic Games — Los Angeles (1984), Seoul (1988), Barcelona (1992) and Atlanta (1996) — Joyner-Kersee won three gold, one silver and two bronze medals. In 2000, Sports Illustrated for Women named Joyner-Kersee the greatest female athlete of the 20th century — a reflection not only of her medal count, but of her unmatched combination of excellence, longevity and impact.

Beyond her achievements in sport, she has built a career as a philanthropist and advocate for children’s education, health and wellness and for women’s rights, racial equality and social justice. Read more.

Jeffrey Stafford ’84
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

“Everybody who knows me also knows this: UCLA is a central part of my identity and being associated with it has been a lifelong source of pride.”

Jeffrey Stafford is a veteran biotechnology executive and scientist and is the CEO of 858 Therapeutics. He has helped build innovative biotech companies and lead teams that have discovered medicines for patients worldwide. His discovery teams have been responsible for three FDA-approved medicines: Votrient for cancer, Nesina for diabetes and Byfavo for anesthesia.

Previously, Stafford served as CEO of Jecure Therapeutics, a company developing NLRP3 inhibitors for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases that was later acquired by Genentech. He also served as the founding chief scientific officer of Quanticel Pharmaceuticals, a company that pioneered single-cell mapping of tumor heterogeneity for the targeting of cancer stem cells.

A California native, proud Bruin, and former resident of Sproul and Rieber Halls, Stafford earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from UCLA in 1984 before receiving a Ph.D. from Cornell University and completing an NIH postdoctoral fellowship at UC Berkeley.

Sandy Grushow ’83
Department of Communication

“Being a UCLA graduate has always been a great source of pride and I’m convinced the education I received — particularly as a Comm studies major — was foundational to the career I was able to build.”

Sandy Grushow is a media executive and the CEO of Phase Two Media. A proud member of Phi Beta Kappa, Grushow earned a bachelor’s degree in communication studies in 1983, graduating summa cum laude. He began his career at Fox Entertainment, where he spent 25 years rising through the ranks and overseeing the launch of landmark shows such as “The Simpsons” and “American Idol.”

The rapid growth of Fox’s broadcast network and TV studio reflected Grushow’s own ascent within the company, culminating in his appointment as chairman of Fox Television Entertainment Group. After leaving Fox, he founded the advisory firm Phase Two Media and played a key role in launching the streaming platform Tubi. He continues to serve as an active board member and strategic advisor to numerous companies, crediting UCLA’s academic rigor as foundational to his professional success.

Laurie Leshin
Department of Earth, Planetary and Space Science

“UCLA is where I learned to be an independent scientist, where I first taught at the college level, advised students and received independent research funding. The research environment was rigorous while being incredibly supportive and fun. UCLA was an amazing launch pad for me and I’m so grateful for my time there!”

Laurie Leshin is a space scientist with extensive leadership experience in academia and government. She is currently the University Professor for Space Futures at Arizona State University, where she advises the university president and leadership on opportunities in space exploration, higher education transformation and the future of the nation’s research enterprise.

Leshin was director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory from 2022 to 2025, where she oversaw the successful development and launch of major NASA missions, including Psyche, Europa Clipper and SPHEREx. As president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute from 2014 to 2022, she elevated WPI’s distinctive project-based approach to STEM education and research, and she earlier served in senior leadership roles in NASA’s science and human spaceflight programs.

Leshin is currently chair of the board of FIRST, the largest robotics competition organization in the world. She serves on the academic council of the Schmidt Science Fellows program.
Holding a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Arizona State University and master’s and doctoral degrees in geochemistry from Caltech, Leshin was a University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellow and Rubey Faculty Fellow at UCLA. The International Astronomical Union named asteroid 4922 Leshin to honor her contributions to planetary science.

Peter Nonacs
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

“UCLA has been both a career and a love affair. In my 32 years, there was not a single morning where I woke wishing to be elsewhere. And, even if a ‘today’ turned out to be difficult, I always looked forward to the next ‘tomorrow,’ where it would be my happy place once more!”

Peter Nonacs, born and raised in Kentucky, graduated with a B.S. from the University of Kentucky. He went on to get his master’s from UC Davis and Ph.D. from Simon Fraser University in Canada in 1988. Before joining UCLA in 1994, he was a postdoc at UC Davis and with E.O. Wilson at Harvard. His wife, Smadar Gilboa, recently retired as a longtime administrator in UCLA, daughter Nomi is a current UCLA staff member and son Tom graduates this year with an entomology master’s from UC Riverside.

Nonacs’ research combines evolutionary biology, ecology and behavior to make substantial contributions in three general areas: foraging behavior and animal decision-making; the evolution of cooperation and social behavior, and the various roles played by genetic relatedness, behavioral diversity, and group-level productivity and functioning; and exploring the major evolutionary transitions in Earth’s history of life and the evolution of the modern genetic code.

Ali Haeri ’08
Department of English

“To my mother, UCLA represents the fulfillment of every sacrifice she made when she came to this country with three children and little else. To me, UCLA represents opportunity. I’m honest enough to know that I would not have achieved almost anything in my career if my story had not begun at UCLA.”

Ali Haeri is co-founder and chief marketing officer of Ouma Health, one of the nation’s largest maternity telehealth platforms. He also teaches product marketing in Northwestern University’s Medill IMC graduate program and previously taught digital analytics and marketing at UCLA Extension. He previously served as chief marketing officer of MNTN, a streaming TV advertising software company, where he led marketing from the company’s early days through its IPO. A UCLA English alumnus, Haeri was named to the 2025 Adweek 50 — Adweek’s annual list honoring standout leaders in advertising, marketing, media and technology — and has delivered keynotes at major marketing and advertising events across the country.

Kayan Choy ’06
Department of Linguistics

“UCLA showed me the genuine joy being an expert can bring to a profession.”

Kayan Choy is an engineering program manager at Apple Inc., where she has spent more than 10 years working at the intersection of technology, operations and trust. Her work focuses on protecting platform integrity, from leading global moderation teams to partnering with engineers on systems that detect and prevent abuse at scale.

Choy’s career began in journalism, where she covered public safety and community issues, before transitioning into technology through her work with YouTube. She brings that foundation in storytelling and public impact to her work today. Choy earned a bachelor’s degree in linguistics from UCLA, graduating summa cum laude and with departmental honors.

Jesse Yang ’97
Department of Mathematics

“UCLA invited me beyond my comfort zone and into a space of growth and discovery, offering the range to find my passion and the rigor to prepare me for what followed.”

Jesse Yang recently joined Sony Interactive Entertainment — the company behind PlayStation — as its head of global accounting and treasury. He previously served as deputy chief financial officer of Activision Blizzard, where he was the principal accounting officer and CFO of its esports division, helping steer the company through its acquisition by Microsoft: the largest all‑cash acquisition in history.

Before joining Activision Blizzard, Yang was senior vice president of finance at Seagate Technology. Yang started his career at PwC, spending over 10 years across multiple client service disciplines in the United States and Europe.

Yang graduated from UCLA in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics, a minor in accounting and a specialization in computing.

Anthony Covarrubias ’07
Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics

“UCLA has meant the opportunity to pursue my dream of becoming a scientist, providing the training, mentorship and environment that shaped my career. It now represents a place where I can give back by providing the same opportunities for the next generation of scientists.”

Anthony Covarrubias is a macrophage biologist whose research focuses on immunometabolism and the integration of inflammatory and metabolic pathways in regulating tissue homeostasis, aging and metabolic disease. A first-generation college graduate from Los Angeles, California, he received his B.S. in biochemistry from UCLA and his Ph.D. from Harvard University. He completed postdoctoral training at UCSF, the Gladstone Institutes and the Buck Institute for Research on Aging.

Covarrubias has made key contributions to understanding how nutrient-sensing pathways regulate immune cell function. During his postdoctoral training, he demonstrated that senescent cells drive the accumulation of CD38⁺ pro-inflammatory macrophages, which consume NAD⁺ and promote tissue dysfunction during aging. This work established a mechanistic link between cellular senescence, innate immune activation and systemic metabolic decline.

His current research investigates how senescent macrophages contribute to chronic inflammation during aging and drive age-associated diseases, including cancer and metabolic dysfunction. Through integrated multi-omic and functional approaches, his lab aims to define the molecular programs that govern macrophage senescence and to identify therapeutic strategies to restore immune and metabolic health during aging.

Christine Miceli ’84
Department of Philosophy

“UCLA did not simply educate me: It fundamentally shaped the way I think, reason and engage with the world. In a career spanning 40 years in broadcast journalism, the ability to organize complex information, reason under pressure and communicate with clarity has been indispensable. UCLA also gave me something equally enduring — community. As a member of Delta Gamma, I formed friendships that have lasted a lifetime: bonds built not merely on shared experience, but on shared values. UCLA gave me a foundation that has never left me. It is — in every meaningful sense — where I learned to think.”

Christine Miceli is an Emmy Award-winning senior executive producer at KTLA 5 News in Los Angeles and a seasoned veteran of Los Angeles broadcast journalism. Over the course of her distinguished career spanning four decades, Miceli has been at the forefront of some of the most consequential moments in modern American history, including the videotaped beating of Rodney King, the Northridge earthquake, the Los Angeles riots, the murder trial of O.J. Simpson, the COVID-19 epidemic and the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.

As a trusted leader in one of the nation’s most dynamic media markets, Miceli has shaped the way millions of viewers understand and experience breaking news. Her depth of experience, editorial judgment and unwavering commitment to responsible journalism make her a compelling, authoritative voice on the evolving landscape of broadcast media.

Tim McDonald ’82
Department of Physics and Astronomy

“What has UCLA meant to me? In a few words: everything dear to me. I met my wife Trish here when we worked student jobs at the university research library. It was here that I discovered a passion for the most fundamental physical laws and for energy in particular. I learned the skill and value of collaboration, working with fellow students in labs and in jobs in the dorm cafe, library, and the office of architects and engineers. My UCLA education enabled a 40-year career filled with travel, meeting and working with people from around the world, and solving technical problems with semiconducting materials, devices and circuits.”

Tim McDonald earned his bachelor’s degree in physics from UCLA in 1982. Since then, he’s worked in the field of power semiconductors, initially for International Rectifier and most recently for Infineon Technologies, where he served as senior consulting advisor to the CoolGaN program. McDonald serves on the department of physics and astronomy chair’s council and as a member of the board of advisors for the UCLA Division of Physical Sciences. He’s also a member of the board of directors for Power Sources Manufacturers Association. McDonald and his wife, Trish, are proud Bruins and longtime advocates. They reside in Southern California with their two children and grandchildren.

Sheila Morovati ’99
Department of Sociology

“UCLA has been a portal that revealed how the world can be shaped and reshaped to reflect evolving values. It opened my eyes to the endless possibilities of being a changemaker and to the immense power each of us holds to influence society.”

Sheila Morovati is the founder and CEO of Habits of Waste and the author of the 2024 book “Imperfect Environmentalist: How to Reduce Waste and Create Change for a Better Planet.” Her work is dedicated to reducing waste through systems change, collective action, policy and cultural influence.

