UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation

The LA Wildfires were devastating. UCLA experts will provide findings and recommendations for resilient, equitable recovery. Led by LCI's Megan Mullin, in consultation with Julia Stein, Deputy Director for the Emmett Institute on Climate Change & the Environment and in partnership with Alex Hall, Director of the @SustainableLAGrand Challenge, UCLA will marshal its world-class expertise to bring objective, research-informed insights and innovative options to a Commission of more than a dozen respected civic leaders—chaired by Matt Petersen Peterson, CEO of the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI)—to inform their policy recommendations for LA’s future. Watch the press event: https://lnkd.in/gXGETY6s Colleen Callahan UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs

Edith de Guzman & I have been working with 12 UCLA - Department of Urban Planning, School of Public Affairs masters student since January on their Comprehensive Project "Drought & Climate Resiliency Solutions for Small Water Systems in LA County." We watched the Palisades fire spread from our classroom on Jan 7 and pivoted part of our scope to supporting fire recovery and resilience. The work is led by Leila Moinpour, Veronica De Santos, Will Callan, Allison Samsel, Chloe Curry, Leo Blain, Aydin Pasebani, Emily Cadena, Catherine Ren, Dana Choi, Alexander Sun and Nasir Sakandar. Look forward to the students sharing full results in a report at the end of Spring Term. The scope of work focuses on: 1. Small water system fragmentation in LA County and potential ways to address the Human Right to Water 2. Identifying small systems facing acute water shortage risk 3. All LA County system fire risk, and small system preparedness and support best practices 4. Potential consolidation opportunities and in-situ solutions, their costs and governance pathways. [The work supports County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works efforts, especially its Small Water Systems Taskforce stemming out of the County Water Plan. And the need to be compliant with California Department of Water Resources-led SB 552 efforts. Which Stantec is a key facilitator of. See more: https://lnkd.in/gakEGKBN]

Grace Harrison, Project Manager of Water Equity Research, is passionate about safe and affordable water access across CA and the U.S. She shares what drives her work, current projects, and her latest published research. Watch the full video here: https://lnkd.in/g2-xybje UCLA | UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs

LA is heating up, and not all communities have equal access to the cooling benefits of shade. Join Climate Emergency Mobilization Office, City of Los Angeles on Thursday, April 3, 2025, from 3:30 to 5:00 PM for a timely webinar. The next Climate Equity LA Series event will focus on advancing shade equity and the policies, programs, and strategies needed to create a cooler city for all communities featuring experts like Edith de Guzman, Monica Dean-Millman, Rachel Malarich, and Martha Segura. Register now! https://lnkd.in/gZb99ypE. UCLA | UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs | UCANR | USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences | Climate Emergency Mobilization Office, City of Los Angeles

Meet Jason Karpman, project director and researcher at UCLA LCI, as he shares his expertise, what drives his work, and the projects he’s leading. Watch the full video here: https://lnkd.in/gt6TesJX UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs

This year, UCLA Luskin hosted the 2nd Annual Sacramento Briefing, an event that informs state legislators of the breadth of research happening within the school. We asked Mai Vu, a public affairs major who will be graduating this June, to reflect on her experience as part of the first undergraduate cohort to attend the event. The gathering featured two panel discussions coordinated by esteemed UCLA Luskin faculty members and their affiliated research centers in collaboration with elected officials, government agencies and other policy experts. This year, the Institute of Transportation Studies presented on reducing vehicle miles traveled on California’s roads, and the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation presented on creating heat-resilient communities. Ten public affairs undergraduate students and 14 master of urban planning students received scholarships to attend the briefing, and also meet with legislative staffers, receive a private tour of the Capitol building, and sit down with Assemblymembers Mike Fong and Josh Hoover, both UCLA Alumni #UCLALuskin UCLA Alumni Association

The City of Los Angeles is making strides in EV adoption but a new report by Greg Pierce, Rachel Connolly, Daniel Coffee, and Lauren Dunlap reveals unequal access to incentives, charging, and vehicles, risking disadvantaged communities being left behind in the clean transportation transition. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g24kfM7v UCLA | UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs

The devastating 2025 Los Angeles wildfires revealed critical gaps in urban water systems’ ability to respond to climate-altered wildfires. In a new article published in Nature, Greg Pierce, Edith de Guzman, and Megan Mullin outline three key implications: the need for greater infrastructure resilience, the importance of evaluating the costs and benefits of new investments, and the challenge of combating disinformation in times of crisis. Read the full piece to understand how we can redefine expectations for urban water systems in the face of climate change https://lnkd.in/gZvHYzCr UCLA | UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs | UCANR

Wildfire smoke lingers, impacting air far beyond burn zones. UCLA LCI’s Rachel Connolly joined UCLA Fielding School of Public Health in analyzing public data to map the full impact of the LA wildfires, highlighting the need for better air quality data integration. Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/g4XSqSyv UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs

It’s been an intense year thus far so great to be in community with colleagues at the Capitol this week for UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs events. Grateful to work in CA with amazing colleagues including Ariana Hernandez TRACE LANE Karina Mascorro, PhD V. Kelly Turner Nicole Payton (she/her) and special shout out to Tammy Borrero for being lead organizer of briefing event.