Disabled dancers learn to redefine the aesthetics of movement at UCLA

As the 10 dancers moved across the studio floor in Kaufman Hall, their instructor closely watched how each dancer’s body movements transitioned from one to the next.

Victoria Marks, associate dean of the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture and professor of choreography, offered encouragement and challenged the dancers to pay closer attention to the way they could shape space both individually and in pairs.

Undergraduate Research Week 2019 in Photos

View highlights from Undergraduate Research Week 2019 including Research Poster Day, Friends of Research Luncheon, Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Award Ceremony, Oral Presentations, and the Sciences, Math and Engineering Award Ceremony.

  • Photo by Reed Hutchinson

  • Photo by Reed Hutchinson

  • Photo by Reed Hutchinson

  • Photo by Reed Hutchinson

  • Photo by Reed Hutchinson

  • Photo by Reed Hutchinson

  • Photo by Reed Hutchinson

  • Photo by Todd Cheney

  • Photo by Todd Cheney

  • Photo by Todd Cheney

  • Photo by Todd Cheney

  • Photo by Todd Cheney

  • Photo by Todd Cheney

  • Photo by Todd Cheney

  • Photo by Todd Cheney

  • Photo by Todd Cheney

  • Photo by Todd Cheney

  • Photo by Todd Cheney

  • Photo by Todd Cheney

Photos 1-7: Reed Hutchinson

Photos 8-20: Todd Cheney

Scholarship recipients and donors come together at scholarships luncheon

From left: Lau scholars Yang Wang and Rochelle Ellison with Stanley Lau’s nephew Dennis and son Michael

Scholarship recipients had a unique opportunity to meet their donors and share their achievements at the UCLA 2019 Scholarships Luncheon on March 3.

The annual brunch was held in Carnesale commons and celebrated scholars from across the campus including those supported through the UCLA Division of Undergraduate Education. Students had the opportunity to meet with their donors over coffee, tea, and hors d’oeuvres, before joining them at their tables. The brunch program featured remarks by Chancellor Gene Block, leadership staff, and UCLA students who shared their own scholarship stories.

Undergraduate Education philanthropist guests included Dick and Eve Bergstrom, Rica and Ellen Rodman, Dennis and Michael Lau, David Brady and Stephen Petty. Collectively support from these individuals, families and foundations have helped fund three students in the Academic Advancement Program (AAP), four students conducting research in physical sciences or life sciences, and one transfer student.

Leslie Hwang, a senior majoring in neuroscience, received a scholarship from the Bergstroms through AAP. She said the brunch was “inspiring,” and she enjoyed meeting the Bergstroms in person. They wanted to know more about her hobbies and goals, and shared more about themselves – including some great book recommendations.

“The brunch felt like a celebration of achievements and a sense of community where our diversity – backgrounds, races, cultures, genders – are able to mingle and build a network of support,” Hwang said. “Each person has his or her own share of hardships and at least for me, the speakers did a wonderful job of sharing their personal narratives and passions that resonated within me. I found their perseverance inspiring and the entire time throughout the brunch was just absolutely amazing.”

Rochelle Ellison received a Lau scholarship for her research in the life sciences. A junior molecular, cell and developmental biology major, she said the scholarship allowed her to spend more time working on her research project in Dr. Stephen Young’s lab at UCLA Medical Center instead of worrying about getting a job on top of her classes, studying and other commitments.

Although Stanley Lau passed away, Ellison was able to meet his family at the brunch, who told her how important it was to him to support UCLA students.

Ellison was touched to learn that Lau kept the thank you letters that “his students” wrote to him near his bed so that he could read them from time to time.

“I appreciated being able to hear stories about Mr. Lau to form an image in my mind of the person I will forever be grateful to,” Ellison said. “I also enjoyed being able to personally thank the Lau family and to tell them how much their generosity means to me.”

Chancellor Gene Block with scholarship recipients

From left: David Brady, Warner Scholarship trustee; Vanessa Berg, Warner scholar; Stephen Petty, Warner Scholarship trustee

Vice Provost of Enrollment Management, Youlonda Copeland-Morgan, speaking to the audience.

Seen and Heard Backstage at UCLA College Commencement’s 2 p.m. Ceremony

Friday, June 15, 1 p.m. It’s College Commencement Day at UCLA and one of the biggest ceremonies of the year is about to start.

Across campus, families and graduates take photos at Bruin Bear, buy flowers and decide on meeting spots. As the graduates say goodbye and line up on the LATC South Tennis Courts, preparing for their big entrance into Pauley Pavilion, families make their way into the arena, where they survey the crowds of people already packed into the stands, trying to figure out where they’ll have the best view of their graduate.

Inside Pauley Pavilion Club, another group is gathering: the UCLA faculty and student speakers who will lead the ceremony. Here, faculty put on their commencement robes and get into position for their march down the center aisle of Pauley Pavilion’s John Wooden Court to the stage after the graduates have been seated.

For the faculty, commencement isn’t a once in a lifetime experience – it’s an annual one, a ritual they participate in every year to honor their graduating students. Yet in the hour leading up to the ceremony, they are as excited as the graduates marching into Pauley Pavilion, eager to celebrate the Class of 2018 and start bringing another academic year to a close.

Read on for a behind-the-scenes peek backstage at UCLA College Commencement’s 2 p.m. ceremony.

1:00 p.m. College staff volunteers arrive and begin their assignments. Volunteers help set up food, pin hoods to faculty gowns, organize programs and more to make sure the ceremony runs smoothly.

1:17 p.m.: Faculty begin to arrive and get dressed in their commencement robes, with the help of staff volunteers.

1:29 p.m.: A professor compliments her colleague’s matching red robes: “You look like you graduated from the same place I did!”

1:36 p.m.: Faculty chat about their summer plans.

1:37 p.m.: Chancellor Gene Block arrives.

1:40 p.m.: Faculty begin finding their places in the lineup. Chairs are labeled with the names of each member of the faculty and students who will have a speaking role in the ceremony in the order in which they will walk out so they end up in the correct seat onstage. For those who will not be speaking, signs indicate where each College division should gather so they are seated together onstage.

1:49 p.m.: Members of the VIP party – Carol Block and special guests of the stage party – are escorted out to their seats in Pauley Pavilion as the graduates begin the procession.

1:51 p.m.: A professor takes a grinning selfie of himself in his robes.

1:52 p.m.: Chancellor Block takes photos with several faculty members and the student speakers.

1:55 p.m.: An announcement is made about a change to the seating procedures, prompting laughter and jokes around the room about how well the faculty will remember what to do.

2:04 p.m.: Watching a live feed of the graduates entering Pauley Pavilion, student vocalist Ritu Sreenivasan exclaims, “Wow, that’s so cool! I’m gonna cry.”

2:06 p.m.: Dean Patricia A. Turner greets Sreenivasan and student speaker Emily Yamane, who says, “I’m so nervous!” Dean Turner assures her, “You’ll be fine.”

2:08 p.m.: The faculty gather at their assigned seats or with their division to prepare for the processional.

2:16 p.m.: The faculty stand and line up, ready to walk out.

2:18 p.m.: Faculty are told they will have to wait a few more minutes because the graduates are backed up getting into Pauley Pavilion.

2:22 p.m.: Professors and students pose for pictures with each other as they wait.

2:24 p.m.: The faculty are led down to the stage of Pauley Pavilion!