A PUBLICATION OF THE UCLA MEYER AND RENEE LUSKIN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
SU M M E R 2015
PUBLIC POLICY | SOCIAL WELFARE | URBAN PLANNING
AREA OF STUDY
CERTIFICATES OFFERED
BUILDING THE CAREER TOOLKIT LIVE/WORK OUTSIDE OF LA
GRADUATION
2 3
10
10 equipping the career toolkit With capstone projects, career coaching sessions, professional development workshops and internship programs around the world, UCLA Luskin students are given a wide selection of ways to equip their career toolkit.
20 from the ground up: global public affairs at ucla luskin 24 a shoup-tastic retirement departments
2 milestones 6 seen & heard 8 by the numbers
26 alumni notes 28 lasting image
A publication of DEAN FRANKLIN D. GILLIAM, JR. EDITORS Alex Boekelheide, Sharon Hong CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Adeney Zo, Angel Ibanez, Alejandra Reyes-Velarde PHOTOGRAPHY Alex Boekelheide, Todd Cheney, Gonzalo Fuentes, Angel Iba単ez, Marisa Lemorande, Michael Moriatis, Christa Renee, Gus Ruelas, David Sprague, Richard Vogel OTHER PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY Terra Bennett, Phoebe Brauer, Tracy Colunga, Viviana Franco, Jeree Glasser-Hedrick, Nurit Katz, Office of Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, Kurt Luhrsen, Tim Panadreou, UC Berkeley, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, John Villasenor, Emily Williams DESIGN ETCH Creative
21 FROM THE DEAN As I write this letter, preparations for Commencement are taking shape, leading up to the day when our graduate students transition into their lives beyond UCLA. It’s a bittersweet moment for me as this will be my final Luskin Forum note and my last Commencement as Dean. This fall, I begin a new chapter in my life as the Chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. While I’m sad to leave UCLA Luskin, I am supremely confident that the school and the UCLA Luskin community are stronger than we’ve ever been before. For our graduate students, they are all starting new chapters in their lives. And, like a proud parent, I’m happy to say they are well prepared to lead productive professional lives after they leave campus. What they have learned in the classroom from our world-class faculty is just a part of their overall UCLA Luskin education experience. Through field placements, capstones and applied policy projects, students have been able to apply the “beautiful theory” they learn in the classroom to the sometimes “ugly facts” of the real world. From working on access to healthcare for underserved populations in California to changing how Los Angeles County deals with sex trafficking of minors, our students are already making their mark. And, in working with clients on these real world problems, they’ve been equipped with what I like to call the “change agent toolkit.” Through this toolkit, we are providing UCLA
Luskin students with the necessary leadership and professional development training to succeed. While students are tackling a rigorous academic education, they also are provided a menu of options to further their training—skills workshops, career networking opportunities, formal mentorship programs, paid executive apprenticeships, international fellowships and so much more. These opportunities provide for a well-rounded education in an increasingly competitive and complex world. For the final time, I get to quote Margaret Mead, whose quote has been a mantra of our school’s since I arrived seven years ago: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
What our graduate students have learned in the classroom is just a part of their overall UCLA Luskin educational experience. committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” This group, this UCLA Luskin family and their thoughtfulness, dedication and commitment to make our world a better place has energized and inspired me. I will take this with me in my next role. UCLA Luskin will always be home. Thank you.
MILESTONES
FINDING THEIR PLACE Every year, Social Welfare students network with service agencies at the departmental placement fair. The event gives graduate students an opportunity to learn which social service organizations offer field placements that align with their career goals—exposing them to key job training experience in the process.
FACULTY IN THE NEWS ANASTASIA LOUKAITOUSIDERIS The Urban Planning professor wrote an oped for the Los Angeles Times on the need for California to look to rail systems in Europe to address the challenges of building a transportation system that connects to the community.
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GERARDO LAVIÑA
JOHN VILLASENOR
The field education faculty member was named director of field education and associate director of MSW education by the department of Social Welfare. Laviña has served the department since 1993.
The Public Policy and Electrical Engineering professor was featured in the media on the topics of selling used digital media and the growing danger of hacked hardware. He also co-wrote a blog post for the Brookings Institution on the role of the global financial system in fighting poverty.
IMPACT NEW DIRECTOR TO LEAD INEQUALITY INSTITUTE International development scholar Ananya Roy will lead a new UCLA Luskin institute examining inequality and democracy as its inaugural director. Roy’s charge at the new institute will be to oversee a multifaceted program of research, training and public outreach operating at the nexus of democracy, social justice, and governance and political participation. As the institute builds an interdisciplinary approach to solving societal problems and leveraging the work of UCLA Luskin’s three departments and across the campus, Roy’s previous experience at the University of California will play a key role. Roy comes to UCLA from UC Berkeley, where she served as a professor of city and regional planning and Distinguished Chair in Global Poverty and Practice.
candidates will need “Electoral to understand that the Asian
American vote is not a monolith… it is shaped in part by age, nativity, multiracial and other evolving demographic composition.” THE REPORT “THE FUTURE OF ASIAN AMERICA IN 2040” BY THE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF INEQUALITY, WHICH PREDICTED A DOUBLING OF THE ASIAN AMERICAN VOTER POPULATION OVER THE NEXT 25 YEARS.
