Articles
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From UCLA to Cuddle Sanctuary — How Jean Franzblau Turned Platonic Touch Into a Career
Our Unconventional Jobs series spotlights Bruins who have built meaningful work outside traditional job paths and explores how curiosity, lived experience and their time at UCLA helped shape where they landed. In this feature, we spoke with Jean Franzblau ’92, founder of The Cuddle Sanctuary in Los Angeles. What began as a deeply personal need…
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Alumni Mentor Program Networking Night - 2026
UCLA alumni mentors and students connected during a meaningful evening of conversation, career insights and relationship building. The event created space for Bruins across industries and career stages to network, share experiences and strengthen the alumni community.
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UCLA Alumni Bruin Bash: UCLA Men's Basketball vs. Indiana Bruin Bash
UCLA alumni, fans, and friends gathered as the Bruins hosted the Indiana Hoosiers, kicking off game day at the James West Alumni Center, just steps from Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Guests enjoyed a delicious pregame meal from Bruin-owned Newport Ribs, featuring sliced beef brisket, BBQ chicken, Louisiana hot sausages, mac and cheese, Southwest…
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story of now: a simple framework for seizing your 2026
Listen below to UCLA Anderson alum Brian Dubow '23 share his story of now -- an invitation to notice the moment you’re in and choose how you want to live it. “I’ve learned in life that the path unfolds as we walk on it. You have to be willing to take the first step and…
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Never Give Up: Finding a Cure Is Worth Fighting For
Each year on a Saturday in October, thousands come to the UCLA campus to be part of the L.A. Cancer Challenge, a Halloween-themed 5K walk/run benefiting pancreatic cancer research. The day brings patients, family members and supporters together to raise funds for a cause that touches thousands of lives. The event, now in its 29th…
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Bruins in Business & Tech Networking Night January 2026
The UCLA Alumni Association, in collaboration with partners across campus (listed below), hosted the 3rd Annual Business & Tech Networking Night at Tiato in Santa Monica the evening of Monday, January 12, 2026. The event included the following panel of alumni leaders in business and technology focusing on artificial intelligence: Cathy Means '80, Director, Innovation…
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Bruins in NYC 2025: Leaders at the Forefront of AI
This event brought together UCLA alumni in New York City for an afternoon of professional connection and learning. Held on December 15, 2025, at The Dean NYC, the mixer featured hosted appetizers and opportunities for attendees to expand their networks across a variety of industries. Alumni heard from a panel of Bruin leaders working in…
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Winter Holidays Museum Exhibitions
Looking for family-friendly winter break activities? The Fowler Museum on the UCLA campus and the Hammer Museum in Westwood Village are both hosting exhibitions with strong connections to Los Angeles's past, present and future. Northern California alumni can also enjoy art exhibits from various UC art programs coming to the Sausalito Center for the Arts this…
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Bruin-Owned Restaurants Part 4
T he holidays are the perfect time to dine out with family and friends and rekindle bonds over a shared meal. In this fourth edition of our Bruin restaurants series, feast your eyes on the delicious selections offered by these alumni-owned establishments. Warning: Scrolling further will trigger your appetite. Little Fatty Owner/Founder: David Kuo ʼ01 …
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UCLA AAP Alumni Spotlight - Lena Hines '99 , J.D. '02
Q&A WITH LENA HINES Class: What year did you graduate, and what degree did you earn? 1999 (B.A.); 2002 (J.D.) Major / Minor: What was your major (and minor, if applicable)? English Literature Major Current role, company, industry: Can you tell us about your current professional role, the company you're with, and the…
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Faculty on Tour: Amy Mainzer - From Space Telescopes to Global Adventures
Tours to Watch For Amy Mainzer is a planetary scientist at UCLA's Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences and one of the world’s foremost experts on asteroids, comets, and near-Earth objects. With a career that spans major space missions, including her role as principal investigator for NEOWISE, the Earth-orbiting infrared telescope that scanned the…
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How DemocraShe Builds Civic Engagement for All
Sarah Jakle, M.P.P. ’04 (she/her) has always believed that leadership must support the whole human being. Her commitment to women’s civic empowerment began long before she founded her organization DemocraShe, but the seeds were planted in the classrooms and mentorship circles she experienced as a graduate student at UCLA. Jakle studied literature as an undergraduate…
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From Russia With Love for L.A.
