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S Tudent Profile: Cathy Dang: Empowering Kids To Succeed
newsforum
Faculty Profile: Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris: Sidewalk Scholar Alumni Profile: Georgia Sheridan and Amber Hawkes: LA 2.0 People: Faculty, Students, and Alumni in the News
SPRING 2010
LA 2.0
Urban Planning Alumni Amber Hawkes and Georgia Sheridan reimagine Los Angeles
Story on page 16
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newsforum
SPRING 2010
table of contents Milestones � Luskin Center Moves to Public Affairs � Urban Planning Top Producer of Urban Studies Publications � Social Justice Initiative Launched � New Career Services Center Announced, Sherry Dodge Named Director � Public Policy Faculty Tackle The U.S. Prison Boom � Center for Civil Society Focusing On Local Nonprofits � AIDS Policy Research Center Launches
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Findings � Volunteerism up, revenues down at Los Angeles nonprofits � California Policy Options 2010 examines hurdles facing Golden State � U.S. lags behind in transit safety programs for female riders � Troubling health trends in state’s Asian, Pacific communities
Recap � Highlights from UCLA School of Public Affairs events
FeatureS
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� Student Profile: Cathy Dang, Bohnett Fellow � Faculty Profile: Ten Questions for Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris on Sidewalks � Alumni Profile: Georgia Sheridan and Amber Hawkes
Media highlights � Tweet Scene
People � News, Notes and Accolades from Faculty, Students and Alumni
Tributes � Mimi Perloff, Patron and Friend, “Godmother” of Urban Planning � Jeanne Giovannoni, Professor of Social Welfare
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Support � Ways To Give
A publication of
Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr., Dean
Editor
Minne Hong Ho, Executive Director of Communications
Assistant Editor
Contributers
Meg Sullivan, Cynthia Lee, Robin Heffler, Kristine Breese
Photography
Cover by Adam Irving/Gemini Pictures. Rich Schmitt, Todd Cheney/ASUCLA Photography
Design
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Mohib Qidwai, Communications Assistant
Escott Associates © Copyright 2010 UC Regents
NEWSFORUM | SPRING 2010
5/14/10 12:02 PM
BY Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr., Dean
This has unquestionably been an interesting year for the School of Public Affairs community, a point in time in the School’s history that has presented unique challenges and prompted serious discussions of the ways in which our educational, research and practice programs can shape the future of communities in Southern California and change the policy models that make an impact on a national and even international level. Certainly the global economic crisis and California’s historic budget shortfalls have affected our School, and we have endured the painful budget cuts that have reverberated throughout the UCLA campus. Philosophically, this presented us with two options: 1) to hunker down and simply hope that the storm will end, or 2) to stand up and go forward with all cylinders running, and do more than has ever been imagined before. We’ve chosen the latter route, and this year alone the School has: � brought together major thinkers and leaders to address innovative, effective models of crime reduction and recidivism through the Rosenfield Crime Forum; � launched a bicoastal initiative to address social inequities in the education and training of public policy, planning and social work professionals through a new Social Justice Initiative; � welcomed several new members to the Board of Advisors, who have renewed a commitment to preparing the UCLA School of Public Affairs to address the societal and civic problems of the 21st century and beyond; � welcomed the addition of the Luskin Center for Innovation, an interdisciplinary effort that tasks top researchers at UCLA with addressing Los Angeles’ biggest policy challenges. For the next few years, the Center’s focus is on creating environmentally sustainable programs that will enrich our great city; � created new infrastructure to support the needs of a contemporary Public Affairs School, including a revitalized Web site and a new, school-wide Career Services Center; � received record-breaking numbers of applicants to the master’s programs in public policy, urban planning and social welfare, with candidates representing the top undergraduate programs in the country.
www.publicaffairs.ucla.edu
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dean’s message
We are proud of these accomplishments. They speak directly to our core mission—to engage in world-class research while educating and training the leaders of tomorrow. Nonetheless, some actions we have taken are difficult and painful. For example, after thorough discussion and consultation with students, staff and faculty, it was decided that our Departments of Urban Planning and Social Welfare needed to institute professional fees for their programs. We understand the burden this places on our students, but the financial situation of the UC system left us no choice. We have pared our budget down to the bone while protecting the integrity of our academic standards; there are no more cost savings of any significance to be had. To alleviate the impact, the School is renewing its effort to establish new and ongoing financial support for student scholarships and for innovative fellowship opportunities such as the David Bohnett Fellowship program with the Office of the Mayor. I am grateful to all the participants in these frank and open conversations—the high level of involvement demonstrates a passionate commitment to maintaining excellence. They recognized that we cannot compromise our ability to bring in the best professionals from their respective fields to serve as instructors; that we cannot compromise on opportunities for professional enrichment; that we cannot compromise on retaining and recruiting the very best faculty; and that we cannot compromise on attracting the brightest students. As they say, “there is no need to waste a good crisis.” What this means in substantive terms is that we must continuously reexamine our core mission. We must build on the areas where we have strength and scale back on things that do not fit our central mission. The School has much to be proud of; we have come together as a community to respond to these most trying of times. We steadfastly maintain our commitment to excellence and anticipate success in the future. I look forward to having you join us on this journey. �
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milestones “We want to do a better job of giving students the analytical tools to examine issues of social justice, which they will need to deal with the people they will be helping when they graduate.” —Dean Frank Gilliam
Social Justice Initiative Launched
Luskin Center Moves to Public Affairs
Following a highly successful
In a move that enhances UCLA’s
launch event on “Navigating
civic engagement while consoli-
Complex Comversations in the
dating university resources,
Era of Obama” held with the
the UCLA Luskin Center
NYU Wagner School of Public
for Innovation—devoted
Service, the UCLA School of
to applied research and policy
Public Affairs is launching an
development relevant to the
ongoing program to examine
needs of Los Angeles—has
questions of social inequalities
recently become a new addition
as they effect planning, poli-
to the UCLA School of Public
cymaking and social welfare
Affairs under the leadership of
professions.
Dean Frank Gilliam.
Last year, the UCLA School of
“Moving the Luskin Center
Public Affairs had an exchange
to the School of Public Affairs
with the NYU Wagner School of
advances UCLA’s efforts to
Public Service, with each school
increase the quality, visibility and
hosting conferences on how to
coordination of research related
address race in the context of
to civic engagement,” states exec-
graduate education in public
utive vice chancellor and provost
affairs.
Scott Waugh in an announcement
“We want to do a better job
to the University community. “We
of giving students the analytical
also are strengthening opportuni-
tools to examine issues of social
ties for students to participate in
justice, which they will need to
such research.”
deal with the people they will be
J. R. DeShazo, associate
helping when they graduate,”
professor of public policy, is
says Dean Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr.
appointed as the director of the
Plans for the new initiative
Luskin Center, which addresses
include developing a curriculum,
environmental sustainability
research opportunities and a
and pollution reduction in Los
summer institute related to social
Angeles. �
justice. With support from the
Center for Civil Society Refocusing on Local Nonprofits Center for Civil Society (CCS), like the nonprofit community it studies and serves, is in a period of transition, renewal and refocus. As Professor Helmut Anhier, founding director of the Center, transitions to the deanship of the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, Germany, Dean Frank Gilliam has made a commitment to sustaining and expanding the work of CCS. Dean Gilliam has retained CCS staff and graduate researchers and also brought in staff and resources from the UCLA Center for Community Partnerships, which has directly linked UCLA faculty to over 100 local nonprofit organizations, to complement the work of CCS. “Over the past seven years, the Center has become the premier research center on the state of the nonprofit sector in the Los Angeles region,” said Bill Parent, interim director of CCS. “We want to build on that with research-based applications,
New Career Services Center Announced, Sherry Dodge Named Director In a move geared toward strengthening the extensive alumni and employer network at the School, Dean Gilliam recently announced the formation of a Career Services Center that will facilitate programs and networking for current students, alumni and employers. Sherry Dodge, formerly the counselor for undergraduate programs, has been named the head of this new program. “Sherry is uniquely qualified for this role. She brings an educational background in career counseling and an extensive knowledge of the School’s programs to the position,” comments Fernando Torres-Gil, associate dean for academic affairs. “We’re looking forward to an ongoing program that enhances career opportunities for our graduating students and alumni.” �
policy analysis research, case studies and best practices.” �
W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the School and the UCLA College of Letters and Science’s Student Affairs Office are organizing
Sciencewatch.com, a trends and performance tracking service of Thomson Reuters,
social justice trainings with UCLA
recently found the UCLA Department of Urban Planning to the be number one
students to undertake these
producer of papers in the field of urban studies (2004 - 2008). Of U.S. institutions,
discussions with high school students in underserved communities. �
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UCLA led the list, followed by programs at Ohio State, UNC-Chapel Hill, Michigan, Illinois-Urbana-Champaign, and UC Berkeley. NEWSFORUM | SPRING 2010
5/14/10 12:02 PM
Public Policy Faculty Tackle the U.S. Prison Boom When Brute Force Fails, by Mark Kleiman
The UCLA Center for HIV Identifica-
Public policy professor Mark Kleiman’s new book, When Brute Force Fails
tion, Prevention and Treatment
(Princeton University Press), suggests a unique and sweeping overhaul of how
Services (CHIPTS) and the UCLA
we deter, punish and sentence criminals.