75%
Proportion of water systems in L.A. County that are vulnerable to supply shortages, according to research from the Luskin Center for Innovation.
27
Number of students participating in the Bohnett Fellowship Program, providing practical experience in L.A. government, since the program’s inception.
40k
Number of suicides per year according to Social Welfare professor Mark Kaplan.
DONALD SHOUP NAMED “APA PLANNING PIONEER” Distinguished Professor of Urban Planning Donald Shoup was honored by the American Planning Association with the “National Planning Excellence Award for a Planning Pioneer.” Widely hailed for his work on planning economics and parking, as well as his mentorship over more than four decades on the faculty of UCLA’s Urban Planning
department, Shoup joins previous awardees Pierre Charles L’Enfant, most famous for laying out the streets of Washington, D.C.; Frederick Law Olmstead, who designed New York’s Central Park; and Harvey Perloff, a fellow UCLA faculty member who is known as the “dean of American urban planners.”
84
Number of students who spent Spring Break working in cities around the globe: New Orleans; Washington, D.C.; Vancouver, British Columbia; Shanghai; and Tohoku, Japan.
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MILESTONES
%
P E R C E NT
PROPORTION OF CHILD NEGLECT CASES IN WHICH ALCOHOL PLAYS A FACTOR, ACCORDING TO NEW RESEARCH PUBLISHED BY SOCIAL WELFARE PROFESSOR BRIDGET FREISTHLER.
“For the transition from prison to life outside to be
successful it needs to be gradual. If someone needed to be locked up yesterday, he shouldn’t be completely at liberty today. And he shouldn’t be asked to go from utter dependency to total self-sufficiency in one flying leap.”
U.S. HUD PLANNING CHALLENGE HONORS UCLA LUSKIN TEAM A team composed of UCLA Luskin and Architecture students earned $10,000 and placed second in the Innovation in Affordable Housing Student Design & Planning Competition hosted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Participants in this year’s competition were assigned the task of updating a senior housing high-rise built in New
UBLIC POLICY PROFESSOR MARK KLEIMAN, IN “WE DON’T NEED TO KEEP CRIMINALS IN P PRISON TO PUNISH THEM,” ON VOX.COM.
NEW FROM THE FACULTY BOOKSHELF PROJECT FATHERHOOD Adjunct Professor of Social Welfare Jorja Leap’s new book looks at institutional injustices through the lens of a group of former gang members who meet weekly to overcome their circumstances. The book follows the development of the group’s fathers as they attempt to heal their families and keep their children out of the cradle-toprison pipeline.
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Orleans in 1971 through reconstruction or renovation. The UCLA team opted to rehab the building, adding features such as a rooftop community garden and intergenerational programming in digital literacy. From left, team members Edith Medina Huarita (Urban Planning), Precy Agtarap (Urban Planning), Luis Ochoa (Architecture), John Whitcomb (Architecture) and Laura Krawczyk (Urban Planning) pose with Katherine M. O’Regan, HUD assistant secretary for policy development and research, at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.
LUSKIN STUDENTS PLACE FIRST IN CONSULTING CHALLENGE Despite heavy competition from 24 other teams made up of MBA students, an interdisciplinary team of mostly MPP students won first place at the UCLA Anderson School’s Net Impact Consulting Challenge. Each team was assigned to assist a nonprofit organization for two weeks. At the end of this period, the teams presented their strategies for improving the organization to a panel of judges. The
NEW MAGAZINE BRIDGES POLICY DIVIDE UCLA, through a partnership with the Luskin School of Public Affairs, has released the inaugural issue of Blueprint, a magazine of policy and ideas for Southern California. Led by editor-in-chief Jim Newton, a 25year veteran of the Los Angeles Times, the new publication combines groundbreaking UCLA research on issues of public interest — including racial profiling, income inequality and public health — with interviews and profiles of the policymakers that tackle these issues every day. Learn more at blueprint.ucla.edu.
judges considered criteria such as presentation, quality of analysis, recommendations and feasibility to inform their final decision. The team helped evaluate Worksite Wellness’ program development and provided data analysis and modeling. From left, team members Michelle Miro (Civil Engineering Ph.D.), Terra Bennett (Public Policy), Edith Medina Huarita (Public Policy), Magaly Lopez (Public Policy) and Allison Faris (Management, not pictured) received $5,000 for their efforts.
