A quarterly celebration of achievements and advances made by the dedicated team members who work in the departments that comprise UCLA Administration. With a commitment to delivering exceptional services, products and programs, UCLA Administration plays a crucial role in advancing UCLA's mission of education, research and service, and delivering exceptional Bruin experiences.
Remarkable achievements and shared triumphs
As I reflect on my eight years serving as the administrative vice chancellor at UCLA, I am filled with pride and gratitude for the dedication and passion demonstrated each day by our division. There have been many challenges that we have had to work through, including those we experienced during this last spring quarter. As Dr. Julio Frenk, our incoming chancellor, mentioned to me, these incidents don’t define UCLA.
Our collective efforts have continually advanced UCLA’s mission, creating exceptional Bruin experiences for our students, faculty, staff and visitors. This dedication is further enhanced by our commitment to the five pillars of UCLA’s latest strategic plan and the Administration’s focused efforts on making UCLA a more effective and efficient university.
Every member of our team plays a crucial role in this mission. I am deeply thankful for all the contributions —big and small— that make UCLA a vibrant place to work, learn, play and live. As we enjoy the summer months, it's an opportune time for us to reflect on the achievements of the past academic year and to look forward with anticipation to the impact we will continue to have on our community in the coming year.
This year also marks a significant change in UCLA’s leadership as we bid farewell to Chancellor Gene Block, whose remarkable 17-year tenure has been defined by outstanding achievements and visionary leadership. As we honor his legacy, we welcome Darnell Hunt, our executive vice chancellor and provost, who will serve as interim chancellor through the end of 2024. In January 2025, we will welcome Chancellor Frenk as UCLA’s seventh chancellor. Furthermore, we are pleased to have Stephen J. Agostini, an experienced finance leader with a distinguished career in higher education and government, who recently joined us as vice chancellor and chief financial officer.
One of Chancellor Block’s lasting legacies will be the three new acquisitions that will define UCLA’s future: UCLA South Bay, the university’s largest land addition in its history; UCLA Downtown, a historic 11-story building in the city’s core; and the UCLA Research Park, the closed Westside pavilion that was being reinvented by Google. It will soon become a hub for dynamic scientific discovery by UCLA and industry researchers. These sites will provide new opportunities, fostering innovation and growth, and elevate our mission in new and profound ways.
Additionally, as we watch the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic events in Paris now through August 11, we realize that at its conclusion the focus will turn to Los Angeles and UCLA to prepare for the 2028 Games, as UCLA will be the Olympic and Paralympic Athletes Village and Training Center. This period will undoubtedly be an exciting and transformative time for our community.
As we move forward, let us embrace the opportunities ahead with optimism and enthusiasm. Together, we will continue to build on our successes, create lasting impacts and contribute to the global stage. Our journey is one of constant evolution, and each of us plays a vital part in shaping the future of UCLA. Here's to another year of remarkable achievements and shared triumphs.
Sincerely,
Michael J. Beck
Administrative Vice Chancellor
Ask the ALT
UCLA recently announced the creation of its unprecedented Unhoused Task Force. What is the purpose of this group and how is UCLA Administration involved?
Chief of Staff Michelle Sityar responds.
Homelessness is a persistent and complex issue impacting our global society, and there are numerous UCLA staff and scholars conducting research to understand its root causes and impacts.
The UCLA Unhoused Task Force was established in Spring 2024 and is co-chaired by Randall Kuhn, professor of community health sciences at the Fielding School of Public Health, and Michelle Sityar, chief of staff for UCLA Administration. The task force brings together more than 20 administrative and academic experts from diverse fields such as medicine, sociology, public health, social welfare, psychology, campus safety and operations to further this work on our campus. Together, they are exploring interventions to address safety and operational issues related to unhoused non-affiliates who reside on campus and in the nearby Westwood neighborhood where UCLA facilities are located.
As part of their mission, the task force will focus on four key areas:
- Explore tiered response strategies as an alternative to police officers, focusing on unsafe environments, security needs and “hot spots” with unique operational considerations affecting those locations.
- Identify the existing resources on or around campus along with critical gaps in service availability, addressing existing capacity/resources for navigation of clients across different service domains.
- Assess population and health data drawing on existing campus information/intelligence to develop a better understanding of the issues based on geographical location.
- Explore service and housing models within the community and comparator universities to inform potential engagement strategies associated with space, financial resources and legal/zoning issues.