Morovati, who earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from UCLA, has led initiatives such as the “Cut Out Cutlery” campaign, which convinced major food delivery platforms to provide an opt-in for plastic cutlery. To date, this default has eliminated 2.5 billion packs of cutlery from entering the waste stream and led to the passing of California’s AB 1276.

After spearheading Malibu’s historic plastic straw and cutlery ban, Morovati has led initiatives aimed at shifting consumer behavior and corporate responsibility, including “Lights, Camera, Plastic?” which aims to eliminate single-use plastics for reusables on television and films in all major Hollywood studios and “Opt-In AI,” among others.

In 2010, she founded Crayon Collection, donating over 25 million crayons globally to vulnerable communities.

David Diez M.S.’08, Ph.D. ’10
Department of Statistics and Data Science

“When I think of my time at UCLA, I think of two things. First: The close friends I made and how — despite many of us now living thousands of miles apart — we still make time to catch up and visit each other. Secondly, I think of hope. Hope for what we can do to make the world a better place and the fun we can have along the way.”

David Diez works as a data science tech lead at YouTube, but he’s better known within the statistics community for his ongoing work as a volunteer and president of the educational nonprofit OpenIntro, which he co-founded in 2009 while he was enrolled as a doctoral student in the UCLA Department of Statistics and Data Science.

OpenIntro reflects deep collaborations with graduates of the department and has volunteers spread across several schools. Their primary contributions include free textbooks and supporting resources to help make classrooms run smoothly. These group efforts have had far-ranging impacts, making education more affordable for tens of thousands of students each year across dozens of countries — and saving tens of millions of dollars in costs for students over the project’s history.

Sara Bareilles ’03
UCLA College Commencement

“My time at UCLA held some of the most treasured years of my life. In many ways it still shapes the person I have become and am still becoming. I feel so honored to get to share in this deeply meaningful time of transition for all the graduates, and to celebrate all the hard work, creativity, dedication and resilience that helped them arrive at this very special day.”

Grammy Award–winning singer, songwriter, actor and UCLA alumna Sara Bareilles will deliver the keynote address at the 2025 UCLA College commencement ceremonies. Bareilles, who earned her bachelor’s degree in communication, grew up in Northern California. As a student, Bareilles performed with the campus’s Awaken a cappella group and competed as a solo act in the university’s annual Spring Sing showcase, which she won in both 2000 and 2003. She credits those early performances with helping her refine her goals as a musician and providing a platform to share her music with a broader audience.

Cinthia Flores ’10
Academic Advancement Program

“UCLA is an important part of my identity. UCLA as an institution, but most importantly, the people I met while at UCLA — mentors, classmates, professors, etc. — have shaped my values and understanding of the world. For that I am grateful.”

Cinthia Flores is a member of the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board. Governor Newsom appointed her to this position in 2020. Flores formerly worked as an immigration lawyer, focusing on removal defense.

Flores is president of Latinas Lead CA, a political action committee dedicated to supporting Latinas to pursue elected and appointed office. Flores also serves as vice president of the UCLA Alumni Association, an organization representing over half a million alumni worldwide.

Flores is past president of the Latina Lawyers Bar Association, an organization dedicated to supporting Latinas in the legal profession. In 2022, the Hispanic National Bar Association recognized Flores as a “Top Lawyer Under 40.”

She earned her juris doctor at UCI Law and served as student regent on the University of California Board of Regents. Flores earned her B.A. at UCLA and served as the first Latina undergraduate student body president. She is the daughter of Salvadoran immigrants.

Nadine Truong ’03
Department of Anthropology

“UCLA taught me how to make mistakes — in my personal, academic and professional life — and how to recover from them with dignity and an eye toward a better future. It was the breeding ground for lifelong friendships, for which I’ll always be grateful. My foundation into adulthood felt shaky at times, but UCLA provided the guardrails to keep me on course. I still wear my UCLA swagger with pride to this day.”

Nadine Truong is an award-winning filmmaker and educator who earned her B.A. in anthropology from UCLA in 2003 and her M.F.A. in directing from the American Film Institute Conservatory in 2009, where she was a recipient of the Mary Pickford Foundation scholarship for excellence in directing. The daughter of Vietnamese refugees and raised in Germany, Truong brings a cross-cultural lens to her work. Her films have screened at festivals around the world, including as part of a U.S. State Department–sponsored cultural diplomacy tour in Kosovo. She has directed acclaimed actors including Mike Faist (“West Side Story,” “Challengers”) and Selenis Leyva (“Orange Is the New Black,” “Diary of a Future President”). Truong serves on several academic faculties at highly respected film programs across Southern California, including Loyola Marymount University, Chapman University and UC Irvine. A former recipient of Visual Communications’ Armed with a Camera fellowship and a frequent speaker on representation in media, she uses her work to uplift underrepresented voices and support emerging artists. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two daughters.

Ross Hul
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

“To the graduates: Have confidence in your abilities and know that you will not always have all the answers to life’s questions. Embracing change, uncertainty and taking on new challenges can create opportunities that you never imagined possible.”

Ross Hull has a lifelong passion for atmospheric sciences and broadcast journalism. His wealth of experience includes bringing weather content and climate stories to audiences across the country and around the globe for close to two decades. Throughout his cross-country travels, Hull has reported on the most important weather stories in Canada. Based in Toronto, Ontario, Hull is a network meteorologist and host of Global News Morning for the Global News television and streaming network. Hull also started acting at a young age, appearing in various television series, including “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” and “Student Bodies” before pursuing a career in meteorology. He is a graduate of the broadcast and operational meteorology program at Mississippi State University and holds a bachelor’s degree in radio and television arts from Toronto Metropolitan University. Hull enjoys staying active under all weather conditions with his partner and his dogs, the “Canadian Bros,” Jasper and Louie.

Jeffrey Edward Miller ’87
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

“The 11 years I spent studying and working in laboratories at UCLA were essential in ensuring my long-term success. Hands-on lab work taught me the skills required to identify opportunities and direct scientific projects. My time at UCLA also resulted in close personal relationships which I have enjoyed for almost five decades. Quite simply: UCLA changed the course of my life.”

Jeffrey Edward Miller is the founder and CEO of Invivoscribe, a global leader in molecular diagnostics and precision medicine. He has spent most of his career advancing diagnostics in the fields of oncology, specifically developing the standardized tests, bioinformatics and technologies used to identify and track hematologic malignancies. Under his leadership, Invivoscribe has assisted in getting multiple targeted oncology drugs approved and continues to develop cutting-edge technologies that improve cancer treatment outcomes worldwide. A proud UCLA alumnus, Miller has dedicated his career to translating innovative research into clinically impactful solutions. Recognized as a key figure in biotechnology, he continues to drive advancements in precision diagnostics, shaping the future of healthcare.

Jennifer Wang Grazier ’99
Department of Communication

“‘Education must not simply teach work — it must teach life.’ — W.E.B. Du Bois. UCLA taught me both — my Bruin experience provided the stepping stones for my adult self to arrive at a place of professional and personal happiness — and so I am eternally grateful.”

Jennifer Wang Grazier currently works at Apple, where she co-heads Apple TV+’s television business affairs and has helped to launch many beloved series on the premium platform, including “Severance,” “Slow Horses” and “Silo.” In her role, Grazier is also in charge of dealmaking for Apple Vision Pro content. Prior to Apple, she headed the TV business and legal affairs at Legendary Entertainment, where, notably, she helped to acquire the rights to the “Dune” series. Grazier also worked at NBCUniversal, where she started her entertainment career, after working as a corporate attorney at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and O’Melveney & Myers.

Grazier serves on the UCLA Dean of Social Science’s advisory committee and the UCLA communication board of visitors and is a major sponsor of the Bruin AdTeam. After graduating from UCLA with the highest departmental honors, summa cum laude, with a B.A. in communication, she obtained her J.D., cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center.

Joe M. Straus M.S. ’69, Ph.D. ’72
Department of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences

“UCLA is where I learned how to carry out independent research, where I learned perseverance and where I learned how to move out of my comfort zone. The last of these, in particular, has led me to places I would never have imagined when I first came to UCLA as a new graduate student.”

Joe M. Straus is formerly the executive vice president of The Aerospace Corporation, a federally funded research and development center headquartered in El Segundo, California.

He joined Aerospace’s space physics laboratory after completing his B.A. in physics, cum laude, from Rice University, where he was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow, and his Ph.D. in earth, planetary and space sciences from UCLA.

Following about 15 years carrying out research in geophysical fluid dynamics and upper atmospheric effects on space systems, he served as director of Aerospace’s chemistry and physics laboratory, as well as a position in which he was responsible for developing Aerospace’s independent research and development program.

After his laboratory assignments, Straus served in increasingly broad management positions in Aerospace’s engineering organization, as well as supporting national security satellite and launch programs.

He became a corporate officer in 1997, responsible for Aerospace’s work to help ensure mission success for critical national weather, communications, navigation and early warning satellite systems. He served as senior vice president for corporate strategic planning and, ultimately, served as Aerospace’s executive vice president from 2001 until his retirement in 2008.

Straus continues to serve as a consultant to Aerospace and to NASA, primarily as an independent reviewer for major space programs. He served as the chair of the Space Communications and Navigation committee for the International Astronautical Congress and as a member of the Science and Engineering Advisory Council for the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation. He served for 12 years as the chair of the standing review board for NOAA’s Joint Polar Satellite System and is a member of the International Academy of Astronautics.

Scott M. Johnston M.A. ’95
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

“UCLA gave me the opportunity to excel in academia with a focus on applied conservation that ultimately shaped my decades-long career. Without the guidance of my major professor and the department, I would not have developed and succeeded in the long career I have enjoyed.”

After graduating with a B.S. in wildlife management at Humboldt State University (now Cal Poly Humboldt), Scott M. Johnston began his career as a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the California Condor Project, based in Ventura. Transferring with FWS, he then led the re-introductions of the ʻalalā (Hawaiian crow), one of the most endangered species in the world.

Johnston then took on a position in the FWS headquarters in Washington, D.C. and helped finalize listing and downlisting documents for the Endangered Species Act, and also served a stint as the national ecosystem coordinator working for the director of FWS. Johnston then worked in Massachusetts and led the Northeast region work on a flyway approach for landbirds, shorebirds and waterbirds and also developed a program managing the effects of offshore wind on migratory birds. He finished his career back in HQ as the national lead for offshore wind.

Terry Kramer ’82
Department of Economics

“My economics degree from UCLA gave me an important window into myself and into the world. It gave me a better ability to understand the greatest opportunities and challenges in the world and how to think about the role that I can play to serve those around me. It gave me an analytic framework and a focus on facts and truth to understand these opportunities and challenges and define the best solutions. The impact of my economics degree has stayed with me for my 43 years since graduating from UCLA and will undoubtedly stay with me forever. And for that, I will always be grateful to UCLA!”