STUDENT TO TRAVEL TO BURMA ON FELLOWSHIP Urban Planning student Phoebe Brauer was awarded the prestigious David L. Boren Fellowship for $24,000 and will be taking the opportunity to travel to Burma to conduct research for her master’s thesis. Boren Fellows live in countries around the world, immersing themselves in language and culture for as long as 24 months. The fellowship is an initiative of the National Security Education Program, which provides funding opportunities for students interested in national security to learn foreign languages in underrepresented regions critical to U.S. and national security interests around the world. The NSEP aims to create a larger pool of qualified U.S. citizens to work Brauer with Nobel Peace Prize winner internationally. Muhammad Yunus Along with the funding she will receive to travel to Burma and study a foreign language, Brauer will be given the opportunity to work for at least one year in the federal government after she graduates.
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SEEN & HEARD
Why do we only do finger painting in nurseries and nursing homes? What happens in the middle?” Philanthropist David Bohnett at the Luskin Lecture Series event “The Role of Arts & Culture in Public Life,” April 14, 2015
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Regardless of race, identity or socioeconomic status, we share things. Connecting with people in an authentic way is essential.” John Kobara, chief operating officer of the California Community Foundation, speaking to Senior Fellows and students Feb.10, 2015
The transportation system is the bloodstream of a healthy economy.” Real estate advisor Larry Kosmont at the BizFed conference “L.A. County: Challenges & Opportunities,” Feb.5, 2015
In many ways, working with students is the best thing I do. I feel strongly about this country and the world, and the importance of getting young people deeply and actively involved in public service.” Former Massachusetts governor and visiting professor of Public Policy Michael Dukakis on his passion inspiring students to seek careers in public service.
The arts are on life support in most neighborhoods.”
My greatest fear is that I see a Washington that’s in gridlock. We are a country that’s facing terrible issues—this is a time where they ought to be governing, not simply blocking things from happening.” Former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta speaking on current policy issues in the U.S. as part of the Luskin Lecture Series on March 30, 2015
The design of our transportation system is a reflection of who we are and what we value.” U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, speaking at Union Station May 14, 2015, as part of the Luskin Lecture Series
Dancer, actress and arts advocate Debbie Allen on “The Role of Arts & Culture in Public Life,” April 14, 2015
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BY THE NUMBERS
GROWING LIKE WEEDS Medical marijuana dispensaries continue to sprout up even after Los Angeles voters tried to limit their spread by passing Proposition D in 2013. According to data from researchers led by Social Welfare professor Bridget Freisthler, Los Angeles had more than three times the legal limit of operating pot dispensaries in 2014. To create these maps, the researchers pored over city lists, newspaper ads and even websites such as Weedmaps.com to scout potential pot shops, and then confirmed that they were operating as dispensaries by visiting each location multiple times. The details matter—Freisthler and her team plan to use the database of dispensary locations to better understand the pot shops’ place in their communities, and their impacts on crime, health care and domestic abuse. Of note: Researchers charted the dispensaries’ spread southward, from the San Fernando Valley and East L.A. to the South L.A. and San Pedro areas.
187
dispensaries open
550650
dispensaries open 8
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2012
2007
476
dispensaries open
2014 2010
418
dispensaries open LEGEND
NUMBER OF DISPENSARIES Interstate County Boundary
0 1-2 3-5
6-9 10-42
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COVER FEATURE
EQUIPPING THE CAREER 10
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How do you build a change agent? At UCLA Luskin, it involves a top-notch educational experience with highcaliber faculty and cutting-edge curriculum. It takes a holistic approach that marries classroom theory with practical experience. But beyond the coursework and fieldwork is a series of programs designed to give students a launchpad that propels them into the working world. With career counseling, networking opportunities, skill-building workshops, mentorship programs and a focus on each student’s ability to be a force for positive change, UCLA Luskin builds the career toolkit.
TOOLKIT
UCLA MEYER AND RENEE LUSKIN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS luskin.ucla.edu
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COVER FEATURE
MENTOR MAVEN VC Powe, Leadership Development and Fellowship Programs By Sharon Hong
“I’m a teacher at heart,” says VC Powe. She’s sitting in her office in the Dean’s Suite at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs next to a bulletin board with tacked-up memories of alumni and political figures she’s met and made relationships with during her tenure. She oversees external programs, which means everything from government relations to student engagement meant to enhance learning beyond the classroom. Powe’s goal is to help students become leaders once they leave UCLA Luskin’s walls, and make key connections between the School and city and state leaders.
has been teaching in the business administration department of L.A. City College since 1998. She’s taught courses on management and human resources—knowledge that she brings to her work at UCLA Luskin as she offers training for students. “Students often think that being a leader means being a version of Martin Luther King, Jr., or John F. Kennedy, when really what being a leader is about is being a change agent. How do you persuade people? How do you inform people? How do you communicate, negotiate, make decisions and present yourself? Those are things that are necessary to being leaders,” Powe says.