School of Public Affairs have jointly
Since the crime explosion of the 1960s, the prison population in the United
for would-be (crime) reformers.” –The New York Times.
received funding from the Cali-
States has multiplied fivefold, to one prisoner for every hundred adults—a
fornia HIV/AIDS Research Program
rate unprecedented in American history and unmatched anywhere in the
of UC Office of the President to
world. Even as inmate numbers increase, crime has stopped falling, and poor
establish the California Center for
people and minorities still bear the brunt of both crime and incarceration.
HIV/AIDS Policy Research.
Simply locking up more people for lengthier terms is no longer a workable
“The best handbook
AIDS Policy Research Center Launches
Arleen Leibowitz, professor of
crime-control strategy. But, says Kleiman, there has been a revolution—largely
public policy and co-principal inves-
unnoticed by the press—in controlling crime by means other than brute-force
tigator, notes “The Center was
incarceration: substituting swiftness and certainty of punishment for random-
founded because of the dearth of
ized severity, concentrating enforcement resources rather than dispersing them,
longer-term evaluations of policy
communicating specific threats of punishment to specific offenders, and enforcing
options for meeting the needs of
probation and parole conditions to make community corrections a genuine
people living with HIV or AIDS
alternative to incarceration. Kleiman explains how the United States got into the
(PLWHA).”
current crime and punishment trap and offers advice on how both crime and the ever-growing prison population can be reduced by half within a decade. When Brute Force Fails has been named to The Economist’s Top 100 Books
“In working together with AIDS Project Los Angeles, we will examine the geographic distribu-
of 2009 list, and has been hailed as “the best handbook for would-be (crime)
tion of publicly funded treatment
reformers” by The New York Times. �
services and determine who and where underserved populations
Do Prisons Make Us Safer? The Benefits and Costs of the Prison Boom, by Michael A. Stoll
are,” says Leibowitz. “The end goal
The U.S. prison system has ballooned to more than two million inmates
that will improve health outcomes
with annual corrections spending above $64 billion. In Do Prisons Make Us
for PLWHA and also concentrate
Safer? The Benefits and Costs of the Prison Boom (Russell Sage Foundation)
prevention efforts for populations
co-editors Michael A. Stoll (professor and chair of public policy) and Steven
most at risk of infection.”
Raphael bring together top researchers from throughout the United States to
is to design intervention strategies
The Center is a partnership
address an important question: Does the marginal crime reduction benefit of
between the UCLA research
increased incarceration outweigh its social and economic costs to society?
community and AIDS Project Los
The book’s contributors tread new ground in examining the fiscal impact
Angeles (Phil Curtis, co-principal
on states, effects on children and employment prospects for former inmates.
investigator), and it provides
Among the researchers’ key findings are: Trends in criminal behavior account
California with the most relevant
for only a small fraction of the prison boom; 85 percent of the rise in incarcera-
and timely evidence on HIV/AIDS
tion can be attributed to “get tough on crime” policies that have increased
financing and service delivery for
both the likelihood of a prison sentence and the length of time served; and,
the diverse populations of Califor-
while prison time effectively deters and incapacitates criminals in the short
nians impacted and affected by
term, such long-term benefits as overall crime reduction or individual rehabili-
HIV/AIDS. �
tation are less clear-cut. �
www.publicaffairs.ucla.edu
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findings
Report finds troubling health trends in state’s Asian, Pacific communities A report by UCLA researchers reveals higher-thanaverage rates of cancer, childhood obesity and diabetes, and an alarmingly high population of the uninsured, among California’s Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities. Co-authored by Paul Ong, UCLA professor of urban planning, social welfare and Asian American studies, and Ninez Ponce, UCLA professor of health services, “The State of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Health in California Report” is the first to use statewide health data on this population broken down by ethnic subgroups, providing a comprehensive public health snapshot of one of the fastest growing populations in the United States. Ong and Ponce led the research for the University of California Asian American and Pacific Islander Policy Multi-Campus Research Program. The report was commissioned and released by the California Asian Pacific Islander Joint Legislative Caucus. Collectively, California’s Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) population numbers more than 5 million and accounts for more than 14 percent of the state’s total population. “This data is essential to creating policies and programs that effectively address health disparities in the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities,” said California Assemblyman Mike Eng (D-El Monte), who led the effort to create the report. “By providing disaggregated data, it provides necessary insight for policymakers and health care providers to design and implement programs that will improve the health of this vital population.” Among the report’s findings are that AANHPI groups have the highest rates of cancer deaths among ethnic groups, especially liver cancer rates, which are unmatched in the U.S., and high rates of noncompliance with recommended cervical cancer and prostate cancer screenings. The report was funded by the California Program on Access to Care, the California Program on Opportunity and Equity, the University of California Center Sacramento and Kaiser Permanente. The complete report can be downloaded at www.asm.ca.gov/eng. �
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UCLA report finds volunteerism up, revenues down at Los Angeles nonprofits Nonprofit organizations in Los Angeles are facing difficult fiscal challenges in the economic downturn, but many have fared better than expected in preserving staffing, programs and expenditures and have seen an increase in volunteers, according to a new report by the Center for Civil Socity at the UCLA School of Public Affairs. “Resilience and Vulnerability: The State of the Nonprofit Sector in Los Angeles 2009,” co-authored by David Howard and Hyeon Jong Kil of the Social Welfare doctoral program, reveals a sector struggling with declining resources and increasing service demands while facing increased expenditures due to a steady rise in fixed costs, including health insurance. “Nonprofits across the country are coping with the same challenges: government funding has been cut, private foundations have lost significant portions of their endowments and individual giving is down,” said Bill Parent, interim director of the Center for Civil Society. “In Los Angeles, the situation is more severe due to the state’s budget crisis and high unemployment rate. More people, cut from government assistance, are turning to nonprofits for basic needs like food, health care and shelter.” “Resilience and Vulnerability: The State of the Nonprofit Sector in Los Angeles 2009” is published by the Center for Civil Society at the UCLA School of Public Affairs and is available online at http://bit.ly/nonprofit09. �
“Nonprofits across the country are coping with the same challenges: Government funding has been cut, private foundations have lost significant portions of their endowments and individual giving is down.”
