Class Notes

Breaking news of those breaking new ground. This is where we celebrate noteworthy achievements and life changes of fellow Bruins. Here you can stay in touch, keep up and announce your own Class Note by submitting your story.

Mo Ostin '51

Mo Ostin ’51, a legendary music industry executive and philanthropist who played a vital role in music history, died Sunday, July 31, of natural causes. He was 95. Ostin’s passing was reported widely throughout the entertainment industry, including on Variety.com, Billboard.com and RollingStone.com, as well as in general media outlets such as The Wall Street […]

Rachel Robinson '42

Rachel Robinson '42, who met her husband, Jackie, on the campus of UCLA, celebrated her 100th birthday on July 19. Credited with being an essential part of Jackie Robinson's color-barrier-breaking career in Major League Baseball, Mrs. Robinson earned her AA degree in nursing at UCLA, her bachelor's degree at UC San Francisco in 1945 and […]

Celeste Drake '89, J.D. '02, M.P.P. '02

The White House has brought on Office of Management and Budget official Celeste Drake '89, J.D. '02, M.P.P. '02, as the new deputy director of the National Economic Council for labor and economy, a White House official told Politico.com. Drake, a former union official and trade expert, was appointed last April as OMB’s first Made […]

Steve Strauss '81

The latest book by Steve Strauss '81, "Your Small Business Boom: Explosive Ideas to Grow Your Business, Make More Money, and Thrive in a Volatile World," was published last October. Strauss has been USA Today’s small business columnist for over 20 years and has now written 18 books, mostly about small business and entrepreneurship. The […]

Alexander Levine '89, M.S. '91, Ph.D. '96

Alexander Levine '89, M.S. '91, Ph.D. '96, a professor of physics and astronomy in the UCLA College, died July 8 after a nearly yearlong struggle with cancer. Levine, who was also a professor chemistry and biochemistry and a member of the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA, was an accomplished and influential scientist who made contributions […]

Jessica Gipson '95, Ph.D.

Dr. Jessica Gipson '95, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health professor in the department of community health sciences, has been appointed director of the Bixby Center on Population and Reproductive Health (Bixby Center) and the Fred H. Bixby Chair in Population and Reproductive Health Science (Bixby Chair), effective July 1. “The Bixby Center on Population […]

Christine A. MacLaughlin '83

UCLA Alumni Association board member Christine A. MacLaughlin '83 has been appointed chief marketing officer (CMO) and executive vice president at Kestra Holdings. She leads all elements of integrated marketing for an ecosystem of financial firms delivering wealth management solutions for financial professionals with $123 billion assets under advisement and $53 billion assets under management. […]

Tayiika Dennis '98

Tayiika M. Dennis '98, CPA, a principal at CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA), was named the new chair of the CalCPA board of directors during the CalCPA’s Annual Members’ Business Meeting. During her term, Dennis will focus on helping the CPA profession improve resilience, diversity and growth of the pipeline of students for future careers in accounting and […]

Javier Zamora '95

CarGurus, Inc., a multinational, online automotive platform for buying and selling vehicles, has hired Javier Zamora '95 as its general counsel. In this role, Zamora will report to CEO Jason Trevisan and will oversee the company’s legal team. “I’m thrilled to welcome Javier to CarGurus,” said Trevisan. “He brings both extensive legal experience and a […]

Mo Ostin '51

Neama Rahmani '99

Neama Rahmani '99, CEO and President of West Coast Trial Lawyers in Los Angeles, is the subject of a profile on VoyageLA.com. Rahmani graduated from UCLA at age 19 with a degree in political science and went on to be, at age 22, one of the youngest graduates of Harvard Law School. "I've had the […]