Jessica Franey woke up in the back seat of her car every morning, unsure where she would find her meals and apprehensive about the long day of classes ahead. “I felt very abandoned as a teenager,” said Franey. “The few months of living this way and sleeping in my car traumatized me.” Franey, a graduate […]
Author Archives: Meghan Hodges
Berky Nelson remembered for four decades of service as mentor, role model
H. Viscount “Berky” Nelson, a respected UCLA mentor, director and mediator, died Oct. 5 in Los Angeles at the age of 76, following a lengthy battle with cancer. Nelson, who began working at UCLA in 1969, initially served as the director of campus programs and activities. He spent these first few years developing relationships with […]
Conference re-evaluates California Master Plan for Higher Education
Representatives from California college systems met Saturday to discuss issues surrounding the rising costs of attending higher education institutions in California. Attendees reviewed the California Master Plan for Higher Education and reinitiated a conversation about the issues associated with higher education since the 1960s, said Iman Sylvain, external affairs vice president of the UC Berkeley […]
International Institute launches new program with lecture on migration
The Center for the Study of International Migration hosted its inaugural lecture Friday, signifying the launch of the UCLA International Institute’s newest program.
UCLA’s MedDreamers seeks to advocate for undocumented medical students
Seung Jin (James) Lee watched his parents buy over-the-counter medicine each time they got sick, wondering why they never sought medical treatment from a doctor like the other families in his suburban neighborhood. Without health care, his family did not have time to spare on visits to the doctor. His parents could not afford proper […]
Top environmental scientist joins UCLA to direct institute
Prominent conservation researcher and scientist Peter Kareiva, who has played roles in developing worldwide conservation programs, is the director of the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability effective immediately, officials announced Monday. “We were looking for someone who is a top-notch scholar and researcher, who is a great leader and Peter is both of […]
Professor faced hardships in war-torn Iran, now heads UCLA department
Dr. Siavash Kurdistani maintained and developed a curiosity for science and discovery throughout his youth, despite the hardships he faced as a member of an oppressed minority during wartime. Growing up in Iran during the 1979 revolution and the consequent eight-year war with Iraq, Kurdistani faced oppression as a Jew, forcing him to escape from […]