Terry Kramer has a 35-year career in technology and telecommunications. For 18 of those years, he worked for Vodafone Group Plc/AirTouch Communications in a variety of roles domestically and internationally, including group strategy and business improvement officer and regional president, Vodafone Americas, which included oversight of Vodafone’s 45% interest in Verizon Wireless and Vodafone’s venture capital activities. Kramer also sat on the executive committee of Vodafone Group Plc and on the board of Verizon Wireless.

In June 2012, Kramer received an appointment by President Obama to serve as ambassador, head of the U.S. delegation for the World Conference on International Telecommunications. This 100-person delegation — comprised of members of the U.S. government, industry and civil society — formulated and communicated the U.S. policy regarding the criticality of a free and open internet; the criticality of inclusive, multi stakeholder governance; the need to proactively address cybersecurity threats; and the need for liberalized, open markets which encourage accelerated broadband access globally.

He is currently the faculty director of the UCLA Anderson’s Easton Technology Management Center, which is responsible for preparing the next generation of leaders for a world driven by technology-based innovation. He is also a full-time adjunct professor at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, teaching three courses: the foundational technology management course covering the impact of disruptive innovation on products, services, markets and competition; another course on technology and society addressing the changing nature of leadership and the benefits technology can offer juxtaposed against a growing techlash; and a global immersion program covering the transformational impact of technology on the greater China region. From 2011-13 he was an entrepreneur-in-residence at the Harvard Business School. In each year from 2017-2024, he was awarded UCLA Anderson Teacher of The Year by the Fully Employed Executive M.B.A.’s and, in 2019, additionally received the Citibank Teaching Award.

Kramer sits on the advisory board of RapidSOS, Revilico and is the board chair of the Harvard Business School California Research Center and is a member on the UCLA Department of Economics Board of Visitors. He was also the former board chair of Skylo Technologies, Envivio and FiberTower.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from UCLA and M.B.A. from Harvard University and resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Kwame J. Granderson ’92
Department of English

“Write your future in your own words.”

As a real estate attorney, Kwame J. Granderson represented Fortune 500 clients in commercial real estate transactions, including The Capital Company of America’s financing of the acquisition of Fox Plaza in Century City. He has worked as a consultant to large financial firms in connection with the underwriting of development projects including shopping centers, hotels and high-rise condos.

Currently, he is a founder and managing partner of MHC Capital, LLC, which owns and operates 28 manufactured housing communities in the Midwest with over 4,300 sites worth in excess of $250 million; he also owns the property management company and construction company. Committed to giving back to his community, Granderson has funded a scholarship program for inner-city students. He earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School, cum laude, and a bachelor’s degree in English from UCLA, summa cum laude. He is the author of “Write to the Top.”

Valeria De Gonzalez ’06
Department of History

Valeria De Gonzalez is a law partner at Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai LLP. As an immigration attorney, she has provided advice and counsel to hundreds of families from around the world on U.S. immigration matters. De Gonzalez is a San Diego native and daughter of working-class immigrant parents. She earned her undergraduate degree in history from UCLA and received her law degree from Columbia Law School.

De Gonzalez began her legal career at the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice, where she advocated for survivors of domestic violence. Currently, she represents hotel and restaurant workers throughout the L.A. area in their immigration matters. De Gonzalez specializes in complex adjustment of status, consular processing and naturalization cases. She is the proud mom to two young daughters who inspire her commitment to justice and to making the world a better place.

Larry M. Hyman ’69, M.A. ’69, Ph.D. ’72
Department of Linguistics

“I would be nowhere if it weren’t for UCLA, particularly my mentor Victoria Fromkin, who spotted something in me that she decided to nurture. UCLA graduate school was also a supportive environment where I made lifelong friends. From my admission to UCLA in the high school program in 1965, so many teachers, administrators and others also participated in supporting me, getting me special honors culminating in the Distinguished Service Award in the Humanities in 1972. Just when I thought it was over, the Linguistic Society of America awarded me the Victoria Fromkin Lifetime Service Award in 2021.”

Larry M. Hyman was both an undergraduate and graduate student at UCLA, receiving his Ph.D. in linguistics in 1972. Except for a two-year leave with a postdoctoral fellowship from the Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science (U.C. Berkeley, 1973-75), he taught at the University of Southern California from 1971 to 1988. Hyman came to Berkeley’s department of linguistics in 1988, which he chaired from 1991 to 2002. Hyman has worked extensively on phonological theory, especially tone and other aspects of language structure, particularly as concerns the history, typology and description of Bantu and other Niger-Congo languages of Africa.

Hyman has written and edited several books, grammars and numerous theoretical articles in major journals and served as president of the Linguistic Society of America in 2017. Hyman has been director of the France-Berkeley Fund since 2010; has held visiting positions in Paris, Lyon and Toulouse; and was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques in 2022. He currently holds the title of distinguished professor of the graduate school in the department of linguistics, University of California, Berkeley.

Michael S. Turner
Department of Physics and Astronomy

“To the graduates: Stay idealistic, use everything you have learned while at UCLA — in and out of class — to change the world for the better, and have fun doing so.”

Michael S. Turner is a visiting professor of physics and astronomy at the University of California, Los Angeles and the Bruce V. & Diana M. Rauner Distinguished Service Professor (emeritus) at the University of Chicago. Turner’s previous positions include scientist at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, chair of the department of astronomy and astrophysics at UChicago, assistant director for the mathematical and physical sciences at the National Science Foundation, chief scientist at Argonne National Laboratory, director of the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, president of the Aspen Center for Physics, president of the American Physical Society and senior strategic advisor at the Kavli Foundation.

Turner received his B.S. from Caltech and his M.S. and Ph.D. from Stanford, all in physics. His scholarly contributions include predicting cosmic acceleration and coining the term dark energy, showing how quantum fluctuations evolved into the seed perturbations for galaxies and other cosmic structures during cosmic inflation and several key ideas that led to the cold dark matter theory of structure formation. Through his scientific contributions, his students and his leadership, Turner played a major role in bringing together elementary particle physics and astrophysics/cosmology and he led the influential National Academies study “Quarks to the Cosmos” that laid out the strategic vision for the field.

He has been involved, as a member, chair or reviewer, in more than 20 National Academies studies as well as serving on advisory committees for NSF, DOE, NASA and the OECD. Turner is a Fellow of the American Astronomical Society, the American Physical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and was elected to membership in the National Academy of Sciences in 1997 and the American Philosophical Society in 2017.

Lisa Markus ’89
Department of Mathematics

“UCLA means opportunity and growth, both personally and professionally. As a student, it taught me how to learn and be a thoughtful problem-solver. As an adult, UCLA offers the opportunity to give back and continue to be part of the inspiring Bruin community.”

Lisa Markus is a proud UCLA alumna, graduating with a bachelor of science in mathematics-applied science with actuarial science as her focus. She enjoyed her time as a Bruin, especially her role as president of the Bruin Actuarial Society. She is thrilled to see the growth in the club today, along with the many benefits it provides to the members.

After graduation, Markus jumped into working as an actuary for a variety of companies, including Transamerica, EY, Pacific Life and now Corebridge Financial. She is a fellow of the Society of Actuaries and senior vice president and chief finance actuary for Institutional Markets and the chief actuary of Corbridge’s Bermuda subsidiary.

She is married to another UCLA graduate and proud mom of two children, one who graduated from CU Boulder and the other from UCLA this weekend! She enjoys running, wine tasting and being with family and friends.

Scott H. Richland ’83
Department of Political Science

“UCLA will always be a special place for me. It’s where I met my wife 44 years ago. It’s where I fell in love with learning and it’s where I began to see and explore what the world had to offer.”

Scott H. Richland recently retired as the chief investment officer of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California, which he joined in 2010. In his role he oversaw the investment of Caltech’s $4.2 billion endowment and $550 million capital expenditure fund and also oversaw the Institute’s insurance risk management and off-campus real estate acquisition and divestiture programs. Prior roles included president of Andell Holdings, managing director at AIG, executive vice president of SunAmerica Financial and senior associate at Citicorp North America. He now focuses his time on senior governance roles on for-profit and not-for-profit boards, including Jiko Group, Inc.; Pasadena Private Lending, Inc.; and Foldax Inc. In addition, Richland is currently a member of the investment committees of the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles and John Muir Health System and serves as a senior advisor to Fin Capital.

Richland earned his MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, where he was designated an Arjay Miller Scholar (top 10%), and his bachelor’s degree, cum laude, in political science from UCLA. He resides in Orinda, California, with Cathleen, his wife of 40 years, whom he met at UCLA as a sophomore. They have two adult sons who both live in the San Francisco area.

Ellen Goldsmith-Vein ’93
Department of Sociology

“The conversations and experiences I had with my fellow UCLA students and faculty still inspire me. Even today, when I walk across the main quad and pass Royce Hall and Powell Library, it reinforces my belief that together we can be exceptional. Go Bruins!”

Producer Ellen Goldsmith-Vein is the founder and CEO of The Gotham Group, a global entertainment company anchored by its literary management practice representing some of the most prolific, award-winning writers, directors, producers, publishers and authors in television, film, publishing, journalism and content creation across all genres. The Gotham Group has become a major force in film and television production and have been widely known as the “go to” for universally recognized and award-winning intellectual property. Gotham remains the only major management/production company in Hollywood owned solely by a woman. Goldsmith-Vein serves on multiple advisory boards, including the Center for Scholars & Storytellers at UCLA and was appointed by Mayor Karen Bass as the chair of the Entertainment Industry Council for the city of Los Angeles.

Goldsmith-Vein’s producing credits include films such as “The Spiderwick Chronicles,” the “Stargirl” franchise at Disney, “The Maze Runner” film trilogy, the NAACP and AAFCA award-winning “Wendell & Wild” for Netflix, the Clint Eastwood-directed “Juror #2,” and “Deliver Me From Nowhere,” based on the book by Warren Zanes about Bruce Springsteen and the making of his album “Nebraska” starring Jeremy Allen White and Jeremy Strong. Her television and streaming credits include the multiple Emmy® Award-winning Disney+ series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” Roku’s Award-Winning “The Spiderwick Chronicles,” “WondLa” on Apple TV+ and the Hulu limited series “Washington Black” along with the Emmy®-nominated animated series “Creature Comforts.”

Brian Kriegler M.S. ’04, Ph.D. ’07
Department of Statistics and Data Science

“UCLA is where I began my journey as a statistician. I am forever grateful for the way the university — and especially the statistics department — supported and believed in me from day one. The technical knowledge and people skills I gained there will stay with me for life. I can’t imagine a better place to have attended graduate school.”

Brian Kriegler is managing director at Econ One Research in Los Angeles. He is one of the nation’s leading experts in wage and hour data analysis and damages calculations, having been retained in over 400 cases involving labor law compliance, class action claims and statistical modeling. He holds M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in statistics from UCLA.

Kriegler served as the damages expert in Senne v. Major League Baseball, a landmark class action lawsuit addressing unpaid wages owed to minor league players. To calculate the amount owed to each individual, he analyzed 15 years of player transactions, team schedules, rosters, payroll data, game information from the Minor League Baseball website, Google Maps and survey results.