NEWSFORUM | SPRING 2010
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“ The perception that a bus station, train car, parking lot or particular neighborhood is dangerous forces many women to alter their travel patterns. This limits their access to the most basic of rights—to move freely in the public sphere.” —Prof. Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris
UCLA’s ‘California Policy Options 2010’ examines hurdles facing Golden State The latest volume of the UCLA School of Public Affairs’ annual state policy report, “California Policy Options 2010,” brings together perspectives and analysis on some of the most difficult issues facing the state, including the downward spiral of the state budget and dysfunction in governmental processes, as well as longer-term challenges involving income distribution, greenhouse gas emissions and public transportation. The report, edited by Daniel J.B. Mitchell, professor of public policy, provides a snapshot of current interrelated policy problems though in-depth case studies and includes examinations of: environmental legislation, curbing sprawl, the State budget crisis, prospects for economic recovery and gun control legislation. “California Policy Options 2010” is published by the Ralph and Goldy Lewis Center at the UCLA School of Public Affairs and includes research made possible by the generosity of the David Bohnett Foundation. It is available online at: http://bit.ly/CPO2010. �
www.publicaffairs.ucla.edu
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US lags behind in transit safety programs for female riders: Fears of harassment and sexual assault are unrecognized by transit operators Desolate bus stops and train cars, dimly lit parking structures and overcrowded mass transit vehicles all represent stressful settings for many women. In a new study, UCLA’s Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris examines the gap between women’s well-documented transit safety needs and programs in the U.S. that respond to them. “The perception that a bus station, train car, parking lot or particular neighborhood is dangerous forces many women to alter their travel patterns,” said Loukaitou-Sideris, a professor of urban planning at the UCLA School of Public Affairs. “This limits their access to the most basic of rights—to move freely in the public sphere. The situation is worse for low-income and minority women, who may reside in high-crime areas, travel back from work at odd hours and lack the resources for private transport such as cars and taxis.” Loukaitou-Sideris’ report, “How to Ease Women’s Fear of Transportation Environments: Case Studies and Best Practices,” recently published by the Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University’s College of Business, includes the results of a survey of 131 transit agencies and cities throughout the United States; interviews with representatives of U.S. women’s interest groups; and case studies of innovative safety-program models in Mexico, the United Kingdom and Japan that are specifically designed to meet the needs of female riders. “Many of our current security programs center on enclosed spaces—buses, train cars, station platforms—but women passengers are more fearful of the more open areas, such as parking lots and bus stops,” Loukaitou-Sideris said. “We need to take a closer look at the passengers’ experiences at each part of their travel patterns and include their voices, as well as the perspectives of grassroots organizations that are working on this issue, in the planning process.” The report may be downloaded at http://bit.ly/transitfears. �
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recap
Examining the Legacy of Slavery and Racism By Robin Heffler As part of a School of Public Affairs effort to explore social justice issues and their relevance to students’ future careers, some 170 students, faculty and community members recently viewed a film and engaged in a lively discussion about the legacy of slavery and racism in the U.S. Hosted by Dean Frank Gilliam, with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, participants gathered on Jan. 19, 2010, in the screening room of the Acosta Training Complex to see an abridged version of the documentary film, Traces of the Trade. In the film, which aired on PBS in 2008, producer and director Katrina Browne tells of her shocking discovery that the De Wolfs of Rhode Island, her prominent, Caucasian ancestors, were the largest slave-trading family in U.S. history. Together with nine other De Wolf descendants, Browne retraces the slave-trade triangle—from Bristol, Rhode Island, to slave forts in Ghana to a family plantation in Cuba and back to Bristol. Along the way, they struggle with the politics of race, how to “repair” the Filmmakers juanita brown and centuries-long damage of slavery, and their own katrina browne Yankee culture and privilege. After the screening, program participants engaged in one-on-one discussions about the film, as well as a question-and-answer session. “No one wants to associate with the oppressor because of the guilt and shame involved, but we need to acknowledge history and how it plays out in the present,” said Amy Smith, a first-year social welfare graduate student, who had just spent the day discussing white privilege in her class on “Cross-Cultural Awareness.” “And, since racism is a problem that affects everyone, everyone should be part of the solution.” Associate Professor Laura Abrams, who along with Joy Crumpton and Gerardo Lavina leads the “Cross-Cultural Awareness” class in the Department of Social Welfare, saw the issues raised by the film as important for social workers. “In a helping profession, it’s easy to see clients as having made bad choices rather than seeing their lives as structured by disadvantages and inequalities related to race, class and gender,” she said. �
Students Meet with City Officials to Examine Zoo Privatization City Hall Day 2010 Eighteen students from across all three graduate programs traveled to Los Angeles City Hall on Feb. 19, 2010, to examine whether privatizing the Los Angeles Zoo would be beneficial to public constituents and save the city money as it faces unprecedented budget shortfalls. Assigned into six teams of three participants, students met for several weeks prior to the City Hall Day, led in discussion and research preparation by professor Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris and executive director of external programs, VC Powe. Each team prepared questions to understand the positions of various stakeholders on the Zoo issue, ranging from the Zoo director, John Lewis, to representatives in the mayor’s office, to unionized labor. On City Hall Day itself, each team met with three stakeholders to interview them, and then regrouped with the other students to discuss their overall findings and recommendations. City Controller Wendy Greuel, who co-founded this event six years ago with UCLA, remarked that this year produced “some of the best and most useful information” for the city to consider in addressing the Zoo issue. Based on the research and collected interviews, the students prepared a policy memo for Greuel’s office, which has since been submitted by Greuel to the chair of the L.A. City Council’s budget and finance committee, Council member Bernard Parks. �
Heffler is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and former UCLA editor.
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NEWSFORUM | SPRING 2010
5/14/10 12:02 PM
Rosenfield Crime Forum Opens in Washington, DC: Judge Alm Delivers on HOPE “Swift and certain consequence is the key,” says Alm. “If probationers know they will be caught and punished, they will not violate.” WASHINGTON, DC—Addressing the record incarceration rates across the U.S. and the boom in the prison population, the UCLA School of Public Affairs launched the first in a series of public discussions on critical national issues with the opening dinner of the Rosenfield Forums at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. “The Rosenfield Forums are an opportunity to bring together some of the country’s best thinkers, practitioners, advocates, policymakers, and other stakeholders,” says Dean Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr. “This week’s particular event focuses on encouraging all of us to think a little differently about how we reduce crime in the United States. This is an important and deeply corrosive phenomenon: It corrodes the public space, it corrodes our young people, and it crowds our prisons. Much of the worlds of crime and punishment are artificially constructed around these two poles—too much crime and too much incarceration. What you’ll see in this event is scholars grappling with the complexities of these issues and presenting some elegant solutions—elegant in both simplicity and power.” The inaugural forum, “Escaping the Prison Trap: How to Have Less Crime and Less Incarceration,” featured a keynote address on October 7 by the Honorable Steven S. Alm of the Hawaii State Judiciary. Alm is the creator of Project HOPE (Hawaii’s Opportunity and Probation and Enforcement), an innovative crime reduction program for drug offenses that has had dramatic success rates. Judge Alm described a frustrating sentencing and incarceration system that amounted to little more than a revolving door for minor drug offenders to move in and out of the judicial system. “I can send them to the beach, or send them to prison—it’s crazy that these were the only options.” After gaining cooperation from several agencies, including the probation department, the sheriffs and U.S. marshals, Judge Alm created a systematic approach in which offenders are given instructions for calling
www.publicaffairs.ucla.edu
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the honorable steveN s alm
a telephone hotline to see if they have been selected that day for random drug testing. If they test positive for drugs, they are arrested on the spot and brought up for a hearing within two days. “Swift and certain consequence is the key,” says Alm. “If probationers know they will be caught and punished, they will not violate. Probation officers are pleased with the results, because clients were showing up to their appointments and showing up sober.” The program has had remarkable success in Hawaii (up to a 50 percent drop in repeat offenses among drug probationers), has been replicated by other judges, and is the focus of research by UCLA professor Mark Kleiman and Pepperdine University professor Angela Hawken. The Department of Justice has funded a program to introduce the program to other jurisdictions across the country. The Rosenfield Forums continued on October 8, 2009, at the Rayburn Building on Capitol Hill with panel discussions on: reducing juvenile crime and incarceration, led by associate professor Laura Abrams of the Department of Social Welfare; the consequences of mass incarceration, led by Professor Michael Stoll of the Department of Public Policy; and getting more crime control with less punishment, led by Professor Mark Kleiman of the Department of Public Policy. �
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“ Don’t doubt what a difference one person can make.” CATHY DANG, M.S.W. Candidate, Bohnett Fellow
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NEWSFORUM | SPRING 2010
5/14/10 12:02 PM
student profile
by Kristine Breese
Empowering Kids to Succeed: Cathy Dang, MSW Candidate, Bohnett Fellow
Cathy Dang’s parents weren’t entirely happy when they saw their daughter’s picture in the paper announcing that she’d been selected as a David Bohnett Fellow and would be working in the mayor’s office. “Of course, they were proud of me. But I think they’d rather see me in the paper because I was making a lot of money,” she says, only half joking. As the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants who survived the war, fled their homeland, endured weeks on rickety boats and then months in refugee camps, Dang does not resent her parents’ preoccupation with money and outward trappings of wealth. “I think with all they have endured, they just want to see an end to the cycle of poverty in our family.” In some ways, this graduate student in Social Welfare at the School of Public Affairs is just as worried about the “cycle of poverty” as her parents. Only in her case, it’s not the state of her own bank account that keeps her up nights, it’s the huge need she sees all around her working in some of L.A.’s most challenged neighborhoods. In her role reporting to Deputy Mayor Miriam Long, Dang is working with the Office of Children, Youth and Families to improve opportunities and outcomes for students in three of the 11 schools that are part of the mayor’s Partnership for Los Angles Schools (PLAS). “While PLAS focuses on things like improving test scores, the Office tackles all the things that keep kids from excelling in school, both on and off campus. This can mean everything from housing issues to immigration, to health care, gangs and domestic violence.” Again, Dang’s family experience looms large. “My parents owned a nail salon in downtown Brooklyn,” she recalls. “When I was seven I saw my dad get jumped by five guys in the parking lot at the end of a long day at work. Of course, an experience like that is horrifying and is not something you just brush off when you head off to school the next day.”
