The current wildfires continue to have a devastating effect on Los Angeles County’s people and infrastructure. With thousands of residents displaced and many having lost their homes and businesses, UCLA and local organizations have mobilized to support both the campus community and the broader public.
As UCLA continues to focus on protecting its students, faculty, staff and their loved ones, the university is also encouraging those who are able to donate funds and supplies and to volunteer to aid in relief and recovery. More information as to how to get involved and additional campus resources can be found here.
L.A. fires: UCLA campus updates and resources
The latest on the status of campus operations, instruction and emergency plans for the Bruin community
On Jan. 12, the UCLA Newsroom launched a wildfire information microsite to centralize fire-related resources and campus operational updates, FAQs for students, faculty and staff.
The site is being updated regularly with the latest information. Visit UCLA’s L.A. Fires webpage here.
New UCLA Data Brief Reveals Wildfire Impacts Beyond Burn Zones, Highlighting Disparities in Health and Economic Vulnerability Among Latino and Underserved Communities
Hillside on fire with bright orange flames and black smoke making heart shape during California Woolsey Fire
This brief is the first in a continuing analysis of the event. Upcoming publications will examine the full scope of wildfire impacts, affected workers, displaced jobs and small businesses.
Hillside on fire with bright orange flames and black smoke making heart shape during California Woolsey Fire
LOS ANGELES (January 10, 2025)—A new data brief from the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute and the UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge reveals that the Palisades, Hurst, and Eaton wildfires have far-reaching effects. They extend beyond evacuation zones to disproportionately impact Latino and other underserved communities across Los Angeles County and neighboring communities.
The brief reveals a stark truth about Latinos who work in outdoor occupations like construction, delivery, transportation, and agriculture: 17% of residents in Latino neighborhoods are employed in these sectors compared to just 6% in white neighborhoods. Wildfire smoke puts these workers at risk of respiratory illness and income loss due to work disruptions. Many outdoor workers may also experience income disruptions as their places of employment are destroyed or closed, and air quality plummets across the county.
Health disparities: Latino neighborhoods experience nearly double the exposure to diesel and PM2.5 pollution compared to white neighborhoods, compounding the health risks of wildfire smoke. Asthma-related emergency room visits average 67 per 10,000 residents in Latino neighborhoods—over 2.5 times higher than in white neighborhoods (25 per 10,000).
Lack of Preparedness: Latino households and small businesses often lack disaster plans or insurance coverage, leaving them financially unprepared. Nearly 30% of surveyed small businesses reported having no insurance for fire or natural disasters, limiting recovery options.
Access to health care: With 14% of residents in Latino neighborhoods uninsured—compared to 3% in white neighborhoods—access to critical medical care during and after disasters remains a significant barrier.
“These findings show that wildfires exacerbate long-standing inequities, not just for Latinos, but for all underserved communities in Los Angeles County,” said Pech, deputy director of the UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge.
“We must take immediate action to address these disparities through equitable disaster response, preparedness, and recovery efforts,” said Gonzalez, research director at UCLA LPPI.
The authors call for policy solutions such as expanding healthcare access, employer-mandated protections for outdoor workers, and investment in culturally responsive emergency preparedness programs to safeguard vulnerable populations countywide.
To download any of the previous reports in the Hollywood Diversity Report series, click HERE.
To learn more about the UCLA Entertainment and Media Research Initiative, click HERE.
The Hollywood Diversity Report 2024, Featuring Film, Part 1: Theatrical (released March 2024) and the Hollywood Diversity Report 2024, Featuring Film, Part 2: Streaming (released May 2024) are also available. Download those reports HERE.
UCLA student Mohammed Alharthi is heading to Oxford as a 2025 Rhodes scholar
Alharthi is UCLA’s first international student to win the famed scholarship and the 13th recipient in the university’s history
Mohammed Alharthi in 2022 at a United Nations SDG Summit, an event focused on sustainable development, where he was an “economic growth changemaker.” He wears a traditional Saudi palm tree pin badge.
UCLA student Mohammed Alharthi, who will graduate in June 2025 with bachelor’s degrees in political science and mathematics/economics, has been awarded a Rhodes scholarship, widely considered the most prestigious and competitive award for international postgraduate study.
Next fall, Alharthi will join more than 100 other newly minted Rhodes scholars from around the world at the University of Oxford in the U.K., where he plans to pursue master’s degrees in diplomacy and global governance and in financial economics. The scholarship covers all expenses — including tuition, living and travel — for up to three years of study at Oxford.