Drawing on decades of experience as an expert witness, Kriegler founded EmployeeMetrics® to help restaurants reduce operational inefficiencies while staying compliant with complex labor laws. His innovative software enables owners and operators to boost profit margins and navigate today’s regulatory landscape with confidence, clarity and peace of mind.

He grew up in Los Angeles and is an avid Bruins, Dodgers, Kings and Rams fan. He lives in Studio City with his wife Kathy, daughter Jenna, son Matt and dog Emma.

Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher J.D. ’98
Institute for Research on Labor and Employment

“For me, UCLA meant a first-class legal education without having to go into debt. I received a law degree and could still pursue a career in public service and union organizing.”

A graduate of Stanford University, Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher also holds a master’s degree from Georgetown University and a law degree from UCLA. Fletcher served as the political director and eventual secretary-treasurer of the San Diego Labor Council.

In 2013, Fletcher was elected to the California State Assembly, promising to fight for California’s working and middle classes. In 2019, Fletcher passed Assembly Bill 5, the strongest law in the country protecting workers against misclassification and wage theft. In 2021, Fletcher passed legislation to ensure employers in California can be criminally prosecuted and sent to prison for engaging in intentional wage theft and she authored the nation’s first law establishing worker protections against Amazon’s dangerous warehouse production quotas.

Fletcher was the first Latina to serve as chairwoman of a legislative appropriations committee and was the longest-serving chair in history.

Fletcher now serves as the first woman and first person of color to serve as chief officer of the California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO.

Carribean Fragoza ’03
Division of Humanities

Carribean Fragoza is a fiction and nonfiction writer from South El Monte, California. She received her bachelor’s degree from UCLA with a double major in comparative literature and Chicana/o studies. She then earned her M.F.A. in critical studies and creative writing at California Institute of the Arts.

Her collection of stories “Eat the Mouth That Feeds You” was published in 2021 by City Lights and was a finalist for a 2022 PEN Award. Fragoza’s co-edited compilation of essays “East of East: The Making of Greater El Monte” was published by Rutgers University Press and her collection of essays “Writing Home: New Terrains of California” is forthcoming with Angel City Press. She has published in Harper’s Bazaar, The New York Times, Zyzzyva, Alta, BOMB, Huizache, KCET, the Los Angeles Review of Books, ArtNews and Aperture Magazine. She is the prose editor at Huizache and the creative nonfiction and poetry editor at Boom California, a journal of UC Press.

Fragoza is the founder and co-director of South El Monte Arts Posse, an interdisciplinary arts collective, along with her husband, Romeo Guzmán ’05, whom she met while they were both students at UCLA. She is a 2023 Whiting Literary Award recipient and creative writing faculty at California Institute of the Arts.

Sean Astin ’97
UCLA College Commencement

Actor, advocate and UCLA College alumnus Sean Astin will deliver the keynote address at all three 2024 UCLA College commencement ceremonies. He transferred to UCLA from Los Angeles Valley College and graduated with honors in 1997, earning degrees in American literature and history. In addition to his acting career, Astin is a vocal advocate and volunteer for issues including climate activism, literacy, mental health awareness and civic engagement.

Shannon Speed, director, UCLA American Indian Studies Center and Paula Gunn Allen Chair in Gender Studies
Academic Advancement Program

“UCLA provides students with a richly diverse learning environment in which many direct their knowledge and talents to creating a better, more socially just world.”

Shannon Speed is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation. She is currently the Director of the American Indian Studies Center and Associate Professor in Gender Studies and Anthropology. Speed has worked for the last two decades in Mexico, and her research and teaching interests include indigenous politics, legal anthropology, human rights, neoliberalism, gender, indigenous migration and activist research. She has published five books and edited volumes, including “Rights in Rebellion: Human Rights and Indigenous Struggle in Chiapas,” “Human Rights in the Maya Region: Global Politics, Moral Engagements, and Cultural Contentions,” and “Dissident Women: Gender and Cultural Politics in Chiapas.” Speed has published numerous journal articles and book chapters in English and Spanish, as well as two books in Spanish.

Her current research is on indigenous Latin American women migrants and gender violence, and her book in progress is entitled, “States of Violence: Indigenous Women Migrants and Human Rights in the Era of Neoliberal Multicriminalism.” She serves on the Council of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA) and as co-chair of the Otros Saberes/Other Knowledges section of the Latin American Studies Association (LASA). In 2013, Speed was awarded the Chickasaw Dynamic Woman of the Year Award by the Chickasaw Nation and in 2014 she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the State Bar of Texas Indian Law Section.

Stephen DeBerry ’95
Department of Anthropology

“UCLA is where I built my foundation as an adult human being. I learned how to think here. I met my wife here. I had two of the most painful and triumphant moments of my life here. UCLA has meant everything to me.”

Stephen DeBerry is founder and general partner of BRONZE, a leading U.S. venture capital firm focused on profitably moving disparity to prosperity. The firm manages capital for leading consultants, universities, foundations, corporations and ultra-high-net-worth investors. Stephen earned a B.A. in anthropology with College honors and highest departmental honors from UCLA, and graduate degrees in anthropology and business from Oxford. He is a former USA national track and field champion (400 meter hurdles) who competed for the Bruins. He was also a member of the first African-American mountaineering team to ascend Denali, the highest mountain in North America. The film “An American Ascent” (Amazon Prime) chronicles that expedition. His seminal talk on Eastside communities has been translated into 21 languages and viewed more than 1.7 million times. He is currently a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Both Ebony magazine and The Root/Washington Post have called him one of the 100 most powerful African-Americans in the United States.

Geoffrey Knight ’84
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

“As a son, husband and father of UCLA alums, the university has always been part of my life. From basketball games and Royce Hall events as a child, through my own years on campus, to watching my daughter deliver the student speech for her department on graduation day, I couldn’t be prouder of my lifelong connection to the Bruin family!”

Geoff Knight is a career environmental consultant who has assisted a wide variety of clients meet the challenge of growing their businesses while addressing the ever-increasing environmental expectations from government regulators and each client’s own stakeholders. He is an expert in complex waste, water, air and spill-related regulations and has completed hundreds of assessment, permitting and compliance tasks at major industrial and governmental facilities.

Geoff has lived and worked across the U.S. and managed projects internationally throughout North and South America, Europe and the Far East. California remains home for Geoff and he is now focused on helping clients navigate compliance with California’s leading-edge environmental requirements, from chemical and waste minimization to climate change. Geoff is a principal scientist at Yorke Engineering LLC, an Orange County-based environmental science and engineering firm where he divides his time between client work and teaching environmental permitting and compliance to the next generation of environmental advisors.

Julia L. Sabin ’83
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

“My UCLA experience not only became the foundation on which I built my career, but it embedded in me the tools I needed to construct and adapt to an ever-changing world. When I graduated, I had no idea what path I would embark on — but the confidence I gained at UCLA gave me the courage to act on my dreams.”

Julia Sabin has spent her entire career with The J.M. Smucker Company, holding leadership roles of increasing responsibility across the business, including supporting operations, sustainability and government relations, which she currently oversees.

In her current role, Sabin directs the company’s efforts to positively impact its industry and communities through governmental engagement and advocacy.

Along with her functional leadership, Sabin is passionate about supporting the company’s sustainability journey to ensure a responsible approach across operations and its value chain. Additionally, she is committed to playing an active role in driving the company’s dedication to realizing its vision to cultivate an equitable, diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects its consumers and its communities. This work includes providing leadership opportunities to the GROW (Greater Resources and Opportunities for Women) employee resource group.

In addition to her work at The J.M. Smucker Company, Sabin has provided leadership across the industry, including serving as chairwoman for the American Frozen Food Institute, the Organic Trade Association and the Chico Chamber of Commerce. After being appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, she also served on the USDA National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education and Economics Advisory Board. While living in Ohio, Sabin supported her local community as a board member for the Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens in Akron and In Council with Women in Cleveland.

Sabin currently serves on the Agriculture Technical Advisory Committees for Trade within the Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA, having been appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and the U.S. Secretary of Commerce.

She resides in Washington, D.C. with her husband, Darryl Stephens.

Mark Itkin ’75
Department of Communication

“Growing up in L.A., I always saw UCLA as the true magic kingdom. My dad was a student there when I was a kid and we cherished UCLA sports. My dream to attend UCLA came true — I was fortunate to be admitted to the new major of communication studies, which well prepared me for my very successful career as a television packaging agent and television producer.”

Mark Itkin graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from UCLA and followed it with a J.D. from Boalt Hall, UC Berkeley. He was an associate in the music department of the law firm of Mitchell, Silberberg & Knupp, and joined the William Morris Agency in 1982, becoming a television packaging agent specializing in first-run syndication, pay and basic cable television. Itkin has packaged such varied television series as “The Real World,” “Project Runway,” “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Kitchen Nightmares,” “Deal or No Deal,” “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne,” “Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns,” “Big Brother,” “Fear Factor,” “People’s Court,” “The Ricki Lake Show,” “American Gladiators,” “Biggest Loser” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

Until he retired in December 2015, he was co-head of television at and a member of the board of directors of William Morris Endeavor. Currently, he is a corporate board of director member, consultant and an entrepreneur in the media business.

In 2016, Itkin founded Tough Lamb Media, Inc., a production company specializing in television and film. Tough Lamb Media, Inc. produced “The Tent Mender” docuseries for Amazon and the game show “College Bowl” for NBC. Currently in production is “America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation,” a cooking competition series for Amazon/Freevee, a game show pilot for ABC titled “Nation’s Brightest” and a feature film with producer Mark Platt for A24.

Itkin has been a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for 30 years, a two-term governor and spent six years on the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences executive committee. In addition, he chaired the Blue Ribbon Panel Committee which successfully instituted “at-home” viewing of the prime-time Emmy awards and was the Chairman of the ATAS Hall of Fame Committee for four years. Itkin was also the first agent appointed to the National Association of Television Programming Executives’ Executive Board. He is currently on the board of governors of Cedars-Sinai Hospital, the board of directors of the Zimmer Children’s Museum and the board of directors for The National AIDS Monument. Itkin has been a guest lecturer at Harvard Law School and is a member of the Dean of Social Sciences Advisory Board at UCLA.

Jennifer Scully Ph.D ’15
Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences

“UCLA, my home department in particular, provided me with much-needed academic and personal roots when I moved to Los Angeles, knowing nobody, from Ireland. Like any good foundation, my UCLA roots have given me a wonderful base from which to grow and evolve, even long after I have graduated.”

Jennifer Scully is a planetary geologist who works at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Graduating in 2015, Scully earned a Ph.D. in geology from the department of earth, planetary, and space sciences. She specializes in geologic mapping and geomorphic investigation of small, icy celestial bodies, in particular Ceres, Vesta and Europa. She was a collaborator on NASA’s Dawn mission to Vesta and Ceres since the start of her Ph.D. and, more recently, has joined NASA’s Europa Clipper mission as an affiliate. She is also involved in the formulation of new planetary science missions to ocean worlds and small bodies. In particular, she works on reconnaissance and landing site selection for Ceres and Europa. Born and raised in Ireland, Scully moved to the United States in 2010 to attend graduate school at UCLA.