(Editor’s note: due to the topics and opinions expressed in this article, we are concealing the identity of the person being interviewed and will refer to her only as Natasha.) One sunny afternoon during a San Fernando Valley alumni networking event, I struck up a conversation with a woman in her late 30s, who was…
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Bruin-Led Businesses: Nonprofits
A s a spinoff from the Bruin-owned Business series, we’re highlighting organizations founded or led by UCLA alumni with a mission towards improving the quality of life in our communities. Whether it’s advancing medical science or promoting the arts, protecting the environment or fighting for justice, we owe a debt of gratitude for their work…
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Bruin Excellence in Civic Engagement 2025 Reception Gallery
On Oct. 15, UCLA Alumni Affairs held a reception at the James West Alumni Center for the 2025 honorees of the Bruin Excellence in Civic Engagement, which recognizes exceptional UCLA alumni serving in civic leadership positions. These Bruins are making a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing a combination of knowledge,…
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Earliest Known Pilipino Bruins at UCLA
Cosmopolitan Club 1922-23 (Note: Pilipino and Filipino are used interchangeably in this article and mean the same thing. Philippine locals use Pilipino because there is no phonetic equivalent to the letter "F" in the Philippine Islands’ indigenous languages.) I n honor of Filipino American History Month, we’re following up on an article published in the…
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Story of Support, Professor Terry Kramer
In a classroom of roughly thirty students, each pair of eyes stays fixed on Professor Terry Kramer ’82. They’re enthralled by his words as he animates his lessons, pacing from whiteboard to desk and back again with each new idea. The atmosphere is charged. These UCLA Anderson students know that at any moment they could…
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From UCLA to CEO: Shirley Torres '03 on Healing, Kinship and Leading Homeboy Industries
In August 2025, the UCLA Alumni Affairs Diversity Programs and Initiatives team interviewed Shirley Torres ’03 for the Diversity Digest in connection with the sold-out event Changemakers 2025: Radical Kinship in Action - A Day at Homeboy Industries . Additionally, a Bruin story video highlighting Torres’ story of kinship was produced by the Digital Engagement…
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Books by Bruins: Research
R esearch is at the heart of the work of UCLA, advancing knowledge and generating transformative breakthroughs. This month’s books highlight alumni who continue to use research in their chosen field - from science to the humanities, and from the art of dance to the study of the human brain. Research-Based Strategies to Ignite Student…
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UCLA’s Latest Research and Breakthroughs Shaping the Future
World’s First Human Bladder Transplant Restores Hope and Quality of Life Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center Summary:In a groundbreaking medical achievement, surgeons at UCLA’s Ronald Reagan Medical Center, led by Dr. Nima Nassiri, successfully performed the first-ever human bladder transplant. The eight-hour procedure replaced a nonfunctioning bladder with a healthy donor organ, restoring urinary function…
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Bruin Family Connect
Dear Bruin Parents and Families, My name is Steve Lurie, and I am the inaugural Associate Vice Chancellor, leading UCLA’s new office of Campus and Community Safety. The Bruin Family Connect Newsletter has offered me the opportunity to introduce myself and my teams, share our philosophy on a holistic approach to safety on campus, and…
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story of impact: how one alum is helping Bruins find peace - Sharon Chen ’06
In the middle of UCLA’s bustling campus, where solitude is scarce and silence even more so, Sharon Chen ’06 is offering students a rare commodity: the freedom to pause. Her solution is simple: a private, sound-dampended pod where students can step away from noise and simply be alone. Chen, a Business Economics alumna, didn’t come…
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Changemakers 2025 – Radical Kinship in Action: A Day at Homeboy Industries
Take a look back at Changemakers 2025: Radical Kinship in Action, held Friday, Oct. 17, at Homeboy Industries, the world’s largest gang rehabilitation and reentry program. Through a guided tour and conversations with Homeboy leadership — including co-CEO Shirley Torres ’03 — participants explored how hope, community, and wraparound services can transform lives. From social…
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new bruin send-offs 2025 San Mateo
UCLA Alumni Affairs was thrilled to host one of our favorite summer traditions — New Bruin Send-offs! The San Mateo Send-off was an unforgettable gathering where incoming students, families, and alumni came together to celebrate the start of their Bruin story. Hosted by alumni and UCLA families, the event brought everyone together for a lively…
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new bruin send-offs 2025 Campbell
UCLA Alumni Affairs was delighted to celebrate one of our favorite summer traditions — the New Bruin Send-offs! The Campbell Send-off offered an unforgettable afternoon where incoming students, families, and alumni gathered to mark the beginning of each student’s Bruin story. Hosted by dedicated alumni and UCLA families, the event was filled with Bruin pride,…
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