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Interfacing with colleagues all over the country, Dang has discovered models in Harlem and Orlando, among others, that she believes are adaptable and scalable to succeed here in Los Angeles. While this experience stands out, Dang recalls that violence was ever-present in her neighborhood, and that at the time it was “the best my parents could do.” Now, with her own modest salary and stipend, Dang gives back, helping to support her parents and all those around her. “There’s always so much more going on in people’s lives than you might expect.” It’s that sense, and her belief that she can help knit together a web of support for kids and families in L.A.’s inner city, that makes Dang the great student, leader and visionary that she is. Interfacing with colleagues all over the country, Dang has discovered models in Harlem and Orlando, among others, that she believes are adaptable and scalable to succeed here in Los Angeles. Specifically she is hoping to tap into some of the stimulus package dollars earmarked for 20 so-called “Promise Neighborhoods” to create a “kids’ zone” where schools and service providers band together to create a continuum of care for the young people in a certain neighborhood. “Of course, I want to do this all over the city, but even if we start with 10 or 15 blocks I’ll be happy. I want to see what works and how we can change outcomes for people. One recent success was securing funding from the Department of Children, Youth and Family to hire a social worker at Markham Middle School in Watts. “Don’t doubt what a difference one person can make,” Dang says, referring to the social worker. She could, of course, be referring to herself. �
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faculty profile
Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, a professor of urban planning and a scholar of urban design and urban history, has researched the uses of all kinds of public spaces, from parks to plazas. Now she and her co-author, Renia Ehrenfeucht, PhD ‘06 (Urban Planning), have tackled a most pedestrian subject: the lowly urban sidewalk. In their new book, Sidewalks: Conflict and Negotation over Public Space (MIT Press, 2009), Loukaitou-Sideris and Ehrenfeucht, now an assistant professor at the University of New Orleans, track the furious battles that have been fought on sidewalks over free speech, public access and conflicting uses. They have looked into policies governing sidewalks in five cities—Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Miami and Seattle—and found reasons why some cities have a vibrant sidewalk culture and in other cities, sidewalks are devoid of life.
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NEWSFORUM | SPRING 2010
5/14/10 12:02 PM
BY CYNthia LEE, UCLA TODAY
Questions for Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris
Sidewalk Scholar Why did you decide to devote an entire book to the sidewalk? Most authors and social scientists do not tend to see the sidewalk as a unique piece of the urban environment. But as public space, sidewalks are everywhere and link everything, and no one seems to notice them. My co-author and I began noticing newspaper articles about contemporary conflicts over sidewalks, from Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris street vending and street prostitution to demonstrations. These conflicts have grown serious enough to reach the U.S. Supreme Court on the issue of First Amendment rights.
Do you mean public speaking was banned from sidewalks? Back in the early 20th century, some U.S. cities began banning public speaking on sidewalks in downtown areas. There were parts of downtown San Diego and Los Angeles where people could not give a public speech. That was a time when the Socialist Party was emerging, and unions like the Industrial Workers of the World were becoming more vocal. Many merchants wanted to shut them down. A lot of local municipal councils began banning public speaking on sidewalks. More recently, in 1999, when demonstrations broke out in Seattle at a meeting of the World Trade Organization, cities became very much afraid of such disruptions and the way these images were sent all over the world via satellite TV. So cities became extremely careful about where public speaking was allowed. Not only were permits required, but cities and police
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created “protest pens,” where you were allowed to exercise your First Amendment rights. In Los Angeles in 2000 at the Democratic National Convention at the Staples Center, you could only demonstrate in an area where conventioneers could not see you.
What first intrigued you about sidewalks? Coming from Athens, Greece, where there is a very intensive use of sidewalks, I experienced a cultural shock when I first came to this country in 1983 as a graduate student and saw that sidewalks were empty in most places. This was so much in contrast to my own life experiences. I always had this question: Why are American sidewalks empty? What happened to the pedestrians? The book really responds to these questions.
How has the use of sidewalks been discouraged in American cities? Part of it is the way our cities have been designed. We have built cities that are not very interesting to walk in. In many cities, you walk next to blank walls; there’s nothing to look at. Cities with long blocks or very wide streets are not very convenient for walking. There are a lot of streets in the inner city that have sidewalks, but absolutely no street trees, so there’s no shade. All these physical elements discourage walking. There are few areas in L.A. where you would gladly walk. And then there are some cities that are much more fortunate, like San Francisco or New York, where you have more mixed uses.
What American cities do the best job of promoting sidewalk-walking? East coast cities have a longer history of mixed use. Having mixed uses—where, for example, supermarkets occupy the ground floor of a building and apartments are on the upper continued on the following page
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faculty profile
Sidewalks: Conflict and Negotation over Public Space (MIT Press, 2009), Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris and Renia Ehrenfeucht
Sidewalk Scholar continued FROM THE PREVIOUS page
floors—brings more people onto the streets. Boston and New York have more interesting sidewalks because they have many more mixed-use buildings and shorter blocks. But in western cities, you’ll see endless subdivisions, established by zoning. It’s helped create what we call the “dormitory” suburb. This has taken the life out of sidewalks. There are even some suburbs that have been built without sidewalks because homeowners want their privacy.
Are there other concerns that have worked against sidewalks? Some people are afraid to walk along the streets because of a public safety concern. The irony here is that you tend to be safer when you have what urbanist Jane Jacobs called “eyes on the street” with vibrant sidewalks filled with people. Growing up in Athens, I felt very safe as a young woman walking on the streets late at night because there were so many people on the street. But I would never walk at night in most areas of Los Angeles.
That’s sad that so few people in American cities walk on sidewalks. Is this likely to change? Interestingly enough, in the last 5 - 10 years, we have heard more voices speaking up for sidewalks, mostly in public health and active living literature. Many Americans suffer today from obesity. Our children are obese partly because they are driven everywhere. We are all so preoccupied with issues of safety and danger. So we don’t let our children walk.
What are we missing by not walking our sidewalks? You perceive a city so much better when you walk than when you’re inside the cocoon of a car. Oftentimes, our highways and
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freeways are built to bypass the city. But when you walk, you tend to see, hear, smell the neighborhood. So walking is very important to our understanding of city life.
In your book, you talk about sidewalk culture. What do you mean by that? It’s the ability of people to territorialize this public space for positive uses because they feel that it is their own. As a citizen of a city, you feel you can jog, walk your dog or use this public space for public discourse, to display wares or communicate with your neighbors. But there are many instances where our laws have discouraged this sidewalk culture from developing. Cities now require permits for many uses of this public space. And these have intensified over the last decade. Take street vending. It’s banned in Los Angeles, even though you can still find some street vendors in many communities, especially in East L.A. But we have banned not only street vending from sidewalks, but public demonstrations and celebrations. In the book, we document how over the years this emptying of sidewalks took place through regulations and ordinances.