Stephanie Ellis-Smith ’93
Department of English

“It is no exaggeration to say that UCLA changed my life. Beyond actual coursework, my undergraduate years taught me how to learn — anything! That skill has served me well as my career and trajectory in life are testaments to the depth and breadth of the education I received.”

Stephanie Ellis-Smith is the CEO and founder of Phīla Engaged Giving, a philanthropic advisory firm founded in 2017 that works with donors who are ready to activate their assets for social change. As an advisor and social impact specialist, she works toward a world where philanthropy is a nurturing and equity-centered practice that connects wealth to the people and communities who need it most.

Ellis-Smith is a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy and has extensive experience in advising high-impact individuals and companies. She believes strongly in being a compassionate and generous member of society and brings nearly 30 years of her professional and personal life experience in governance, family wealth and nonprofit leadership to the social sector.

In the wake of the racial uprisings of 2020, she co-founded Giving Gap, an online database of Black-founded and led organizations as a means to help donors find and support them in their communities. Having served in a variety of professional capacities — nonprofit CEO, social enterprise COO, foundation and nonprofit trustee, and corporate board member — her diverse experience and deep knowledge makes her uniquely well-positioned to be a trusted advisor to the world’s most generous families and institutions.

Ellis-Smith’s expertise in navigating wealth, impactful generosity and civic engagement is frequently sought by leading philanthropic institutions and mainstream publications and as a keynote speaker of major social sector convenings. She has been appointed by multiple Seattle mayors and former Washington Governor Gary Locke to serve on a variety of boards and public commissions. She currently serves on the Seattle Art Museum’s Museum Development Authority Board and is on the board of the National Center for Family Philanthropy. She was appointed a dean of philanthropy in 2022 by The Purposeful Planning Institute.

She has two children and lives in Seattle with her husband and fellow UCLA alum Douglas Smith Ph.D. ’96.

Karen Emmorey ’82, M.A. ’86, Ph.D. ’87
Department of Linguistics

“I look back on my time as a UCLA student with great fondness. I was supported by wonderful female mentors — in particular, the late Victoria Fromkin — and my interdisciplinary interests in psychology and neuroscience were supported and encouraged by my home department of linguistics.”

At San Diego State University, Karen Emmorey is a distinguished professor in the School of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences and the director of the Laboratory for Language and Cognitive Neuroscience. Her research focuses on what sign languages can reveal about the nature of human language, cognition and the brain. She studies the processes involved in how deaf and hearing people produce and comprehend sign language and how these processes are represented in the brain. Her research interests also include bimodal bilingualism (i.e., sign-speech bilingualism) and the neurocognitive underpinnings of reading skill in profoundly deaf adults.

Brian D. Lakamp ’93
Department of Mathematics

“UCLA provided an incredible educational and social springboard that produced the critical thinking skills and confidence that helped me build a meaningful, fulfilling life and career. I look back on my time at UCLA and marvel at the role that the experience had in shaping who I am today. Once a Bruin, always a Bruin!”

Brian Lakamp’s career spans business and technology operations, financial and business modeling, product development, strategy, and management. At Paramount Global, Lakamp is responsible for the development and operation of Paramount’s media supply chain. Lakamp manages a team of over 800 people that prepare, localize, package and deliver CBS, Showtime, Paramount, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central and P+ original content to Paramount+, Pluto, Prime Video, Apple, Netflix and hundreds of additional distribution partners worldwide.

Lakamp brings extensive experience building innovative media platforms from his previous roles. At iHeartMedia, Lakamp served as president of digital, where he launched and managed iHeartRadio, the industry-leading streaming music and digital radio service. Under Lakamp’s leadership, iHeartRadio registered over 65 million users faster than any previous music service.

In 2007, Lakamp co-founded Fluxe, a digital startup focused on cloud-based media. Before Fluxe, Brian developed and deployed MovieLink, one of Hollywood’s first internet movie services.

Vera Moore-Shaheen ’05
Department of Sociology

“UCLA is an academically talented yet grounded community of scholars bonded by a shared commitment to continuous learning, growth, evolution and emotional vulnerability. It’s a place where you have an open invitation to join meaningful conversations because others are interested in your perspectives. We add value to the places and spaces we occupy! Bruins are not only prepared to compete, but also prepared to win. As such, we are calculated risk-takers and embrace opportunities to break down barriers while modeling respectful discourse. UCLA sets the standard.”

With nearly 20 years of experience leading strategic initiatives that drive business and improve prosperity for all, Vera Moore-Shaheen has dedicated her career to connecting low-income communities and communities of color to quality jobs, business growth opportunities and more economically secure futures.

Moore-Shaheen is the west regional executive for U.S. community relations at Citi. She brings an equity-focused lens to how the voices and perspectives of nonprofit leaders and the communities they serve are reflected through Citi’s work to help close the racial wealth gap. Her team manages relationships with key stakeholders, increases access to safe and affordable financial products, and facilitates employee engagement in the community. Prior to Citi, Moore-Shaheen helped spearhead JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s commitment to invest $75 million in the Bay Area through its AdvancingCities initiative — a five-year, $500 million effort to create greater economic opportunity nationwide.

Moore-Shaheen’s career in economic development and wealth creation began in the nonprofit sector. She has held leadership roles at national nonprofit organizations such as the National Urban League, where she brought evidence-based restorative justice principles and innovation to employment training programs for young adults with prior justice system involvement. With Seedco, Moore-Shaheen provided consulting services to government agencies and philanthropic organizations in the U.S. and abroad that wanted to increase their grantees’ capacity to implement high-impact workforce development programs.

A UCLA College alumna, Moore-Shaheen earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the division of social sciences and went on to earn a master’s degree in urban planning from New York University and serve as a community planning fellow with the Office of the Manhattan Borough President. While at UCLA, she was an active member of the Academic Advancement Program (AAP), Student Transfer Outreach Mentor Program (STOMP), Afrikan Arts Ensemble, Law Fellows Program and UCLA’s first Greek life organization, the Pi Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Moore-Shaheen transferred to UCLA from Diablo Valley College.

Currently, Moore-Shaheen serves on the Coro Northern California Board of Directors and the leadership council at the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center. She is also an appointed member of the Entrepreneurship and Economic Mobility Task Force formed by the California Office of the Small Business Advocate, a division of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. Moreover, Moore-Shaheen was recognized on the San Francisco Business Times “40 Under 40” List in 2021. A heart-centered leader, Moore-Shaheen has been named “Community Reinvestment Visionary of the Year” by ASIAN, Inc. and a “Powerful Woman of the Bay Area” by Black Women Organized for Political Action and the Training Institute for Leadership Enrichment. She was also recognized as a corporate leader by the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. Oakland Bay Area Chapter. and the National Urban League.

A native of Pittsburg, California, Moore-Shaheen resides in the Bay Area with her husband, Charlie, and their two dogs, Opie and Rosie.

Eric B. Laber ’05
Department of Statistics and Data Science

“UCLA is where I found my people: science-obsessed, endlessly curious and driven students. These are exactly the types of students I now try to recruit into my lab.”

Eric B. Laber graduated from UCLA in 2005, earning a B.S. in mathematics with a specialization in computing and in 2011, he earned his Ph.D. in statistics from the University of Michigan. At Duke University, Laber is a professor of statistical science and biostatistics and bioinformatics and is a James B. Duke Distinguished Professor. His work focuses on data-driven decision-making with applications in precision medicine, public health, sports and retail. He is the recipient of the Noether Award, the Raymond J. Carroll Award and the NSF CAREER award. Laber is also passionate about K–12 STEM outreach.

Rita Kampalath M.S. ’06, Ph.D. ’10
Institute of the Environment and Sustainability

“My time at UCLA taught me a few things. First, that I wanted to continue to be challenged intellectually — to find opportunities to continue to learn, grow and stretch my understanding. Second, it really taught me how important it was to me to spend my time working toward a purpose and mission.”

Rita Kampalath joined the County of Los Angeles’s chief sustainability office in June 2017 as a sustainability program director and was appointed chief sustainability officer in August 2023. As the CSO, she leads a team of policy experts focused on implementation of the county’s sustainability plan, in addition to providing policy support for other county sustainability-related initiatives. Prior to joining the county, Kampalath was the science and policy director of the nonprofit Heal the Bay, where she oversaw advocacy and research projects related to water quality and water resources. Before joining Heal the Bay, she worked for Geosyntec Consultants on a range of water quality projects, primarily focusing on stormwater. Kampalath received a B.S. in chemical engineering from Columbia University and at UCLA, she earned an M.S. in chemical engineering and a Ph.D. in civil/environmental engineering.

Randall Park ’97
UCLA College Commencement

Actor, writer, comedian and UCLA alumnus Randall Park delivered the 2023 UCLA College commencement keynote address. A native Angeleno born to Korean immigrant parents, Park earned his bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in Asian American studies in 1997. As an undergraduate, he co-founded Lapu, the Coyote that Cares Theatre Company, an Asian American troupe that, nearly three decades later, remains a vibrant presence on UCLA’s campus. Watch his commencement address here.

Kiet Lam ’98, M.P.H. ’00
Academic Advancement Program

“As a first-generation minority college student from a low-income family, I was lost when it came to understanding what it takes to succeed in college and beyond. Fortunately, UCLA and the Academic Advancement Program provided the critical support and opportunities I needed to not only graduate, but also develop key skills I’ve leveraged to succeed in my professional career. I am forever indebted to my Bruin family.”

Kiet Lam is the founder and CEO of Climb Healthcare Consulting, a boutique consulting firm dedicated to helping hospitals elevate their financial performance. He has over 23 years of health care reimbursement and financial operations experience. Prior to founding Climb Healthcare, he served as a senior partner at Triage Consulting Group, where he led multiple large-scale consulting engagements for health systems nationwide. Throughout his career, Lam has held multiple leadership roles for his industry trade association, within which he has been recognized on multiple occasions for his leadership excellence.

Lam takes great pride in serving the UCLA Alumni Association through his role as a member of the Academic Advancement Program (AAP) Advisory Council and as president of the AAP Alumni Network. His dedication to UCLA and AAP has earned him the distinct recognition of UCLA’s 2023 Volunteer of the Year for his significant impact in UCLA’s Bay Area community as well as helping launch and lead the newly established AAP alumni network.

Christopher “Cre” Engelke Ph.D. ’13
Department of Anthropology

“UCLA is more than a place; it is a commitment to collaboration, exploration and sharing. This foundation shaped the way I understand human experience and approach the task of creating products that help people.”

Cre Engelke is the vice president in charge of research and development for Ultratec, Inc., a technology company that specializes in creating products for people with disabilities. He completed his Ph.D. at UCLA in linguistic anthropology, where he did research on how non-speaking people use augmentative communication. Drawing from the education and perspectives he gained in UCLA’s anthropology program, Engelke has developed several new assistive communication technologies for people with hearing, speech and movement disabilities. These include a braille captioned telephone for people who are deafblind, a text output device for people with locked in syndrome and a speech-to-text system that has revolutionized the field of real-time closed captioning. Engelke works regularly with government and non-government agencies to develop quality and testing guidelines for assistive technology and recently served as an invited expert to the United Nations’ International Telecommunications Union in Geneva, Switzerland.