“ Career Services is about getting the right job. I’m all about what you’re going to do with it as a leader.” “I like to teach, I like to train, I like to watch people grow, so I actually got my certification in human resource training and development,” Powe says. “Career Services is about getting the right job. I’m all about what you’re going to do with it as a leader.” Students regularly interact with Powe throughout their time at UCLA Luskin. She oversees leadership programs, which include highly coveted school-wide fellowships for summer internships, workshops and training sessions, and the popular Senior Fellows program, which pairs students with high-level professionals for mentorship. “This is our third year of the leadership program, and what’s exciting is that I’ve been working on a conceptual framework for next year’s program in order to turn it into a certificate program,” she says. Students can also attend any number of leadership and development workshops that Powe organizes on topics like advocacy, public speaking, being a leader and networking. Powe, who is a two-time Bruin with an MBA from the Anderson School of Management,
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As for government relations, Powe has produced the Luskin Lecture Series, which brings big name speakers to the school. Past Luskin Lecture speakers have included former LAPD Chief William Bratton, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and former Secretary of Defense and CIA Director Leon Panetta. Powe also actively creates bridges between the school and outside organizations by sharing the research generated at UCLA Luskin with agencies that can use it to transform cities and communities. Powe helps educate elected officials, and then is able to bring those officials to the students who are often given opportunities for jobs, projects and mentorship. “The desire to teach has always been there whether it’s teaching students or training professionals,” Powe says. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and now I get to do both.” Powe, far right, organizes leadership workshops for students, including this one on diversity with Rep. Karen Bass, a UCLA Luskin Senior Fellow.
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COVER FEATURE
CHARTING A CAREER PATH ADMITTED TO UCLA LUSKIN Ph.D., Social Welfare
Master of Social Welfare
Master of Public Poli
Certificate in Globa First-Year Fieldwork
Senior Fellow Mentorship
1-on-1 Coac
PROFESSIONAL Skill-Building Workshops
Internsh Fellow
Live and Work Outside of Los An Second-Year Fieldwork
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Applied Policy Projec
When students decide to come to UCLA Luskin, they start down a path that can take many turns along the way to graduation. From adding a certificate to their degree, to completing fieldwork or a capstone project as part of their studies, to deciding to study abroad during a spring or summer break, the opportunities for career development take many forms. At the center of this experience is a set of programs meant to develop students’ professional skills before graduation. Programs are generally available to all students and offered throughout their education. The focus on career preparation begins on Day One.
area of study
icy
Master of Urban & Regional Planning
Ph.D., Urban Planning
al Public Affairs Certificate in Leaders in Sustainability Certificate in Urban Humanities
Career ching
Certificate in Design & Development
Networking Receptions
L DEVELOPMENT
hips and wships
Lectures and Events
ngeles During Spring or Summer
cts
Capstone Projects
Community Scholars Program
GRADUATION! luskin.ucla.edu
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COVER FEATURE
COACH’S BRIEFING MICHELLE’S TOP 5 CAREER TIPS
1| LEVERAGE RELATIONSHIPS According to research, networking is still the
number one way to find a position in today’s job market, with 60 percent of positions being filled by referrals. Networking is not just about meeting people; it’s about nurturing meaningful relationships and maintaining mutually beneficial connections.
2| KNOW YOURSELF Understand your skills and the type of work you want to do. If you can’t articulate what you are seeking, others will be unable to help you.
3| DO YOUR HOMEWORK
Don’t rely on blind resume submissions alone. Instead, lead a proactive job search that includes actively researching companies that interest you and finding connections in those organizations. Just because jobs are not posted does not mean that the organization is not hiring.
4| DON’T WAIT
Start the job search early! As soon as you begin your master’s program, update your resume and cover letter and begin leveraging your connections (alumni, faculty, and others).
5| BUILD YOUR TEAM Create your own personal board of directors composed of trusted professionals and mentors whom you can consult on a regular basis. These people can provide professional guidance along the way and can act as references when you apply to jobs.
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CAREER COACH
Michelle Anderson, Director of Career Services By Sharon Hong
Michelle Anderson lives in the future. From the moment a new student joins the UCLA Luskin community, Anderson is already thinking about graduation and what it will take to get that student ready for employment. Anderson is closing in on almost two years at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, where she’s been working to beef up the school’s career services and employer outreach. She says that unlike UCLA’s central career center, which is open to students of all majors, she is able to target opportunities and employers that are of specific interest to graduates of Public Policy, Social Welfare and Urban Planning. That also means figuring out what skills are most needed for each group of students. “A significant portion of my job is understanding each degree and potential career path. There is some overlap between the three departments but there are also professions which are very unique to certain students, such as clinical social work,” Anderson says. “It’s really about getting to know the courses students are taking, what concentrations they are pursuing, and then meeting with them individually to find out what organizations they are primarily targeting.” Throughout the year, Anderson meets with students and alumni individually to discuss topics such as how to conduct a basic job search, write a good resume, excel in an interview and negotiate salary. She also regularly hosts workshops on LinkedIn and professional etiquette as well as career panels and networking opportunities with alumni and senior level professionals. Jobs are regularly posted to UCLA Luskin’s online job board, CareerView.
