Category Archives: Bruin Owned Businesses

Bruin-Owned Restaurants Part 4

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

Location: 3809-3813 Grandview Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90066

Phone: 310-853-5417

Email: info@littlefattyla.com

Website: littlefattyla.com

Social: @littlefattyla

Yelp Rating: 4.0 stars

About:

Little Fatty is a lively neighborhood restaurant in Mar Vista, California, renowned for its modern interpretation of Taiwanese comfort food. Founded by chef-owner David Kuo, the spot blends nostalgic flavors with a fun, laid-back atmosphere. The menu features favorites like three-cup chicken, beef noodle soup and mapo tofu, all inspired by Kuoʼs Taiwanese-American upbringing. With its casual vibe, creative cocktails and adjacent bar, Big Bar, Little Fatty has become a go-to destination for locals seeking bold, flavorful dishes and a welcoming community atmosphere.

Review:

“I was looking for a place to eat during lunch time, and I came across this place. It opens at 5 p.m., and I was really excited to try it. I did not have a reservation, but they do tend to get very busy at night, so Iʼd recommend making one. I ordered the 3-cup chicken, beef chow fun and fried rice. I absolutely loved my food. It was so tasty. The service was super fast as well. The place is so nice as well, dark, pretty lights, wonderful atmosphere. I look forward to coming here again on my next trip to L.A.” - Nav C.

AttaGirl

Co-Owner: Alice Hua Mai ʼ09

Location: 1238 Hermosa Ave., Hermosa Beach, CA 90254

Phone: 424-600-2882

Email: info@attagirlla.com

Website: attagirlla.com

Social: @attagirl.la

Yelp Rating: 4.6 stars

About:

AttaGirl is a Coastal Mediterranean restaurant that balances the fun and excitement of a lively atmosphere with the finesse of engaging and thoughtful service. Featuring a live wood fire, our menu includes grilled meats and seafood, market vegetable-driven mezze, spreads and light pastas. The wine list reflects our passion for renowned Californian winemakers and Mediterranean climate varietals. A vibrant, warm-weather cocktail list honors Southern European archetypes that refresh after a salty day at the beach.

Review:

“I have nothing but outstanding things to say about AttaGirl. The food was phenomenal. I highly recommend getting the chefʼs plate to start. It comes with (4) different types of spreads. They were all good! As for entrees, you canʼt go wrong with the skewers. The beef tenderloin was my personal favorite. The crispy fried prawns were also a great choice. The spinach rigatoni was also good, although not a fan favorite.” - Noesh H.

Chris N Eddyʼs

Co-Founder: Chris Karimian ʼ14

Location: 5539 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028

Phone: 323-544-3600

Email: chriskarimian@yahoo.com

Website: chrisneddys.com

Social: @chrisneddys

Yelp Rating: 4.4 stars

About:

Chris N Eddyʼs is a Hollywood-born burger joint founded by two childhood friends, Chris Karimian and Eddy Poghosyan. What started as a small pop-up in a parking lot quickly grew into a popular brick-and-mortar spot on Sunset Boulevard. Known for its signature smash style sliders served on Martinʼs potato rolls, the menu keeps things simple and satisfying with juicy cheeseburgers, grilled or raw onions, pickles, tater tots and crispy waffle fries. The restaurantʼs laid-back, neon-accented vibe and late-night hours have made it a local favorite for quick, affordable comfort food. With its mix of nostalgic style, friendly energy and crave-worthy burgers, Chris N Eddyʼs has earned a loyal following across Los Angeles.

Review:

“Oh my lanta, the best burger experience we have had in a longggg time :). We have found our new late-night/anytime burger spot! So amazing. First of all, great customer service. Friendly and welcoming as soon as we walked in the door. Major plus. The food was a 20/10. I got the sliders with the inside-out bun. My BF and his friend got the original slider with all the fixings. The fries were fire. Cooked perfectly with the perfect amount of seasonings. Their sauce was insane, kind of like In-N-Out but better! We will definitely be regulars and be happy to spread the word. It is also super cute and clean. Please do yourself a favor and try this place! You will not be disappointed!” - Star S.

Enzoʼs Italian Restaurant

Co-Owner: Tom Jennett ʼ87

Location: 134 N. Mill St., Glen Tavern Inn, Santa Paula, CA 93060

Phone: 805-933-3444

Email: kenneth@glentavern.com

Website: officialglentavern.com

Social: @enzos_italian_restaurant

Yelp Rating: 4.2 stars

About:

Enzoʼs Italian Restaurant, located inside the historic Glen Tavern Inn in Santa Paula, California, offers an authentic Italian dining experience, serving classic dishes made with fresh, high-quality ingredients in a warm and inviting atmosphere. Guests can enjoy a variety of traditional pastas, pizzas and entrees, all prepared with care to highlight the flavors of Italy. Enzoʼs is known for its cozy, elegant setting, making it a favorite spot for both casual dinners and special occasions. Open Tuesday through Sunday, the restaurant combines excellent cuisine with attentive service, providing a memorable experience for all who visit.

Review:

“Honestly, one of the best meals Iʼve had in a long time. We started with the fig and pig pizza to share as a group, and I ordered a modified chicken parm with charred broccolini!!! Wow, it was amazing! Our server was so kind! Thank you for an incredible meal! Ask to sit with your group in the lobby by the fireplace! So fun!” - Brianna D.

Delicious at the Dunbar

Co-Owner: Adriana Cortes

Location: 4229 S. Central Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90011

Phone: 323-918-2087

Website: deliciousatthedunbar.com

Social: @deliciousatthedunbar

Yelp Rating: 4.0 stars

About:

Established in 2018, Delicious at the Dunbar Cuisine is inside of the historic Dunbar Hotel in Los Angeles, which was once considered America's finest Black hotel and a hub for L.A.'s Central Avenue jazz scene. The 3,000-square-foot venue has now revived the old music club that has been decorated to reflect the cultural history of the landmark, which once hosted legends such as Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Ray Charles and Duke Ellington. We serve our food fresh daily so come out and discover our new location, a larger sit-down version with upscale table service. Put our service to the test and come taste the best soul food and Mexican cuisine you'll ever experience!

Review:

Had the pleasure of visiting Delicious at the Dunbar Hotel during a business meeting with a group of eight, and we were all thoroughly impressed. Our waitress was super nice and incredibly attentive, making sure we were well taken care of from start to finish. I ordered the French toast, and it did not disappoint — buttery, light and generously portioned. The scrambled eggs were fresh and fluffy, and the sausage was packed with flavor. A couple of folks at the table tried the chicken sandwich, which looked amazing and the oxtails plate is a definite must-try — tender and flavorful, served with perfectly roasted sweet potatoes. Great service, great food and a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Highly recommend!

Chez Foushee

Owner: Whitney Cardozo ʼ87

Location: 2 E. Grace St., Richmond, VA 23219

Phone: 804-648-3225

Email: info@chezfoushee.com

Website: chezfoushee.com

Social: @chezfoushee

Yelp Rating: 4 stars

About:

Chez Foushee is a beloved restaurant located in the heart of downtown Richmond, Virginia, known for its inviting atmosphere and refined approach to contemporary American cuisine with French influences. Originally opened in 1989, the restaurant has been a local favorite for decades, continuing to deliver exceptional dining experiences that blend classic dishes with creative flair and seasonal ingredients. The elegant yet comfortable setting makes it a popular choice for both casual lunches and special occasions, reflecting the charm and culinary spirit that have defined Chez Foushee for more than 30 years.

Review:

“Ended up here completely by accident on a nice Sunday morning. It was meant to be just a nearby, safe choice, that seemed ok and had decent reviews. However, after coming here, it is probably now my favorite spot in Richmond! This is an extremely fine establishment with exceptional customer service (just the way it should be in a French-style restaurant), high-quality meals and great decor. Additionally, the restaurant staff has a great selection of French music playing, which completes the whole experience. A totally great place that must be visited, whether you are looking for a fine dining experience or just a quick brunch. I wish I could give 10 stars.” - Alex I.

La Fogata Mexican Restuarant

Co-Owner: Vram Alian ʼ05

Location: 5142 Van Nuys Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

Phone: 818-501-9065

Email: info@vivalafogata.com

Website: vivalafogata.com

Social: @vivalafogata

Yelp Rating: 3.8 stars

About:

La Fogata Mexican Restaurant in Van Nuys brings authentic Mexican flavors to the heart of the San Fernando Valley. Known for its vibrant, colorful atmosphere and warm hospitality, the restaurant offers a diverse range of traditional dishes, including flavorful tacos and enchiladas, sizzling fajitas and fresh seafood. Guests appreciate the bold, rich flavors, generous portions and family-friendly environment, making it a popular spot for both casual dining and special gatherings. With a commitment to quality ingredients and authentic recipes, La Fogata provides a true taste of Mexico right in Van Nuys.

Review:

“I have seen La Fogata many times driving up and down Van Nuys Boulevard, and finally decided to stop and try it out. Before walking in, I was under the assumption that this was a restaurant with waiters and all that. I was pleasantly surprised at the setup; you walk up and order the way you do at most fast-food joints. But let me tell you, La Fogata is no fast food joint! The food is fantastic! I had the carne asada plate, and it was tasty! I believe I found a hidden gem! Awesome! Will definitely be back!” - Sergio P.

Moo Creamery

Owner/Founder: Jessica Pounds ʼ03

Location: 4885 Truxtun Ave., Suite B, Bakersfield, CA 93309

Phone: 661-861-1130

Email: info@moocreamery.com

Website: moocreamery.com

Social: @moocreamery

Yelp Rating: 4.1 stars

About:

Moo Creamery is a popular local diner in Bakersfield, California, founded by Jessica Pounds in 2008. Known for its gourmet burgers, hand-cut fries and homemade ice cream, the restaurant features creative menu items like the PB & B Burger, which combines peanut butter and bacon, and unique ice cream flavors such as bacon ice cream. Moo Creamery emphasizes fresh, high-quality ingredients sourced from local producers, ensuring flavorful dishes for its patrons. In 2025, the restaurant announced plans to relocate from its original Truxtun Avenue location to downtown Bakersfield, aiming to revitalize the East Chester neighborhood and provide easier access for customers.

Review:

“This is my third time at Moo Creamery and every time it has been what I expected or more! Iʼve been there for breakfast and lunch. This time it was for breakfast, so my husband got the chilaquiles with brisket. I ordered the protein sweet potato waffles and couldnʼt finish it. I got a caramel latte too! Usually itʼs pretty quiet inside, and I love that they have outside seating in case I were to take my kids. The service is perfect; they check on you just enough to make sure you have everything you need, but not too often that you feel rushed out.” - Jillian G.

Christakis Greek Cuisine

Co-Owners: Michael O’Hare Wallace ʼ94 and Sarah Wallace Rasmussen ʼ02

Location: 13011 Newport Ave., Tustin, CA 92780

Phone: 714-731-6600

Website: christakisgreekcuisine.com

Social: @christakisgreekcuisine

Yelp Rating: 4.5 stars

About:

Christakis was opened by William and Joanne Christakis Wallace on April 1, 1996. A native of Agios Dimitrios, Greece, it was always Joanne's dream to create a little piece of home in California. With her family, and the two Greek Tzoytzorakos brothers, Joanne saw her dream come to life. Although Joanne lost her battle to cancer only three years after creating Christakis, her spirit lives strong. The recipes are based on home meals, and have been expanded by the family at Christakis. We are blessed with regular customers that have been our cornerstone, and delighted by visitors we hope become family.

Review:

“Came here on a spontaneous date night late in the summer. I believe my partner was easily able to grab a reservation. We were immediately charmed by the live music playing in the patio and the decor indoors. My partner had the chance to travel to Greece last year and has been looking for a Greek restaurant to capture the flavors he had there, and according to him, Christakis was exactly it. The pastitsio was what he was seeking, and I really appreciated the meaty, herby flavors. The lamb chops were the most tender lamb chops I've ever had, and I thought it was a nice touch adding both our entrees on one plate to eat with all the sides to eat family style. I've tried recreating the potatoes since coming here but have to come back soon to have the real deal! I would recommend everything we ate. The trio of dips were delicious and the pita tasted fresh. The villager's salad was refreshing. If they have the tomato soup, it's a must try (spoken as a tomato soup lover!). The baklava was a delicious way to end our meal.” - Kim C.

Stationæry

Co-Owner: Alissa Bell Carnazzo ʼ06

Location: 3 San Carlos St., Carmel, CA 93921

Phone: 831-250-7183

Email: info@thestationaery.com

Website: thestationaery.com

Social: @thestationaery

Yelp Rating: 4.0 stars

About:

Stationæry is a neighborhood restaurant in Carmel, California, operated by Anthony & Alissa Carnazzo. Tucked between San Carlos and Mission Streets in the San Carlos Square, this intimate space is a haven for locals. Offering brunch, dinner, specialty coffee and natural wines, they celebrate comforting flavors with elegant presentation. Led by Chef Amalia Scatena, they primarily source from Monterey and Santa Cruz County farms and ranches, according to what is fresh and in season.

Review:

“Great spot for brunch - there was a nice variety of seating (outdoor, greenhouse or indoor) and the service was attentive. The farmerʼs salad was delicious - nice variety of fresh vegetables (broccolini, green beans, radish, carrots) and paired well with an apple cider vinaigrette that had perfect zing. The steak and eggs were perfectly cooked and seasoned! The tenderloin was tender and the potatoes creamy. The chimichurri and sweet onion complemented the dish very well!” - Caly T.

Mariaʼs Italian Kitchen - West Los Angeles

Owner: Madelyn Alfano ʼ80

Location: 10761 Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064

Phone: 310-441-3663

Email: maria@mariasitaliankitchen.com

Website: mariasitaliankitchen.com

Social: @mariasitaliankitchen

Yelp Rating: 3.7 stars

About:

Mariaʼs Italian Kitchen in West Los Angeles is a family-owned restaurant founded by Madelyn “Maddy” Alfano, whose passion for food was inspired by her mother, Maria Alfano. What began as Maria selling homemade Italian dishes from her garage grew into a beloved neighborhood restaurant known for its warm hospitality and classic Italian comfort food. Under Maddyʼs leadership, Mariaʼs Italian Kitchen has expanded across Los Angeles, keeping the same homemade recipes and family spirit that started it all. Itʼs a local favorite for hearty pastas, pizzas and traditional dishes served with a personal touch.

Review:

“I cannot recommend this place enough for anyone who is gluten-free. The kitchen was very accommodating and made sure everything was not only safe but delicious, too! Iʼm newly gluten-free, so I remember the taste of bread very clearly and Iʼve yet to find any place that has such delicious food I can eat. They have gluten-free bread, pasta and pizza. Seriously, come eat here; it was delicious.” - Kailyn K.

Smoke Queen Barbecue

Owner/Founder: Winne Yee ʼ03

Location: 12941 9th St., Garden Grove, CA 92840

Phone: 714-583-8251

Email: winnie@smokequeenbbq.com

Website: smokequeenbbq.com

Social: @smokequeenbbq

Yelp Rating: 4.4 stars

About:

Smoke Queen Barbecue in Garden Grove, California, is owned and founded by Winnie Yee-Lakhani, a pitmaster known for blending classic Texas-style barbecue with Asian-inspired flavors. What started as a pop-up has grown into a popular restaurant celebrated for its smoky brisket, tender ribs and creative sides that reflect Yee-Lakhaniʼs multicultural background. Her approach to barbecue honors traditional slow-smoking techniques while adding bold twists, making Smoke Queen a standout in Orange Countyʼs food scene and a rising name in modern American barbecue.

Review:

“I literally flew in from Texas to California just to try Smoke Queen Barbecue after hearing so much about it, and it was absolutely worth the trip! The food was phenomenal: the brisket was melt-in-your-mouth tender with a perfect smoke ring, the ribs had just the right pull, and the sides (especially the mac & cheese and cornbread) tasted like comfort on a plate. The service staff was top-notch, friendly, attentive and clearly passionate about what they do. Even with a busy line, the staff took time to explain the menu and make sure I got exactly what I wanted. The ambiance is warm and welcoming, with that true barbecue joint feel but elevated with a clean, modern touch. You can tell this is a place built on craft and community. If youʼre anywhere near California (or even if youʼre not), Smoke Queen Barbecue is a destination spot. Iʼd happily fly back again just for another plate!” - Quinton T.

BKLYN Wild

Owner: Ivy Stark ʼ93

Location: 55 Water St., New York, NY 10038

Email: ivy@bklynwild.com

Website: bklynwild.com

Social: @bklynwild

Yelp Rating: 3.4 stars

About:

BKLYN Wild is a plant-forward, vegan restaurant located at 55 Water Street in New York City. The concept, associated with Chef Ivy Stark, focuses on creative, flavorful dishes that highlight vegetables, grains and plant-based proteins. The restaurant emphasizes sustainability and healthy eating while delivering bold, inventive flavors that appeal to both vegans and omnivores alike. With its modern, casual atmosphere, BKLYN Wild has become a go-to spot for those seeking satisfying, eco-conscious meals in the heart of the Financial District.