Donald J. Boucher ’73, M.S. ’75
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

“In looking back, UCLA launched a wonderful, lifetime interest in atmospheric and oceanic research that benefited not only the academic community, but the safety and mission success of our nation’s armed forces.”

Donald (Don) J. Boucher began his professional career development early, becoming a certified commercial pilot at the age of 18. After high school, he attended UCLA with a major in meteorology to address weather as a “mortal enemy” of commercial aviation. As he progressed through the rigors of UCLA, he became consumed with the emerging elegant science of researching how the oceans and atmosphere interact on large scales. Boucher was gifted the opportunity to work with one of the department’s founders, Professor “Jack” Bjerknes on the ENSO problem, and graduated with an B.S. in 1973 and an M.S. in 1975. His flying took a back seat to research — prior to graduation, Boucher secured a job at The Aerospace Corporation, working on the new Defense Meteorological Satellite Program. He spent the next 45 years working the weather programs at Aerospace, and has recently retired to continue his ENSO research and his flying.

Omar Farha ’02, Ph.D. ’06
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

“UCLA is where aspirations take root, a wellspring of motivation and direction. It holds a special place in my heart and continues to be a home away from home. I feel immense pride in being a Bruin.”

Omar Farha is the Charles E. and Emma H. Morrison Professor in Chemistry at Northwestern University, an executive editor for “ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces” and president of NuMat Technologies. His current research spans diverse areas of chemistry and materials science ranging from energy to defense-related challenges.

His research accomplishments have been recognized by several awards and honors, including a fellow of the European Academy of Sciences, the Kuwait Prize, the Japanese Society of Coordination Chemistry’s international award for creative work, the Royal Society of Chemistry’s environment, sustainability and energy division early career award, the American Chemical Society’s Satinder Ahuja Award for Young Investigators in Separation Science and the ACS ENFL emerging researcher award.

In addition, an award was established by the department of chemistry at Northwestern University in his honor: the Omar Farha Award for Research Leadership, awarded for stewardship, cooperation and leadership in the finest pursuit of research in chemistry and given annually to an outstanding research scientist working in the department.

Farha has more than 600 peer-reviewed publications, 17 patents, 88,000 citations and an h-index of 144 (Google Scholar). In addition to being named a highly cited researcher from 2014 to 2022, he is one of Research.com’s top 100 chemists (#35) in the world. Farha is the co-founder and president of NuMat Technologies, the first company to commercialize an engineered system-level product enabled by metal-organic framework materials.

Martine Rothblatt ’77, J.D. ’81, M.B.A. ’81
Department of Communication

“UCLA meant I had an affordable opportunity as an in-state resident to gain an amazing education, free of boundaries, and to explore all of my intellectual curiosities to their deepest roots.”

Martine Rothblatt is the chairperson and CEO of United Therapeutics Corporation and the grandchild of immigrants from Odessa, Ukraine. She started UT to save her youngest child’s life from a rare illness after having previously created SiriusXM satellite radio and other satellite communications systems.

She is also responsible for enhancing aviation safety by delivery of real-time weather information to aircraft in flight, designing and piloting an electric helicopter to earn a Guinness World Record and creating the world’s largest zero-carbon footprint building. Her company is now saving hundreds of lives a year with medicines for pulmonary hypertension and neuroblastoma and by restoring otherwise discarded donor lungs to transplantability.

She is also leading her company’s development of manufactured kidneys, hearts and lungs to be delivered via autonomously flown electric vertical takeoff and landing systems and led efforts that created the first genetically modified porcine hearts and kidneys transplanted into humans (xenotransplantation), resulting in the world’s first lifesaving “xenoheart” transplant in January 2022.

Rothblatt earned her Ph.D. in medical ethics from the Royal London College of Medicine and Dentistry after earning J.D. and M.B.A. degrees from UCLA, which also recently awarded her the UCLA Medal, its highest honor. She is an inventor on several patents and the author of several books, the most recent of which pertain to artificial cognition and cyber-consciousness. She and her wife Bina have established a charitable foundation, the Terasem Movement, to promote diversity, unity and technological extensions of joyful life.

Fritz Demopoulos M.B.A. ’97
Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences

“My time at UCLA was one of the most formative and inspirational, proving to be an incredible kick-start to an array of life adventures. I hope to continue to reciprocate the favor by supporting our brilliant learning and research institution. Go Bruins!”

Fritz Demopoulos has been involved in the media and technology industries for over two decades. He co-founded Qunar, one of China’s largest travel platforms, and Shawei, one of China’s largest digital sports media companies. He coordinates his entrepreneurial business activities through Hong Kong-based Queen’s Road Capital. Demopoulos is a member of the listing committee of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and a trustee of the Asia Society in New York, the SETI Institute and Jazz at Lincoln Center. He was educated at UCLA, Cal State Fullerton and the Chinese University of Hong Kong and serves on the board of advisors to UCLA’s Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences.

Valentina Glaviano ’85
Department of Economics

“The education I received at UCLA gave me the courage to take risks in my continual pursuit to evolve. It gave me the confidence to know that I would always be able to learn from failures and adapt to challenges. Those skills have helped me forge new paths throughout my career in an industry that is ever changing. I will always be grateful for the foundation UCLA provided, enabling me to have the most rewarding career I could have ever imagined.”

Valentina Glaviano is a partner and managing director for Strategic Investment Group, a pioneer of the Outsourced Chief Investment Office (OCIO) governance model. Glaviano has extensive experience in corporate strategy and governance, client development and management, ESG and impact investing. She is particularly skilled at helping institutions with complex investment and risk management needs. She is passionate about serving clients whose purpose is to serve others, such as foundations, endowments and defined benefit plans, seeking to help them make a transformational impact in the fulfillment of their missions.

Known for her strategic approach to business management with revered firms such as Strategic Investment Group, iShares, Guggenheim and Lazard, Glaviano is a frequent speaker on capital markets, portfolio construction, risk management, responsible investing and governance.

Antoine Wilson ’94
Department of English

“I pursued a preposterous number of options, academic and otherwise, on my tortuous undergraduate path toward self-determination. By the time I graduated I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. To me, UCLA will always be a place where rigor and elasticity exist in equal parts, where the freedom to experiment coexists with the opportunity to commit completely.”

Antoine Wilson is the award-winning author of the novels “Mouth to Mouth,” “Panorama City” and “The Interloper.” His fiction has appeared in “The Paris Review,” “StoryQuarterly,” “Best New American Voices” and the “Los Angeles Times,” among other publications, and he is a contributing editor of “A Public Space.” Wilson attended UCLA and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and was a recipient of the Carol Houck Smith Fiction Fellowship from the University of Wisconsin. He lives in Los Angeles.

Scott Waugh ’70
Department of History

“I have spent almost my entire adult life at UCLA: as an undergraduate, professor, administrator and even patient. I have seen and marveled at every aspect of a dynamic organization devoted to research and learning. While the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts, each part, like the department of history, is a rich, complex and meaningful community. That community has given me colleagues and friends — faculty, students and staff alike — whose society I have treasured and from whom I have learned so much. I count myself incredibly fortunate to have been a part of UCLA and the department of history for so many years.”

After completing a bachelor’s degree at UCLA and a Ph.D. at the University of London, Waugh joined UCLA’s history department in 1975. Before being appointed executive vice chancellor and provost in 2008, he was chair of the department of history, dean of the division of social sciences and acting EVC and provost. His systemwide and national service includes three terms as convener of the UC Council of Vice Chancellors, chair of the UCDC Governing Council, key member of the UC Executive Budget Committee and chair of the board of directors for the Center for Research Libraries. After stepping down from his EVC and provost role in 2019, Waugh returned to the faculty, where this scholar of medieval English history is now a professor emeritus. Among his many honors and awards, Waugh is proudest of receiving the UCLA Distinguished Teaching Award.

Erika Varis Doggett ’05
Department of Linguistics

“UCLA was my first introduction to linguistics, language as an object of analysis that you could puzzle out. It was a huge eye-opener for me; before that, I didn’t know linguistics existed! What really made the department special though was the immediate feeling that there were still discoveries to be made and work to be done. I felt welcomed to a field of active study, to which I could make my own contribution.”

Erika Varis Doggett did her bachelor’s in linguistics and Spanish at UCLA before continuing on to a Ph.D. in linguistics from the University of Southern California. She taught at the University of Nevada Reno, and then transitioned to industry as a data scientist in natural language processing and AI. Erika joined Disney Studios in 2016 and broadened her area of expertise to a wide range of AI and machine learning topics targeting the entertainment and media pipeline. She now works as a senior research scientist at Disney Research|Studios, with special attention to both computer vision and natural language processing techniques.
Erika Varis Doggett did her bachelor’s in linguistics and Spanish at UCLA before continuing on to a Ph.D. in linguistics from the University of Southern California. She taught at the University of Nevada Reno, and then transitioned to industry as a data scientist in natural language processing and AI. Erika joined Disney Studios in 2016 and broadened her area of expertise to a wide range of AI and machine learning topics targeting the entertainment and media pipeline. She now works as a senior research scientist at Disney Research|Studios, with special attention to both computer vision and natural language processing techniques.

Daniel D. Gutierrez ’78
Department of Mathematics

“My UCLA experience has been transformative in many ways over the years. Both professionally and personally, UCLA has shaped my life in a positive direction and for that, I will always be grateful.”

Daniel D. Gutierrez is an independent consultant in data science through his firm AMULET Analytics. He’s also a technology journalist, serving as editor-in-chief for insideBIGDATA.com, where he enjoys keeping a pulse on this fast-paced industry. Gutierrez is also an educator, having taught data science, machine learning and R classes at the university level for many years. He currently teaches data science for UCLA Extension and has authored four computer industry books on database and data science technology, including his most recent title, “Machine Learning and Data Science: An Introduction to Statistical Learning Methods with R.” Gutierrez holds a B.S. in mathematics and computer science from UCLA.

Omar Hurricane M.S. ’92, Ph.D. ’94
Department of Physics and Astronomy

“As for what has UCLA meant to me, it was the foundation of my career and, in many respects, my life.”

Omar Hurricane completed a B.S. summa cum laude in physics and applied mathematics from Metropolitan State University of Denver in 1990 and his M.S. and Ph.D. in physics from UCLA in 1992 and 1994. Hurricane is chief scientist for the inertial confinement fusion program at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a fellow of the American Physical Society and the recipient of the American Nuclear Society 2021 Edward Teller Award for his “visionary scientific insights and leadership of National Ignition Facility experiments resulting in the achievement of fuel gain, an alpha-heating-dominated plasma and a burning plasma.” Prior to Lawrence Livermore, he worked as a postdoc at the UCLA Institute of Plasma & Fusion Research.