At the conclusion of its work, the task force will formulate recommendations for UCLA’s senior leadership to thoughtfully and effectively address safety and operational challenges. Administrative Vice Chancellor Michael Beck serves as the task force’s executive sponsor.
To learn more about the UCLA Unhoused Task Force, please visit the website and/or contact AdminVC@ucla.edu.
2024 Work Environment Survey results available
In response to the 2024 Work Environment Survey (WES), all UCLA Administration team members are encouraged to review UCLA Administration’s overall survey results. As done in prior years, feedback will be used to strengthen and inform the way our individual workgroups interact, as well as how we engage with our colleagues across UCLA Administration.
For this iteration of the survey, Organizational Effectiveness and Development (OED) is observing progress on two items — “My department listens to my concern” and an additional item specific to each department’s unique results. All departments are committed to creating actions for both items.
To maintain ongoing communication and ensure that your feedback positively impacts the work environment, we will be releasing a biannual WES bulletin that summarizes progress made and the implemented changes. It will highlight important actions and updates, ensuring that you are fully aware of the improvements being made across the division.
Thank you again for your contributions to creating exceptional Bruin experiences. UCLA Administration and OED look forward to making the necessary changes to continue strengthening our work environment. We remain committed to ensuring UCLA is a fulfilling place to work.
Greater inclusion for our LGBTQIA+ community
UCLA has a long and storied history of LGBTQIA+ advocacy and research. From UCLA urologist Elmer Belt performing some of the earliest gender-affirming surgeries in the 1950s to UCLA psychologist Evelyn Hooker presenting research that was widely considered to be foundational to homosexuality being removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1973 to the founding of the LGBT Faculty and Staff Network in 1989 and the establishment of domestic partner benefits for employees throughout the University of California system – and everything in between and that has followed since, UCLA has been at the forefront of progress.
In addition to being one of the nation’s leading colleges when it comes to providing a friendly, safe and inclusive environment for LGBTQIA+ communities, the campus is home to UCLA’s Gender Recognition Act Implementation Task Force, which guides strategic approach to legal changes impacting the LGBTQIA+ community and works to create greater inclusion on campus. The committee is co-chaired by Kelly Schmader, assistant vice chancellor for Facilities Management, and includes Anne De La Cruz, director of human resources and payroll operations center, Campus Human Resources, and Michael Van Norman, chief technology officer, IT Services, who recently retired, among its representatives. Team members across UCLA Administration have been integral to the execution and implementation of the group’s recommendations.
For example, UCLA now has roughly 300 gender-inclusive restrooms (GIRRs). See map. Over the past year and a half, the number of multi-stall GIRRs increased from 1 to 11 in locations ranging from the Law School, Powell Library and Boelter Hall to the Broad Art Center, the Student Activities Center and Macgowan Hall, to name a few. Accessibility to all-gender facilities in UCLA’s on-campus residential community was also recently improved.
In addition, the campus data systems have been aligned with the Lived Name and Recognition Policy to ensure that all individuals are identified by their accurate gender and lived name — that is, the name by which they’re recognized in daily life, not the name that appears on their birth certificate — on university-issued documents and in UC’s information systems.
Committee members have prepared a Principles for UCLA Lived Name, Legal Name, Pronoun, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation Data for campus departments and programs to support data system conversion efforts both internally with campus partners and external vendors. Per UC policy, these changes apply to all individuals in the UCLA community.
The committee also collaborated with several campus groups, including the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, to develop the UCLA EDI Education Series module on Understanding Gender and Sexual Orientation: Best Practices for Fostering Inclusion and Preventing Discrimination. Please take a moment to complete the module if you haven’t already done so. It is one of two produced in late 2022. The Understanding and Preventing Discrimination module also touches on some elements germane to understanding discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation and gender/identity/expression.
This article is featured in the latest edition of the UCLA Administration Equity Council newsletter. Each Administration department has a designated equity advisor. Have you experienced an EDI-related incident? See options for reporting.
The sweet success of Bruin Beekeepers
Thanks to the work of thousands of bees and a few dozen Bruin Beekeepers, the Community Programs Office and supporters of the Bruin Beekeepers are abuzz following the recent harvesting of some campus-made honey.
The group, which started in 2018, has developed a thriving apiary atop the Life Sciences building. It has taken years of cultivation to get to the first harvest, which started early on a Saturday morning cloaked in June gloom.