Review:

“Let me preface by saying Iʼm not a vegan and do not particularly enjoy vegan food. However, I came here with my mom, who is very healthy, and we decided to give it a try. We ordered the Diablo and Feliz bowl, and wow, was it delicious. It was served fresh, and the levels of flavor depth were impressive (it may be the sauce or dressing they added?!). Overall, the service was prompt and fresh and the ambiance was fairly calm but keep in mind we were there when they opened. Iʼd recommend arriving before the lunch rush, so you can have plenty of seating options in the food hall. Pro-tip: bring your food to the rooftop for epic views.” - Mary D.

Chilte

Co-Owner/Founder: Aseret Arroyo ʼ03

Location: 765 Grand Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85007

Phone: 602-807-5226

Email: reservations@chiltephx.com

Website: www.chiltephx.com

Social: @chilte_phx

Yelp Rating: 4.4 stars

About:

Chilte is short for Chiltepan, which means strong but mighty. Starting in a 10x10 pop-up tent, we have always aimed to disrupt the industry at every level, whether cooking on the street or in a five-star restaurant. As we lay the groundwork for our first brick and mortar, we are determined to stay focused on the vision of where we are headed, yet never forgetting where we come from. Food is an intimate universal connection to our past, present and future. It allows us to immerse ourselves and experience palatable and multicultural art. We aim to bring our unique and inspired expression to the table while allowing the dishes to tell the stories untold. Join us as we strive to inspire a new culture in the culinary industry by sourcing locally, cooking from the heart, mentoring one another and building our community through food.

Review:

“Loved the vibe when we walked in. It's eclectic and cozy. The music was not too loud. We ordered the pablanito and ponche margaritas. My second round I ordered the white/rose sangria. We started with the plantain and refried beans with crema starter. Then we decided to try the fried yucca. We ended up with the MSG chicken. They had two choices of meat tonight for that dish. The other choice was the pork chop. For dessert hubs ordered a shot of espresso and we tried the elote cheesecake. It was ALL ridiculously good! Our server was attentive and helpful. The menu is pretty vague and you kind of need to ask to see what really comes with the dish. Overall, it was a great date night and I would like to come back.” - Kelly C.

***

To submit a Bruin-owned business for future consideration, please send a note to connectfeedback@alumni.ucla.edu.

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Bruin-Led Businesses: Nonprofits

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 in making this world a better place. On Giving Tuesday (Dec. 2), please consider supporting a business that appeals to your interests.

Westside Music Foundation

Co-Founder and President: Deborah How, M.A. ’92
Westside Music Foundation
Address: 12424 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90025
Phone: 424-581-6400
Email: info@westsidemusicfoundation.org
Website: westsidemusicfoundation.org
Social: @westsidemusicconservatory

About:
The mission of Westside Music Foundation is to provide high-quality, inclusive music education and performance opportunities to students of all ages and backgrounds. They aim to foster a lifelong love of music by offering instruction in theory, ear training and instrumental performance, while also promoting cultural understanding and artistic growth. Through community outreach, concerts, masterclasses and youth programs, the organization works to make music accessible, enriching and integral to the broader community.

With My Own Two Hands Foundation

Founder and CEO: Lindsey Pluimer ’08
With My Own Two Hands Foundation
Address: 1278 Glenneyre St., #433, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Phone: 949-416-5005
Email: info@withmyown2hands.org
Website: withmyown2hands.org
Social: @withmyown2hands

About:
The founder, Lindsey Pluimer, was an All-American basketball player at UCLA. Inspired by a class discussion, Pluimer pledged to visit Africa and work to address inequality there. When she had the opportunity to travel to South Africa, she recognized the immense lack of basic human rights, but she also saw, first hand, the resilience and hope in the communities she visited.

Motivated to take action, she returned to the States, retired from professional basketball and founded With My Own Two Hands Foundation in 2011 with the commitment to provide children with the basic human rights of water, food and access to education.

Asian Americans Advancing Justice

Founder and Former President/Executive Director: Stewart Kwoh ʼ70, J.D. ʼ74
Asian Americans Advancing Justice
Address: 1620 L Street NW, Suite 1050, Washington, D.C. 20036
Phone: 202-296-2300
Email: comrequests@advancingjustice-aajc.org
Website: advancingjustice-aajc.org
Social: @avancingjusticeaajc

About:
Rooted in the dreams of immigrants and inspired by the promise of opportunity, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC advocates for an America in which all Americans can benefit equally from, and contribute to, the American dream. Our mission is to advance the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and to build and promote a fair and equitable society for all. We serve as a voice for the Asian American community – the fastest-growing population in the U.S. – fighting for our civil rights through education, litigation and public policy advocacy. We serve to empower our communities by bringing local and national constituencies together and ensuring Asian Americans are able to participate fully in our democracy.

Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital

CEO: Elaine Batchlor, M.P.H. ’90
Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital
Address: 1680 E 120th St., Los Angeles, CA 90059
Phone: 424-338-8000
Email: info@mlkch.org
Website: mlkch.org
Social: @yourmlkch

About:
When we opened in 2015, we recognized we had a unique opportunity: to reinvent the way care is delivered in safety-net communities. Our goal is to provide care equal to that found in more affluent areas and that commitment is reflected in everything we do. From our beautiful, state-of-the-art facilities to our best-in-class technology, systems and operations, to our mission-driven providers from the nation’s leading academic centers, we have established an intentional, quality-driven healthcare culture to address South L.A.’s most pressing health problems.

Alliance for a Better Community

CEO and President: Vanessa Aramayo ʼ01
Alliance for a Better Community
Address: 201 South Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: 213-267-2144
Email: info@afabc.org
Website: afabc.org
Social: @afabc_la

About:
In the mid-1990s, a group of Latina/o civic and business leaders came together regularly and informally to address the many challenges confronting Los Angeles’s Latina/o community. For several years, the group, self-identified as the “Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club,” addressed a variety of regional matters through their personal and organizational networks and resources. While they were successful in redressing many of the various policy challenges they tackled, they ultimately decided that L.A.’s Latina/o policy and advocacy vacuum necessitated the formation of an organization to serve as a voice of Latina/o interests. They created ABC to promote a proactive Latina/o agenda within City Hall, the County, L.A. Unified, the media and other public or influential entities to respond to the needs of the region’s largest and fastest growing population.

SciArtsRUs

Founder and President: Ranjini Ramachander Kaushik, Ph.D. ’04
SciArtsRUs
Location: Los Angeles, California
Phone: 310-892-0794
Email: Info@sciartsrus.com
Website: sciartsrus.com
Social: @sciartsrus

About:
SciArtsRUs is a nonprofit aimed at promoting awareness and sustained interest for science, arts and music via educational opportunities, community outreach programs and events, including accessible and affordable learning modules for children by children.

Los Angeles Inception Orchestra

Founder, President and Artistic Director: Akira Nakano ’94
Los Angeles Inception Orchestra
Address: 2542 Panorama Terrace, Los Angeles, CA 90039
Phone: 213-359-1608
Email: akira@inceptionorchestra.org
Website: inceptionorchestra.org
Social: @inceptionorchestra

About:
TheLos Angeles Inception Orchestra's goal is to bring music composition, drama, dance and arts education to students of all abilities through guided collaboration and creativity. They also aim to shift perceptions of both creators and audiences in the process.

Trickle Up

CEO and President: Lauren Hendricks ’92
Trickle Up
Address: 31 W 34th Street, Suite 7001, New York, NY 10001
Phone: 212-255 9980
Email: info@trickleup.org
Website: trickleup.org
Social: @trickleuporg

About:
Trickle Up is a nonprofit organization that focuses on helping women living in extreme poverty build a better future for themselves and their families. They work by providing seed capital, business training and ongoing coaching to help women start and grow small businesses. The organization partners with local groups and governments in places like Latin America, South Asia and Africa to reach people who are often left out of traditional aid, especially women, people with disabilities and Indigenous populations. Their goal is to help one million women lift themselves out of poverty by 2030, ultimately impacting the lives of about five million people.

Plastic Pollution Coalition

Co-Founder and CEO: Dianna Cohen ’89
Plastic Pollution Coalition
Address: 4401A Connecticut Avenue NW, #143, Washington, D.C. 20008
Phone: 323-936-3010
Email: info@plasticpollutioncoalition.org
Website: plasticpollutioncoalition.org
Social: @plasticpollutes

About:
Plastic Pollution Coalition is a nonprofit communications and advocacy organization that collaborates with an expansive global alliance of organizations, businesses and individuals to create a more just, equitable and regenerative world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impacts.

CureDuchenne

CEO and President: Debra Miller ’77
CureDuchenne
Address: 100 Bayview Circle, Suite 5600, Newport Beach, CA 92660
Phone: 949-872-2552
Email: info@cureduchenne.org
Website: cureduchenne.org
Social: @cureduchenne

About:
CureDuchenne breaks the traditional charitable mold and balances passion with business acumen. We will fulfill our mission to cure Duchenne muscular dystrophy with our innovative venture philanthropy model that funds groundbreaking research, early diagnosis and treatment access. With pioneering education and support programs, our organization drives real change for those living with the disease and their loved ones.

One Mind

Founder and Chairman: Garen Staglin ’66
One Mind
Location: Rutherford, California
Phone: 707-963-4038
Email: info@onemind.org
Website: onemind.org
Social: @onemindorg

About:
At One Mind, our mission is to advance mental health by harnessing the power of science and the wisdom of lived experience to drive bold research, accelerate innovation and transform societal attitudes and workplace practices.

Hacker Fund

Founder and Executive Director: Justin Brezhnev ’14
Hacker Fund
Address: 3435 Ocean Park Blvd., #107 PMB 124, Santa Monica, CA 90405
Email: team@hacker.fund
Website: hacker.fund
Social: @hackerfund

About:
Hacker Fund empowers technologists to support disadvantaged communities, educate youth and protect the environment. It does this through fiscal sponsorship and by providing resources like event support, educational programming, donated hardware/software, makerspaces and corporate volunteers.

Burnham Center for Community Advancement

CEO and President: Tad Seth Parzen ’82
Burnham Center for Community Advancement
Address: 1100 Market St., Suite 424, San Diego, CA 92101
Phone: 619-329-8389
‍Email: together@burnhamcenter.org
Website: burnhamcenter.org
Social: @burnhamcentersd

About:
Established in 2020 by Malin Burnham and Tad Seth Parzen, the Burnham Center for Community Advancement (BCCA) is dedicated to moving our cross-border region forward, recognizing that meaningful impact requires more than just a good idea. We are steadfast in our commitment to taking decisive action to help make the San Diego region a better place to live, work and play for all. We do this by engaging and informing the public through quality civic dialogue and a dedicated Community Advisory function; identifying opportunities to solve challenges and creating a vibrant future; and collaborating, organizing and mobilizing to bring opportunities to life.

United Against Fentanyl

Founder and CEO: Paul Martin ’03
United Against Fentanyl
Location: Newport Beach, California
Website: unitedagainstfentanyl.org
Social: @unitedagainstfentanyl

About:
United Against Fentanyl is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that preserves and protects humanity with a focus on combating the fentanyl/synthetic drug crisis. We focus on three primary areas:

Organizing survivors, organizations and elected officials to bring change
Fighting for comprehensive solutions, from enforcement to education
Creating awareness of common sense bi-partisan legislation

***

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Books by Bruins: Summer Reading

hether you’re sitting by the pool, lounging on the beach or beating the heat indoors, curling up with a good book just might be the perfect summer escape. From memoirs by UCLA athletes to intriguing mysteries and page-turning novels, pick up one of these Bruin books for your reading pleasure.

FICTION

Liquid, A Love Story (2025)

Mariam Rahmani, Ph.D. ’19

Mariam Rahmani delivers a modern tale of romance, loss and belonging. This satirical novel tells the story of a young Muslim adjunct professor who decides to give up her career and marry rich, committing herself to 100 dates in the course of a single summer. Mariam Rahmani is a writer and translator. She holds a Ph.D. in comparative literature from UCLA and teaches at Bennington College.

Will There Be Wine?: A Novel (2023)

Whitney Cubbison ’98

Whitney Cubbison graduated from UCLA with a degree in French. She worked at Microsoft for 16 years, spending 13 years in the Paris office. During that time, she held various international roles that encompassed public relations, employee communications, executive speechwriting and social media. She left her job after earning her French citizenship to focus on writing her first novel. The story was inspired by her experiences as an ex-pat divorcée navigating life in a foreign country.

MEMOIRS

How to Eat a Small Country: A Family's Pursuit of Happiness, One Meal at a Time (2011)

Amy Finley ’96

After graduating from UCLA, Amy Finley quickly realized that her true passion lay in cooking. When she won the third season of The Next Food Network Star, she thought her dreams had come true. But when the demands of her new career put a strain on her marriage, she decided to make a drastic change. “How to Eat a Small Country: A Family's Pursuit of Happiness, One Meal at a Time” is her tale of moving to rural France to preserve her family.

What Just Happened? Bitter Hollywood Tales from the Front Line (2020)

Art Linson ’64, J.D. ’67

During his third year at UCLA Law, Art Linson was invited to a movie screening at the home of producer Harold Mirisch. That night, he decided he wanted to pursue a career in Hollywood. His film credits include “The Untouchables,” “Heat,” “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” and “Fight Club.” Linson has written two books that give a backstage look at the characters and calamities of making a motion picture.

Back from the Dead (2017)

Bill Walton ’74

Bill Walton played center for John Wooden’s UCLA basketball team for three years, including two undefeated seasons with NCAA championships and an NCAA record 88-game winning streak. After UCLA, he went on to a standout career in the NBA and broadcasting. The beloved athlete’s memoir shares the lessons he learned from Coach Wooden and his love for the music of the Grateful Dead, and how they each helped him through his darkest hours.

My Unusual Life (2023)

Laurie Lewis Havel ’72

High school volleyball standout Laurie Lewis Havel’s chance encounter with athletes returning from the 1964 Olympic games changed her life, leading her to compete at the 1968 Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City. She joined the UCLA volleyball team in 1969, and led them to their first women's championship in 1972. While at UCLA, she worked at a local magazine and after graduation began a career with Architectural Digest magazine. Her book chronicles the many twists and turns of her unpredictable life story.

HUMOR

In Such Good Company: Eleven Years of Laughter, Mayhem, and Fun in the Sandbox (2016)

Carol Burnett (1951-1954)

Comedy legend Carol Burnett shares hilarious behind-the-scenes stories from her iconic weekly variety series, “The Carol Burnett Show.” She credits her time in UCLA’s Theater Arts Department for changing her plans and setting her on the path to a career in show business. A 1985 recipient of the UCLA Medal, she now shares the talent and creativity that captured hearts and made us laugh.

Why Fantasy Football Matters: (And Our Lives Do Not) (2006)

Max Handelman, MBA ’03

Max Handelman launched Fox Sports' fantasy games division. He is now an independent film producer. In “Why Fantasy Football Matters (And Our Lives Do Not),” he and co-writer Erik Barmack celebrate the eccentric personalities, absurd rituals and hilarious superstitions of one of the most fanatical fantasy leagues on earth.

MYSTERY

Murder Behind the Gates: The Private Investigator Annie Hudson Mystery Series (2024)

Valerie Brandy ʼ11

Private investigator Annie Hudson solves cases with the help of her partner, FBI Agent Ethan Beckett. As the pair unravel mysteries across the country, each case brings them one step closer to a tragedy from the past that ties them together. Valerie Brandy is a Los Angeles-based screenwriter, filmmaker and best-selling author. Brandy graduated from UCLA in three years as a prestigious Alumni Scholarship Recipient. At 20, she sold her first spec script, making her one of the youngest members ever inducted into the Writers Guild of America (WGA).

The Florentine Deception (2015)

Carey Nachenberg ʼ95, M.S. ʼ95

In this action-packed techno-thriller, a routine computer cleanup sets off a quest for a deadly treasure. Carey Nachenberg is a leading security specialist, and he brings that knowledge to enhance the story’s realistic details. Nachenberg pledged 100 percent of the book's profits to charity and has already donated to the Success Academy, KIPP.org, UniCamp, Npower.org and UCLA engineering scholarships for low-income computer science students.

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As our list of Bruin authors grows, we’re categorizing the books into an online library, but we’ll need your help to make it as comprehensive as possible. If you know of one, please submit to our list of Bruin authors.

While all these books are written by UCLA alumni, inclusion on the list is not an endorsement.

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Books by Bruins - LGBTQ Stories

n celebration of Pride month, our Books by Bruins series features publications about LGBTQ topics ranging from personal memoirs to historical stories to humorous film critiques. As this compilation of Bruin authors grows, we’re categorizing the books into an online library, but we’ll need your help to make it as comprehensive as possible. If you know of one, please submit a Bruin author. While all these books are written by UCLA alumni, inclusion in the list is not an endorsement.

Movies That Made Me Gay (2023)

Larry Duplechan ʼ78

Larry Duplechan’s memoir transports viewers through Hollywood history with humorous film criticism while simultaneously covering his experience growing up as a Black gay man in the early 1960s. Duplechan is the author of five novels, including “Blackbird,” which is considered the first modern Black “coming-out” novel, and the Lambda Literary Award-winning “Got ‘til it’s Gone.”