For Anderson, the culminating event of each year is the UCLA Luskin Career Fair. This year’s was wildly successful with 75 employers in attendance, 31 more than last year, including some first timers like the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Morgan Stanley, and engineering design firms like AECOM. “It wasn’t just the quantity of employers, it was really the quality,” Anderson says. “Some high level recruiters had lines of students for three hours straight, and I’ve already heard back from many employers who’ve said they are looking through resumes and are very impressed with the caliber of our students.” With eight years of experience in academic advising and a certification in career coaching and LinkedIn networking, Anderson is skilled in equipping students to be successful once they graduate. And for her, the job doesn’t just bring professional fulfillment. It’s personal too. “The most rewarding aspect of my job is working with students to help them achieve their professional goals,” Anderson says. “One of the most memorable students I worked with entered the program straight from his undergraduate degree and had little experience in the field that he wished to pursue. We met continually throughout the year and the student would follow through on each professional goal we discussed. A couple of weeks ago, this student came to my office and, sure enough, he got a paid internship for the summer at one of his dream organizations. “It’s the most rewarding feeling to see a student work so incredibly hard through the process and be successful.”
Through one-on-one counseling sessions, such as this one with second-year Social Welfare student Tiffany Caldas, Anderson builds students’ skills and boosts confidence.
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BUILDING CAREER CONNECTIONS
WALKING THE CORRIDORS OF From L.A. to D.C., students in the David Bohnett Fellowship program have the opportunity to make an impact. By Adeney Zo
A unique Fellowship program, sponsored by the David Bohnett Foundation, gives UCLA Luskin students the opportunity serve as executive-level apprentices in the Los Angeles mayor’s office. UCLA Luskin was the first of three schools across the nation to offer the David Bohnett Fellowship,
Bohnett Fellows from across the country attended the U.S. Conference of Mayors in January with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, center.
followed by the Wagner School of Public Service at New York University and the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. Since its inception in 2006, Fellows have had the chance to apply their studies to a range of local issues from homelessness to transportation alternatives. Kelsey Jessup, a second-year Public Policy student, was already interning at City Hall when she was accepted into the program, but the Fellowship opened the door to new opportunities within the office. “Even as an intern they treat you as part of the staff . . . but with the Fellowship expectations rose,” Jessup says. “I was there full time, doing bigger projects and handling more pressing things for the office.”
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Jessup’s placement was in the Performance Management and Budget & Innovation departments. At the start of her Fellowship, Jessup became involved in one of the largest projects at the mayor’s office. “When Mayor Garcetti came to office in 2013, he took the role of CEO and planned to interview and evaluate all general managers of the city departments,” Jessup says. “I worked with my team on the analysis, and it was a great opportunity to learn about all the departments.” Second-year Social Welfare master’s student Skylar Lenox had the opportunity to form and implement the Mayor’s Volunteer Corps, a group meant to “connect high-impact volunteer opportunities in Los Angeles...with Mayor Garcetti’s vision. It’s about finding opportunities that are meaningful,” Lenox says. Beyond working locally, however, Fellows had the opportunity to travel and speak with students and policymakers across America. In October, Bohnett Fellows from three different cities converged in Detroit to discuss how policy revitalized Michigan’s most populous city. A group of Bohnett fellows also attended the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C., an annual event for mayors to discuss policy issues. “The conference allowed me to get out of academia and into the practical world,” Lenox said. “It has been the link between theory and practice, which allowed me to better get into the mindset of a practitioner. “I learned what it means to be a leader in your city and evaluate policy in a way that brings in not just [the] ideal,” she says. The conference allowed for Bohnett Fellows to witness the perspectives and ideas of mayors in different areas of the U.S., each of whom face different challenges, coming together in a cohesive discussion. “My biggest takeaway was that I felt inspired by what people across the nation are doing. Just being around all these mayors who want to collaborate
F POWER and serve the public is inspiring,” Jessup says. “It makes me proud to work in a city that’s part of that movement.” Both Lenox and Jessup finished their work at the mayor’s office this year, but their future in policy and social work is just beginning.
“ Even as an intern they treat you as part of the staff, but with the Fellowship expectations rose. I was there full time, doing bigger projects and handling more pressing things for the office.” Jessup, who studied theater as a UCLA undergraduate, views the Fellowship as a window of opportunity for a career in public policy. “I’m learning skills, but without the experience of the Fellowship I would have had a much harder time getting work experience in the field,” she says. “It’s given me the foot in the door that I really didn’t know I was going to get.” Lenox is equally optimistic about the path ahead. “The Fellowship is not just funding our education—[the Bohnett Foundation is] really invested in us as leaders and future change makers,” she says. “I really see social work as one of the most powerful disciplines you can be trained in for creating positive social change and being a service to others.”