“Producing honey is hyper-local,” said Bonny Bentzin, in an interview with the UCLA Newsroom. the Bruin Beekepers’ advisor and UCLA’s deputy chief sustainability officer, a role that is part of Facilities Management. “We know what’s in it. It gives you an appreciation for where your food is coming from. We’ve gotten used to the idea that we can eat whatever we want whenever we want relatively cheaply. This is a way to reinstill value and restore reverence for our food supply.”
Paul Abramson earns 2024 Distinguished Career Award
Paul Abramson was recently honored with the 2024 Administrative Management Group Distinguished Career Award. Abramson started working for the UCLA Central Ticket Office (CTO) as an undergraduate economics student and recently retired as the department’s associate director following a successful 35-year career. The award recognizes an individual who has had a significant and lasting impact on the surrounding community, exemplifies leadership, has invaluable institutional knowledge and has made broad contributions to the UCLA campus.
Abramson served the UCLA community with distinction as a dedicated, fiscally responsible and innovative leader. In addition, he was a strong advocate for staff, demonstrated a servant leadership style and consistently led his organization to be more efficient and customer-centered, said Administrative Vice Chancellor Michael Beck, one of the nominators.
“In the eight years I worked with Paul, he was a trusted partner in enhancing the customer experience for the entire UCLA community and developed new and innovative ways to better support the core departments served by CTO,” said Beck.
In addition to being highly respected by the career and student staff within CTO, Abramson was deeply revered by numerous client partners, including the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, Rose Bowl, UCLA Athletics, UCLA Center for the Art of Performance, student organizations and academic departments.
“I am especially proud of the individual impacts that Paul has made on the lives of countless UCLA students and staff who have worked as members of the CTO team. Paul has never forgotten what it means to be a student or how a great job experience can turn into a lifelong career,” said Beck, adding that Abramson coached and supported countless student employees and took great pride when they graduated and pursued their own careers, especially when those careers were within CTO.
Among his many accomplishments, Abramson, who was an early proponent of the Administration Equity Council, led CTO’s transition to a new ticketing platform that saves more than $150,000 per year. He also accepted the coordination role for UCLA’s involvement in the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic games, where UCLA will host the Athletes Village.
“CTO and the Olympic and Paralympic games will succeed because of his conscientious and thoughtful efforts in establishing the structure and engaging those responsible for leading the multitude of efforts.”
Changes for the UCLA Central Ticket Office
In a recent move to further support UCLA Administration’s efforts to become a more effective and efficient organization, the Central Ticket Office (CTO) has merged with Events & Transportation (E&T), leveraging a strategic partnership that has been evolving over the past several years. This merge comes in tandem with the retirement of CTO Director Paul Abramson who retired from UCLA at the end of June, after 35 years of exemplary service.
Given the organic overlap across CTO and E&T, including ticketing operations for athletic events, performing arts venues, transportation services and commencement, to name a few, this strategic alignment will see CTO maintaining its departmental identity as part of the Events & Transportation unit, under the leadership of Executive Director Tony Lucas.
Additionally, Gerardo Galeano has been named to new director of CTO. Galeano comes to this role with more than 30 years of experience working at UCLA, including 28 years in CTO. He started his UCLA career as a student worker and has held various roles overseeing all aspects of customer service and arts ticketing. He most recently served as the senior assistant director of performing arts and customer service.
New general manager for UCLA Lake Arrowhead Lodge
Hospitality executive and UCLA alumna Rona Kay is the new general manager of the UCLA Lake Arrowhead Lodge. Leveraging more than three decades of experience, Kay leads a team of more than 200 hospitality and recreation professionals and provides direction and oversight of all aspects of asset management, operations, guest services, food/beverage, special events, human resources, sales/marketing and strategic partnership development.
Kay’s extensive career spans more than 20 years with Disney operations, where she held multiple leadership roles spanning entertainment, hospitality, guest services, attractions, and food/beverage. This includes 12 years as a hotel general manager in the hospitality division at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. In addition, she is a former general manager of guest experience at Dallas Fort Worth Airport and held transformative roles with Carter Hospitality and Canyon Ranch Wellness Resorts.
Kay, who holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from UCLA, is also affiliated with several professional hospitality marketing organizations, including the California Hotel & Lodging Association, Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association, Women in Lodging Association and American Culinary Federation. In 2014, she was named Hotel Manager of the Year by the California Hotel & Lodging Association.