Q&A: Voices From Queer Asian North America book Cover

Q&A: Voices from Queer Asian North America (2021)

Alice Hom, M.A. ʼ92

“Q&A: Voices from Queer Asian North America” considers how Asian American racial and queer sexuality interconnect in mutually shaping and complicating ways. Alice Y. Hom is an Asian American LGBTQ community activist and author, and the director of Equity and Social Justice for The Northern California GrantMakers. She is also the host of the Historically Queer Podcast. Her 1998 book, “Q&A: Queer in Asian America; Unifying Differences,” won the Lambda Literary Award for Best Book in Lesbian and Gay Anthologies/Non-Fiction.

Gay L.A.: A History of Sexual Outlaws, Power Politics, and Lipstick Lesbians (2009)

Stuart Timmons ʼ81

Drawing on rare archives and photographs as well as more than three hundred interviews, Lillian Faderman and Stuart Timmons chart L.A.'s unique gay history, from the first missionary encounters with Native American cross-gendered “two spirits” to cross-dressing frontier women in search of their fortunes; from the bohemian freedom of early Hollywood to the explosion of gay life during World War II to the underground radicalism set off by the 1950s blacklist; and from the 1960s gay liberation movement to the creation of gay marketing in the 1990s. While a student at UCLA, gay historian, activist and author Stuart Timmons cofounded Outfest, which has grown into one of the nation’s largest and most influential LGBT film festivals.

Queer American History: A Reader in Documents and Essays (2024)

Amy Sueyoshi, M.A. ʼ98, Ph.D. ʼ02

Sueyoshi bridges feminist, queer and ethnic studies to show how the white quest to forge new frontiers in gender and sexual freedom reinforced racial inequality through a pan-Asian American stereotype weighted with sexual and gender meaning. Amy Sueyoshi is the associate dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University. She is the author of “Queer Compulsions: Race, Nation, and Sexuality in the Affairs of Yone Noguchi.”

It Rhymes with Takei (2025)

George Takei ʼ60, M.A. ʼ64

Following the award-winning bestseller “They Called Us Enemy,” George Takei’s new full-color graphic memoir reveals his most personal story. Takei has shown the world many faces: actor, author, outspoken activist, helmsman of the Starship Enterprise and living witness to the internment of Japanese Americans. Now, for the first time ever, he shares the full story of his life in the closet, his decision to come out as gay at the age of 68, and the way that moment transformed everything.

Twenty Years of Legal Marriage for Same-Sex Couples book cover

Twenty Years of Legal Marriage for Same-Sex Couples in the United States: Evidence Review and New Analyses (2024)

Benjamin Karney, M.A. ʼ92, Ph.D. ʼ97

It has been 20 years since the first marriage licenses were issued to same-sex couples in Massachusetts. The authors of this report draw on an evidence review and analyses that reveal that the benefits of access to legal marriage for same-sex couples are unambiguously positive. For the past 25 years, Dr. Benjamin Karney has been studying change and stability in intimate relationships, especially in the early years of marriage. His research relies upon longitudinal data, repeated measures, multilevel modeling and observational coding of couple interactions.

Love Comes First: Creating LGBTQ Families (2021)

Bradford Kolb, EMBA ʼ22

This first-hand account covers practical information from an organization specializing in adoption for LGBTQ parents as well as sperm donation from the largest sperm bank in the country. As president and managing director of HRC Fertility, Dr. Bradford Kolb is internationally known for having some of the highest rates of pregnancy success in the country. He has also been a pioneer in assisting LGBTQ families. Dr. Kolb is the president and board chair of Love Comes First, a nonprofit organization dedicated to furthering awareness of LGTBQ families via multimedia storytelling.

Mama's Boy: A Story from Our Americas (2019)

Dustin Lance Black ʼ96

Dustin Lance Black wrote the Oscar-winning screenplay for “Milk” and helped overturn California's anti-gay marriage Proposition 8, but he grew up in a conservative Mormon household outside San Antonio, Texas. His book explores what it took to remain a family despite such divisions — a journey that stretched from the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court to the wood sheds of East Texas. Black is an Oscar winner, a TFT alumnus and a veteran screenwriter, producer, director and playwright.

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Books by Bruins - Health and Wellness

ay is Mental Health Awareness Month. As part of our ongoing Books by Bruins series, we are featuring a compelling collection of books that focus on this theme in a variety of ways — from personal stories of healing to healthy cookbooks to finding peace in yoga and meditation. As this compilation of Bruin authors grows, we’re categorizing the books into an online library, but we’ll need your help to make it as comprehensive as possible. If you know of one, please submit a Bruin author. While all these books are written by UCLA alumni, inclusion in the list is not an endorsement.

Anti-Cancer Foods Meal Plan Cookbook: A 28 Days Quick, Easy and Nutritious Diet Guide for Cancer Patients (2023)

Margaret Paul, M.A. ʼ62

“The Anti-Cancer Foods Meal Plan Cookbook" is a guide to embracing the healing power of food. The book features delicious recipes to nourish your body and invigorate your spirit, explained by cancer survivor, Emily, who discovered the incredible potential of anti-cancer foods. Margaret Paul holds a Ph.D. in psychology and is a public speaker, educator, chaplain and artist. She is the author of several best-selling books that have been translated into 11 languages. She has appeared on many radio and TV shows, including the Oprah show. She has taught classes and seminars for individuals, couples and businesses since 1967.

Organic Soul: The Healing Power of African American Music in a World of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Mario Ewell, M.A. ʼ20

“Organic Soul” is an exploration of music's transformative power, focused on African American music’s profound impact on health and well-being. Stevie Wonder’s pioneering work with synthesizers influenced the development of technologies like advanced AI systems and voice interfaces. Discover how the rhythms, melodies and harmonies of African American music can reduce stress, boost immunity and enhance cognitive function. UCLA Graduate and Professional Student Alumni Network board member Mario Ewell brings his unique blend of creative vision and business acumen to this groundbreaking work.

The Kindness Advantage: Cultivating Compassionate and Connected Children (2018)

Dale Atkins, Ph.D. ’82

“The Kindness Advantage: Cultivating Compassionate and Connected Children” offers inspiration and activities to teach empathy, inspire a culture of compassion and connection, and empower children to make a difference in their community and the world. The book presents 10 fundamental concepts to weave into a family’s daily life including sections on relaxation, breathing, visualization and meditation. Dale Atkins is a licensed psychologist with a Ph.D. in educational philosophy. “The Kindness Advantage” is her seventh book.

Influenced: The Impact of Social Media On Our Perception (2022)

Brian Boxer Wachler (1984-1988)

This book explores what happens to our brains and our behaviors each time we addictively engage in social media. Brian Boxer Wachler argues that our reliance on social media has an impact on how we think, feel and perceive everything around us. “Dr. Brian” has devoted his career to the physical and mental intersection of how we perceive ourselves and the world around us. He is the medical director at his Beverly Hills institute and a staff physician at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He has written numerous articles and authored four popular medical books.

Recipe For Survival: What You Can Do to Live a Healthier and More Environmentally Friendly Life (2022)

Dana Ellis Hunnes, M.P.H. ʼ07, Ph.D. ʼ13

In her book “Recipe for Survival,” dietitian and environmentalist Dana Ellis Hunnes outlines the steps to becoming a healthier and more sustainable consumer and improving the health of the planet. Her research examines the relationships among climate change, food choices and food security, and how these affect our health, as well as the health of the planet and its oceans. Hunnes is an adjunct assistant professor with the Fielding School of Public Health at UCLA where she teaches courses on nutrition, chronic disease and the environment. She is a senior dietitian at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

The Psyche's Gifts: Art, Art Making, and the Journey from Mental Illness to Mental Wellness (2021)

Corinne Lightweaver ’85

"The Psyche's Gifts: Art, Art Making, and the Journey from Mental Illness," features a series of artworks that reflect Corinne Lightweaver’s personal experience of living with mental illness, including depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Working from her unconscious, she uses techniques of paper collage to access, reveal and artistically document her journey. Lightweaver is an artist, writer, editor and author. Her artistic journey began in painting, with wildlife as her favorite subject.

Off the Hook: How Forgiving You Frees Me (2019)

Dana Tibbitts ʼ80

“Off the Hook” shares real-life stories of people who were unknowingly captive to past hurts, and who then walked through deep forgiveness. This way offers healing and freedom through forgiveness. It’s about the power of letting go of old pain. Dana Trapnell Tibbitts began her career as a writer and media relations professional at UCLA in 1980 and continued to work in higher education, media and the arts for much of the next three decades. She has authored several books, including “Harnessing the Sky: Frederick ‘Trap’ Trapnell, the U.S. Navy’s Aviation Pioneer,” published by the Naval Institute Press.

Your Personal Renaissance: Twelve Steps to Finding Your Life's True Calling (2008)

Diane Dreher, M.A. ’70, Ph.D. ’73

Combining the lost wisdom of the Renaissance with groundbreaking research in positive psychology, "Your Personal Renaissance” approaches the concept of a personal calling — not just a job, but a joyous, meaningful life. The book features an innovative program of contemplative steps and practices drawn from Eastern and Western philosophy. With a Ph.D. in English literature from UCLA, as well as an M.A. in counseling, spiritual counseling and holistic health credentials and International Coach Federation certification, Diane Dreher is a best-selling author, professor, positive psychology coach, keynote speaker and associate director of the Applied Spirituality Institute at Santa Clara University.

Unbreakable Mindset: The Four Habits That Will Help You Thrive in Your Career and Life (2020)

Edward Gorbis, M.S. ’13

Edward Gorbis is a high-performance coach, blogger, keynote speaker and podcast host. In this work, he teaches immigrants and first-generation professionals how to rapidly accelerate their careers by developing an invincible mindset and focusing on a few activities that yield tremendous results. Gorbis is the CEO of Career Meets World, an online coaching platform and a startup advisor, helping startups develop their growth strategies. He was formerly a civil engineer who became a senior sales director at WeWork.

Think Remarkable: 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference (2024)

Guy Kawasaki, MBA ’79

In “Think Remarkable,” tech titan Guy Kawasaki teams up with Madisun Nuismer, producer of the Remarkable People podcast, to deliver insights from a collection of interviews to help readers show the world their best self. The authors draw on insights from working closely with some of the world's most remarkable people. Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist of Canva, an online graphic design tool. Formerly, he was an advisor to the Motorola business unit of Google and chief evangelist of Apple. He is also the author of "APE," "What the Plus!," "Enchantment" and nine other books. Kawasaki also has a B.A. from Stanford University, as well as an honorary doctorate from Babson College.

Healing Your Hungry Heart: Recovering from Your Eating Disorder (2022)

Joanna Poppink ʼ77, M.A. ʼ77, Cert. ʼ15

One in five women suffer from eating disorders. For women in their thirties and beyond, issues of loss from divorce, death, empty nest syndrome marriage and career pressures can trigger an eating disorder. “Healing Your Hungry Heart” offers a comprehensive recovery program for women with eating disorders, based on the author’s 30-year professional practice treating adults with anorexia, bulimia and binge eating. She shares her personal struggles, along with stories from a wide range of clients she has counseled and a step-by-step program. Poppink is a California, Arizona, Florida, Oregon and Utah psychotherapist, whose specialties are post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and eating disorder recovery with adults.

Get Out of Your Own Way by Jovita Jenkins

Get Out of Your Own Way (2004)

Jovita Jenkins, MBA ʼ94

In her debut offering, success strategist and executive coach Jovita Jenkins challenges readers to get out of their own way and deal with whatever is holding them back. With the honesty of an old friend and the insight of a professional coach, she leads readers on an intense journey of self-discovery that sets them on the path towards creating a compelling new chapter of their lives. In her book, she brings her prescription for success to her readers and empowers them to be more focused, confident and successful. She is certified as a professional coach through the International Coach Federation and is an area director for Toastmasters International.

Generation Anxiety: A Millennial and Gen Z Guide to Staying Afloat in an Uncertain World (2023)

Lauren Cook ’13

From licensed clinical psychologist and TikTok therapist Lauren Cook, “Generation Anxiety” is a practical guide aimed at millennials and Gen Z for tackling anxiety. This relatable, honest and information-packed book incorporates research and diverse client experiences to help readers gain insight into their own stressors. It also provides easy, actionable steps to help readers ride the waves of anxiety rather than constantly swimming against them. Cook began her training at UCLA, where she majored in psychology and communication studies. She completed her doctorate in clinical psychology at Pepperdine University. She created the Name Your Story mental health group training curriculum that has been utilized by thousands of collegians around the country. She has been featured in many digital and print publications and has given more than 500 talks at various companies, universities and organizations.

Mastering Life's Energies: Simple Steps to a Luminous Life at Work and Play (2007)

Maria Nemeth ʼ67, Ph.D. ʼ74

“Mastering Life’s Energies” shows us how to use all the energies of our lives — physical vitality, creativity, time, money, enjoyment and relationships — to realize our goals and dreams and live a life filled with possibility and promise. Maria Nemeth offers purpose-driven people simple yet powerful tools for training our brains for success. Designed and refined over decades of work with people all over the world, her work turns timeless wisdom into practical skills that have helped tens of thousands to live and serve with clarity, focus, ease and grace. Nemeth is founder and director of the Academy for Coaching Excellence, which has trained thousands of people worldwide.

Sparks of Spirit: How to Find Love and Meaning in Your Life 24 Hours a Day (2004)

Rolf Gompertz ʼ51

“Sparks of Spirit” contains 27 brief meditations and a list of supportive biblical verses. The simple, practical system is non-denominational and can be incorporated into the reader’s belief system. Gompertz fled Nazi Germany to America when he was 11 years old, and settled in Los Angeles. He is the author of eight books and numerous articles and short stories on Jewish and spiritual themes. He was honored with the English Department's Best Student of the Year Award and named to the honor society, Phi Beta Kappa.

The Success Messages: Inspiration to Recharge Your Passion, Potential & Purpose (2014)

Romeo Marquez Jr. ʼ04

“The Success Messages” is a collection of inspiring wisdom to reset your mind and spirit for success. The intention of this book is to enlarge your vision and remind you of the miracles you are set to create in this world. Read with an open heart and you'll experience the inner joy and happiness you are destined to live. Romeo Marquez Jr. is an international keynote speaker, author and creator and host of Superstar Success University. He earned his B.A from UCLA's School of Theatre, Film & Television and trained with an elite group of global success leaders.

Your Life as Story: Discovering the New Autobiography and Writing Memoir as Literature (1997)

Tristine Rainer ʼ68

In “Your Life as Story,” autobiography expert Tristine Rainer explains how we can shape the important messages in our lives into compelling narratives. Blending literary scholarship with practical coaching, Rainer shares her remarkable techniques for finding the essentials of story structure within your life's scattered experiences. At UCLA, she co-founded the University’s Women’s Studies program and taught the first course offered on women writers. As founder and director of the Center for Autobiographic Studies, she promotes the creation and preservation of autobiographic works, teaches, lectures and consults. She has written a memoir about her relationship with Anaïs Nin.

The Big Happy Life: A Journey to Happiness Starring Posie the Penguin (2016)

David Pettit ʼ72, J.D. ʼ75

This rhyming children's story carries with it a message about finding happiness that is as relevant for the children reading it as it is for the adults who may read it to a child. Posie the Penguin begins to feel that she is not content with her life in Antarctica and decides that there must be more out there than her life of black and white. She travels to a warmer climate where she learns an important lesson about happiness.

Engineering Happiness: A New Approach for Building a Joyful Life (2012)

Rakesh Sarin, M.S. ʼ73, Ph.D. ’75

Rakesh Sarin has been conducting ground-breaking research on happiness for more than a decade. Together with co-author Manel Baucells, he integrates their research with the latest thinking in the behavioral and social sciences to offer a new approach to the puzzle of happiness. Woven throughout with wisdom from the world’s religions and literatures, “Engineering Happiness” has something to offer everyone who wants to better understand, attain and sustain a more joyful life. Sarin has been a member of the UCLA Anderson faculty since 1979. He was awarded the Paine Chair in Management in 1990.

The Psychology of Self-Esteem: A Revolutionary Approach to Self-Understanding That Launched a New Era in Modern Psychology (2001)

Nathaniel Branden ʼ51

Dr. Nathaniel Branden introduces readers to six action-based practices for daily living that provide the foundation for self-esteem and explores its central importance in five areas: the workplace, parenting, education, psychotherapy and culture. Six Pillars of Self-Esteem provides concrete guidelines for teachers, parents, managers and therapists who are responsible for developing the self-esteem of others. Branden is a lecturer, practicing psychotherapist and the author of 20 books on the psychology of self-esteem, romantic love and the life of Objectivist philosopher Ayn Rand. His work has been translated into 18 languages and sold more than four million copies.

Finding Real Yoga (2025)

Daren Black, M.A. ʼ81

In “Finding Real Yoga,” Daren Black shares his experience as a student of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Through his autobiographical memoir, he shares how he experienced a transformation from illness and homelessness to healing and self-empowerment through spiritual self-help. He has included tools, inspiration and wisdom from his spiritual self-help journey. Black has been practicing yoga and meditation since the 1970s. He developed Practical Ayurveda as a more user-friendly approach to Ayurvedic yoga.

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Send your Books by Bruins recommendations. You can also search for authors or share news on the UCLA Alumni Class Notes page.