From Capstone to Career For Viviana Franco MA UP ’05, the lack of green space in communities was something she noticed early in her life. The perception of her surroundings ultimately revolved around the lack of green space in her community compared to the abundance near her school. “It’s the first time in my life I had questioned, Why is it that when I go home there’s a ton of liquor stores but when I’m at school I can walk to a park?” she says. By the time she crossed the stage as an Urban Planning graduate in 2005, Franco was firmly committed to the issue. Viviana Franco Building on research she conducted for her capstone project, the culmination of many Urban Planning students’ academic careers, Franco founded From Lot to Spot, a nonprofit dedicated to remaking blighted areas into green space and parks. Since then, Franco’s nonprofit has been able to transform a number of communities. One of these communities is Lennox, an unincorporated community in Los Angeles County and one of the poorest and densest areas in the state. It was here that From Lot to Spot helped create a community garden where families can grow their own food. Franco says one mother in the community took her kids to the garden to show them where their food comes from, ultimately changing the way they looked at food in their home. “Seeing small transformations like that show that these spaces do matter,” Franco says. Franco hopes to continue to work together with communities to make sure they are empowered by their spaces.
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FEATURE
From the Ground Up:
Global Public Affairs at UCLA
Within the span of three years, UCLA Luskin’s Global Public Affairs program has advanced from concept to fully running program — and there’s more to come. By Adeney Zo
Michael Storper
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“Before, we were mostly training students for local participation in California or America, not around the world,” Urban Planning professor Michael Storper says, in his role as director of the Global Public Affairs program. “We decided we would offer [global] training because that’s what most of the best schools in America do.” When Dean Frank Gilliam was first appointed to his position, he set up a strategic initiative to bring global studies to UCLA Luskin. This was the first time that the school would have an official certificate program geared specifically towards international work. “In the beginning, we were set up as four clusters in the areas of Global Environment and Resources, Global Health and Social Services, Global Processes and Institutions, and Global Urbanization and Regional Development,” explains Storper. “Now we have broadened the clusters, added courses and built bigger summer programs through International Practice Pathways.”
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Prior to the formation of Global Public Affairs at UCLA Luskin, the International Practice Pathways summer program acted as a stand-alone option for UCLA Luskin students, offering funding and travel support for internships and other career-related placements outside the U.S. With the creation of Global Public Affairs’ curriculum and training components, International Practice Pathways represents the meat of the global experience, functioning as an important practical component to the students’ global education. “We really want to get the students actual experience working outside of the U.S. and Europe,” says Professor Stephen Commins, the associate director of Global Public Affairs at UCLA Luskin. The Global Public Affairs program’s four clusters combine courses from multiple departments across campus. Students choose one of the four clusters to complete along with their regular degree coursework and receive a certificate for the program at graduation. The clusters are led by faculty members who also
Stephen Commins
arrange quarterly salon events for students to meet and discuss current issues in global policy. Cluster leaders also contribute regularly to the Global Public Affairs blog in order to “shape the intellectual presentation of the school,” says Commins. The aim of this UCLA Luskin program is to become a hub around which all of UCLA’s globally oriented public affairs programs rotate. “Before it was harder to get into cross-campus courses, and they would only count as electives. Now those courses can be taken for the [GPA] certificate, so
international agencies. Students had the chance to interact with UCLA Luskin alumni working in D.C. and gain an inside look at foreign policy work. “It was good for students to meet someone who graduated from the Luskin School and to meet them on the site [of their work],” says Commins. Last October, Global Public Affairs hosted one of its largest programs yet—an evening lecture delivered by the former mayor of Curitaba and governor of Parana State in Brazil, Jaime Lerner. Lerner addressed the topic of revitalizing cities with “urban acupuncture,” and ex-
“ It’s a student resume booster for sure. If you want to work in an area that’s international, this gives you an edge.”
Izabela Chmielewska
it’s much more useful.” says Global Public Affairs project manager Izabela Chmielewska, a second-year public policy student. “It’s a resume booster for sure. If you want to work in an area that’s international, this gives you an edge. ” Commins explains some of the curriculum changes in the works: “We’re going to have other faculty teach courses in the cluster and ask them to have small group meetings with students. The curriculum is always in motion. We want to expand how faculty engage with students.” In addition to the cluster courses, students are encouraged to attend outside lectures, career training workshops and more intimate salon discussion events. During spring break, Commins also took 12 students to Washington, D.C., to meet with a wide range of
plained how his own work in Curitaba could be applied to the wider context of urban planning. “He’s basically a celebrity in the urban planning circle,” says Chmielewska. “There were over 100 people at the event, which was part of his global book tour.” With its blend of curricular enhancements and practical experience, Global Public Affairs offers a unique opportunity for Luskin students to prepare for careers abroad as well as for global-oriented agencies within the U.S. Though the program is constantly developing and changing, it is quickly growing into a major branch of a UCLA Luskin education. “We started with nothing and now we’re running this really vibrant successful program,” Storper says. “I think we have a big future ahead.”