Is the outdoor pedestrian mall replacing the urban sidewalk? It’s true that the success of such commercial areas like Old Town Pasadena and the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica do promote walking. Nevertheless, they are very contained. Old Pasadena is only two blocks long. My ideal city is one where you will have continuous sidewalks connecting different street uses and linking different areas of the city that would be attractive to pedestrians. There is a movement in planning called the new urbanism that talks a lot about bringing more pedestrians to the streets. I don’t want to sound naïve and say it will happen overnight. But we do see some movement towards a more active sidewalk life. �
NEWSFORUM | SPRING 2010
5/14/10 12:02 PM
tweet scene
Expert media commentary by faculty Follow us at twitter.com/UCLAPubAffairs for the latest. Terrorism and National Security
Crime, Incarceration, and Drugs
MARK KLEIMAN plays the odds on profiling travelers: “Counterterrorism is a
MARK KLEIMAN featured in Natl Geographic’s “Taboo: Narcotics.”
fault-intolerant environment.” http://bit.ly/5a8SLM AMY ZEGART analyzes system failures regarding recent terror plots:
“In some ways, this case is worse than 9/11.” http://bit.ly/7hJiRY
—examines Christmas Day intelligence & asks “How can you conclude that it’s anything but a failure?” http://bit.ly/7vPbdg —“It could only have been more obvious if the guy had worn a T-shirt saying ‘I’m a terrorist’.” http://bit.ly/7tYwNh —Assessing the value of FBI counterterrorism threat squads. Amy Zegart: “Just chasing leads burns through resources.” http://bit.ly/NqgWP —TIME places the spotlight on Obama’s national security team with the input of intelligence expert Amy Zegart: http://bit.ly/4WLtbF —breaks down the National Counterterrorism Center and intelligence
failures in recent weeks: http://bit.ly/7VWncm
Social Equality A new study by PAUL ONG reveals that Asian Americans win the fewest minority government-contracting programs: http://bit.ly/1ma9tQ ABEL VALENZUELA Jr. talks about how the proportion of U.S. born daylaborers has at least doubled since 2006: http://bit.ly/8G8OUv UCLA Public Affairs Dean FRANK GILLIAM talks about “group pride” regarding the lack of confidence in race relations: http://bit.ly/6ODDCx
http://bit.ly/94zAy9 —NY Times discusses Judge Steven Alm’s Project HOPE and Mark Kleiman’s idea of less crime and punishment. http://bit.ly/4yx9HL JORJA LEAP discusses “disorganized crime” and the new trend of gangs collaborating for money in Los Angeles: http://bit.ly/6MXrNk —”When there’s unemployment & poverty & lack of external support, there’s gangs” (in AP, Somali Gangs in MN): http://tiny.cc/tTIfd LAURA ABRAMS discusses challenges for youth reentering society after incarceration (radio interview): http://bit.ly/bnoqT
Public Health ARLEEN LEIBOWITZ looks at the potential impact of guideline changes by the Centers for Disease Control: http://bit.ly/bnd6NZ A lifetime ‘Push hard, keep going forward’ now impacting aging for polio survivors, FERNANDO TORRES-GIL in the NYTimes: http://nyti.ms/aUDOqA CHRIS TILLY on healthcare: “This is where jobs of the future lie.” http:// bit.ly/4Ee2JL MARK PETERSON on Senate health care changes: “Everybody wants to bring down costs, but they don’t want to cut anything.” http://bit.ly/6Pde55 FRANK GILLIAM explains the furor over health care reform: ”The American myth is that any of us can be among the wealthy.” http://bit.ly/KcXf6
Politics and the Economy DANIEL J.B. MITCHELL analyzes the relationship between California and Washington in case for financial assistance: http://bit.ly/8yh3VV CHRIS TILLY: “The Internet has made it a lot easier to relocate and disperse labor by location...” read more: http://bit.ly/A2gl7 Meg Whitman as the GOP candidate for CA Gov seat: Dean FRANK GILLIAM weighs in on her chances: http://bit.ly/YsVxm http://bit.ly/FIAgK FRANK GILLIAM on the AEG billboard dustup in city hall: “It’s bare-knuckle backroom politics...” http://bit.ly/1TZRgj DANIEL J.B. MITCHELL reflects on Schwarzenegger’s exit strategy and privatizing prisons in California: http://bit.ly/6xawpG
Planning and Sustainability ALBERT CARNESALE leads nationwide project outlined by the National Academies and Congress on America’s Climate Choices: http://bit.ly/4xMDbg DONALD SHOUP lectures on “Performance Parking” and employer Parking Cash-Out(s)” at the University of Buffalo: http://bit.ly/8AMZpY BRIAN TAYLOR in LATimes: Biggest obstacle to world-class transit is creating incentives to get Americans out of cars: http://bit.ly/Jv1ZK MATT KAHN on the cash for clunkers tradeoff: U.S. households and carmakers benefit, but the developing world is worse off. http://bit.ly/v7EYe
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LA 2.0 Changing the Way Ahead ›› With Georgia Sheridan and Amber Hawkes
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NEWSFORUM | SPRING 2010
5/14/10 12:02 PM
alumni profile
By minne HONG ho
“If Los Angeles right now is in its 1.0 version, what would the next version look like? Everyone throws out the term ‘twenty-first century,’ but what does that mean?” Los Angeles has been tagged with some less than appealing descriptions in its past, as a leader in traffic, georgia sheridan and amber hawkes congestion, and sprawl, but when Georgia Sheridan and Amber Hawkes start to talk about the city, it emerges as a place of endless possibilities, where denizens of thinkers, artists, activists and visionaries are actively at work to create vibrant communities where real human connectivity happens. The two urban planning alumnae, who work at the urban design firm Torti Gallas in downtown L.A. (and also run their own research, writing and lecture partnership, Sheridan/Hawkes) recently put together a highly successful meeting of the minds called “LA 2.0”—a cross between a high-level planning session and a community brainstorm for what this city could ultimately be. Inspired by a quote from President Obama for the public to share innovative ideas with the White House, the two answered the call, with collaborators from GOOD Magazine and The Public Studio, and pulled together a gathering that included James Rojas, transportation planner for L.A. Metro; Simon Pastucha and Emily Gabel-Luddy of the City of L.A. urban design studio; John Chase, urban designer for the City of West Hollywood; and Neal Payton, architect and principal of Torti Gallas. “We wanted to bring together urban planners and thinkers to come up with ideas, using their expertise and interdisciplinary collaboration—with economic practitioners, development people, planners, architects,” says Hawkes. “We thought that if you had these interdisciplinary teams, which is a trend that we’re seeing a lot in our business in general, that you can make something really interesting happen.” “If Los Angeles right now is in its 1.0 version,” adds Sheridan, “what would the next version look like? Everyone throws out the term ‘twenty-first century,’ but what does that mean?”
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The event initially began with the seed of a concept between the two planners as they were preparing for speaking at a professional meeting in 2009. “We ended up doing a lot of research into rethinking street space,” says Sheridan, “and looking at land as really important in urban situations in every space—sidewalks, parks, residual space. We looked at New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and then one thing led to the next.” Teaming up with GOOD and The Public Studio, the event announcement drew well over 150 applicants for the 30 available slots, from people across professions and interests—avid bicyclists, real estate developers, and bloggers—hitting a nerve among young Angelenos eager to shape the city’s future. “One funny thing we started to see was that L.A. has a bad reputation, and needs a marketing plan,” says Sheridan, “the applications were all filled with love for L.A., even though a lot of people do complain about it. They were just really positive about what it could be.” “We were hopeful that what we would create was solutions, but what we saw were really themes—the need for flexibility as cities change and grow, the need for social cohesion and places for people to gather and communicate,” Sheridan adds, “like the idea of having a ‘taco truck culture,’ where the environment allows for spontaneous moments of gathering and community.” After a full day of workshops and a panel discussions, the team pulled together enough ideas and inspiration to launch a sequel: the City 2.0 Project. Intended to inspire other cities to host similar events, the idea is to get people to focus on communitybased urban solutions, build stronger local networks of engaged professionals, and share their good ideas with cities across the country. The ideas submitted through the GOOD/Public Studio (http://www.good.is/post/project-city-2-0) will be collected and submitted to The White House for consideration. �
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people
tors that might mitigate the
Social welfare professor
problem? Should the spent fuel
AURORA P. JACKSON and her
to the people of the 6th district
“The more I meet and talk
be processed differently? How
colleagues, associate professor
about my comprehensive plan
might the spent fuel or processed
TODD M. FRANKE, professor
to create jobs or how we can
waste be stored to minimize the
Peter M. Bentler, and recent
get real health care reform,
risk to current and future genera-
graduate of the social welfare
the more people we get to join
tions?” The solution won’t be
doctoral program, JEONG-
our team. And it is because so
found in science and technology
KYUN CHOI ‘09, collaborated
many people are powering this
alone, Carnesale said.
on three recent publications
campaign, that not only will we
on the subject of parenting
win in May, but in November
ANA LUZ GONZÁLEZ, a
in low-income families: their
as well,” he said. Trivedi, who
doctoral candidate in urban
articles appeared in Social Work
is a primary care physician, was
Chancellor emeritus and
planning, co-authored “Wage
Research, The Journal of Family
a former Lt. Commander in the
professor of public policy and
Theft and Workplace Violations
Issues, and Social Work.