Jill Tananbaum ’88
Department of Political Science

“UCLA shaped my life by introducing me to the interconnectivity of the political, economic, cultural, artistic, social and innovative world. My UCLA degree has opened many doors for me — including as an intern for the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court — and has kept me connected to Los Angeles despite living out of state. I’m a ‘north campus’ student by degree, but I owe my life to Dennis J. Slamon, M.D., Ph.D., director of clinical and translational research at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, who developed the monoclonal antibody called Herceptin.”

Jill (Goldberger) Tananbaum grew up in Northern California, graduated from UCLA in 1988 with a political science-business emphasis degree and received her J.D. cum laude in 1992 from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. After an externship in the United States District Court for the Central District of California and a clerkship with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, she spent many years as a trial lawyer in private practice with Coudert Brothers in New York City and Jones Day in Dallas. Tananbaum founded her general practice firm serving as a litigation consultant and outside general counsel to public company clients and family offices. While continuing to serve her clients, she serves as O’Melveny & Myers LLP’s director of client services and business development, Southwest region, focusing on the Austin, Dallas and Houston offices.

Tananbaum is a UCLA Alumni Association life member and serves on the UCLA Social Sciences Dean’s Advisory Board and the UCLA Political Science Department’s Board of Advisors. She previously served on the UCLA Social Sciences Centennial Campaign Committee.

Her extensive leadership experience includes past or current service on the board of directors or chairing philanthropic activities for many organizations, including American Cancer Society, Cattle Baron’s Ball, The Family Place, The Arts Community Alliance, Aaron Family Jewish Community Center of Dallas, Vogel Alcove, Baylor Celebrating Women for the BSW Foundation, The Sandler-Kenner Foundation, Highland Park Boy’s Lacrosse, Inc., Friends of the Highland Park Library, Highland Park Literary Festival, Highland Park Community League and the University of Texas McCombs BBA Parents Council.

Despite her strong Bruin allegiances, Tananbaum is the proud mother of two Longhorns: Kyle (UT McCombs BBA 2022) and Jason (UT McCombs BHP and BBA 2025) and is Cookie’s primary dog walker.

Karen Baker ’83
Department of Sociology

“Here at UCLA is where I first experienced the euphoric feeling of learning how I could make a difference in the world. Graduating with a B.A. in sociology exposed me to smart, creative and diverse students who understood the importance of solving complex social problems.”

Karen Baker is a nonprofit and public sector leader, strategist and community program innovator. Currently, she is the executive director of Yolo Food Bank, and she has served in cabinet positions and agency lead posts under California Governors Schwarzenegger, Brown and Newsom leading California Volunteers. Prior to her current position, Baker was the architect and co-chair of Listos California, a statewide disaster preparedness campaign aimed at educating diverse and vulnerable populations. Prior to her work in state government, she was a managing partner with Valley Vision in Sacramento and was the director of innovation at Share Our Strength, an anti-hunger national nonprofit. Baker also served as a Clinton administration presidential appointee to establish the national service program AmeriCorps, and she led Chrysalis, a nonprofit dedicated to job readiness for individuals experiencing homelessness. After graduating from UCLA with a B.A. in sociology, she completed a year of service with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. She now lives in Sacramento with her husband and two children.

Neda Bathurst M.S. ’03, Ph.D. ’06
Department of Statistics and Data Science

“UCLA is a fun and pivotal experience, bestowing upon its graduates the foundations to discover new paths for global progress and the realization of dreams.”

Neda Bathurst is currently a data science leader at Google, managing a team of 20 data scientists working on Google Assistant, a private and secure virtual assistant powered by artificial intelligence. It enables users to interact using natural voice or keyboard input to get everyday tasks done more easily than ever before. She began her career at Rand Corporation as a statistician and research scientist while she was finishing her Ph.D. After graduating from UCLA, she was a data scientist consultant at FTI Consulting, where she discovered her passion for the tech sector. Bathurst then joined eBay, followed by Ask.com, before joining Google in 2012. She also served on the MSBA Industry Advisory Board for the graduate school of management at the University of California Davis.

Bathurst presently lives in San Francisco with her husband, a senior intellectual property counsel at a prominent boutique Silicon Valley firm. They enjoy golfing and gardening (sometimes simultaneously, depending on how well they’re playing), spending time with family and traveling.

Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks ’00
Institute of the Environment and Sustainability

“UCLA’s exceptional academic rigor, great minds and engaged student body cultivated my critical thinking skills and nurtured my deep and abiding belief in creating a business for good.”

As president and CEO of ECOS, Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks leads the strategy and production of environmentally friendly cleaning products at four U.S. facilities and a European manufacturing platform. She has been widely recognized for her influential voice in corporate social responsibility and sustainable manufacturing. Under her leadership, ECOS has become a climate-positive company and has won many awards for its innovations in safer green chemistry, including the U.S. EPA’s Safer Choice Partner of the Year. As a woman of African American and Greek descent, she has made environmental and social justice a cornerstone of ECOS’s mission and is proud to lead a WBENC- and NMSDC-certified business. With a B.A. in communication studies and history from UCLA and an M.B.A. from Chapman University, she is an active member of several boards of directors, including the XPRIZE Foundation and the UCLA Stavros Niarchos Foundation.

Katelyn Ohashi ’19
UCLA College Commencement

“I am so proud to address my fellow Bruins and help celebrate this wonderful accomplishment in their lives. I hope to inspire them to embrace challenges, love themselves and find their voice.”

Katelyn Ohashi has been an avid gymnast since childhood, making her debut at the 2009 Junior Olympic national championships at age 12. She went on to become the 2011 junior national champion and defeated Simone Biles to win the 2013 American Cup. Despite suffering a back injury the next year and being told by doctors she might not be able to compete again, Ohashi persisted — earning a full gymnastics scholarship to UCLA.
An eight-time All-American and four-time member of USA Gymnastics’ junior national team, Ohashi became one of the most decorated gymnasts in UCLA history. During her Bruin career, she earned 11 perfect 10s — including for a 2019 floor routine that became an internet sensation. She was named Pac-12 specialist of the year in 2018 and 2019, and was 2018 NCAA and Pac-12 co-champion in the floor exercise as well as 2019 Pac-12 co-champion in the floor exercise and balance beam. During her senior year, Ohashi took first place for each of her first seven routines.

Medell Briggs-Malonson ’01, M.S. ’11
Academic Advancement Program

“For over 25 years, UCLA has been my source of inspiration and purpose. UCLA instilled in me the principles of service, advocacy and excellence. I strive to uphold these principles each day, and I remain forever grateful to this institution.”

Medell Briggs-Malonson, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.H.S. is the chief of health equity, diversity and inclusion for the UCLA hospital and clinic system. She is also an associate professor of emergency medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. In her current role, she is responsible for the implementation and oversight of organizational structures and initiatives that promote inclusivity and equity among UCLA Health staff, patients and communities.

Briggs-Malonson prides herself in building a culture of innovation, collaboration and excellence. This has led her to become a nationally recognized health care improvement advisor, speaker and bestselling author. Throughout her career, she has held several administrative and academic roles focused on innovative health care system redesign to advance health equity within diverse communities.

Briggs-Malonson received her undergraduate degree from UCLA, her M.D. from Harvard Medical School, her M.P.H. from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and her M.S.H.S. from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. She has received several awards of recognition, including being named among the 2015 top health care professionals under 40 from the National Medical Association and the Los Angeles Dodgers 2021 Healthcare All-Star.

Jakobi Williams M.A. ’02, Ph.D. ’08
Department of African American Studies

“UCLA afforded me the opportunity to transform my vision and dreams into reality and to forge my own path toward success, and the work ethic to exceed my own expectations!”

Jakobi Williams is the Ruth N. Halls Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies at Indiana University–Bloomington, with a joint appointment in the Department of History. A civil rights, Black power, social justice and African American history scholar, he has provided hundreds of invited lectures domestically and abroad on the subjects of civil rights and social justice movements.

Williams serves as a civil rights issues and history consultant for the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Southern Poverty Law Center, National Civil Rights Museum, Social Justice Initiative at the University of Illinois–Chicago, and Kairos Center for Religion, Rights and Social Justice. His most recent book, “From the Bullet to the Ballot: The Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party and Racial Coalition Politics in Chicago,” was published by the University of North Carolina Press under the prestigious John Hope Franklin Series in African American History and Culture. The book was the foundation for the script to the Oscar-winning Warner Bros. film, “Judas and the Black Messiah.”

His most recent awards include a Mellon Foundation-funded Black Metropolis Research Consortium fellowship, a National Endowment for the Humanities grant, a National Humanities Center fellowship and the Big Ten Academic Alliance Academic Leadership Program award. He received his B.A. in history from Southern Illinois University–Carbondale, and both his M.A. in African American studies and his Ph.D. in history from UCLA. He has held positions at UCLA, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Kentucky.

Neetu S. Badhan-Smith ’99
Department of Anthropology

“UCLA is the place where dreams begin. It is there the hope for a better tomorrow is born in the hearts and minds of students to take into the world and promote lasting, promising and positive change. I am eternally grateful for my UCLA education and proud to be part of the Bruin community. UCLA broadened my mind, expanded my horizons, made me a better human being and continues to open doors both of understanding and opportunities.”

Born and raised in Sacramento, Neetu S. Badhan-Smith is a first-generation South Asian American. She attended a visual and performing arts public high school before she was accepted to UCLA. She was the second person in her family to attend college, and the first to go to graduate school. As a student at UCLA, Badhan-Smith worked with the Women’s Resource Center as a peer educator, participating in sexual and domestic violence awareness work, including the Clothesline Project and Take Back the Night. Throughout college, she worked at the library, as a note-taker and at a local arbitration firm. She was also active with the UCLA radio station and with Sangam, a South Asian student group.

Badhan-Smith is a graduate of Southwestern University School of Law, class of 2002. While in law school, she was the chair of the trial advocacy honors program, where she developed a love for trial and social justice work. She was a deputy public defender for 13 years in Los Angeles County, where she represented indigent individuals in criminal cases. Prior to that, she was a staff attorney for two years at the Southern California Housing Rights Center, where she represented individuals in housing discrimination cases in both state and federal court. She was appointed to the Los Angeles Superior Court in May 2017 by Governor Brown, and currently sits in a trial courtroom at the Van Nuys Courthouse. She lives in Los Angeles with her family of humans, two big dogs and a school of fish.

Susan Baumgarten ’73, M.S. ’76, M.B.A. ’79, Executive Program Certificate ’91
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

“My UCLA degrees gave me the entrée to my career; the educational experience gave me a breadth of knowledge which informs and enriches my life; and the campus to this day provides beauty and intellectual stimulation. Through all, the people of UCLA are a family, which is always there for me, and for others.”

Susan Baumgarten was a teenage ballerina who transitioned to STEM and an extensive career in electrical/systems engineering, business development, and executive leadership at Hughes Aircraft and Raytheon Company. She led a breadth of organizations in space and airborne sensor development, eventually as a corporate vice president. She later served as president of Raytheon International, integrating activities in 76 countries around the world. Throughout her career, Baumgarten led business and organizational turnarounds, demonstrating her abilities as a visionary leader of technology and as a business strategist. Additionally, she served as an executive-in-residence at the UCLA Anderson School of Management from 2009 to 2017, lecturing and counseling on leadership and advancement in technology companies. She holds three degrees from UCLA: a bachelor’s in mathematics and biochemistry, a master’s in electrical engineering, and a master’s in business administration.