With roots dating back more than a century, the Lake Arrowhead Lodge is a 50-acre conference center and family resort located 90 miles east of UCLA in the San Bernardino Mountains. The Lodge, which served as a conference center for more than 60 years under the direction of various University of California campuses, is a popular location for hosting meetings, conferences, retreats, team-building activities, special events and other gatherings. It is also an idyllic destination for families, couples and solo travelers. No UCLA or UC affiliation is required.
The Luskin Conference Center and Hotel’s very own ‘rock star’
“Awesome,” “very professional” and “helpful” writes one guest. Another guest credits him for helping to make their stay an amazing experience, stating “The moment I arrived, I felt so cared for and taken care of. Milton was incredible and went out of his way to ensure I had everything I needed.” A third guest notes the kind and friendly demeanor they witnessed upon arrival. “He really made checking in an event worthwhile. I felt supported and taken care of. He helped me take all my boxes to the registration area, and he is very helpful with parking.”
When pursuing online guest reviews for the Luskin Hotel and Conference Center, it’s almost impossible to not notice that one name pops up again and again.
Milton De León, a bell attendant, is often the first person guests interact with when they pull their cars into the front driveway to unload their bags before check-in. Standing outside of the hotel, De León, eagerly waits for an approaching car to park in the front drive. He approaches the person exiting the passenger side door and warmly greets them before walking to the back of vehicle to take their baggage from the trunk. He makes a little conversation, shares a quip or a joke, when appropriate, and sets the tone for their time on the property.
“Milton is the definition of a rock star, says Gorkem “Gigi” Gokmen, front office manager and De León’s supervisor. “The way he connects with the guests is so genuine, so personal. Every single interaction he has offers a personal touch.”
When De León joined UCLA in May 2023, it was his first hotel job. He says he was looking for a role that he could enjoy in the years leading into retirement and was hoping to find one that would leverage his previous experience working in sales and as a facilities assistant.
“As I got to learn more about how the hotel operates, I became very fond of working the front drive because you deal directly with the guests coming in, said De León. “Since I always felt I had good customer service skills, I felt this role was perfect for me.”
De León brings his best each day and says that his success in this role – and the feedback he receives from guests – is rooted in one key principle.
“I think it boils down to the fact that I enjoy what I do, plain and simple,” he says. “I interact with them to make them feel welcome – more than welcomed – and, so far, it’s working out.”
Gokmen says that De León adds an inspiring level of positivity to her team and she shares all the positive feedback Milton receives with him right away. “He takes a huge pride in what he does, he goes above and beyond... Hospitality needs more Miltons.”
New Resource for Generative AI at UCLA
UCLA IT Services (ITS) recently announced the launch of UCLA’s Generative AI site—a collaborative resource designed to empower our community while adhering to our institutional values of integrity and scholarly excellence.
Central to the GenAI site is a dedicated section on ethical and security guidance that builds on the advice and strategies shared by the Academic Senate’s campuswide announcement on AI teaching guidance.
The site presents a curated selection of GenAI tools for our campus community that have been carefully selected to ensure compliance with the highest security and privacy standards. Microsoft Copilot is currently available for faculty and non-UCLA Health staff via UCLA logon credentials, featuring robust commercial data protections. An extension of Microsoft Copilot for students is planned. Additionally, ITS is actively piloting several productivity tools, including Microsoft 365 Copilot and Google Gemini for Workspaces.
Comprehensive guides and training materials tailored for different proficiency levels are available on the GenAI site. These resources empower the campus community to effectively leverage GenAI tools and stay at the forefront of this rapidly advancing field. In tandem with these GenAI endeavors, UCLA’s DataX initiative complements and elevates our offerings, ensuring that our community is fortified with the latest developments in data science and AI tools for academic and administrative distinction. The launch of this new site emphasizes UCLA’s commitment to community engagement and continuous learning about GenAI.
Join ITS’ mailing list to stay informed about upcoming keynotes, presentations, workshops, and training sessions integral to the technological advancements underway.
Supporting Sustainable Move-out
Every June, students moving out of our residential halls leave behind memories of late-night study sessions, laughter, and friendships that will last a lifetime. But they also leave behind plenty of waste, furniture, and other items that would ordinarily go to a landfill, which is why Sustainable Move Out was held this year for the first time.