U.S. Navy and is also an Iraq
mechanical and aerospace engi-
in Los Angeles,” a new study
War veteran. He is running as
neering ALBERT CARNESALE
that reveals a high rate of wage
a Democrat to represent Berks
has been selected to serve on a
theft among low-paid workers.
County, PA.
high-level national commission
An alarmingly high number
that will study and make recom-
of Los Angeles County workers
Social welfare associate
mendations for developing a
at the bottom of the labor
professor Laura S. Abrams
safe, long-term solution to the
market are the victims of “wage
was a speaker at a senate
serious problem of managing the
theft” and other workplace
briefing on Youth Reentry in
nation’s nuclear waste.
violations by employers, who
Washington, D.C. on November
on average deprive workers of
16, 2009, sponsored by Senator
U.S. Department of Energy to
12.5 percent of their weekly
Benjamin Cardin (D-Maryland).
form the 15-member Blue Ribbon
paycheck, according to the study
The Youth Reentry Task Force
Commission on America’s Nuclear
released on Jan. 6, 2010.
of the Juvenile Justice and
President Obama directed the
Future to conduct a compre-
Approximately 88 percent
Delinquency Prevention Coali-
hensive review of policies for
of those surveyed reported at
When congressional hopeful
managing the country’s current
least one instance of being paid
and public policy alumnus
Project and the National Alli-
and future stockpile of nuclear
less than the minimum wage,
MANAN TRIVEDI ‘07 MPP,
ance to End Homelessness,
waste after the administration
working overtime and not being
passed the four month mark
organized an educational panel
decided not to proceed with the
paid for it, working off-the-clock
in the race for Pennsylvania’s
to brief House and Senate
Yucca Mountain (Nevada) nuclear
for free, or other pay-based
6th congressional district, he
members on the importance of
waste repository.
violations during the previous
became the first candidate to
meeting the needs of juveniles
work week.
reach and pass the milestone
who reenter a community after
of receiving 100 endorsements.
a period of incarceration—a
“The commission is not being
tion, along with the Sentencing
asked to identify an alternative
Ana Luz González’s research
site to replace Yucca Mountain,”
focuses on the labor market status
These endorsements repre-
population consisting of about
Carnesale said. “There are many
of immigrants and minorities
sent every level of community
100,000 youth a year. Speakers
other avenues of inquiry to
and the role of day labor worker
and political leadership, and
reviewed best practices for
pursue. For example, are there
centers in the informal economy.
showed Trivedi’s broad appeal
service providers, federal laws
throughout the district.
that support reentry services,
new designs for nuclear reac-
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SPA_news_1ee_PROOFED.indd 18
—Meg Sullivan
NEWSFORUM | SPRING 2010
5/14/10 12:02 PM
studies of reentry services that
since 1998, Berthold received
in The Encyclopedia of Social
recently passed Senate Bill
reduce recidivism, and current
her undergraduate degree
Work (with social welfare asso-
518. The bill, passed by the
perspectives from the field.
from Harvard, M.S.W. from the
ciate professor Todd Franke),
California State Senate, would
The speakers also made recom-
University of Utah, and Ph.D. in
and work as the editor of the
require “20 points” of parking
mendations on how to bolster
Social Welfare from UCLA. She
book Culturally Diverse Popula-
reform for every municipality
national policy to better support
is a specialist in cross-cultural
tions: Reflections from Pioneers
in the state, ranging from
juveniles’ reentry needs.
trauma and torture treatment
in Education and Research.
eliminating minimum parking
issues. She has worked exten-
Additionally, she continues to
requirements (worth 20 points),
from the New Visions Foun-
sively with Southeast Asian
expand her writings in poetry
to requiring on-street parking
dation to conduct a study of
communities in the United
and children’s literature with
meter rates to fluctuate to
formerly incarcerated, transition-
States and in refugee camps in
publications by The Haiku
achieve a maximum 85 percent
age youth (ages 18 - 24) in Los
Thailand and the Philippines.
Society of America and High-
occupancy (worth 10 points).
Angeles. Two doctoral students
Berthold provides psycho-
lights magazine.
and five M.S.W. students are
therapy to survivors of torture
people who drive to work
currently involved in data collec-
and human trafficking, training
receive free parking, which is a
tion and analysis. Abrams and
on the psychological effects
huge incentive to drive to work.
social welfare professor Bridget
of trauma, and serves as an
Parking cash-out laws ensure
Freisthler received support from
expert witness in immigration
that employers offer the cash
a private donor to study housing
court. She is also currently a
value of that parking space to
availability and needs for youth
co-investigator on a federally
employees who choose to take
aging out of the foster care and
funded NIMH study researching
another form of transporta-
juvenile justice system over the
the prevalence of torture and
tion,” explains Shoup.
next five years.
the health and mental health
She also received a grant
“Ninety-five percent of
Eliminating “free” parking
consequences among Khmer
may cause uproars in auto-
refugee adults in Long Beach,
centric cities like Los Angeles,
California.
but Shoup consistently points DONALD SHOUP, professor of
out that free parking is only
Diane de Anda of the social
urban planning, is the newly
free to the driver—everyone
welfare faculty writes in that
named editor of the widely read
else, including the taxpayer,
she is keeping quite busy with
transportation and planning
bears the cost.
her writing since her retirement
publication Access, bringing this
in June of 2007, and her writing
top publication to UCLA and
are free,” says Shoup, “I’m
includes: six articles in refereed
its new home in the Ralph and
against subsidized parking, and
journals (Social Work in Mental
Goldy Lewis Center.
the idea that drivers can offload
Health, Child and Adolescent
Shoup—who has the unique
“I’m not against things that
the cost of parking onto others.
Social Work Journal, The Journal
distinction of being one of the
We didn’t become a great
S. Megan Berthold, PhD
of Teaching in Social Work,
few living persons included as
nation by being freeloaders.”
’98, LCSW received the NASW
Children and Schools, Journal
a “Top 100 Urban Thinker” of
>>>
2009 Social Worker of the Year
of Social Work in Disability and
2009 on the planning uber-site
Award. A therapist and director
Rehabilitation, and Journal of
Planetizen—also worked with
of research and evaluation with
Ethnic and Cultural Diversity
California state senator Alan
the Program for Torture Victims
in Social Work); two articles
Lowenthal in formulating the
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SPA_news_1ee_PROOFED.indd 19
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5/14/10 12:02 PM
people
Tribute
guished undergraduate career. While pursuing his degree on
Mimi Perloff, Patron and Friend, “Godmother” of Urban Planning
a rigorous honors track in both economics and political science, Clawson managed to serve for two quarters as a research assistant to AMY ZEGART, a national security expert and associate professor of public policy. He volunteered for nearly two years with the Los Angeles branch of the Homeland SecuPublic Affairs undergraduate
rity Advisory Council on a
student MATTHEW CLAWSON
project to improve the metro
has been selected to receive a
area’s emergency preparedness.