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Bruin-Owned Businesses: Tech

ur next feature in the Bruin-owned Business series highlights tech entrepreneurs and their companies. Explore the world of AI, online legal and food ordering services, education and business solutions for your personal and professional needs.

Grad Pad

Founder: Rondale Davis, MBA ’23

Grad Pad
Social Networking Platform

Website: gradpad.online

Email: rondaledavis@gradpad.io

Social: @grad.pad

About:

Enhance your institution’s alumni or professional network with ongoing digital and in-person events that keep your community connected all year round. We break down barriers by engaging alumni through tailored interactions that reflect your network’s unique interests, values and experiences — unlocking fresh opportunities and fostering genuine connections.

Review:

“Grad Pad has been instrumental in helping us build bridges and break down silos within our program. These connections are key to our success as a top-tier MBA program, and the platform has provided a great way for students, alumni and faculty to stay engaged with one another. It really brings people together and strengthens the community, which is invaluable for a program like ours.” - Dylan S.

DriverFly

Founder: Julia Pasternack ’09

DriverFly
Software for Recruiting/Hiring Drivers

Website: driverfly.co

Email: info@driverfly.co

Social: @driver_hiring

Phone: 714-340-5502

About:

At DriverFly, we build software to enhance the bond you have with your drivers. We believe that the key to successful CDL recruiting lies in understanding and fostering personal, meaningful relationships between drivers and employers. Through automation technology, our software is built to maximize those relationships through increased engagement and reach.

Review:

“I highly recommend this company to anyone hiring drivers. Their customer support team is very helpful in answering my questions and resolving any issues. I recently started using DriverFly's ATS and am pleasantly surprised. System is easy to navigate for tracking hires.” - Anonymous

Decipher Something

Co-Founder: Chalisa Prarasri ’14

Decipher Something
Deconstructing Concepts With AI

Website: deciphersomething.com

Email: hi@deciphersomething.c om

Social: @decipher.something

About:

Democratizing science, one term at a time. Written by GenAI, verified by experts. Prof Bot is writing a database with millions of terms, acronyms and techniques.

Review:

“Reduced the amount of tangential research I had to do to decipher techniques and terminology." - Student

Idea Maker

Founder: Thomas Kwon ’92, M.S. ’95, Ph.D. ’98

Idea Maker
Technology Solutions for Small Businesses

Website: ideamaker.agency

Email: tom@ideamaker.agency

Social: @ideamakeragency

Phone: 949- 444-2526

About:

Thomas Kwon founded Idea Maker in 2016 to provide boutique development solutions to small businesses and start-ups in Orange County and the greater Californian areas. Following a career as a software engineer, Kwon has long-standing experience in web and application development, making him an expert developer. He chose the company name Idea Maker because, as you may have guessed, we aim to make your ideas a reality.

Review:

“Idea Maker's portfolio is what drew us in. Their design style was in alignment with what we were after. We had initial consultations with three companies that we had narrowed it down to. Once we had our initial meeting with Tom at Idea Maker we knew we had the right choice to make. Their communication style works well for us.” - Oscar M.

DivorceHelp123

Founder: Debra Mignola’90

DivorceHelp123
Technology for Family Law

Website: divorcehelp123.com

Email: support@divorcehelp123.com

Social: @divorcehelp123

About:

DivorceHelp123 is a family law software designed to streamline the legal process for family lawyers and their clients, helping with form filling, deadline tracking and overall organization.

Review:

“As the managing partner of King Law Offices, PC, I can confidently say that we absolutely love using DivorceHelp123. This innovative program has revolutionized the way we handle family law cases and has made a huge impact on the way we provide legal services to our clients.

DivorceHelp123 is an incredibly powerful tool that helps our team of family lawyers fill out forms, track important deadlines and stay organized throughout the entire legal process. The program is user-friendly and intuitive, which means that our attorneys can focus on providing top-quality legal representation to our clients without worrying about the logistics.” - Brian K.

Mint Mobile

Founder: David Glickman, M.A. ’94

Mint Mobile
Mobile Virtual Network Operator

Website: mintmobile.com

Social: @Mintmobile

Phone: 800-683-7392

About:

Mint Mobile is a wireless service provider that operates as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) on T-Mobile’s network in the United States. It offers affordable prepaid phone plans by selling service in multi-month packages rather than traditional monthly billing.

Review:

"Their customer service is exceptional. Not only are they friendly, but they are actually able to help you. I wish more companies had customer service like this." - Natasha D.

LegalZoom

Co-Founder: Brian Lee ’93, J.D. ’96

LegalZoom
Legal Technology

Website: legalzoom.com

Email: support@legalzoom.com

Social: @LegalZoom

Phone: 888-379-0854

About:

LegalZoom is an online legal technology and services company founded in 2001, specializing in providing accessible legal solutions to individuals and small businesses. LegalZoom offers a variety of services, including legal document preparation, business formation and access to independent attorneys.

Review:

"I didn't have time to go through an attorney and I figured it would be easier going through LegalZoom... They did all the paperwork for the LLC and everything went great." - James

Blizzard Entertainment

Co-Founders:
Michael Morhaime ’90, Allen Adham ’90, Frank Pearce ’90

Blizzard Entertainment
Video Game Development and Publishing

Website: blizzard.com/en-us

Social: @blizzard

About:

Blizzard Entertainment is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software, and the company is renowned for creating some of the industry's most critically acclaimed games, including World of Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Hearthstone®, StarCraft®, and Diablo®.

Review:

“From the moment I stepped foot into Diablo 4, I was greeted by a breathtaking world meticulously crafted by the visionary minds at Blizzard Entertainment. The attention to detail is second to none, with hauntingly beautiful environments that simultaneously evoke a sense of dread and wonder. Every corner of this world pulsates with life, and the atmospheric graphics draw you in, making it impossible to escape its grasp.” - D.B.

ChowNow

Co-Founder: Eric Jaffe ’00

ChowNow
Online Food Ordering Platform

Website: chownow.com

Email: support@chownow.com

Social: @chownow

Phone: 888-707-2469

About:

For over a decade, ChowNow has been building tech for food people, so restaurant owners can save money, staff members can save time and diners can order better. Because when restaurants thrive, they can keep serving food that gives your community its unique flavor. We want to keep it that way.

Review:

“We are an experienced user of the ChowNow platform, using it here at our location for 8 years. ChowNow provides us with a simple and effective tool, providing our guests with online ordering. Using this we are able to offer a simple way for our customers to interact with our menu and drive repeat business. The information gathered helps us keep customers returning..” - Kent G.

Hatch Labs

Founder: Eva Agapaki, M.S. ’15

Hatch Labs
AI Product Development and Market Strategists

Website: hatchlabs.ai

Email: eva@hatchlabs.ai

Social: @hatchlabs.ai

Phone: 626-460-8050

About:

Our program was conceived from a fervent passion for cultivating innovative products that are either rooted in rigorous research or address complex engineering challenges. Our mission is to empower deep tech entrepreneurs and innovative larger businesses, enabling them to fully realize their potential and successfully introduce their groundbreaking ideas to the market. Our founder, Dr. Eva Agapaki, brings a unique blend of expertise to the table. With a strong background in AI product development, technical research and product-market fit (PMF) strategy, she is ideally positioned to elevate your early-stage idea to new heights.

Review:

"This is a very professional space with solid leadership for entrepreneurs.” - The Photographer

GoGuardian

Founder: Todd Mackey, MBA ’91

GoGuardian
Digital Learning and Student Safety Solutions

Website: goguardian.com

Email: hello@goguardian.com

Social: @goguardian

Phone: 888-310-0410

About:

GoGuardian is an education technology company that provides digital learning and student safety solutions for K-12 schools. The platform offers a suite of tools designed to help educators manage classrooms, monitor online activity, filter content and ensure student well-being in digital learning environments.

Review:

“I love the fact that I can quietly get students back on track without disturbing the entire class. That I can close windows when they are off their assigned task.” - Margie W.

Robinhood

Co-Founder: Vlad Tenev, M.A. ’10

Robinhood
Financial Trading App

Website: robinhood.com/us/en

Email: support@robinhood.com

Social: @robinhoodapp

About:

Robinhood is a U.S.-based financial services company that offers a mobile app facilitating commission-free trades of stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and cryptocurrencies. Founded in 2013 by Vladimir Tenev and Baiju Bhatt, Robinhood's mission is to democratize finance for all by providing access to financial markets without commissions or minimum account balances.

Review:

“I love trading crypto and stocks on Hood. I’ve had lots of winning, lots of luck on the site. I love the technology. The graphs and quotes are very detailed and helps me make decisions. Some other brokers don't have good charts, slow tech. Great service. I was called several times after I emailed. Doing very well, very happy. I definitely recommend you to try it. It's fun and relaxing. Some other brokers make trading seem like unnecessary neck choking.” - Ocean

Tutorfly

Founder: Parsa Rezvani ’18

Tutorfly
Online Tutoring

Website: tutorfly.com

Email: info@tutorfly.org

Social: @tutorfly

Phone: 424-653-6159

About:

Tutorfly was founded with the vision of creating an accessible tutoring marketplace that could deliver high-quality tutoring services while simultaneously fostering connections between students and individual tutors who could serve as role models. Today, Tutorfly.com extends its reach to thousands of families across the United States, offering affordable and accessible online tutoring services.

Review:

“My experience with Tutorfly has been amazing from the beginning. I think that the partnership between Butler and Tutorfly is invaluable. We have made a huge difference in these kids' lives (and) we're working toward that achievement gap. I know it has made a big difference in helping our teachers by allowing us to have smaller groups." - Mrs. Rouse

ThousandEyes

Co-founder: Mohit Lad, M.S. ’04, Ph.D. ’07

ThousandEyes
Network Intelligence

Website: thousandeyes.com

Email: facebook@thousandeyes.com

Social: @thousandeyes

About:

ThousandEyes provides a holistic view of all connected elements of digital experience across the networks, apps, and infrastructure that organizations own — as well as those they do not own — so they can ultimately get a deep understanding of digital experiences and can take or automate actions to assure them.

Review:

“The data and insight you see when monitoring your network and application availability using Thousand Eyes is truly unbelievable. As its agents are embedded into the network just like a client, the view is from the client's perspective.” - Kevin A.

Liquid Inc.

Founder: Saujin Yi, MBA ’07

Liquid Inc.
Online Digital Identity Verification

Website: liquidinc.asia/global

About:

Liquid offers a seamless digital onboarding process by conducting online digital identity verification, thus preventing user drop-off. Our solution can be tailored to meet compliance with various regulations, including AML (Anti-Money Laundering) and other specific regulatory requirements relevant to your business.

Review:

“Liquid Inc. helped us achieve a secure and safe gaming environment. Our security measures, including user identification during emergencies and prevention of impersonation, contributed to maintaining a secure environment.” - S.U.P.

***

To submit a Bruin-owned business for future consideration, please send a note to connectfeedback@alumni.ucla.edu.

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Books by Bruins - Stories About Women

ach month, this Books by Bruins series will feature a new collection of books by theme. In this issue, we’re highlighting books written about women, which include industry trailblazers, rom-com socialites and unsung heroines who have shaped the course of history. As this compilation of Bruin authors grows, we’re categorizing the books into an online library, but we’ll need your help to make it as comprehensive as possible. If you know of one, please submit a Bruin author. While all these books are written by UCLA alumni, inclusion in the list is not an endorsement.

Bold & Brave: Ten Heroes Who Won Women the Right to Vote (2020)

Kirsten Gillibrand, J.D. ’91

On the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, United States Senator Kirsten Gillibrand shares the stories of 10 suffragists who fought for women's right to vote. “Bold & Brave” introduces children to strong women who have raised their voices on behalf of justice, and inspires them to raise their own voices to build our future. Senator Gillibrand of New York is a passionate advocate for women's rights. The New York Times bestselling author of “Off the Sidelines,” this is her first book for children. She is a graduate of UCLA School of Law.

Lessons Learned: Stories from Women Leaders in STEM (2023)

Deborah Shlian, MBA ’88

Deborah Shlian is a physician, healthcare consultant and the author of fiction and nonfiction books including a best-selling medical mystery series written with her husband. “Stories from Women Leaders in STEM” is part of a series that showcases women who overcame the odds while paving the way for others. Shlian and her husband, Joel Shlian, also a physician, became the first couple to complete the UCLA MBA program together.

We Are Inspiring: The Stories of 32 Inspirational Asian American Women (2019)

Angel Trazo, M.A. ’20

"We Are Inspiring" brings to life the stories of Asian American women from different communities. Trazo wrote the book with the goal of preventing the erasure of Asian Americans as an integral part of American history. Aimed at children ages 10 and over, the book covers 32 inspirational women including scientists, artists, actresses, comedians, judges and Olympians. Trazo is an author, illustrator and grad student based in the Bay Area. She holds a master's degree in Asian American Studies from UCLA. This is her debut children's book.

The Assertive Woman: A New Look (1975)

Nancy Austin ’71, MBA ’77

“The Assertive Woman” debunks stale stereotypes of women bosses, stay-at-home moms and superwomen. Packed with personal vignettes, exercises, step-by-step procedures and tips, it became the first book of its kind in 1975, and has been updated and reprinted several times since then. Nancy Austin is a writer and business consultant. She received her MBA from UCLA where she was part of the team at the Neuropsychiatric Institute studying California’s community mental health system. Her books have sold approximately one million copies and have been published in seven languages.

Trophies: A Novel (2008)

Heather Thomas ʼ80

Marion Zane is the top Trophy — she has it all: a faithful husband, loyal fellow-Trophy girlfriends, queen-bee status over the Hollywood "name-above-the-title" charities, and — best of all — no prenup! She knows inside information is king, smiles hide jealousy, jackals lure husbands away (or worse, steal personal assistants), housekeepers have the power to destroy and that everyone has devastating secrets — including her. Heather Thomas graduated from UCLA where she studied in the School of Theater, Film and Television. She starred as Jody Banks in TV's “The Fall Guy” from 1981 to 1986 and then left acting in 1998 to pursue writing.

Pounders of Grain: A History of Women, Work, and Politics in Mozambique (2016)

Kathleen Sheldon, M.A. ’77, Ph.D. ’88

This history of women in Mozambique includes their contributions to the social and economic lives of their communities from the mid-19th century through the end of the 20th century. In her book, Sheldon emphasizes the centrality of women's choices and decisions. Kathleen Sheldon is an independent historian who is a research affiliate with the UCLA Center for the Study of Women. She received her Ph.D. in history from UCLA in 1988 and her M.A. in African Area studies in 1977. She has written several books on women in Africa.

Before Amelia: Women Pilots in the Early Days of Aviation (2003)

Eileen (Fitzpatrick) Lebow ’47, M.A. ’49

“Before Amelia” is the remarkable story of the world's first female aviators who braved the skies during the early days of flight. Lebow looks at an international spectrum of pilots and their influence on each other. In an era when women's professional options were severely limited and the mere sight of ladies wearing pants caused a sensation, these women succeeded as pilots, flight instructors, airplane designers, stunt performers and promoters. Lebow taught in Maryland schools for 20 years before becoming an author of books on early aviation and education.

The Women Who Made Early Disneyland: Artists, Entertainers, and Guest Relations (2024)

Kelsey Knox, M.L.I.S. ’14 and Cindy Mediavilla, M.L.S. ’77, Ph.D. ’00

This one-of-a-kind book examines the lives and achievements of the women who made early Disneyland. When Cindy Mediavilla attended a Disneyana convention held in 2015, she was surprised to learn about Ruth Shellhorn, a prominent post-war landscape architect who created the outdoor environment that became the original Disneyland park. Knox and Mediavilla – both lifelong Disney fans – found that as they researched Shellhorn and her work, there were countless women who were instrumental in building and operating what generations have known as, “the happiest place on earth.” Knox serves as the university archivist for UC Santa Cruz, while Mediavilla’s accolades include induction into the California Library Hall of Fame in 2022.

Entry Lessons: The Stories of Women Fighting for Their Place, Their Children and Their Futures After Incarceration (2022)

Jorja Leap '78, M.S.W. ’80, Ph.D. ’88

Recent reports show that women make up the fastest-growing population within the United States’ criminal justice system. Now, through immersive storytelling and expert analysis of women’s lives after prison, anthropologist Jorja Leap explores their journeys into, through and beyond the jail cell. Jorja Leap is on the faculty of the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, where she also serves as the executive director of the UCLA Social Justice Research Partnership. Dr. Leap has been the recipient of the UCLA Distinguished Teaching Award. She is the author of the highly acclaimed books “Jumped In” and “Project Fatherhood.”

Uta Barth: To Draw With Light (2012)

Uta Barth, M.F.A. ’85

Blind Spot Series publishes small-format, limited-run artist’s books that present a series of images from single bodies of work by important contemporary artist-photographers. Uta Barth’s stunning “To Draw With Light" features 46 color photographs alongside new works created specifically for the book. The Los Angeles–based contemporary artist has spent her decades-long career exploring the complexities and limits of human and mechanical vision.

She Damn Near Ran the Studio: The Extraordinary Lives of Ida R. Koverman (2020)

Jacqueline R. Braitman ’79, M.A. ’81, Ph.D. ’88

Best known as the woman who ran MGM, Ida R. Koverman served as talent scout, mentor, executive secretary and confidant to American movie mogul Louis B. Mayer for 25 years. “She Damn Near Ran the Studio” is the first full account of Koverman's life and the true story of how she became a creative political powerhouse during Hollywood's Golden Era. Jacqueline R. Braitman is a historian of American history who specializes in California women and politics. She is coauthor of “Justice Stanley Mosk: A Life at the Center of California Politics and Justice.”

Five Women of Byzantium (2020)

Robert Englekirk, M.S. ’65, Ph.D. ’70

The history of the pre-11th century Byzantine Empire presents the courageous, determined effort of the Byzantines to succeed. Women played a significant part in the evolution of mankind for they often saved mankind from disaster. Robert Englekirk has had a profound impact on civil infrastructure in California. His designs include the Getty Center, the Hollywood and Highland center and the tallest precast concrete building in California. He is an adjunct professor in civil engineering and has taught structural engineering at USC and UC San Diego. In 2015, he and his wife Natalie established the Englekirk Presidential Endowed Chair in Structural Engineering at UCLA.

There's Cake in My Future (2012)

Kim Gruenenfelder ʼ89

After listening to her closest friends' latest travails in love, parenting and careers, superstitious bride-to-be Nicole believes she has the perfect recipe for everyone's happiness: a bridal shower "cake pull" in which each ribboned silver charm planted in her cake will bring its recipient the magical assistance she needs to change her destiny. Kim Gruenenfelder graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in women's history. In addition to her novels “A Total Waste of Makeup” and “Misery Loves Cabernet,” she has written feature films, episodic teleplays and two stage plays.

The Ziegfelds' Girl: Confessions of an Abnormally Happy Childhood (1964)

Patricia Burke Ziegfeld Stephenson

Patricia Burke Ziegfeld Stephenson’s father, Florenz Ziegfeld, was the king of Broadway, producing an annual Follies featuring the cream of Broadway talent. Her mother, Billie Burke, is most remembered for her portrayal of Glinda the Good Witch of the North in the 1939 movie classic "The Wizard of Oz." "The Ziegfelds' Girl: Confessions of an Abnormally Happy Childhood," is the colorful backstage story of her adventures with her parents.

Brava: A Latina Lawyer’s Path to Empowerment (2023)

Adriana Palomares ʼ04

“Brava” is the inspirational story of a young Latina's coming-of-age journey as she searches for success and true happiness after she migrates to the United States from México. The book was the recipient of the 2024 International Latino Book Awards in two categories including the Isabel Allende Most Inspirational Fiction Book Award. Since publishing “Brava, A Latina Lawyer’s Path to Empowerment,” Adriana Palomares has presented at the Brilliance UCLA Alumnae Conference and other events including Latina Fest and the Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE) conference.

Heart Matters: A Memoir of a Female Heart Surgeon (2010)

Kathy E. Magliato, MBA ʼ06

Dr. Kathy Magliato is one of the few female heart surgeons practicing in the world today. She is also a member of an even more exclusive group — those surgeons specially trained to perform heart transplants. In this powerful and moving memoir, which inspired the NBC series “Heart Beat,” Dr. Magliato takes us into her highly demanding, physically intense, male-dominated world and shows us how she masterfully works to save patients' lives every day. She is currently on staff at Providence Saint John’s Medical Center in Santa Monica, California, where she developed a Multidisciplinary Women’s Health Center to address the cardiac needs of female patients. In 2006, she earned an Executive MBA at UCLA Anderson School of Business and received their Inspirational Alumni Award as part of the 75th anniversary of the school.

Gertrude Stein and the Essence of What Happens (2005)

Dana Cairns Watson ’89, M.A. ’93, Ph.D. ’96

In “Gertrude Stein and the Essence of What Happens,” Dana Cairns Watson traces Stein's fascination with the cognitive and political ramifications of conversation. Watson shows how Stein’s use of silent reading and social speaking reveals the way reading and conversation build communities of meaning, to form personal relationships and the larger political structures we inhabit. Dana Cairns Watson has taught American literature and English composition at Middlebury College, Santa Monica College and UCLA.

Edith Heath: Philosophies (2021)

Jennifer M. Volland, M.A. '06, Cert. '03

“Edith Heath: Philosophies” is the definitive resource on Edith Kiertzner Heath and the history of Heath Ceramics, emphasizing the philosophical foundations and influences of the creative force. This publication offers an in-depth commentary on the presented themes of the environment, feminism, architecture and politics, while solidifying the relevance of Edith Heath's story in contemporary life and society. Jennifer M. Volland is an independent writer, curator, researcher and archivist. Her past work explores two architectural typologies: the cabin and the hotel as both author and curator.

Runaway Girl: Escaping Life on the Streets (2013)

Carissa Phelps, MBA ’07, J.D. ’07

Phelps was a runaway by age 12, escaping a troubled and dangerous home life. She turned tragedy into triumph as she rose from runaway to holder of an MBA. and a law degree from UCLA. "When I was at UCLA Anderson, I planned to go into private equity," Phelps said. "I wanted to start a fund through local investing that would focus on costly social questions. But I stepped away, went back to Fresno, wrote the book and formed Runaway Girl in early 2012." Runaway Girl, a California for-profit entity with a "special" or social purpose, creates employment opportunities for former runaways and survivors of human trafficking.

Noushin, a Memoir: The Making of a Woman Architect (2022)

Noushin Ehsan, M.Arch. ’72

Noushin Ehsan, a licensed architect with over 35 years of international experience, founded Accessible Architecture, PC, where she developed the concept of “The Spirit of Space” which incorporates the spiritual as well as the practical approach to architecture. Ehsan promotes designs that create a positive energy in your space. She believes that through harmony, proportion, light, cohesiveness of thought in design and use of material, one can design holistic spaces that uplift the spirit and energize the physical being. This approach to holistic design has no relevance to the size and budget of your projects and can be adapted in any style. Ehsan received her master’s degree in architecture & urban design from UCLA.

War, Women, and Power: From Violence to Mobilization in Rwanda and Bosnia-Herzegovina (2018)

Marie Berry, M.A. ’10, Ph.D. ’15

Rwanda and Bosnia both experienced mass violence in the early 1990s. Through close examination, Marie E. Berry unpacks the puzzling relationship between war and women's political mobilization. Dr. Berry is assistant professor of international comparative politics at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver. She was awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers early in their careers.

A Daughter's Journey: A Memoir (2024)

Susan M. (aka Susie Myung-Sook) Chung ’77, M.S.W. ’79

Susan M. Chung, who has been described as "the 'Godzilla' of divorce attorneys in Silicon Valley," published her second autobiographical book, "A Daughter's Journey: A Memoir." The book "tells her accounts of courtroom dramas with golden threads of perspective and wisdom earned through decades of fighting, not only for justice, but her own personal struggles." Her first book, 2011's "A Mother's Journey — A Tale of Early Korean Settlers in Silver Lake," was a tribute to her mother, describing her family's arrival in Los Angeles and their significant role in the founding of Koreatown. Chung earned her bachelor's degree in sociology and her master's degree in social welfare from UCLA.

Humanizing the Sacred: Sisters in Islam and the Struggle for Gender Justice in Malaysia (2015)

Azza Basarudin, Ph.D. ’09

Based on ethnographic research of Sisters in Islam (SIS), a nongovernmental organization of professional women promoting justice and equality, Basarudin examines SIS members' involvement in the production and transmission of Islamic knowledge to reformulate legal codes and reconceptualize gender discourses. By weaving together women's lived realities, feminist interpretations of Islamic texts and Malaysian cultural politics, this book illuminates how a localized struggle of claiming rights takes shape within a transnational landscape. Azzarina Basarudin is assistant professor in the Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies at CSULB. With a Ph.D. from UCLA in gender and sexuality studies, her research interests are transnational feminisms, gender and Islam, and intimacy and human rights politics.

Martha: The Life and Work of Martha Graham (1992)

Agnes De Mille ’26

Agnes De Mille was a close friend of choreographer Martha Graham for more than 60 years. Her book traces Graham's inspirations and pivotal moments. Graham developed a dance technique that has been called the "cornerstone" of American modern dance, based on the opposition between contraction and release, a concept based on the breathing cycle. Graham was famous for works including “Appalachian Spring,” “Ekstasis” and “Lamentations.” American choreographer, Agnes de Mille graduated from UCLA Cum Laude at age 19, having developed a love for great literature. As a choreographer, she was known for her storytelling, which is expressed in her works like “Rodeo,” “Oklahoma” and “Carousel.”

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Books by Bruins - L.A. Stories

or the next several months, our Books by Bruins series will feature a new collection of books by theme, starting with books about Los Angeles — its history, environment and the people who call it home. As this compilation of Bruin authors grows, we’re categorizing the books into an online library, but we’ll need your help to make it as comprehensive as possible. If you know of one, please submit a Bruin author. While all these books are written by UCLA alumni, inclusion in the list is not an endorsement.

Imagining Los Angeles: A City in Fiction (2004)

David Fine '83

The literary image of Los Angeles has evolved since the 1880s from a New Eden to contemporary visions of the city as a perplexing, sometimes corrupt, even apocalyptic place. In “Imagining Los Angeles,” the first literary history of the city in more than 50 years, critic David Fine traces the history and mood of Los Angeles through the work of writers including Helen Hunt Jackson, Mary Austin, Norman Mailer, Raymond Chandler, Joan Didion and Carolyn See. Fine was a professor at California State University, Long Beach for over 35 years. A graduate of UCLA, he was a Fulbright Scholar, a member of the UCLA marching band and served in the United States National Guard Reserves as a member of a military band.

Native Shrubs of Southern California (2023)

Peter H. Raven, Ph.D. ’60

Southern California’s valleys, mountains and deserts are an exceptionally rich environment for native shrubs. “Native Shrubs of Southern California” contains approximately 400 kinds of shrubs, with both color and black and white illustrations. Peter H. Raven is a botanist and environmentalist, and is the former president and director of the Missouri Botanical Garden, one of the oldest botanical institutions in the United States.

Sons, Daughters, and Sidewalk Psychotics: Mental Illness and Homelessness in Los Angeles (2024)

Neil Gong, M.A. '13, Ph.D. '19

Neil Gong is assistant professor of sociology at UC San Diego, where he researches psychiatric services, homelessness and liberal social order. His book “Sons, Daughters, and Sidewalk Psychotics” is about inequality in mental health care in Los Angeles. His public commentary can be found in the Washington Post, the Atlantic and the Los Angeles Review of Books.

Conservation of California Walnut in the Eastern Santa Monica Mountains (2022)

Travis Longcore, M.A. '95, Ph.D. '99

The walnut was first cultivated in California by Franciscan Monks in the late 1700s; many of today’s trees are descended from these early plantings. “Conservation of California Walnut in the Eastern Santa Monica Mountains” addresses a region that is subject to ongoing development pressure threatening the remaining walnut groves and oak–walnut woodlands. Travis Longcore is an adjunct professor in the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability and co-chair of the Environmental Science and Engineering Program. He conducts research on environmental health focusing on the conservation of biodiversity in cities.

Fruteros: Street Vending, Illegality, and Ethnic Community in Los Angeles (2020)

Rocío Rosales, M.A. '08, Ph.D. '12

Young Latino street vendors, known as fruteros, sell fruit salads out of pushcarts throughout Los Angeles. Drawing on six years of fieldwork, this book examines how they navigate the complexities of local and federal laws prohibiting both their presence and their work on street corners. “Fruteros: Street Vending, Illegality, and Ethnic Community in Los Angeles” sheds light on those complexities and offers the concept of the "ethnic cage" to explain both the promise and pain of community. Rocío Rosales is associate dean, Faculty Development and Diversity & Inclusive Excellence Professor at UC Irvine focused on international migration, immigrant and ethnic economies and immigrant detention.

Los Angeles Residential Architecture: Modernism Meets Eclecticism (2015)

Ruth Wallach '86, M.L.S. '88

During the first half of the twentieth century, Los Angeles grew into a sprawling metropolis. As suburbs developed, demonstration homes like the California Home and Garden Exhibition showcased the latest in timesaving appliances and inspired a new generation of homebuyers. In her book “Los Angeles Residential Architecture: Modernism Meets Eclecticism” author Ruth Wallach tours the varied Modernist styles that give Los Angeles its distinct residential landscape. Wallach has a B.A. in economics and an M.L.S. in library science from UCLA. She is the associate dean of Social Sciences and Humanities Libraries at USC.

Goal Dust: The Warm and Candid Memoirs of a Pioneer Black Athlete and Actor (1993)

Woody Strode (1937-39)

Woody Strode's extraordinary career led him from the football field to Hollywood. In 1939, Strode, along with teammates Jackie Robinson and Kenny Washington, led UCLA to its first undefeated football season. Strode and Washington had been two of the best-known college football players in the nation. After World War II, they became the first Black players drafted into the NFL. In 1950, Strode became pro wrestling's first Black star. After that it was a small step to Hollywood where he appeared in films such as The “Ten Commandments,” “Spartacus” and “The Cotton Club.” He was also known for his roles in numerous TV westerns. Woody from “Toy Story” was named in his honor.

Packer and Jack (2013)

Rachel Hoffman, Ph.D. '97

"Packer and Jack," is an L.A. love story set in the six square blocks of downtown they call home. Rachel Hoffman, who is also the author of the novel "Saltine," earned her Ph.D. in art history from UCLA and later moved to Italy to make wine, milk cows and write. Her work has appeared in more than a dozen literary journals. A 2017 Fulbright granted Rachel a month's residency at the International Writers' and Translators' House in Latvia to complete a memoir of her years living in Africa.

Little Tokyo: One Hundred Years in Pictures (1983)

Ichiro Mike Murase '70

This book tells the story of Little Tokyo through photographs, from its early beginnings in 1885, through World War II and into the 1980s. Ichiro Mike Murase moved with his Kibei-Nisei family to Los Angeles when he was nine years old. Murase was one of the founders of the UCLA Asian American Studies Center, as well as serving as president of Nisei Bruin Club while he was an undergraduate at UCLA in the late 1960s. As an activist, attorney, administrator, community organizer and teacher, Murase has served the Asian American community in many capacities over the past four decades.

Chican@ Artivistas: Music, Community, and Transborder Tactics in East Los Angeles (2020)

Martha Gonzalez ’99

By showcasing the social impact made by key artist-activists in the art world and music industry, Gonzalez charts the evolution of a now-canonical body of work that took its inspiration from the Zapatista movement, particularly its masked indigenous participants, and that responded to efforts to impose systems of labor exploitation and social subjugation. Martha Gonzalez is a Chicana artivista (artist/activist) musician, feminist music theorist and associate professor in the Intercollegiate Department of Chicana/o Latina/o Studies at Scripps College. A Fulbright, Ford and Woodrow Wilson Fellow, her academic interests have been fueled by her own musicianship as a singer/songwriter and percussionist for the GRAMMY Award-winning band Quetzal.

Ethnopolitical Entrepreneurs: Outsiders Inside Armenian Los Angeles (2023)

Daniel Fittante ’05, Ph.D. ’18

In “Ethnopolitical Entrepreneurs: Outsiders Inside Armenian Los Angeles”, Daniel Fittante expands our understanding of U.S. political history. The author shows how Glendale's Armenian community is changing the country's political reality within its dynamic, multiethnic suburbs. Fittante is a postdoctoral fellow in the department of sociology at Södertörn University. His research areas include political and urban sociology, diaspora studies and immigration.

Compton in My Soul: A Life in Pursuit of Racial Equality (2024)

Albert Camarillo ’70, Ph.D. ’75

When Al Camarillo grew up in Compton, California, racial segregation was the rule. His relatives were among the first Mexican immigrants to settle there — in the only neighborhood where Mexicans were allowed to live. The author of seven books and numerous articles and papers, “Compton in My Soul” weaves his personal story with the history of his L.A. neighborhood, and illuminates a changing U.S. society — the progress and backslides over half a century for racial equality and educational opportunity. Entering UCLA in the mid 1960s, Camarillo was one of only 50 Mexican American students, and became one of the first Mexican Americans in the country to earn a Ph.D. in history. He is widely regarded as one of the founding scholars of the field of Mexican American history and Chicano Studies. Ha also played basketball under Coach John Wooden with teammate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ’69.

Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders (2001)

Vincent Bugliosi, J.D. '64

Only a few years out of law school, Vincent Bugliosi gained fame as the Los Angeles County deputy district attorney who prosecuted the Charles Manson murders in 1969. After leaving the DA’s office, he co-wrote “Helter Skelter,” a book about the Manson trial. He went on to write numerous bestsellers including, “Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy” in which he challenged numerous conspiracy theories and “Outrage: The Five Reasons Why O. J. Simpson Got Away with Murder” about the acquittal of O. J. Simpson. At UCLA Law, he was president of his graduating class.

From Watts to the World: A Chronicle of Service (2021)

Rosalyn Cain King, M.P.H. '72

Dr. Rosalyn C. King’s life story is a testament to the transformative power of determination, passion and service. This book chronicles her five-decade career in pharmacy and public health; a global journey that took her to countries like Romania and Nigeria, where she played a vital role in healthcare services and pivotal projects funded by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). She is a distinguished pharmacist, author, professor, consultant and global health advisor.

Giant Robot: Thirty Years of Defining Asian American Pop Culture (2024)

Eric Nakamura '83

Eric Nakamura founded Giant Robot as a photocopied and stapled zine in Los Angeles in 1994. Giant Robot magazine reached a wide audience interested in Asian popular culture. Nakamura built on the success of Giant Robot with stores and galleries in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco, and has curated over 300 exhibitions. “Giant Robot: Thirty Years of Defining Asian-American Pop Culture” features the best of the magazine’s sixty-eight issue run alongside never-before-seen photographs, writing by contributing journalist Claudine Ko and tributes from now-famous fans. Nakamura works in and owns the Giant Robot store and GR2 Gallery which offer pop culture goods and art exhibitions.

Zev's Los Angeles: From Boyle Heights to the Halls of Power (2023)

Zev Yaroslavsky ’71, M.A. ’72

“Zev's Los Angeles: From Boyle Heights to the Halls of Power” tells the story of Zev Yaroslavsky, from young social activist to a powerful elected official who sparked reforms in policing, transit, land use and fiscal policies. His Los Angeles political career spanned four decades as a member of the City Council (1975-1994) and County Board of Supervisors (1994-2014). Yaroslavsky is the former director of the Los Angeles Initiative at UCLA.

Black Los Angeles: American Dreams and Racial Realities (2010)

Darnell Hunt, M.A. '91, Ph.D. '94

During the first half of the twentieth century, Los Angeles was also seen as a mecca for both African Americans and a steady stream of migrants from around the country and the world, transforming Los Angeles into one of the world's most diverse cities. Darnell Hunt serves as UCLA’s executive vice chancellor and provost, responsible for administering campus operations and the academic enterprise. A celebrated scholar of race and media, he is well known for his longstanding commitment to high-quality public education, support of interdisciplinary research for the common good and vision for inclusive excellence. From July through December 2024, he served as UCLA’s interim chancellor, prior to the beginning of Chancellor Julio Frenk’s tenure.

East Los Angeles: History of a Barrio (1983)

Ricardo Romo, Ph.D. '75

“East Los Angeles: History of a Barrio” is the story of the largest Mexican-American community in the United States, the city within a city known as "East Los Angeles." The author examines how Mexican immigrants adjusted to life in one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States, how they fared in this country's labor market and the problems of segregation and prejudice they confronted. Ricardo Romo is an American urban historian who served as the fifth president of the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) from May 1999 to March 2017.

90210 Photobook (2016)

Priscilla Mars '14

“90210 Photobook” is a self-published photographic exploration of the city of Beverly Hills over several years. Priscilla Mars is a Mexican American artist originally from Fresno, California, who is obsessed with movies and the cinematic landscapes of L.A. Mars works in photography and cinematography in Los Angeles. She is a graduate of UCLA School of Arts and the AFI Cinematography Intensive Workshop for Women.

City of Inmates: Conquest, Rebellion, and the Rise of Human Caging in Los Angeles (2017)

Kelly Lytle Hernández, M.A. '00, Ph.D. '02

“City of Inmates” explores how the City of Angels became the capital city of the world's leading incarcerator. Marshaling more than two centuries of evidence, historian Kelly Lytle Hernandez unmasks how histories of native elimination, immigrant exclusion and black disappearance drove the rise of incarceration. Professor Lytle Hernández is a professor of history, African American studies and urban planning at UCLA where she holds The Thomas E. Lifka Endowed Chair in History. In 2019, she was named a MacArthur Fellow for her historical and contemporary work. Her newest book, “Bad Mexicans,” tells the dramatic story of the magonistas, the migrant rebels who sparked the 1910 Mexican Revolution from the United States.

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Bruin-Owned Businesses: Gift Ideas 4

tuck on what to give a certain someone for the holidays? These Bruin-owned businesses may have just the right present for that hard-to-shop-for friend. From beauty products to fitness classes to lifestyle apparel, peruse these last minute gift ideas and support a Bruin business.

P.M. Jacoy Menswear

Owner: Tony Jacoy ʼ74

Location: 2650 Mission St. #104, San Marino, CA 91108

Phone: 626-799-4600

Website: https://www.pmjacoy.com

Email: sales@pmjacoy.com

Social: @pmjacoymenswear

About:

P.M. Jacoy Menswear opened in 1985 in San Marino's trendy Mission Street shopping district. Decades later, P.M. Jacoy is considered to be a benchmark in men's clothes in the San Gabriel Valley. They offer a wide variety of quality men's clothing and accessories in-store while also specializing in custom suits, sports coats, pants and shirts. A full-service tailor shop is conveniently located onsite to offer the perfect fit for all P.M. Jacoy purchases as well as clothing purchased elsewhere.

Review:

“The quality of menswear at P.M. Jacoy is superior to any tailor or suit store. I was immediately impressed as a first-time customer. Tony is professional, knowledgeable and courteous. He fit me into the proper sports coat and pants for my wedding. More importantly, he listened to me as a customer and told me what look I wanted as a groom. My beautiful bride was impressed and pleased by Tony's recommendation. There is also great activewear at the shop. I especially recommend the Toes on the Nose activewear attire.” — Daryl T.

The Soap Kitchen

Owner: Dali Yu ʼ93

Services: E-Commerce

Phone: 626-396-9996

Website: https://www.thesoapkitchen.com

Social: @thesoapkitchen

About:

We're mother/daughter soap chefs raising the bar by thinking outside the bottle. Plastic-free since 2003, we've been serving fresh, all-natural olive oil soap, handmade from scratch in Old Pasadena and featured on Huell Howser's California's Gold. Our soaps are amazing! Rest assured that we use only the finest essential oils and herbs to add a mild scent to our soaps, so the end product is hydrating for the skin, healthy for the body and never overwhelming to the nose. Here's your chance to experience pure indulgence with zero guilt.

Review:

“I am not a bar soap person so I will leave those reviews to those that are. I am, however, a user of shower and skin products and I really like those I have bought from The Soap Kitchen. I have used the Shower Steamers. Both the Lavender for relaxing and Breathe for helping with, yes, breathing (maybe you have a head cold) to other items like Rose Hip Seed Oil for your skin and So Fresh, So Clean which removes makeup and helps your skin feel great. Even the candles are nice. I highly recommend them. Give them a try. I'm sure you will like them.” — Cherri O.

5 Point Yoga

Owner: Ted McDonald ʼ96

Location: 23410 Civic Center Way, Suite E-3, Malibu, CA 90265

Phone: 424-259-2628

Website: https://5pointyoga.com

Email: questions@5pointyoga.com

Social: @5pointyoga

About:

5 Point Yoga is Malibu's premier yoga and fitness studio offering yoga, mat pilates, dance, fitness and aerial classes! Located at the Malibu Country Mart. Our 5-Point Plan: physical fitness, nutrition, mental wellness, community, environment.

Review: “I love this yoga studio. And when I am at other yoga studios in Northern California I often wish I was back at 5 Points. This is such a wonderful addition to the Malibu Country Mart because it's a place not focused on consumerism and it breeds community! The 5 points it's named after are mental wellness, physical fitness, nutrition, community and environment. Environment?! How exciting for this tree-hugging chick.” — Jen R.

Kawaii Craft Shop

Owner: Maryn Masumiya ʼ06

Services: E-Commerce

Website: https://kawaiicraftshop.com

Email: kawaiicraftlady@gmail.com

Social: @kawaiicraftlady

About:

Created by Maryn, the Kawaii Craft Shop’s mission is to spread joy through handmade kawaii ("cute") creations. It’s the perfect spot to embrace your sparkly, unicorn-loving side and discover special gifts for yourself or loved ones. It's the little things that brighten our days, and these creations aim to bring that extra bit of happiness into yours. Thank you for supporting small and handmade businesses - your support is what keeps the creativity flowing!

Review:

“In love with Tiffany's mystery bundles! I ordered in the past and I loved my experience. This time I asked for items that would fit a woman in her mid-20s, and she didn't disappoint. I can't wait to use them and make my adult life cuter.” — Gabriella

Wehitpan Beauty

Owner: Sandra Rhee ʼ17

Services: E-Commerce

Phone: 661-544-8726

Website: https://wehitpan.com

Email: hello@wehitpan.com

Social: @wehitpan

About:

If you're over the usual beauty stores, you've just discovered a game-changer — Wehitpan isn’t your typical beauty retailer. Wehitpan is here to refresh your makeup bag and break a few beauty rules along the way. The mastermind behind it all is Sandra: a dedicated beauty enthusiast, founder and your new beauty insider. She’s scoured every part of the internet —beyond the mainstream sites — to bring you the best dupes, the hottest emerging brands and top products loved by influencers on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram.

Review:

“Absolutely awesome! I have used the Relief Sun Sunscreen every day for two weeks. In the early spring sun, the UV is very damaging. I can put it under my eyes and on my neck. No redness or itching. When I use drugstore products, I will have red patches and itch everywhere I put sunscreen. It's terrible. The Joseon product is creamy, it does not pile up if you put makeup on top. The best product I have ever used. I am 62. I love to garden. Now I can be outside working in the sun without wrapping up like a mummy. It is so much more comfortable.”
— Karen C.

Pickytarian

Owner: Laide Olambiwonnu, M.S. ʼ12

Services: E-Commerce

Phone: 213-537-3994

Website: https://pickytarian.com

Email: hello@pickytarian.com

Social: @pickytarianinc

About:

Pickytarian creates dinnerware products that are beautifully designed, elegant, sturdy, compostable and disposable. Our tableware products are meant for those special occasions where it’s a huge hassle to use fine dinnerware but you are also conscious enough not to use toxic plastic or flimsy paperware. Pickytarian products are made from renewable resources such as bamboo and sugarcane pulp. In addition, we donate 5% of sales to organizations working to alleviate food and shelter insecurities in our various communities.

Review:

“I am so happy that I chose Pickytarian to supply the plates and cutlery for my daughter’s baby shower. The high-quality of the eco-friendly materials, which included the leaf shaped plates and the durable cutlery provided a positive visual appeal to all my guests. The customer service was over the top by the owner. The price was fair and well worth it! I highly recommend doing business with Pickytarian. You will be highly satisfied like I am.” — Adriene B.

Innovative Imprints

Owner: Travis Scott ʼ91

Location: 0861 Kinsbury Ridge Court, San Diego, CA 92130

Phone: 760-798-4804

Website: https://www.innovative-imprints.com/

Email: service@innovative-imprints.com

Social: @innovativeimprints

About:

Innovative Imprints has been a leading supplier of custom promotional products and apparel since 1997. Through our vast network of manufacturing partners, both domestic and overseas, our product line is immense. Innovative Imprints offers hundreds of thousands of unique and customized gifts, incentives, rewards, giveaways (aka, advertising specialties) and more. We like to say that "we offer everything from pens to polos to portfolios!"

Review:

“I have had the opportunity to work with Mike Scott, Innovative Imprints for many years. His prices always come below other vendors, his professionalism and efficiency are first rate and I can count on him to help me identify creative, practical and trending products that will forever leave an impression on my students, faculty and stakeholders that I work with.” - Sabrina

Daily Work Journal

Owner: Jessica Yen ʼ14

Services: E-Commerce

Phone: 604-923-8152

Website: https://www.dailyworkjournal.com

Email: hello@dailyworkjournal.com

Social: @dailyworkjournal

About:

Meet Daily Work Journal, the company that's here to help you navigate your career in a fulfilling way. Their hero product, also called Daily Work Journal, is a journal notebook that's packed with career coaching worksheets, journal prompts, reflection space and blank note pages. This journal was created by Jessica Yen, a former data analyst turned executive coach who noticed that people were struggling with career fulfillment during the pandemic. She decided to create a tool that could help more people achieve their career goals in a sustainable and mentally healthy way. The journal is designed to assist individuals in gaining confidence in their careers, documenting work accomplishments and navigating work challenges.

Review:

“Before having Daily Work Journal, every time I tried to keep a journal it always ended up being some random journal. This is definitely not the case with DWJ. It’s like a coach guiding me through my monthly, weekly and daily goals and intentions. And the best part, I don’t write random stuff but what is essential for me. I greatly recommend having your own DWJ.” — Aditi K.

Cuccio Somatology

Owner: Danielle Cuccio ʼ10

Location: 29120 Avenue Paine, Valencia, CA 91355

Phone: 323-863-5041

Website: https://www.cucciosomatology.com

Email: info@cucciosomatology.com

Social: @cucciosomatology

About:

As a celebrity yoga instructor and a licensed esthetician, Danielle learned about the value of achieving balance in one’s personal and professional life and the effects it had on one’s skin and overall glow. This became the foundation for the creation of Cuccio Somatology — a multi-faceted approach to the study of the body and the development of inner and outer beauty through wellness and self-care. Today, Danielle is the CEO of Cuccio Somatology, one of the fastest-growing, women-led beauty businesses, with a global reach of over 120 countries. Her vision is to continue to bring new and innovative self-care products to people’s homes and to define the principles of today’s Wellness category.

Review:

“I never heard of this before but once I smelled it, I was absolutely in love. It goes on the outfits without leaving any type of stain and it smells absolutely fabulous and lasts all day. This was the cutest and sweetest gift. My mother was so delighted and I love sniffing the little one afterwards. We never put it directly on her skin but it was always a mist on clothing and blankets and everything smelled divine. Definitely a good value. It's a nice size bottle also.” — Rina B.

Honeycut

Owner: Darcy Post ʼ84

Location: 2925 College Ave., Suite A2, Costa Mesa CA 92626

Phone: 949-478-1960

Website: https://honeycutofficial.com

Email: honeycutofficial@gmail.com

Social: @honeycutofficial

About:

From the hive, located in Southern California, creative director and owner Darcy Post and her team conceive and curate this contemporary dancewear line. Channeling their obvious love of movement, saltwater and a natural boho beach lifestyle, the collection combines form and function and brings an ever-fresh perspective to the dynamic dance world.

Review:

“Love these pants! These are my new favorite dance pants. I've been wearing them nonstop at class and conventions. They stand out in crowded convention classes and are so comfy and versatile with the snaps. Honeycut is the best and the customer service is so superior.”
— Samantha

Dreamy Vegan

Owner: Tanisha Pitts ʼ07

Services: E-Commerce

Phone: 562-450-3334

Website: https://dreamyvegan.com

Email: hello@dreamyvegan.com

Social: @dreamyvegan

About:

Welcome to Dreamy Vegan, where every spoonful whisks you away on a whimsical journey to the sweetest corners of your childhood. Our founder, Tanisha, drew inspiration from the love of her family and the magic of her great-grandmother, Meme, to create a world of delectable dairy-free delights.

Review:

“Loveee dreamy vegan! I honestly was shocked by how good the popsicles tasted. When you hear vegan anything you automatically assume it would taste like something is missing but it’s the exact opposite! The ice cream tastes delicious and the fact that it’s a healthy alternative to regular ice cream is a bonus! I enjoy eating the ice cream without feeling guilty about it. Highly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t tried it yet! You won’t be disappointed.” — Bonnie W.

District Clay Center

Owner: Cass Johnson ʼ81, MBA ʼ88

Location: 2414 Douglas St. NE, Washington, DC 20018

Phone: 301-615-1434

Website: https://www.districtclaycenter.com

Email: membership@districtclaycenter.com

Social: @districtclaycenter

About:

Washington, D.C., while rich in many arts and crafts, has lacked a single dedicated ceramic center, until now. Unlike many cities of its size (such as neighboring Philadelphia and Baltimore) there has been no institution that provides the full spectrum of ceramic offerings. In November 2016, the new District Clay Center more than tripled in size to include a ceramic gallery, cultural outreach and education, community and low-income classes, private studio space, regular Master Class workshops, guest resident artists and the largest array of ceramic equipment in the Washington area.

Review:

“I love District Clay Center! I highly recommend it as an introductory pottery studio. It is a large teaching studio (the largest in the area). The teachers are great and knowledgeable. Once you get in a class you are able to drop in on any other scheduled classes to practice. Getting off the waitlist can be a challenge; I recommend signing up for as many waitlists as possible.” — Sam G.

Orange County Guitar Academy

Owner: Payam Larijani ʼ01

Location: 4561 Pinyon Tree Lane, Irvine, CA 92612

Phone: 949-231-2763

Website: https://orangecountyguitaracademy.com

Social: @payam.larijani

About:

Orange County Guitar Academy was founded by Dr. Payam Larijani, who is a current alumni member of the 2019 UCLA Guitar Ensemble directed by Professor Peter Yates. Payam completed his doctorate in musical arts at Claremont Graduate University with an emphasis on classical guitar performance, music history and music recording technology. He also successfully pursued a masterʼs degree in commercial music from CSU Los Angeles and has worked with many leaders of the industry. Today, Payam offers students not just his expertise in playing music, but also his experiences in navigating the ins and outs of the music industry. Payam’s professional skills and passion for teaching are evident in his commitment to academic achievement.

Review:

“Dr. Payam is a wonderful guitar teacher. Both my teenage daughters took lessons with him and he is able to tailor his teaching to their levels since one has musical background and the other didn’t. They both enjoyed their lessons and Dr. Payam often go above and beyond to give them guidance. We appreciate his teaching style and patience very much. His love and passion for music is evident in his lessons as he encourages kids to elevate their appreciation for music through guitar.” — Christina L.

J.N. Shapiro Watches

Owner: Josh Shapiro ʼ08

Services: E-Commerce

Website: https://www.jnshapirowatches.com

Email: info@jnshapirowatches.com

Social: @jnshapiro_watches

About:

Joshua Shapiro is the founder and CEO of J.N. Shapiro Watches, a brand recognized for its dedication to precision and craftsmanship. With a background in education, holding both a bachelor's and a master's degree in U.S. history, Shapiro's journey into watchmaking began with the creation of traditional engine-turned dials for other watchmakers. In 2018, the brand introduced the Infinity Series, showcasing intricate engine-turned dials crafted from traditional and exotic materials. A milestone was reached in December 2021 when J.N. Shapiro Watches produced the first tantalum wristwatch cases made outside of Switzerland for the Infinity Series. The brand's latest creation, The Resurgence, is a fully U.S.-made watch that has been in development for over four years. It represents the culmination of a vision rooted in humble beginnings, aiming to inspire individuals to strive for perfection and appreciate both the journey and the destination.

Review:

“The dial is the star of the show and is amazing. I wonder how cutting into this material was accomplished. There must have been a few accidents and throwing away some meteorite dials may have had to happen. This was accomplished and added some texture to the dial in addition to the natural pattern of the meteorite. This makes this a step up from other meteorite dials in my humble opinion. This combined with the blued hands and chapter ring just completes this amazing dial. The movement is no slouch either. I think Sinn used this movement in one of their watches and it’s beautiful to look at. This is a great watch and J.N. Shapiro deserves a wider audience. This is a brand that I’d love to support sometime in the future.” — Richard B.

The Racket Doctor

Owner: Jan Rashoff Lee ʼ87

Location: 3214 Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90039

Phone: 323-663-6601

Website: https://www.racketdoctor.com

Email: info@racketdoctor.com

Social: @racketdoctor

About:

SoCal's undisputed GOAT of legendary tennis shops. Don't get salty, it's a fact. Racket Doctor is the iconic standard-bearer: 50-plus years and still thriving in our original location. Home to certified stringers, Master Racket Technicians (MRTs) and killer selection – it's the winning formula. We don't settle for average and neither should you. And that's why we're still evolving, still pushing the limits...

Review:

“Super great spot. The store feels very welcoming and the staff is very friendly and helpful. They also have very fast service. I made an appointment to get my racket re-strung and shopped while I waited. In and out in under half an hour, no need to drop off my racket and come back to get it. I imagine they probably get busy sometimes so if you want to get in and out, I would call ahead to make an appointment.” - Kevin C.

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To submit a Bruin-owned business for future consideration, please send a note to connectfeedback@alumni.ucla.edu.

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Books by Bruins - Vol. II

f you’re looking for a new book to settle down with over the holidays, or gift a loved one, why not get one written by a Bruin? In continuation of the Books by Bruins series, we've put together a list with something for every reader — from young adult mysteries to memoirs or a nonfiction bestseller if that’s more your taste.

Have you written a book or do you know an alum who has? Take a look at our list of Bruin authors at the bottom. If you don't see their name, be sure to enter their information to be included in the online Bruin Library coming soon.

“Desert Echoes” (2024) by Abdi Nazemian, MBA ’14

Iranian-American author, screenwriter and producer Abdi Nazemian has written six novels, including “Desert Echoes,” a young adult novel about loss and love. His book “Only This Beautiful Moment” received both the Lambda Literary Award and a Stonewall Book Award. Nazemian is also a screenwriter and producer with credits including films “The Artist’s Wife” and “Menendez: Blood Brothers.”

Review:

“This story, told in three points of view from three generations of the same family, is nothing short of masterful. This is the kind of story that young adult literature is made for — a story of the heart, of the very real human struggles young people face and that adults try to — but never truly — forget.” — ALA Booklist (starred review)

“We the Corporations: How American Businesses Won Their Civil Rights” (2018) by Adam Winkler

Adam Winkler explores the Supreme Court decision to extend free speech and religious liberty to corporations. The book was a finalist for the National Book Award, the American Bar Association's Silver Gavel Award and the California Book Award. Winkler is a professor at UCLA School of Law, where he specializes in American constitutional law. He is also the author of “Gunfight: The Battle over the Right to Bear Arms in America,” which explores the ongoing political battle.

Review:

“Much of the value of Winkler’s book lies in his elegant stitching together of 400 years of diverse cases, allowing us to feel the sweep and flow of history and the constantly shifting legal approaches to understanding this unusual entity ― Blackstone’s ‘artificial person.’ Four hundred years is a lot of time, and Winkler does a wonderful job of finding illustrative details without drowning in them, and of giving each case enough attention to make it come alive…By nailing down the absurdities of the past, Winkler allows us to see how the future becomes more open.” ― Zephyr Teachout, New York Times Book Review

“Compton in My Soul: A Life in Pursuit of Racial Equality” (2024) by Albert Camarillo ’70, Ph.D. ’75

Entering UCLA in the mid-1960s, Camarillo was one of only 50 Mexican American students, and became one of the first Mexican Americans to earn a Ph.D. in history in the country. He is widely regarded as one of the founding scholars of the field of Mexican American history and Chicano Studies. At UCLA, he played basketball under legendary Coach John Wooden with teammate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ʼ69. The author of seven books and numerous articles and papers, “Compton in My Soul” weaves his personal story with the history of his L.A. neighborhood.

Review:

“Al Camarillo has been a mentor, role model and inspiring educator to thousands of students over decades. His life's journey reminds us of the wonderful progress America has made toward racial equality and also inspires us to keep working hard to close the gaps that still exist.” ―Julián Castro, Former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

“Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil” (2024) by Ananda Lima, M.A. ’08

Ananda Lima came to UCLA from her home of Brasília on a study-abroad program, returning to earn her master’s in linguistics. She is a poet, translator and fiction writer. Her 2021 poetry collection, “Mother/land,” was awarded the Hudson Prize. “Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil" is her fiction debut, a book of stories that travel through time and place.

Review:

“Irreverent and very conscious of form, this is a remarkable debut that announces the arrival of a towering talent in speculative fiction.” ―The New York Times

“Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling” (2024) by Jason De León ’01

The winner of the 2024 National Book Award for nonfiction is a character-driven look at human smuggling which revolves around a coyote (human smuggler). De León spent seven years chronicling the lives of people living on the border to be able to share their stories. A UCLA anthropology professor, he is also the author of “The Land of Open Graves: Living and Dying on the Sonoran Desert Migrant Trail” (2015).

Review:

“The book’s great virtue is in its close attention to the individual lives of its small group of central characters...toggling between the macro and the micro: the globe-spanning, incomprehensibly vast forces that have brought these smugglers’ lives into being, as well as their own individual struggles to make something of what the world has made of them.” — The New Republic

“Super-Italian: More Than 110 Indulgent Recipes Using Italy's Healthiest Foods” (2025) by Giada de Laurentiis ’96

Giada De Laurentiis is the author of 10 New York Times bestselling cookbooks. Her first cookbook “Everyday Italian,” based on her TV show, has almost 1,500 reviews on Amazon and 50,000 ratings on Goodreads. It introduced her take on Italian-American recipes. Twenty years later, her newest cookbook, Super Italian, will be released in March, 2025, with recipes that use Italian superfoods to create nutritious and delicious meals. She is an Emmy winning television host, a judge on Food Network Star and the owner of three restaurants.

Review for “Giada’s Italy”

“After so many years of focusing on convenience, I love that we’re all getting a little more savvy about foreign ingredients and that Giada can showcase local foods and tempt us with new flavors, picking out a whole red snapper at the market, slicing up fennel like it’s no big thing and telling you why you have to try Calabrian chiles (no seriously, try them). If you’re hungry for fresh and light Italian fare, and are craving an escape to the coast, come back for this one.” — the kitchn

“26 Marathons: What I Learned About Faith, Identity, Running, and Life from My Marathon Career” (2019) by Meb Keflezighi ’99

Long-distance runner Meb Keflezighi was recruited by UCLA in 1994, where he won four NCAA distance titles and earned a degree in communication studies. The four-time Olympian is the only man in U.S. history to win the Boston Marathon (2014), the New York City Marathon (2009) and to medal in the Olympics (Athens). In his newest book, he shares the life lessons he has gained through the hard work and sacrifice that went into completing 26 marathons.

Review:

“Meb’s 26 Marathons is like opening a treasure chest full of inspiring stories that give a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the mental and physical joys and obstacles that elite-level racing can bring. His advice on training, overcoming injuries, and adversity is for everyone. It’s pure gold!” — Shalane Flanagan, 2017 TCS NYC Marathon Champion

“At the Hour Between Dog and Wolf” (2023) by Tara Ison ’87

A graduate of the UCLA Department of English, where she studied literature and creative writing, Tara Ison is the author of books including “A Child out of Alcatraz,” a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and the essay collection, “Reeling Through Life: How I Learned to Live, Love, and Die at the Movies.” Her book “At the Hour Between Dog and Wolf” tells the World War II story of a twelve-year-old Jewish girl hiding in plain sight from the Nazis.

Review:

“’At the Hour Between Dog and Wolf’ is a thrilling novel, not just as a splendid read but as a deeply resonant work of art driven by the central yearning in the greatest literary narratives: the yearning for a self, for an identity, for a place in the world. Tara Ison has always been a writer I've ardently admired. Here she is at the height of her estimable powers.” — Robert Olen Butler, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain” and “Paris in the Dark”

“Brown Girls Do Ballet: Celebrating Diverse Girls Taking Center Stage” (2024) by JaNay Brown-Wood ʼ07

Children’s picture book author JaNay Brown-Wood grew up in Fresno, California, and followed her interests in writing and children’s education to UCLA, where she studied psychology and applied developmental psychology. She is an early childhood professor and the author of many books for children. Her first book, “Imani’s Moon,” won the NAESP Children’s Book of the Year Award. Her book “Brown Girls Do Ballet: Celebrating Diverse Girls Taking Center Stage” comes out next year.

Review:

“Photographs of brown girls of all ages, shapes, skin tones and abilities are the star of this empowering ode to the grace and beauty of dancing brown bodies.... text and image(s) send the fierce message not just that ballet is for everyone, but that brown girls, too, have the right to move, to take up space and to be seen.” — School Library Journal, starred review

“Kill Her Twice” (2024) by Stacey Lee ’93

Stacey Lee is the New York Times bestselling author of young adult fiction, including the New York Times bestseller “The Downstairs Girl.” A fourth-generation Chinese American, her books have won the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association Award, the PEN Center Award for YA and the Golden Poppy Award. She is a co-founder of the We Need Diverse Books movement. Her newest book, “Kill Her Twice,” is a young adult murder mystery that takes place in 1930s Los Angeles's Chinatown.

Review:

“Takes readers on a wild ride. Woven into the mystery are elements of grief, romance, family dynamics, struggle, prejudice and deceit. Lee skillfully introduces actual history into this fictional story, leading readers to learn what the residents of L.A.'s Old Chinatown faced. The story contains intriguing characters, but not everyone is who or what they appear — these twists will delight readers . . . Whether teens enjoy mysteries, historical fiction or both, this is one to get into their hands.” — School Library Journal, starred review

“All My Rage” (2022) by Sabaa Tahir ’04

Sabaa Tahir grew up at her family's 18-room motel in California's Mojave Desert. The former newspaper editor is the author of the bestselling “Ember in the Ashes” series, which has been translated into more than 35 languages. The first book in the series, “An Ember in the Ashes,” was named one of TIME's 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time. Tahir's most recent novel, “All My Rage,” won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2022.

Review:

“’All My Rage’ is a love story, a tragedy and an infectious teenage fever dream about what home means when you feel you don't fit in.” — New York Times Book Review

“Gay Bar: Why We Went Out” (2021) by Jeremy Atherton Lin ʼ96

In this National Book Critics Circle Award winner, Jeremy Atherton Lin embarks upon a historical, transatlantic tour of gay bars, a place of solidarity and sexual expression. From Hollywood in the 1970s to London in the 1770s, he charts police raids and riots, as well as his own personal history. Atherton Lin is an Asian-American essayist based in Los Angeles and East Sussex, England. His debut book “Gay Bar” was listed in the New York Times Critics' Top Books of 2021 and received the National Book Critics Circle Award for Autobiography. His memoir, “Deep House,” will be published in 2025

Review:

“A remarkable debut. . . it’s a difficult book to pin down, but that’s what makes it so readable and so endlessly fascinating. . . Each observation is sharp and phrased beautifully; Atherton Lin wastes no words, and the ones he chooses are carefully considered. Gay Bar is a book that’s beyond impressive, and Atherton Lin’s writing is both extremely intelligent and refreshingly unpretentious.” ― NPR

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Books by Bruins Library

Previous articles in the Books by Bruins series

We’re building an online Bruin Library and these are the alumni authors we have thus far. Don’t see a name that should be in there? Submit a Bruin author.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ’69

Leisy J. Abrego, M.A. ’02, Ph.D. ’08

Gary Adams ’62, M.S. ’64

AJ Addae, M.S. ’24

Malik Adunni ’98

Tanzila “Taz” Ahmed, M.P.P. ’07

Troy Aikman ’08

Kermit Alexander ’71

John Ambrecht ’66, M.B.A. ’68

Patricia Rieff Anawalt ’57, M.A. ’71, Ph.D. ’75

David Anaxagoras, M.F.A. ’05

Nick Anez ’65

Jacquelyn Ardam, M.A. ’10, Ph.D. ’15

Gustavo Arellano ’03

Amada Armenta, M.A. ’06, Ph.D. ’11

MK Asante

Arthur Ashe ’66

Sean Astin ’97

Dale Atkins, Ph.D. ’82

Nancy Austin ’71, MBA ’77

Arushi Avachat ’24

Erika Ayón ’04

Tracy Badua ’06

Kenneth P. Bailey ’34, M.A. ’36, Ph.D. ’38

Sara Bareilles ’03

Bill Barrett ’82

Uta Barth, M.F.A. ’85

Mike Befeler, M.B.A. ’68

Wendell Bell ’52

Max Benavidez ’74

Jeff W. Bens, M.F.A. ’92

Judith Berlowitz ’62, Ph.D.

Susan Berman ’67

Jeff Berry ’95

John Beumer III, DDS

Henry Bibby ’72

Justina Blakeney ’01

Tony Blankley

Zach Blas, M.F.A. ’08

Kate Bolton Bonnici, Ph.D.

Kelly Bowen ’90

Jacqueline R. Braitman ’79, M.A. ’81, Ph.D. ’88

Kristen Hansen Brakeman ’85

Nathaniel Branden ’51

Lee Breuer ’58

Joanna Brooks, Ph.D. ’99

Barbara Brooks Wallace ’45

Daniel James Brown, M.A. ’77

Diane Marie Brown

JaNay Brown-Wood ’07

Cory Buckner, M.Arch. ’00

Vincent T. Bugliosi, J.D. ’64

Ralph Bunche ’27

Carol Burnett (1951-1954)

Eric Byrnes (1995-98)

Albert Camarillo ’70, Ph.D. ’75

Rosemary Candelario, Ph.D. ’11

Stephen Cass, Ph.D. ’97

Stacie Cassarino, M.A. ’10

Carlos Castaneda ’62, Ph.D. ’73

Vija Celmins, M.F.A. ’65

Doris Chau ’06 (aka Michele Youk)

Lucy Chen, M.S. ’96

Brandie June Chernow ’05, MBA ’11

Judy Chicago ’62, M.A. ’64

Teddi Chichester, M.A. '89, Ph.D. ’92

Samantha Childs, J.D. ’05

Frank Chuman ’38

Marcia Clark ’76

Tamara Cole ’19

Derrick Coleman ’12

Jimmy Connors 1970-71

Lauren Cook ’13

David Cook-Martín ’05

William Cooper ’04

Wyatt Emory Cooper

Francis Ford Coppola, M.F.A. ’67

Alicia Coulter, M.P.H. ’20

Steve Cuden, M.F.A. ’10

Samuel Culbert, Ph.D. ’66

Maria Dadouch ’16

Tim Daggett ’86

Thi Dao ’07

Jasmin Darznik, Ph.D. ’94

Robert Dassanowsky ’85, M.A. ‘88, Ph.D. ‘92

Giada De Laurentiis ’96

Jason De León ’01

Jack Deignan ʼ22

Meera E. Deo, Ph.D. ’96

Gail Devers ’89

Edward M. Dew, Ph.D. ’66

John Divola

Jorell Domingo '99

Tisha Gonda Domingo '98

Sheila Cornell Douty ’84

Diane Dreher, M.A. ’70, Ph.D. ’73

Joshua Dressler ’68, J.D. ’73

Larry Dressler, MBA ’88

Dorothy Dubrule, M.F.A. ’16

Ramani Durvasula '91

Noushin Ehsan, M.Arch. ’72

Chukwuma Ekwueme, M.S. ’90, Ph.D. ’92, Ph.D. ’94

JJ Elliott ’95

Sue Enquist ’80

Brad M. Epstein, MBA ’00

Leslie Erganian, M.F.A. ’93

Mario Ewell, M.A. ’20

FM-2030 ’52 (aka F.M. Esfandiary)

Sharna Fabiano, M.F.A. ’14

Paul Falcone '85, M.A.'87, Cert. '92

Larry Farmer '76

Warren Farrell, M.A. ’66

David Fine ’83

Amy Finley ’96

Daniel Fittante ’05, Ph.D. ’18, M.A.’19

Alfred Peredo Flores, M.A. ’10, Ph.D. ’15

Martin Ford, MBA ’91

Will Forte ’93

Allen Fox ’61, Ph.D. ’68

Carribean Fragoza ’03

Richard Freer, J.D. ’78

Brad Friedel ’92

Martin Friedman

Victoria Fromkin, M.A. ’63, Ph.D. ’65

Alice Fulmer ’20

Dina Gachman ’96

Birutė Galdikas ’66, M.A. ’69

Scott Galloway ’87

Patricia Gándara ’69, Ph.D. ’79

Todd Gannon, Ph.D. ’11

Thomas Ray Garcia, M.A. ’20

George T. Geis, MBA ’81

Leslie Gilbert-Lurie, J.D. ’84

Christianne Bengard Gillespie ’04

Kirsten Gillibrand, J.D. ’91

Howard Gillman ’80, M.A. ’81, Ph.D. ’88

Lee Goldberg ’84

Marshall Goldsmith, Ph.D. ’77

Juan Gomez Quinones

Dr. Juan Gómez-Quiñones

Martha Gonzalez ’99

Edward Gorbis, M.S. ’13

Hannah Gordon ’03

Kelly Goto ’91

Matt Goulding ’03

Greg Graffin ʼ87, M.S. ʼ90

Andrew Grant, M.A. ’12, Ph.D. ’16

Judith Kerr Graven ’60

Joan M. Griffin ’77

Kristin Griffith, MBA ’06, Cert. ’24

Kim Gruenenfelder '89

Diane Yu Gu, M.A. ’09, Ph.D. ’12

Brian R. Haig, D.D.S.’05, Cert. ’22,

Jeffrey D. Haig ’88, Cert. ’01

Irene Han, Ph.D. ’17

Lisa Hanawalt ’06

Max Handelman, MBA ’03

Christopher P. Hanscom, M.A. ’00, Ph.D. ’06

Chris Hardwick ’93

Sam Harris, Ph.D. ’09

Nicola Harrison ’01

LaMar Hasbrouck, M.D. ’94

Laurie Lewis Havel ’72

Florence Parry Heide ’39

Kelly Lytle Hernández, Ph.D. ’02

Juan Felipe Herrera ’72

Alan Hess, M.Arch. ’78

Andy Hill ’74, M.A. ’76

Melanie Ho ’01, M.A. ’05, Ph.D. ’08

Rachel Hoffman, Ph.D. ’97

Alice Hom, M.A. ’92

Megan Hopkins, Ph.D. ’11

Richard G. Hovannisian, Ph.D. ’66

Lindsay Pérez Huber, Ph.D. ’10

Qamar-ul Huda ’93, Ph.D. ’98

Therese Agnes Hughes, MA ’99

Dana Ellis Hunnes, M.P.H. ’07, Ph.D. ’13

Darnell Hunt, M.A. ’91, Ph.D. ’94

Melvin Briggs Hunt ’34

Lolita Buckner Inniss, J.D. ’86

Janna Ireland, M.F.A. ’13

John Keith Irwin

Karen L. Ishizuka Ph.D. ’11

Tara Ison ’87

Ronald N. Jacobs, Ph.D. ’96

Kay Redfield Jamison ’71, M.A. ’71, Ph.D. ’75

Jovita Jenkins, MBA ’94

Frede Jensen, Ph.D. ’61

Rafer Johnson ’59

Stephen A. Johnson ’05, MBA ’21

Janet L. Jones, M.A. ’85, Ph.D. ’89

Florence Griffith Joyner ’83

Jackie Joyner-Kersee ’86

Tara Kangarlou ’09

Mary Uyematsu Kao ‘71, M.A. ’07

Reef Karim, Professional Program ’16

Benjamin Karney, M.A.’92, Ph.D. ’97

Eric Karros ’93

Guy Kawasaki ’79

Erinn Keala ’11

Meb Keflezighi ’99

Faye Kellerman ’74, D.D.S.’78

Jonathan Kellerman ’71

Robin D. G. Kelley, M.A.’85, Ph.D. ’87

Kennedy ’05

Jukka Keränen, Ph.D. ’15

Punita Khanna, M.B.A. ’91, Cert. ’18

Nayiri Khatchadourian ’16

Taran Killam

Stephanie Kim, Ph.D. ’14

Rosalyn Cain King, M.P.H. ’72, Ph.D.

Karch Kiraly ’83

Ezra Klein ’05

Liz Kleinrock, M.Ed. ’13

Laurah Klepinger, M.A. ’01, M.F.A. ’03

Kelsey Knox ’14

Valorie Kondos Field ’87

E.C. Krupp, M.A. ’68, Ph.D. ’72

Stewart Kwoh ’70, J.D. ’74

Yvonne Lacey ’90

Jane Rosenberg LaForge ’83

Bolívar Lamounier, M.A. ‘67, Ph.D. ‘74

Deborah Nadoolman Landis, M.F.A. ’75

Karen T. Lane ’67

Jorja Leap ’78, M.S.W. ’80, Ph.D. ’88

Eileen Lebow ’47, M.A. ’49

Odell Lee ’70

Stacey Lee ’93

Scott Lenga, J.D. ’88

Russell Leong, M.F.A. ’90

Flora Lewis ’41

Corinne Lightweaver ’85

Ananda Lima, M.A. ’08

Jeremy Atherton Lin ’96

Douglas R. Littlefield, Ph.D. ’87

Travis Longcore

Susan Love ’98

Kevin R Lowell ’89

Lilly Lu

Kimberly Mack, M.A. ’11, Ph.D. ’15

Jon MacLennan ’10

Cristina Magaldi, Ph.D. ’94

Kathy E. Magliato, MBA ’06

Alicia Maher ’92

Ray Manzarek

Lara Marlowe ’78

Priscilla Mars ’14

Charlotte Maya, J.D. ’93

Danica McKellar ’98

Gretchen McNeil ʼ97

Cindy Mediavilla MLS ’77, Ph.D. ’00

Tony Medley ’61

Afaf I. Meleis, M.S. ’64, M.A. ’66, Ph.D. ’68

Ann Meyers Drysdale ’79

Jenny Mollen ’00

Heidi Moneymaker ’99

James L. Moody, M.A. ’69

Ichiro Mike Murase ’70

Nathan Myhrvold ’79, M.A. ’79

Carey Nachenberg ’95, M.S. ’95

Leslie Johansen Nack ’92

Eric Nakamura ’83

Julia Nanay ’73

Swen Nater

Abdi Nazemian, MBA ’14

Katie Neipris ’14

Doreen Gehry Nelson ’59

Jim Newton

Maria Nordman

Jerry Norman ’52, M.S. ’57

Ed O’Bannon ʼ11

Anthony Ocampo ’06, Ph.D. ’11

Gary Y. Okihiro, M.A. ’72, Ph.D. ’76

Daniel A. Olivas, J.D. ’84

Norman Ollestad

Adriana Palomares ’04

D.C. Palter, MBA ’95

Liora Paniz ’07

Suzanne Park, MBA ’02

Corey Pavin (1982)

William R. Peers ’37

Anna Penenberg ’76, M.A. ’82

Kal Penn ’00

Frank Peretti, MBA ’16

Raymond Pettibon

Jay Phelan ’85

Carissa Phelps, MBA ’07, J.D. ’07

Edward Poll, B.S. ’62, J.D. ’65

OiYan Poon, Ph.D. ’10

Jenelle Porter, M.A. ’04

Susan Westerberg Prager, J.D. ’71

Tara Prescott-Johnson

Brian R. Price ’95

Herbert Keith Quincy ʼ64, M.A. ʼ67

Max Rafferty '38, M.A. '49

Cassidy Randall ’04

Dwight Read, Ph.D. ’70

Siyon Y. Rhee, M.S.W. ’81, D.S.W. ’88

Dot Richardson ’83

Louise Richardson, M.A. ‘81

Eva Ritvo ’83, M.D.’87

Scott Robertson, M.A. ’09, Ph.D. ’11

Jackie Robinson (1939-1941)

John Rock, M.Arch ’80

Julia Rockwell ’05

Bill Rollinson ’81

Ricardo Romo, Ph.D. '75

Adam Rosenthal ’01

Betsy Rosenthal, J.D. ’84

Lawrence C. Ross Jr. '04, M.F.A. '07

Veronica Rossi ’95

Martine Rothblatt ’77, J.D. ’81, M.B.A. ’81

Vanessa Roveto ’99

Patricia Rust ’78

Kay Ryan ’67, M.A. ’68

Sue Ryan, J.D. ’94

Betye Saar ’49

Michael Sakamoto ’10, M.F.A. ’12

Angela Sanchez ’13, M.Ed. ’15

David Sarasohn, Ph.D. ’76

Rakesh Sarin, Ph.D. ’75

Christen T. Sasaki, M.A. ’06, Ph.D. ’11

Linda Dalal Sawaya '69

Glenn T. Seaborg ’34

Dov Seidman ’87, M.A ’87

Michael Shea ’73

Ben Shapiro ’04

Kathleen Sheldon, M.A. ’77, Ph.D. ’88

Martin J. Sherwin, Ph.D. ’71

Alan Shipnuck ’96

Deborah Shlian, EMBA ’88

Joel Shlian, EMBA ’88

Sangita Shresthova, Ph.D. ’08

Neil Larry Shumsky ’66

Austin Siegemund-Broka, J.D. ’19

Oriel María Siu

Craig Marshall Smith ’69, M.F.A. ’73

Richard Smith, M.A. ’78, Ph.D. ’79

Sinjin Smith ’79

Bart B. Sokolow ’70, M.S. ’73, Ph.D. ’77

Samir Soni ’90

Joi Spencer, Ph.D. ’06, Anderson Cert. ’90

Claire Stanford, M.A. ’18, Ph.D. ’22

Starhawk ’72 (aka Miriam Simos)

Patricia Burke Ziegfeld Stephenson ’36

Stuart Stevens

Richard Stone, M.A. ’71

Woody Strode (1937-39)

Spencer Stueve ’15

Amy Sueyoshi, M.A. ’98, Ph.D. ’02

Kristin Surak ’09

Sabaa Tahir ’04

George Takei ’60, M.A. ’64

Diane J. Terry ’02, M.S.

Donna Tetreault ’92

Anna Thomas ’71, M.A. ’77

Bob Thomas ’43

Heather Anne Thomas ’80

Stuart Timmons ’81

John Tippets ’66, M.B.A. ’67

Angel Trazo, M.A. ’20

Mike Tully ’79

Harry Norman Turtledove ’70, M.A. ’72, Ph.D. ’77

John Ullmen Ph.D.

Kerri Ullucci, Ph.D. ’05

Gabrielle Union ’96

Zulema Valdez ’02

John Vallely ’71

Marius Vassiliou, M.B.A ’91

Peter Vidmar ’83

Monica Vișan, M.A. ’04, Ph.D. ’06

Jennifer M. Volland, M.A. ’06, Cert. ’03

Brian Boxer Wachler ’89

Arami Walker ‘16

Ruth Wallach ’86, M.L.S. ’88

Bill Walton ’71

Ann Suk Wang ’94

Pam Ward ’83

Dana Cairns Watson ’89, M.A. ’93, Ph.D. ’96

Joan Waugh ’80, M.A. ’82, Ph.D. ’92

Mia Wenjen, M.B.A. ’93

Sarah Wilbur, M.F.A. ’12, Ph.D. ’16

Alessandra Williams, M.A. ’13, Ph.D. ‘16

Judy Willis, M.D. ’75

Adam Winkler

Eric Winter ’00

Stacy Wise ’92

Kristina Wong ’00

Dawn Wynne ’84

James N. Yamazaki ’39, M.D.

Teresa Yang, D.D.S. ’83

Becca Yanniello, M.P.H. ’11

Tiffany Yap, M.S. ’09, Ph.D. ’16

Zev Yaroslavsky ’71, M.A. ’72

Ehsan Zaffar ’05

Amir Zaki, M.F.A. ’99

Christopher Zyda ’84, M.B.A. ’89

Category Archives: Bruin Owned Businesses

Bruin-Owned Articles

Recent Articles

Recent Articles

FICTION

MEMOIRS

HUMOR

MYSTERY

Previous articles in the Books by Bruins series

Recent Articles

Movies That Made Me Gay (2023)

Q&A: Voices from Queer Asian North America (2021)

Gay L.A.: A History of Sexual Outlaws, Power Politics, and Lipstick Lesbians (2009)

Queer American History: A Reader in Documents and Essays (2024)

It Rhymes with Takei (2025)

Twenty Years of Legal Marriage for Same-Sex Couples in the United States: Evidence Review and New Analyses (2024)

Love Comes First: Creating LGBTQ Families (2021)

Mama's Boy: A Story from Our Americas (2019)

Previous articles in the Books by Bruins series

Recent Articles

Anti-Cancer Foods Meal Plan Cookbook: A 28 Days Quick, Easy and Nutritious Diet Guide for Cancer Patients (2023)

The Kindness Advantage: Cultivating Compassionate and Connected Children (2018)

Influenced: The Impact of Social Media On Our Perception (2022)

Recipe For Survival: What You Can Do to Live a Healthier and More Environmentally Friendly Life (2022)

The Psyche's Gifts: Art, Art Making, and the Journey from Mental Illness to Mental Wellness (2021)

Off the Hook: How Forgiving You Frees Me (2019)

Your Personal Renaissance: Twelve Steps to Finding Your Life's True Calling (2008)

Unbreakable Mindset: The Four Habits That Will Help You Thrive in Your Career and Life (2020)

Think Remarkable: 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference (2024)

Healing Your Hungry Heart: Recovering from Your Eating Disorder (2022)

Get Out of Your Own Way (2004)

Generation Anxiety: A Millennial and Gen Z Guide to Staying Afloat in an Uncertain World (2023)

Mastering Life's Energies: Simple Steps to a Luminous Life at Work and Play (2007)

Sparks of Spirit: How to Find Love and Meaning in Your Life 24 Hours a Day (2004)

The Success Messages: Inspiration to Recharge Your Passion, Potential & Purpose (2014)

Your Life as Story: Discovering the New Autobiography and Writing Memoir as Literature (1997)

The Big Happy Life: A Journey to Happiness Starring Posie the Penguin (2016)

Engineering Happiness: A New Approach for Building a Joyful Life (2012)

The Psychology of Self-Esteem: A Revolutionary Approach to Self-Understanding That Launched a New Era in Modern Psychology (2001)

Finding Real Yoga (2025)

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Bold & Brave: Ten Heroes Who Won Women the Right to Vote (2020)

Lessons Learned: Stories from Women Leaders in STEM (2023)

We Are Inspiring: The Stories of 32 Inspirational Asian American Women (2019)

The Assertive Woman: A New Look (1975)

Trophies: A Novel (2008)

Pounders of Grain: A History of Women, Work, and Politics in Mozambique (2016)

Before Amelia: Women Pilots in the Early Days of Aviation (2003)

The Women Who Made Early Disneyland: Artists, Entertainers, and Guest Relations (2024)

Entry Lessons: The Stories of Women Fighting for Their Place, Their Children and Their Futures After Incarceration (2022)

Uta Barth: To Draw With Light (2012)

She Damn Near Ran the Studio: The Extraordinary Lives of Ida R. Koverman (2020)

Five Women of Byzantium (2020)

There's Cake in My Future (2012)

The Ziegfelds' Girl: Confessions of an Abnormally Happy Childhood (1964)

Brava: A Latina Lawyer’s Path to Empowerment (2023)

Heart Matters: A Memoir of a Female Heart Surgeon (2010)

Gertrude Stein and the Essence of What Happens (2005)

Edith Heath: Philosophies (2021)

Runaway Girl: Escaping Life on the Streets (2013)

Noushin, a Memoir: The Making of a Woman Architect (2022)

War, Women, and Power: From Violence to Mobilization in Rwanda and Bosnia-Herzegovina (2018)

A Daughter's Journey: A Memoir (2024)

Humanizing the Sacred: Sisters in Islam and the Struggle for Gender Justice in Malaysia (2015)

Martha: The Life and Work of Martha Graham (1992)

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Imagining Los Angeles: A City in Fiction (2004)

Native Shrubs of Southern California (2023)

Sons, Daughters, and Sidewalk Psychotics: Mental Illness and Homelessness in Los Angeles (2024)

Conservation of California Walnut in the Eastern Santa Monica Mountains (2022)

Fruteros: Street Vending, Illegality, and Ethnic Community in Los Angeles (2020)

Los Angeles Residential Architecture: Modernism Meets Eclecticism (2015)

Goal Dust: The Warm and Candid Memoirs of a Pioneer Black Athlete and Actor (1993)

Packer and Jack (2013)

Little Tokyo: One Hundred Years in Pictures (1983)

Chican@ Artivistas: Music, Community, and Transborder Tactics in East Los Angeles (2020)

Ethnopolitical Entrepreneurs: Outsiders Inside Armenian Los Angeles (2023)