Alharthi, who is from Saudi Arabia, is the first international student from UCLA to be chosen for the honor and the first UCLA-affiliated scholar selected since 2009. Each year, the Rhodes Trust awards scholarships to young men and women from 26 constituencies representing the U.S. and more than 70 other countries, along with two “global” recipients from countries outside those constituencies. Altharti applied for the scholarship through the Saudi Arabia constituency.
Created in 1902, the Rhodes scholarship supports students who have demonstrated academic excellence, a strong concern for the welfare of others and a commitment to making the world a better place. The program aims to develop public-spirited leaders and to promote global understanding and peace through an international community of scholars.
“I’ve always thought of myself as a public servant who understands his nation and the world,” Alharthi said. “The scholarship provides a passport to form lifetime relationships across the globe with some of the world’s most promising scholars and leaders, as we walk our paths at Oxford.”
At UCLA, Alharthi has immersed himself in campus life. An honors student interested in global policymaking and institution building, he has been active in the work of UCLA Center for Middle East Development and was appointed to the UCLA Academic Senate’s committee on international education by the Undergraduate Students Association Council. He has also served as the operations officer for the Saudi Arabian Students Association on campus.
“The weight of UCLA, with its long list of contributions to humanity, has only fueled the momentum to maximize what I get from this special Bruin moment,” Alharthi said.
Academically, Alharthi’s work as an undergraduate at UCLA has been exceptional, said assistant professor of political science Salma Mousa, who wrote him a letter of recommendation for the Rhodes application.
“Mohammed has designed and implemented an impressive honors thesis — scraping Arabic-language newspapers across the Middle East, using AI tools to analyze the content and sentiment of these articles, and ultimately measuring how foreign investment can shape soft power in the investors’ image,” she said. “In doing so, he is using modern methods to speak to basic questions about political economy in a data-poor region.
“I am thrilled to see Mohammed’s work and character be recognized in this way — a win for UCLA and the Arab world.”
Alharthi has also deepened his understanding of policy and economic development through off-campus study and research opportunities, including internships with international consulting firm McKinsey & Company; the United Nations Secretariat in New York, where he worked on global peace and security initiatives and sustainability issues; and the Saudi Industrial Development Fund. And this year, he co-founded Furas, a startup dedicated to expanding internship opportunities for young Saudis.
Alharthi’s application process was supported by the UCLA Center for Scholarships and Scholar Enrichment, which provides personalized guidance for students applying for competitive awards, including support in crafting applications, interview preparation and identifying funding opportunities.
This article, written by Kayla McCormack, originally appeared in the UCLA Newsroom.
Meyer Luskin on the future of history
Photo collage by Tina Hordzwick/UCLA
A Q&A with the alumnus and longtime UCLA supporter on the power of the past to shape what’s next
Photo collage by Tina Hordzwick/UCLA
“We are not gleaning enough of the past to have good fruit for the future,” Meyer Luskin said. “We must convince universities, and departments of history in universities, to point out … lessons for current society.”
The impact of Meyer and Renee Luskin’s leadership and giving at UCLA cannot be overstated, with their generosity touching nearly every area of campus. As the alumni couple makes a landmark $25 million pledge to support the UCLA Department of History, Meyer took the time to share his thoughts about his first academic love — history — and why he believes it may have the ability to save us all, if we are wise enough to mind its lessons.
What was your journey to UCLA like?
I was born on the Lower East Side of New York and spent my first 14 years there. In the old days with the crowded tenements, I was really living in a ghetto with hardly any outlook on what the world was like. Then we moved to Boyle Heights, which was a little more expansive, but not a hell of a lot more. We were very poor; my life was surrounded and circumvented by being in an enclosed area. And then I’m off to UCLA and the world expands — suddenly, I see different people, different opportunities.
I had to travel an hour-and-a-half to get to UCLA because I had no car. It was a combination of a trolley on Brooklyn Avenue and then a streetcar, then a bus and then a walk of about half a mile. It wasn’t easy. I spent a year at UCLA from 1942 to 1943, went into World War II in the army and came back to UCLA in 1946. I finished my remaining three years and graduated in 1949. Then I got an M.B.A. at Stanford. One of the great things UCLA did for me was to open my world and mind to something more — and then give me the tools to go further.