2010 Marshall Scholarship, a
—Meg Sullivan
prestigious program that pays for graduate study anywhere in the United Kingdom. The 22-year-old UCLA senior from Fort Collins, Colo., is a political science and economics major with a minor in public affairs, and plans to use the award to complete a master’s degree in international relations at Oxford University. “I couldn’t be more thrilled about the whole opportunity,”
The communities in the UCLA School of Arts and Architecture and the UCLA School of Public Affairs are deeply saddened by the passing of longtime friend and benefactor, Miriam Perloff, co-founder of UCLA Design for Sharing, and wife of the late Harvey S. Perloff, founding dean of UCLA’s Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Planning, for whom UCLA’s Perloff Hall is named. A graduate of Juilliard, a professional pianist, concert organizer and publicist, activist and businessperson, Mimi Perloff put her many talents to use for the betterment of the UCLA community upon her arrival on campus in 1968. Longtime friend and former faculty member Martin Wachs recalls, “She worked tirelessly to raise funds for the fledgling school, especially donations of scholarships and fellowships so that poor but deserving students could complete their graduate training...The best tribute we can offer to honor Mimi’s memory will be to keep alive the sense of community and commitment to social change that make Urban Planning at UCLA so special.” Born October 29, 1914, Mrs. Perloff died in her Westwood home Thursday, January 21, 2010, surrounded by family. She was 95. She is survived by her two sons, Gregg and Jeffrey, and her grandchildren, Lisa, Alexx, and Spenser. �
he said. “Since my sophomore
NAYIRI NAHABEDIAN ’95
year, I’ve been looking for a
MSW, a member of the Board of
chance to study international
Education for Glendale Unified
relations abroad. One of the best
School District, is running for
areas where she helped struggling
ways to study the U.S. system is
the California State Assembly in
families recover from physical and
District spans the cities of
to look at it from abroad. This
the 43rd District.
sexual abuse, domestic violence,
Burbank and Glendale. It also
and drug addiction. Since 2000,
includes portions of Los Angeles,
Nahabedian went on to work for
Nahabedian has been a teaching
including the neighborhoods of
tough challenges that will define
the Los Angeles County Depart-
faculty member at California State
Atwater Village, Laurel Grove,
my own generation—issues such
ment of Children and Family
University, Los Angeles’s School
Los Feliz, Silver Lake, North
as terrorism, global poverty and
Services as a social worker. For
of Social Work, where she teaches
Hollywood, Toluca Lake, Toluca
nuclear proliferation,” he said.
five years, Nahabedian worked in
courses on child welfare, public
Woods, Toluca Terrace, Valley
The award caps a distin-
the central and south Los Angeles
policy and social service.
Glen and Van Nuys.
will allow me to do just that.” “I hope to help confront the
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After earning her M.S.W.,
California’s 43rd Assembly
NEWSFORUM | SPRING 2010
5/14/10 12:02 PM
Tribute
Gerald Seabury Memorial Lecture at UC Berkeley this April,
Jeanne Giovannoni, Professor of Social Welfare
presenting “Science and Politics in the Evolution of DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).” He also presents “DSM and the Illusion of Progress in Psychiatric Diagnosis” at The University of Brussels (Belgium) as part of a year-long celebration of the university’s 175th anniversary. Associate Dean Fernando Torres-Gil has been named to an Obama administration post as a member and vice chair of the National Council on Disability. This marks the third term of service in a presidential administration for Professor Torres-Gil, who served under Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. Torres-Gil holds appointments as professor of social welfare and public policy in the School of Public Affairs
Public policy professor ARLEEN
and is the director of the Center
LEIBOWITZ is serving on
for Policy Research on Aging.
a committee advising the
Prior to his roles at UCLA,
Office of National AIDS Policy
Jeanne Giovannoni, professor of social welfare at UCLA for many years, passed away on December 17, 2009. A former psychiatric social worker, Professor Giovannoni was among the best known scholars in child welfare. Her 1979 book, Defining Child Abuse, was a highly cited source in the field of child maltreatment. Professor Giovannoni was active in many spheres for her entire life. From 1969 - 1993, she was an unusually productive faculty member and also served as Associate Vice Chancellor for Faculty Relations. Before and after her retirement in 1993, she was involved in many causes and organizations, rendering service to UCLA and national, state and local organizations. She served as a consultant to the U.S. Veteran’s Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Juvenile Division of Los Angeles County Superior Court, and was on the Board of Directors of El Nido Family Centers. She continued her scholarship throughout her life, and as recently as 2006, published a paper on consumer perceptions of services in family resource centers. Professor Giovannoni remained close to many of her UCLA colleagues, and she would brighten during their visits and at the mention of her faculty friends. �
he served as a professor of
(ONAP) in its development of
gerontology and public admin-
a National HIV/AIDS Strategy.
istration at USC. Before serving
In support of this activity,
in academia, he was the first
ONAP asked the Institute of
a series of three workshops and
assistant secretary for aging in
Medicine of The National Acad-
data-gathering activities that will
a greater number of HIV tests
the U.S. Department of Health
emies—an organization that
result in a series of three brief
and to accommodate new HIV
and Human Services and served
brings together committees of
reports over the next year.
diagnoses; and federal and state
as staff director of the U.S.
experts in all areas of scientific
The committee will plan and
House of Representatives Select
and technological endeavor to
host workshops to explore: the
into clinical care or the provi-
Committee on Aging.
address critical national issues
extent to which federal, state
sion of continuous and sustained
and give advice to the federal
and private health insurance poli-
clinical care.
Social welfare professor
government and the public—to
cies pose a barrier to expanded
Stuart Kirk delivers the
convene a committee to conduct
HIV testing; the capacity of the
www.publicaffairs.ucla.edu
SPA_news_1ee_PROOFED.indd 21
health care system to administer
policies that may inhibit entry
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support
In Gratitude
Friends and Supporters
The School of Public Affairs gratefully acknowledges the following alumni, friends, students, faculty and staff, and foundation and corporate partners for their donations.
Dean’s Leadership Council $100,000 and above John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation* David I. Fisher and Marianna J. Fisher*
$50,000 and above Kellogg Foundation David A. Leveton, Director of the Ann C. Rosenfield Fund New York Academy of Medicine Sasakawa Peace Foundation* Southern California Grantmakers Wallis Foundation
$25,000 and above Compagnia di San Paolo Council on Social Work Education Inc.* Calvin B. Gross and Marilyn B. Gross* Mark Kleiman* Robert Bosch Stiftung GMBH Foundation The Ahmanson Foundation The Gerontological Society of America*
$10,000 and above Brookings Institute Meyer Luskin, BA ’49 and Doreen Luskin, BA ‘53 Victoria M. Mutsuko Brown, BA ’80 Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development* Ronald Allen Rodriguez and Jo Ann Damron-Rodriguez, MSW ‘88, DSW ‘90 The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation
$5,000 and above Asia Research Fund* Corday Family Foundation* Torang Jahan, BA ’95 Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc.