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IN SUPPORT
PAYING IT FORWARD
As they progress through their careers, UCLA Luskin alumni remember to support the generation of planners, policymakers and social workers that will follow in their footsteps. Giving back helps build talent within the field and has a host of additional benefits, as these alumni donors attest.
To me, giving back ‘‘means an investment in
the future of my field. I know how valuable it is when a skilled, dedicated practitioner serves a member of the community, and it’s crucial that we all build the foundation for those skills in the next generation.” JORJA LEAP MSW ’80
admire the energy, intellect, and ‘‘ Icommitment of the students who
come through UCLA Luskin. Their dedication to making positive change in the world is invigorating. Witnessing the next generation come into its own inspires me and makes me proud to be a Bruin and UCLA Luskin alum!” EMILY WILLIAMS MPP ’98
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support the Urban ‘‘ IPlanning Depart-
ment because in my experience there is no other discipline for students that connects so many pieces of the urban puzzle together. I see how my donation is a direct investment in their ability to think differently and innovate, and I am always looking for the best ideas to enhance our field.” TIM PAPANDREOU MA UP ’04
A TRIBUTE TO A POLICY VETERAN 1
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School supporters and Los Angeles’ philanthropic community came together in March to mark Former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis’ 20th year teaching in the Department of Public Policy. Proceeds from the gala luncheon benefited the Dukakis Internship Program at UCLA Luskin, which provides financial support to students serving in nonpartisan internships in California government.
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4 1 Dukakis has traveled to UCLA every Winter Quarter since 1994 to teach the Public Policy class “Institutional Leadership and Public Management.”
2 School benefactor Meyer School benefactor Meyer Luskin, Joan Ashton, Stanley Black, Jill Black Zalben and Marvin Casear enjoyed the picturesque view.
3 Kitty and Michael Dukakis, UCLA Luskin Advisory Board member Annette
Shapiro, Rosalind Weiner Wyman and Luskin made their way from the entrance terrace into the event.
4 California Assemblymembers Jimmy Gomez and Matt Dababneh joined the power crowd.
5 The audience heard Dukakis talk about why he supports public policy education, 5
with input from Veronica Melvin MPP ’01, president and CEO of America’s Promise, and Rusty Bailey MPP ’99, mayor of Riverside, Calif.
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IN SUPPORT
‘ SHOUPISTAS’ HONOR PARKING GURU Beloved professor Donald Shoup will retire this July after 41 years of service to the Department of Urban Planning. The transition marks a UCLA Luskin milestone — due to his length of tenure and UCLA Luskin’s size, Shoup is estimated to have taught more urban planning professionals than any other professor in the United States. ¶ As Shoup’s service on the faculty draws to a close, “Shoupistas” of all stripes took the time to pay tribute to the man and his ideas.
WHY PARKING? Because of the high cost of building and maintaining parking spaces in an urban environment, free or reduced-cost parking can have an outsized influence on many factors of urban life. The effects of making park-
ing available for less than its actual cost include inflated land costs, higher rents, higher cost of living, reduced transit use, increased congestion, increased pollution and decreased health outcomes.
HERE ARE 13 SHOUP-APPROVED IDEAS ABOUT PARKING THAT HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN COMMUNITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY: 1 Use demand-based prices for curb parking to create one or two open spaces on every block
7 Use parking fines that increase with each successive offense to discourage repeat violators
2 Use the revenue from curb parking to finance public services on the metered blocks
8 Use two-tier placard reform to end the abuse of disabled placards
3 Remove minimum parking requirements
9 Offer discounts at parking meters for residents, small cars and low-emissions vehicles
4 Offer commuters the option to cash out their employer-paid parking subsidies
10 Devote meter revenue during holiday shopping to charity
5 U se demand-based prices to manage parking on university campuses
12 Require solar panels above large parking lots
6 U se campus parking revenue to finance university transit-pass programs
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11 Make better use of space in parking garages and around large lots 13 Use the revenue from on-street parking to finance local public services
Amount raised by the Shoups and their supporters for student fellowships, providing much-needed financial support for future generations of planners.
some stage it’s time to leave the theatre “ Aso t other people can watch the movie.”
DONALD SHOUP
LEAVING A LEGACY
Shoup’s service to the Urban Planning department will continue in perpetuity thanks to an endowed fellowship he and his wife, Pat, established in their name. The Donald & Pat Shoup Endowed Fellowship in Urban Planning will support graduate students studying topics in transportation. ¶ The Shoups’ generosity inspired many in the UCLA Luskin community to join in the effort to raise fellowship funds. More than 322 donors contributed to the cause during a sixweek online fundraising campaign.