How did your family influence your journey to UCLA and beyond?
My mother and father had no formal education, but they were intelligent people who, when they came over to this country, quickly learned to read and write English. My father was a working-class man, a plumber, but he insisted I get a good education and prepare myself for more. And so I did a great deal of reading as a youngster. What encouraged the reading was that I was a very sick child with all sorts of illnesses, so I was home a lot more than most children. It turned out I really enjoyed reading books of history, books of the people who affected history. It was primarily European history, Western history, but I did read some history of Asia and of other parts of the world. When I went to UCLA, I majored in history — that was my love. At UCLA, I delighted in being exposed to history on a higher level than I got in high school. When the professor would assign a chapter over a weekend, I’d spend all day Saturday and Sunday reading two or three books. I just couldn’t get enough. I had a class in European history as a freshman where I did so well that the professor asked me whether I wanted to read and grade exams for him. And my second semester, I did.
UCLA Library Special Collections
Meyer Luskin in a 1949 yearbook photo as a member of the UCLA boxing team. As a student, his first love was history.
Did you ever consider becoming a historian?
My world was so narrow that the concept of being a professor or historian was one that I didn’t quite grasp. For me, this kid from Boyle Heights, the distance between me and professors felt too vast, and I never thought I could do anything with my love for history. After I was discharged from the army in 1946, I wondered how I would make a living. I thought, well, I’ll change my major to economics. But I did take a couple of philosophy courses at UCLA which were of great value to me, because one of them was a course in inductive logic. Professor Hans Reichenbach taught me the value of understanding probability in everyday decisions, and it helped me a lot later in life.
In 2014, you gave an address at the UCLA history department commencement ceremony that made the point that history helped you avoid some big missteps. How so?
I was in the business world, with a company that had most of its assets tied up in oil rigs in Libya. This was before [Moammar] Gadhafi, before dictatorship; there was a king, Idris. All the major oil companies employed contractors to drill their wells; we owned 10 different rigs, which led to a lot of debt. And when I was in Libya, I became acquainted with a very intelligent, cultured Libyan who was one of our employees, and I had him explain to me the history, politics and background of the nation. I then realized that the king would probably be deposed, there would be a dictatorship that hated the West, and there was a good chance that this type of dictator would nationalize the oil industry.
So I made a point to sell our business in Libya. My colleagues thought I was crazy because it was very profitable. But several years after we sold our equipment in Libya, sure enough, along comes Moammar Gadhafi, who drives out every company. All of the contractors went broke, and some even had to ransom some of the men to get them out of the country. And so knowledge of history saved our butts. Truly understanding the industry, work and society you’re in helps you make much better decisions for the future.
What do you hope history can do for society, both now and in the future?
Who can better understand the past and derive knowledge that’s worthwhile for the present and future than historians? The historian has the ability to look back and research and truly understand — something too many of us are not doing enough of because we’re taken up with the daily problems of existence. Historians give us a sense of perspective — what went wrong, what went right — and educate our citizens and political and economic leaders. Their learning can lead us to a better path so we don’t repeat mistakes.
I’ll give you a good example of learning from history, in my opinion. After World War I, the nations that won — France, the United States, England — really penalized Germany and put onerous conditions on its existence. And as a result, we had a Germany that hated the rest of the world and gave birth to a horrible dictator. And we had World War II. After World War II, we realized there’s no point in once again trying to destroy Germany; by learning from the past, we came up with the Marshall Plan. France and Germany now work together, and we haven’t had a war in the western part of Europe since — all because we learned from history.
UCLA
Meyer and Renee Luskin receive the 2021 Edward A. Dickson Alumni of the Year Award from the UCLA Alumni Association. “What drives Meyer and Renee,” Chancellor Gene Block said, “is precisely what drives UCLA: a desire to solve society’s biggest challenges and to create opportunity for all through education and research.”
With today’s immediacy of social media and misinformation, I wonder if one effect may be that we lose a sense of that long-term unfolding of history. Do you think it is a critical moment for recapturing what is so significant and beneficial to society about history?
I think you have it exactly right. What has gone on in the last 20, 30, 40 years, people are getting so taken up with the immediate that there is a lack of perspective. Rather than being able to sit and discuss and talk, drawing on the perspective of the past, people think solutions have to be immediate too. A society without long-term vision will lose the lessons of the past. I blame that on a lack of reading and too much focus on day-to-day stuff on our phones. We, as a society, have gone backward rather than forward in embracing long-term thinking.