Her efforts now focus on encouraging STEM education and arts access for all. She occasionally presents to Women in Engineering at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, and serves on the board of advisors for the UCLA Division of Physical Sciences, on the UCLA Chemistry Advisory Council, and on UCLA’s Women & Philanthropy board. She is president of Center Dance Arts at The Music Center of Los Angeles, and serves on The Music Center’s board of directors and on the board of Everybody Dance LA.

Chip McLean ’87
Department of Communication

“To me, UCLA has always meant opportunity the opportunity to be inspired and challenged in reaching for one’s potential, knowing that you are truly welcomed, supported and valued as a member of a rich and diverse community of scholars, students and others of the highest caliber and integrity on so many levels.”

Chip McLean serves as senior vice president, head of business affairs and business development for Disney Music Group (DMG) and as general manager of Disney Concerts Worldwide, which he helped to launch. He also serves as The Walt Disney Company’s senior executive responsible for Disney Music Publishing. Over his 16-year tenure with Disney, McLean has led the development and implementation of many innovative business initiatives and strategic alliances for the company, including recently overseeing DMG’s successful efforts in structuring, negotiating and closing new deals fortifying DMG’s global relationships with its recorded music and music publishing partners around the world.

McLean launched his career as an associate attorney with a prominent Washington, D.C., communications law firm. He later joined the new media practice group of Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati in Palo Alto, California. In 1995 he joined Warner Bros. Records, serving in various capacities there, including as vice president of business and legal affairs. A native of Southern California, he graduated magna cum laude from UCLA (B.A., communications with business emphasis) and from Stanford Law School (J.D.).

Doug Pak ’96
Department of Economics

“I was fortunate enough to get accepted and attend UCLA only four years after my family immigrated to the United States from South Korea. I feel indebted to UCLA, as it offered me education, fun, friendships and personal growth opportunities during a critical time in my life. Thank you, UCLA.”

Doug Pak is a serial entrepreneur and seasoned executive who founded a chain restaurant and franchise investment company, BLD Brands, with no money in his pocket and raised more than $120 million. The company grew from scratch to more than $200 million in eight years, and such fast growth earned him the MVP Award for Mega Growth Leadership. He recently launched BLD Ventures to focus on building and supporting companies and organizations that make a positive impact and deliver high value; the company also makes opportunistic investments. His prior work and startup experiences include such diverse areas as technology, real estate, finance and restaurants.

Pak graduated from UCLA in 1996 with a degree in business/economics and currently serves on two UCLA advisory boards. In addition, he established the Pak Family Endowed Speaker Series in Economics, which will launch in the 2023 academic year. He has also served on the Pepperdine University board and on the boards of several private companies and nonprofits.

Shawn Holley ’84
Department of English

“My mom and her brother both went to UCLA, and I grew up in L.A. with a real sense of pride about that. For that reason, UCLA is the only college I ever wanted to attend, but it wasn’t a certainty that I would get in. UCLA saw my passion and gave me a chance. For me, UCLA means pride and opportunity.”

Shawn Holley is a partner at Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump Holley LLP, a boutique Santa Monica law firm, where she practices entertainment/business litigation and criminal defense. She started her career as a Los Angeles County public defender and later worked as an associate at the Law Offices of Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr., where she practiced civil litigation and criminal defense, notably as a highly visible member of the O.J. Simpson defense team.

Holley’s list of past and present clients includes Kanye West, Justin Bieber, Michael Jackson, Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg, Tory Lanez, T.I., Kathy Griffin, Rosario Dawson, Ryan Phillippe, Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie, Paris Hilton, the Kardashian/Jenner family, Katt Williams, Charlamagne tha God, Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard, Lamar Odom, Reggie Bush and members of Black Lives Matter. Holley is also co-executive producer on a scripted television show that was inspired by her life and career and will air on Hulu in the fall.

Anthea M. Hartig ’86
Department of History

“I am an eternally proud, third-generation Bruin! When I graduated in 1986, 60 years had passed since my great aunt received her diploma from ‘the southern campus’ in 1926. My grandmother, father, uncle and sister all hail as proud daughters and sons of Westwood. My training as an historian there truly shaped my life, career and advocacy, for which I am so grateful.”

Anthea M. Hartig is the Elizabeth MacMillan director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and the first woman to hold that position. Hartig stewards a collection that includes 1.8 million objects and more than three shelf-miles of archives, and has set a vision for the museum to be the most accessible, inclusive, relevant and sustainable public history institution possible. An award-winning public historian and cultural heritage expert, Hartig previously served as the executive director and CEO of the California Historical Society and as the director of the Western region for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She has been involved in historic preservation and public history projects since the 1990s.

Kamil Ud Deen ’94, Ph.D. ’02
Department of Linguistics

“UCLA has given me an identity and has opened doors for me. Since graduating, everywhere I go, I am identified as a graduate of UCLA linguistics, and upon that identification, opportunities have been opened to me. It is no exaggeration to say that I would not be where I am were it not for UCLA.”

Kamil Deen is currently a professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, researching and teaching on child language acquisition. Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, Deen came to UCLA as a freshman intending to study economics and business administration. He discovered linguistics in his second year, and eventually declared himself a linguistics major.

His B.A. in linguistics opened many doors, but he took the academic route, obtaining an Ed.M. from Harvard University in 1995 and returning to his alma mater to receive his Ph.D. in 2002. He has received numerous teaching and research awards, and has held a number of research grants over the 20 years of his time at the University of Hawaii. He credits much of his success to the outstanding education in linguistics he received at his beloved UCLA.

Robert S. Harrison ’86
Department of Mathematics

“UCLA provided me with the foundation for my career in banking with my applied math degree. It also allowed me to pursue my other love—a diverse selection of history classes. After all, it’s not all about the numbers!”

Bob Harrison is chairman, president and chief executive officer of First Hawaiian Bank. He has been CEO since January 2012, was reappointed president in August 2019 and has been chairman of the bank’s board of directors since May 2014. A 26-year veteran of the company who joined First Hawaiian Bank in 1996, he has over 30 years of financial industry experience working for banks in New York and in Hawaii.

Harrison currently serves on the boards of directors of the Hawaii Bankers Association, Hawaii Business Roundtable, Hawaii Community Foundation and Pacific Guardian Life and is chairman of Hawaii Medical Service Association, the Hawaii licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. He served in the U.S. Navy before earning a B.A. in applied mathematics from UCLA and an M.B.A. from Cornell University.

D’Juan Farmer ’10
Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology

“UCLA is where I discovered my passions and where I made lasting relationships that changed the trajectory of my life. I am so thrilled to have found a way back!”

D’Juan Farmer is an assistant professor in the Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology at UCLA, with a joint appointment in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. He received his bachelor’s degree at UCLA with a major in molecular, cell and developmental biology and a minor in biomedical research.

Following a post-baccalaureate at the National Institutes of Health, Farmer received his Ph.D. at the University of California, San Francisco, where he investigated the roles of microRNAs during organogenesis in the laboratory of Michael McManus. In 2017, he joined the laboratory of Gage Crump at the University of Southern California and investigated the development of cranial sutures using mouse and zebrafish models. His laboratory now focuses on investigating the inter-cellular and intra-cellular mechanisms of skeletal progenitor specification and function at cranial sutures.

Donald M. Korn ’65, M.S. ’66, Ph.D. ’71
Department of Physics and Astronomy

“As a UCLA freshman, I was most impressed by the academic opportunities and the water polo team on which I played. Sixty years later, I recognize that much of my success is due to having been educated at the highest-ranked public university in the United States.”

Don Korn received his B.S. in physics in 1965, Phi Beta Kappa, and his Ph.D. in physics in 1971, both at UCLA. As a postdoctoral researcher at M.I.T. Lincoln Labs, Korn was recognized for identifying the residual impurities in ultra-pure semiconductors. He joined 3M Central Research Laboratory and pioneered the field of digital radiography by inventing a size-scalable digital X-ray sensor. For this work, he was awarded the Charles Ives Medal by the Journal of Applied Photographic Engineering.

Korn then joined Eastman Kodak, where he conducted research in medical imaging devices and simultaneously held three different vice president positions. After he retired from Kodak in 1999, the business that he pioneered sold for $2.3 billion and is now known as Carestream. Korn served as CEO of two different medical imaging startups and was a senior executive in Silverbrook Research, which brought the Memjet inkjet imaging technology to market. He is now retired in Sanibel, Florida, and has an interest in bird photography.

Marcellus McRae ’85
Department of Political Science

“In many respects, UCLA opened and expanded my intellectual world across different historical periods, continents, languages and cultures. It also was a launching pad for my lifelong curiosity and fascination with ideas, political theory and philosophy. It was a seemingly endless source of knowledge that helped frame my view of the world and my place in it. And it is where I met my wife of 31 years.”

Marcellus Antonio McRae is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, where he serves as co-chair of the firm’s global trial practice group. California Lawyer magazine featured him as an honoree in its 2015 Attorney of the Year Awards. McRae has first-chaired numerous jury trials, bench trials and arbitrations in both federal and state courts. He also writes and speaks on trial and litigation skills, white-collar criminal defense, labor and employment law and other topics.

From 1995 until joining Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in February 1998, McRae served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Criminal Division, Major Frauds Section, in Los Angeles. During this time, he investigated and prosecuted complex white-collar crimes (tax, securities, bankruptcy and other business frauds) and traditional crimes that involved both jury and non-jury trial experience with a 100% conviction rate at trial. He also drafted numerous appellate briefs filed in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and had several arguments before that court. Prior to joining the United States attorney’s office, McRae was an associate with Debevoise & Plimpton.

McRae received his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1988 and earned a B.A. summa cum laude in 1985 from the UCLA Departments of Political Science and History. He currently serves on UCLA’s Social Sciences Dean’s Advisory Board and Political Science Board of Advisors.

Jeremi Gorman ’99
Department of Sociology

“UCLA is in my blood; my first words may have been the eight-clap. Both of my parents are UCLA sociology graduates, and my older sister has both a B.S. and a master’s from UCLA. Beginning in 1985, my family journeyed to Bruin Woods each summer, where I ultimately became a counselor for the summer of 1996. It’s no surprise I married a Bruin to keep the tradition alive. UCLA has meant family and lifelong friendships for as long as I can remember.”

Jeremi Gorman is chief business officer at Snap Inc., where she is a member of the executive team and is responsible for revenue and revenue operations, leading global sales, creative strategy and Snap’s newest creative studio for augmented reality, Arcadia. She has spent her entire career in tech, with leadership positions at Monster.com and Yahoo! Prior to joining Snap, she spent nearly seven years at Amazon, where she led global enterprise advertising sales.

Gorman is a proud 1999 graduate of UCLA in sociology. She serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board for the UCLA Division of Social Sciences, the board of directors of Samba TV and the board of Women for Women International. A travel-lover and thrill-seeker, Gorman has traveled to over 50 countries, with a goal to double that.