Sustainable Move-Out events took place over two weeks at multiple locations on The Hill and North Village. Staff and volunteers collected and sorted through droves of donations to see what could be reused and given a new life. Items such as furniture and housewares went to the UCLA Thrift Shop and St. Joseph Center which helps the unhoused. Large bags of towels and blankets were designated for Los Angeles Animal Services. Other items like mini-fridges will be stored and given to students in the fall.
In addition to Housing & Hospitality, several units within Administration contributed to making the major effort a success. Sustainability coordinated with numerous on- and off-campus partners such as student organizations, Government & Community Relations, Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky’s office, and LA Sanitation to dispose of items that couldn’t be donated. Housing promoted the event to students and provided staff to clean out dorms and transport the items. Facilities Management furnished trucks, tables, and chairs. Transportation assisted with a donation site next to Parking Lot 36.
“The donation drives were so popular that organizers received requests to expand the program next year,” Brianna Moncada, the sustainability manager for Housing & Hospitality, told the UCLA Newsroom. “Students and parents appreciated the convenient drop-off location for donating unwanted items.”
Sustainable Move Out helps the campus achieve its Zero Waste goals by reducing waste that would otherwise end up in a landfill. It also keeps the community clean by preventing bulky items such as furniture and appliances from cluttering city curbs.
Collaboration results in enhanced COVID-19 awareness
In early 2024, a health campaign was in place as part of a student and staff collaboration designed to provide updated COVID-19 information and raise awareness of the continued impacts of COVID-19.
Initiated by the Disabled Students Union (DSU) and launched in partnership with the Undergraduate Student Association Council (USAC), the Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center and UCLA Administration, the campaign involved updating UCLA’s COVID-19 website, expanding mask distribution sites across the UCLA campus community, and updating COVID-19 signage throughout campus to reflect the latest recommendations from public health authorities.
“It was really a focus on community care and protecting each other,” said Gwendolyn Hill, who graduated in June and initiated efforts to launch the new campaign in her role as DSU coordinator. Part of this included updating signage to reflect what public health experts had come to learn in terms of COVID-19 and the long-term effects the virus has on some individuals, including Hill who acquired long COVID after her third infection in June 2023.
“As somebody who is disabled by long COVID, that was a part that was really important to me —to bring awareness and highlighting the realities of long COVID.”
This collaboration also resulted in N95, KN95, KF94 and medical-grade surgical masks being made available at more than 25 front desk sites for students, staff and faculty. Medical-grade surgical mask dispensers were also added next to five COVID-19 test kit vending machines across campus.
“This was certainly a team effort and we were happy to support our student leaders on this campaign,” said Michelle Sityar, administrative chief of staff, former co-chair of the UCLA Infectious Diseases Management Team (IDMT) and an alumnus of the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. Sityar extends a special thanks to DSU and Ashe for their health advocacy, and UCLA’s building coordinators who helped deploy the new COVID-19 signage in campus buildings.
UCLA pledges to serve 50% plant-based meals by 2027
UCLA Dining, in collaboration with the Humane Society of the United States, aims to shift 50% of campus entrees to plant-based options by 2027. As the nation’s No. 1 dining program, UCLA prioritizes sustainability. Guests can enjoy a diverse range of delicious plant-based meals, complete with dietary and allergy information, while also being informed about the meal’s carbon footprint. The popular Bruin Plate dining hall has championed fresh, wholesome, and plant-forward choices since 2013, and there are plans to introduce a new plant-based restaurant on campus within the next two years.
“This alliance is poised to create a lasting influence on the cultural landscape at UCLA,” said UCLA Senior Executive Chef Joey Martin. “By working closely with the Humane Society of the United States, we will be able to push our shared vision forward. Together, we aim to explore innovative ways to enrich the dining experience for our students, focusing on elevating the appeal of our plant-based dishes to create that 'wow' factor.”
UCLA’s dining team also encourages feedback from their undergraduate customers, tapping student groups like the Animal Welfare Alliance and Lives Without Knives (which recently hosted UCLA’s inaugural VegFest featuring over a dozen plant-based vendors and local organizations) to survey their classmates on what cuisines and options are desired.
“This commitment is a huge step towards aligning our university with its values of sustainability, diversity and compassion,” said UCLA student Parker Do. “I’m looking forward to the introduction of globally inspired plant-based dishes that are naturally free from animal products, for the massive impact on the environment and lives of animals, and more progress to come.”