UCLA Library Special Collections
Renee Luskin’s 1953 UCLA yearbook graduation photo. She earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology and went on to pursue social work at USC.
Did that feeling — that this moment is so critical — inspire you and Renee to make such a transformational gift to the department of history right now?
Exactly, because I’m so concerned about our country and our world. I want everyone to appreciate the value of where we’ve been, what’s happened, where were the mistakes and how we can avoid repeating them. It’s going to be a dangerous outcome if people continue to get so caught up in daily and transitory events without a true vision of where we’ve been and where we’re going. We have come too close to accepting dictatorship, which sells an illusion that a strong man on a horse is going to solve all the problems. In fact, that strong man on the horse winds up putting you in jail and killing you if you don’t agree with him. It’s more important than ever to look at history and the long-term picture.
You seem to me to be a staunch proponent of the famous aphorism delivered by the Harvard philosopher George Santayana: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
I’m thinking of what Mark Twain said — and I probably will get it wrong — but he says something like, “History may not repeat itself, but it surely rhymes.” We are not gleaning enough of the past to have good fruit for the future. We must convince universities, and departments of history in universities, to point out the similarities to and lessons for current society.
We need more articles published in the newspapers and on television of studies of how something in the past relates to exactly what’s going on right now. It would make for a better world for us all. I hope that other universities would also have their history departments emphasize the need to use their studies to educate the public more. I hope the UCLA history department sets the standard and leads in helping society understand what they’ve learned.
One last question. You and Renee have made remarkable and ample investments in UCLA. What does the university mean to you?
I believe in order to have a true democracy, we have to have a truly great public university. If the public of a nation does not have a place where they can go for higher learning and to be lifted, then you cannot make any progress, and you go backward. I believe that we must support the public university more than ever, which we’re doing. The knowledge of the world essentially emanates from the university.
I also think great ideas for humanity do not come solely from “hard” science; they also come from the “soft” sciences. UCLA in the fullest sense — all of its disciplines — must be supported. And history shall always be important for the progress of people.
Myers, the Sady and Ludwig Kahn Chair in Jewish History, is director of the UCLA Luskin Center for History and Policy and the UCLA Initiative to Study Hate.
This article, written by David N. Myers, originally appeared in the UCLA Newsroom.
Honoring Juneteenth with art, education and community-building
“Prelude to Juneteenth Day Celebration” is produced by Cheryl Keyes, chair of the UCLA Department of African American Studies and professor of ethnomusicology and global jazz studies.
Professor Cheryl Keyes invites all to join UCLA’s campus prelude celebration on June 5
“Prelude to Juneteenth Day Celebration” is produced by Cheryl Keyes, chair of the UCLA Department of African American Studies and professor of ethnomusicology and global jazz studies.
For Cheryl Keyes, the celebration has been a long time coming.
Ever since Juneteenth (June 19) became the newest federal holiday in 2021, Keyes, chair of the UCLA Department of African American Studies, has been carefully planning how she could best commemorate it on a big Bruin scale.
“I want to celebrate Black life with a lineup of artists and educators whose work will titillate the soul and reflect the incredible interdisciplinary scholarship of our department,” said Keyes, who produced the event. “We took the time and put the passion into making this program something that celebrates inclusive excellence, community engagement and the rich history of the Black experience.”
During the long and thoughtful planning process, the event’s shape began to crystallize after Keyes had a serendipitous conversation with Earl Stewart, an acclaimed composer and associate professor emeritus at UC Santa Barbara. Inspired by her vision, he revealed that he had a very special connection to the holiday.
During his last year of graduate school, Stewart became interested in Juneteenth when his colleague Melvin Wade shared his research on an article about the actual activities that took place on the day. He also discovered that Wade’s mentor was one of the top Black Texas legislators who successfully led the push for Juneteenth to become a state holiday in 1980. Having learned about its true meaning, Stewart decided that Juneteenth should be commemorated by a symphony.
“While working on the composition, I began to see Juneteenth as something more than just a celebration of the freedom of Black people from slavery. To me, Juneteenth also symbolized the political birth of the African American race,” Stewart said. “Although African Americans gave themselves specific names before their liberation, we were not officially recognized as a specific people in America until after the Emancipation Proclamation. It is a complete honor for me to participate in this UCLA celebration and premiere my Juneteenth symphony.”
Another aspect that Keyes wanted to illuminate in the celebration is the idea that Black history did not begin with American enslavement, but with great empires in Africa. And so Keyes, who is also a professor of ethnomusicology and global jazz studies, composed her own piece for orchestra, “Sundiata Keita Overture,” named in honor of the royal founder of the Mali Empire. Like Stewart’s “Symphony #4: Juneteenth,” it will receive its world premiere at the event.
The event’s lineup of artists also includes actor Abdoulaye N’Gom, emcee James Janisse, freestyle lyricist Medusa the Gangsta Goddess and guest conductor Antoine T. Clark, among other luminaries.
“To participate in this particular celebration and return to the community that nurtured me as a scholar, an artist and an engaged citizen is an honor and a privilege,” said choreographer/dancer Bernard Brown, who earned an MFA from UCLA in 2017. “Supporting the arts supports the best of humanity. Come and be moved by the beauty and truth of Black music and dance!”
“I’m hoping that my musical performance is received as the sum of my own personal ancestry in America,” said violinist Karen Briggs, who is also known as the “Lady in Red.” “Fundamentally, I see myself as a sum of those that came before me and in a way that could have only come authentically from the legacy of the African American spirit. I am proud to be able to present this aspect of my culture through the voice of the violin.”
The event is likely to be as educational as it is emotionally moving, whether attendees are already knowledgeable about the history and meaning of Juneteenth or are learning about it for the first time.
“UCLA is fortunate to have such a remarkable department, led with such creativity, wisdom and compassion. It is no surprise that professor and department chair Cheryl Keyes has set and achieved her vision of creating an event as powerful, uplifting and resonant as this important occasion deserves,” said Abel Valenzuela, dean of the UCLA Division of Social Sciences. “I encourage everyone to attend this important celebration and to carry its message of history, hope and healing forward.”
This article, written by Jonathan Riggs, originally appeared in the UCLA Newsroom.
Hollywood Diversity Report 2024, Part 2: Streaming
NEW! The Hollywood Diversity Report 2024, Part 2: Streaming is now available.
Diego Sarmiento, a third-year political science major and public affairs minor, has won the Truman Scholarship. This marks the first time since 2009 that a UCLA student has been selected for this award.
The Truman Scholarship is awarded to college juniors committed to careers in public service. In addition to extensive support from the foundation, advising and mentoring opportunities, the scholarship provides up to $30,000 to fund graduate study.
“I see the Truman Scholarship as an investment in my future. I see this as the scholarship committee saying, ‘I see potential in you,’” says Sarmiento. “I just want to prove them right. It’s an honor to receive this award, but it’s also a privilege and I don’t plan to take that for granted.”
Originally a mathematics and economics major, his involvement in grassroots movements and local policy initiatives in his hometown of Santa Ana ignited his passion for political science and social justice, inspiring him to switch his major.
Reflecting on his journey, Sarmiento remarks, “Policy is so powerful, and it affects my life, my neighbors’ lives, and the lives of countless others. My local community-organizing work opened my eyes to the transformative potential of policy.”
Throughout his undergraduate studies, Sarmiento has continued to work in his local community advocating for various causes, from rent control ordinances to youth empowerment initiatives. He worked on a homeless prevention program at the Orange County Board of Supervisors, which provides $400 a month to 100 single-parent households and senior citizens on the brink of homelessness and eviction. His hands-on experience in community organizing and local policy, coupled with his academic pursuits, has equipped him with a unique perspective on bridging the gap between academic theory and grassroots activism.
Sarmiento plans to pursue a joint J.D. and master’s in public policy. Beyond graduate school, he hopes to dedicate his career to addressing systemic injustices and amplifying the voices of marginalized communities, particularly focusing on economic justice and reforming the influence of money in politics.
This fall, he’ll be running the Santanero Voter Initiative to mobilize Latinx youth voters in Santa Ana. After graduation in 2025, he plans to participate in the Truman Scholarship’s Summer Institute in Washington D.C. before starting graduate school.
As Sarmiento embarks on the next phase of his academic and advocacy journey, he’s hopeful about effecting change in the future.
“Change may be difficult, but it is possible,” he affirms. “Starting at the local level and building meaningful connections within communities can create change locally. And over time, that has the potential to snowball, grow and create an even bigger impact.”