WHO ARE THE SHOUPISTAS? One of Shoup’s lasting marks on the field of urban planning is the group of practitioners and urban advocates known as the “Shoupistas.” Born in a barroom conversation between a couple of urban planners in San Francisco, the group now boasts more than 2,400 members on a vibrantly active Facebook page with a shared affinity for sensible, progressive planning ideas. The network highlights stories of planning do’s and don’ts from around the world and serves as a clearinghouse for new thinking in the field. As his retirement grew closer, Shoupistas posed with a Shoup stand-in and posted social media selfies:
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ALUMNI NOTES
POWER BROKERS
More than 60 alumni, including Carolyn Henrich BA ’79 and Catherine Hare Foltz MA UP ’75, at left, and Eric Shaw BA ’98 and John Preston MPP ’01, with Dean Gilliam, gathered at the house of Jacqueline Gillan MA UP ‘75 in Washington, D.C., to network to network and reconnect as part of a series of events around the country. Dean Gilliam and UCLA Luskin staff also traveled to New York and Seattle to mix and mingle with far-flung members of the UCLA Luskin community.
64,000
Number of Tweets that Lisa Schweitzer UP Ph.D. ’04 and her team analyzed in a study of the perception of transit agencies on social media. The resulting paper, “Planning and Social Media: A Case Study of Public Transit and Stigma on Twitter,” was named the best paper to appear this year in the Journal of the American Planning Association.
SHORT TAKES NURIT KATZ MPP ’08 was named 2015 “Alumna of the Year” by the Department of Public Policy for her outstanding work in sustainability and support of the MPP Alumni Fellowship.
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TRACY COLUNGA MSW ’01 received the “Joseph A. Nunn Alumna of the Year Award” from the Department of Social Welfare, which recognizes the achievements of outstanding alumni.
JEREE GLASSERHEDRICK MA UP ’00 oversees homeownership and affordable housing projects as executive director of the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee.
SUPERVISOR KUEHL NAMES LING “WOMAN OF THE YEAR” Adjunct professor Joan Ling MA UP ’82 was named “Woman of the Year” in Los
Supervisor Sheila Kuehl bestowed the award on Ling, calling her an exemplar of
Angeles County’s Third District for her work to improve public policy, legislation and government regulations that impact quality of life. The Los Angeles County Commission for Women and the Board of Supervisors honored a “Woman of the Year” from each Supervisorial district in celebration of Women’s History Month in March.
the county’s “courageous and dedicated women.” Ling’s projects include first multifamily structure in the country awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Last year, the Department of Urban Planning named Ling its Alumna of the Year.
ALUM GETS A GRASP ON LAND VALUE CAPTURE Beth Tamayose UP Ph.D. ’11 co-authored a recent World Bank Report that aims to help cities capture the benefits of higher land values around urban transit stations and corridors. Financing Transit-Oriented Development with Land Valuesoffers cities methods beyond taxes and fees that will help them build land value attributable to land use regulations and investments in infrastructure. Tamayose is currently focusing on similar research involving urban planning, governance structures, and resource access and allocation, particularly for Indigenous Pacific Islander populations. She has also served as a lecturer in the Department of Urban Planning.
BUILDING A PATH TO BETTER BUS ROUTES After 30 years of operation, the Houston Metro was due for a major re-evaluation of the system. Kurt Luhrsen MA UP ’96, now vice president of planning at the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas, took the lead in reimagining public transportation for a rapidly growing and changing city. The main goal of the Reimagining Project is to increase efficiency and ridership on local buses—with zero additional operating costs. This meant that only existing resources could be utilized to reroute and improve bus lines. Project plans have
received final board approval and are on track for implementation throughout the city by the end of this summer. Though Luhrsen is contributing to major transportation improvements in Houston, he has not lost his connection with Los Angeles and UCLA Luskin. Luhrsen currently is a board member of the Luskin’s Institute of Transportation Studies and maintains close contact with his former faculty advisor, Brian Taylor.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership rules must require compliance on day one or it sends the message that the commitments aren’t serious. If the TPP rules are entirely discretionary, allow for delays or no action at all, they will not help workers gain the voice they need to raise wages and make their jobs safer. Celeste Drake MPP/JD ’02 in testimony to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific in March.
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LASTING IMAGE
ENGAGING ATMOSPHERE Luskin Lecture Series events, such as this May 14 conversation with U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx at Los Angeles’ historic Union Station, are known for intimate access, probing questions and thoughtful discussion. The evening talks often take place at locations off-campus throughout Southern California, placing ideas and issues in their context.
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GIVE BACK TO THE NEXT GENERATION JOIN THE DEAN’S ASSOCIATES! Friends of UCLA Luskin who contribute annually with gifts totaling $2,500 or more are enrolled in the Dean’s Associates, an exclusive group of the School’s closest allies supporting student fellowships and other critical needs. Dean’s Associates members receive: >>> Invitations to special events and networking opportunities >>> Recognition in School publications >>> Personal assistance with campus needs >>> Complimentary parking for select campus events >>> Additional benefits available through the UCLA Fund For more information, contact the development department at (310) 206-7949.
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UCLA Luskin’s Master of Public Policy program has an international exchange program with the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin.