Bruin Spotlights

Read about some of our most noteworthy alumni and be inspired to recommend a Bruin for a UCLA story. Together, we won’t only share stories, we’ll live them.

Ryan Dusick ’01

There are books that we read for pure enjoyment, others that we read for the historical knowledge, still others we read because they illuminate the human condition and potentially help us to become better people. Rarely does a book come along that encompasses all of these aspects of life and learning. Ryan Dusick’s “Harder to […]

Leslie Lindon ’88

When Leslie Lindon ’88 read the recollections of other Bruins in a recent edition of Alumni Connect, she began thinking of her time on campus and the journey that brought her to Westwood. That reflection led her to write a heartfelt and cathartic message to the Alumni Association. “I cried when I wrote it,” Lindon […]

Max Moy-Borgen ’08

If you’re a world arts & cultures / East Asian studies / Asian humanities triple major (with a minor in Asian American studies) at UCLA, what type of employment are you likely to find when you reach the working world? If you’re Max Moy-Borgen ’08, perhaps a better question is, “what type of employment are […]

Chasing Opportunity The average college student is faced with a challenging schedule that often involves balancing a combination of school, work, and on occasion, a social life. For UCLA Football quarterback, Chase Griffin ’21, M.Ed. ’23, the above rings true…with the addition of balancing life as a student-athlete and navigating it all as a two-time […]

Florence Sloan

"Leopoldstadt," co-produced by UCLA Foundation board member Florence Sloan, CEO of Golden Karavan Productions, has won the 2023 Tony Award for best play. A synopsis from the website states, "Set in Vienna, the play takes its title from the Jewish quarter. This passionate drama of love and endurance begins in the last days of 1899 […]

Tracy Pierson

The sight of Bruin blue and gold. The sound of thousands of cheering fans. The smell of popcorn. The smashing of laptop keys. For Tracy Pierson ’83, owner of Bruin Report Online (BRO), this is just another day in the office. Pierson, a UCLA alumnus with a B.A. in English, has been at the helm […]

John Thomas

In a message to UCLA leadership recently, Administrative Vice Chancellor Michael Beck welcomed former UCLA student John Thomas back to campus in a role that potentially affects all students, faculty and staff: It is my pleasure to announce the appointment of John Thomas as UCLA’s new interim chief of police. Chief Thomas assumed the role […]

Alexander Woodman '11

“Reflexivity is a hallmark of excellent research that entails the ability and willingness of researchers to acknowledge and take account of many ways they influence science,” says Dr. Alexander Woodman ’11. As an accomplished researcher with over ten years of experience in clinical research, Woodman often pauses the fast pace of his career to reflect […]

William Russell (Russ) Ellis Jr. '59, M.A. '65, Ph.D. '69

For someone who has achieved so much in his life, it is surprising that, for much of it, Russ Ellis was continuously haunted by one failure – one minute of time in 1956 that did not go as he had hoped. His description of what he long considered a defining moment of his life, the […]

Russ Ellis '59, M.A. '65, Ph.D. '69, and Rafer Johnson '59

The following was written by William Russell (Russ) Ellis Jr. '59, M.A. '65, Ph.D. '69, who starred on the UCLA Track and Field team, which, led by Rafer Johnson '59, would win the NCAA Championship in 1956. Read about Ellis' fascinating life in his Bruin Story. It was 1954 – in the summer, I think. […]

Katya Daniel '08

Over the course of her career, Katya has had the opportunity to build high-performing teams and lead successful programs across nearly every aspect of global talent acquisition and people operations. Her approach is data-driven, relentlessly curious, and focused on building strong stakeholder relationships to ensure talent strategy supports business strategy. As a leader, she believes […]