$2,500 and above Astrid Beigel, MA ‘67, PhD ’69* Ira E. Bilson and Alberta Stahl Bilson, BS ’58 Loma Linda University* Michael R. Peevey and Carol Liu* Robert F. Schilling and Sheryl L. Miller* Sidney Stern Memorial Trust Taylor & Francis Group Ltd.* Henry L. Taylor, Jr. and Claudette L. Taylor
$1,000 and above Richard L. Abrams and Jane S. Abrams Andrea Christine Abrams and Arnold Abrams Amgen Inc. A. E. Benjamin, Jr.* John F. Cooke and Diane F. Cooke Laurie Marie Eddleston, MSW ’04 and Ian Eddleston Mari Hatta Gregg W. Perloff, BA ’74 and Laura Perloff, BA ‘73* Allan S. Pollock The Marilyn S. Broad Foundation, Inc.* United Way of Greater Los Angeles Mary Jane Varley and Jo C. Sherman* Martin Wachs and Helen Wachs*
$500 and above Accenture Foundation, Inc. Ernst & Young LLP Brian E. Gross, MA ’02 and Darren A. Nebesar* David Michael Henderson and Susan T. Henderson Stanley Ray Hoffman, BS ‘66, MA ’72 and Linda Johnson Hoffman, BA ’71* Arthur Peter Lombardi, MPA ’67 and Lindsey D. Lombardi H. Pike Oliver, MA ’74 and Rosemarie Sills Oliver David Robnett George Matthew Shannon, Jr. and Linda Ann Shannon, BA ’76 Thomas Edgar Smith, Jr., MA ’76 and Lorraine Cordaro Smith* Ryan Thomas Snyder, BA ’79, MA ’85* Judson Stull, BA ’71 and Jill De Wees Stull, BA ’71, MED ‘74* Claude Alva Townsend, BA ’49, MSW ’51* Phillip Harry Warren, JD ’79 and Elaine Casey Warren, MA ‘78
$250 and above Zainab Ali, BA ’07 Da’Nene Rebecca Anthony, MSW ’06 James Ralph Brueggemann, BS ‘68, MS ’71, JD ‘75 and Diana Hissey Brueggemann, BA ’70 Jannah Dacanay Maresh, BA ’03 Michael Estrada, MA ’81 Bruce Steven Glickfeld, BA ‘69, JD ’72 and Madelyn Janet Glickfeld, BA ’70, MA ‘76 Monica Harris, MSW ‘88 Thomas Frederick Holm, MA ’76 Cheryl Jackson, MSW ’90 Lucia Kagan Nancy Jean Kingston, MPH ’74 Dr. Florabel Kinsler, MSW ’54 Linda F. Kutner, BA ‘84, MSW ’88 and Scott David Kutner, BA ‘81, MA ‘85 Sandra Chen Lau, MA ’98* An-Chi Lee and Sywn-Tien Shirley Hsiao, MA ’79 Tuey Jean Lee, BA ‘66, MSW ’74* Cynthia Lim, PhD ’98*
Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris* Javier Mariscal, MA ’89* Michele Louise McGrath, MA ’90* James L. Meltzer and Rose Linda Meltzer, MSW ‘91 Linda L. Menar and Robert Michael Menar, MSW ’70 Michael S. Metcalfe, MAR ’70 and Eloise Lopez Metcalfe, BA ‘64, MA ’83, PhD ‘92* Michael Brandman Associates Paul Allen Oliver, BA ’09 Brian Deane Taylor, BA ’83, PhD ’92 and Evelyn Ann Blumenberg, MA ‘90, PhD ‘95* Waiyi Tse, JD ‘02 Katherine Casey Warren
$100 and above Laura Elena Aldrete, MA ‘96 Karen B. Amarawansa and Attala L. Amarawansa Michael W. Arthur and Dellene Arthur Joan R. Ballon, BA ’84, MSW ’86 Pat Benjamin and Mark Benjamin Paul G. Bower and Elreen Thurlow Bower, MSW ‘87* Thomas Wayne Brock, PhD ’92 Jeffry P. Carpenter, MA ’71 and Masako H. Carpenter, MA ’75, MBA ’77* Kimberly Jo Clary BA ’84, MSW ’86 W. D. Coggins, MSW ’55 and June Constance Coggins* Rose A. Cohn, DSW ’79 Stephen Keith Commins, BA ’71, PhD ’88 and Sharon Meares Commins, BA ’72 John Robert Coombs, BA ’57 Stephen Risdon Crosley, MA ’06* Brenda Ball Cuthbertson, MPP ’99 Franklin Winston Dabby and Karen Weber Dabby Linda Dach-Kaufman, BA ’68 and Rob Kaufman, MSW ’86* Jane Pesante David, BA ’70 and Thomas Gene David, BA ’70, MA ‘72* Gwendolyn Elizabeth Davis, MSW ’03* Maria Perry Eaves, BA ‘45, MA ’45 Maria Isabel Elgueta, MSW ’81* Christopher J. Elias, MPP ’08 Harvey Alan Englander, BA ’72 and Donna R. Black, JD ’75 Christopher A. Fierro
* denotes Renewing donors who have sustained their support over the last two consecutive fiscal years.
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Cora E. Fullmore Ges-Mari Neri Gerber, BA ’91 and Seth Michael Gerber James Alan Gilbert, MA ’93 and Susan Orbuch John Edward Gilman, IV, MPA ’73 Junko Goto, PhD ’93 Angela Yvonne Gross, BA ’70 and Irwin George Gross, BA ’70 Jocelyn Ann Guihama, MPP ’03 and David E. Olson* George Halle Hays Mary Ann Christen Henry, BS ‘56, MS ’65 David Ernest Hernandez, MSW ’75 Seong Sik Jeon, PhD ’03 and Joo Eun Bae, MSW ’03* Robin C. Kay David Eugene Kimbrough, MS ‘94, PhD ’07 and Carolina A. OjedaKimbrough, MA ’96 Richard Raymond Kolodziej, MA ’75 K. M. Kolodziejski* Marian Zorn Lawrence, MA ’80 and Damon Lawrence
Sergio Enrique Lima, MA ’07 and Elisa Vartanian Lima, MSW ’05 Marilyn E. Little Robert Lavelle Looper, MSW ’71 and Alcene O. Looper* Michael Martin Maisterra, MSW ’70 and Jo Ann Maisterra Bob Ray McDuff, MA ‘79, MBA ’84 and Marsha Eileen Harris, MA ‘83, MBA ‘83 Ailee Moon Vinit Mukhija* National Association of Social Workers California Chapter Carole Ruth Oken, BA ’81, MA ’83* Brian Matthew Olsen, MSW ’08 Michael Ostrow and Francine Marian Ostrow Tyan ‘Arii Parker-Dominguez, PhD ’03* Rita Varisa Patraporn, MPP ’01, PhD ’07 and Patrick Bautista Eric Pawlowsky, MPP ’06 Andrew Joseph Potter, MA ‘05 Michele L. Prichard, MA ’89 and Rodney J. Lane*
If you have any corrections or questions, or would like to make a gift, please contact the School of Public Affairs Development Office at 310-206-4612 or advancement@publicaffairs.ucla.edu. Gunilla C. Ramell, BA ’70 Bravish Rau Gonzella L. Reader, BA ’97 and Johnny Roy Reader, BA ’97 Elaine Marie Roque* Catherine Bowe Sapiro, MPP ’05* Lawrence Raymond Sauve, BA ‘70, MA ’78* Roderick E. Shaner, MD ’76 and Stephanie Eisner Phoebe J. Sharaf, BA ‘70, MSW ’73 Eric David Shaw, BA ’98 Sarah Annemarie Simons, MPP ’07 Margaret Smith, BA ‘84, MSW ’86 Cosette Polena Stark, BA ’87, MA ’89 Donald P. Tashkin and Elaine Tashkin
Laura R. Telles, MSW ’04 The Ostrow Family Trust Badonna Levinson Tobin, BA ’57, MSW ’60* Yvette Louise Townsend, MSW ’73 and Richard Earl Townsend, JD ’75 United Technologies Corporation Michael Stephen Wagner and Charlotte Wagner Donald Stanley White, BA ’56 and Sylvia Phyllis White, PhD ’83* Felicity Turnbull Wood, MA ’01 Frances R. Yariv Celia Ume Yniguez, BA ‘88, MA ’90* Rima Zobayan, MPP ’01
remember ucla with a gift for the future UCLA is your university. Whatever your philanthropic passion, we can help you create a meaningful gift through your estate plans. Join fellow alumni and friends by leaving a legacy to benefit generations to come. Consult with a School of Public Affairs estate planning professional 310-206-4612 www.giftplanning.ucla.edu
Recognizing gifts made between July 1, 2008, and June 30, 2009.
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3250 School of Public Affairs Building, Box 951656 Los Angeles, California 90095-1656
events Michael Dukakis on L.A.’s Traffic Former Governor of Massachusetts and UCLA professor of public policy speaks on traffic congestion at the Rosenfield Forums spring 2010 event, “Changing Lanes: Bold Ideas to Solve L.A.’s Traffic Problems.” “I came out here in 1960, to see my hero, John Kennedy, get nominated, and it was a wonderful event, but I couldn’t wait to get out of town. It Michael dukakis was obvious even then that the freeways weren’t working. I looked around for a public transportation system, and it was disappearing. “When I raced back to Boston, the city was being told, like every other metropolitan area of the country, that in order to solve its congestion problem it needed to build a Californiastyle freeway system.
“Then in 1973 I visited Stockholm, where I found myself in a city that wasn’t crisscrossed by eight lanes of freeways, was beautiful, and had a terrific public transportation system that worked. “I went back to Boston and was one of the leaders in the fight to kill the so-called master highway plan. Thanks to a man named Thomas P. O’Neal, Jr.—we were the first state in the country to be able to use our interstate highway money, $3 billion of it, for public transportation. “I think it’s fair today to say that Boston’s success as a city has more to do with that decision and what we did with it, than any other single thing that happened.” �
L to R: Michael dukakis with ca state senator alAN lowenthal; dukakis, mayor antonio villaraigosa, dean franklin d. gilliam, jr.; gilliam, lowenthal
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