Bruin hosts with the most: Randall Park and Miguel García-Garibay Q&A

Known as the academic heart of the university, the UCLA College unites faculty and students across a dizzying array of disciplines — it’s where the intellectual leaders of today educate and empower the intellectual leaders of tomorrow.

“To be honest, I can’t believe I got in — or that they keep inviting me back,” said alumnus Randall Park with a smile, since he will host the first-ever UCLA College Lecture Awards on Oct. 12.

Held in Royce Hall at 5:30 p.m., the event will pay tribute to the best Bruin ideals of higher education and will honor five College faculty members, each of whom will share insights into their research and scholarship: Eric Avila (division of undergraduate education), Martha Bailey (division of social sciences), Wesley Campbell (division of physical sciences), Helen Deutsch (division of humanities) and Elaine Hsiao (division of life sciences).

“I’m so excited that we can launch a new celebration of faculty excellence that I hope will evolve in exciting ways over the years, just the way the UCLA College has done and will always do,” said Miguel García-Garibay, senior dean of the UCLA College and dean of the division of physical sciences. “Please join us to celebrate five superstar professors and the remarkable UCLA College community.”

What can people expect from the UCLA College Lecture Awards?

Randall Park: The most exciting thing is that people will get an opportunity to see me, Randall Park, live on stage. I’ll be performing a three-hour interpretive dance that’ll knock your socks off. I’m so excited. But people will also get to hear directly from some of UCLA’s best and brightest faculty, to celebrate the UCLA College and its five divisions. But my plan is to outshine them all with my dance moves.

Miguel García-Garibay: I hope people will better understand and enjoy how all the different disciplines of the UCLA College ultimately bring together all aspects of human endeavor. From the physical sciences to the humanities, into the life sciences and the sociological sciences and of course undergraduate education — everything that sparks curiosity is being explored, discussed and taught in the UCLA College. And, of course, there are those Randall Park dance moves.

What does higher education mean to you?

Park: It played an essential role in my life and career. It was at UCLA where I discovered my love for writing and performing. It’s where I was able to learn and have fun and take risks and make mistakes, which are all essential parts of growing. And I made many mistakes. Thank God they didn’t have phones back then. Seriously, I was a mess. 

García-Garibay: That’s part of the experience: a convergence of new knowledge and eager minds, faculty and student alike. Higher education empowers established, rising and future scholars and scientists to come together to help expand what’s possible and improve the world. And sometimes, messes are part of the process. 

Park: That’s kind of you! I guess that makes me a scholar and a scientist! In all seriousness, I really made lifelong friendships at UCLA, and it continues to play a role in my life. A few years back, I had the honor of delivering the big commencement speech in Pauley Pavilion. I truly love being a Bruin.

If you two switched careers for a day, how would that go?

García-Garibay: I would be very excited! Randall’s so good at being able to communicate with such charm and to make people happy. My excitement at the challenge of being Randall, however, might not translate since I don’t have his talent. I am not as funny as Randall. I am not half as funny as Randall. I am not any fraction as funny as Randall.

Park: Actually, Miguel, I’d be the true disaster. I am nowhere near as brilliant as this man. I’d have the entire south campus up in flames because I poured the wrong vial into the wrong beaker or whatever you call it.

What college course changed your life?

García-Garibay: I took biology and was so fascinated by the diversity and complexity of life and how there are so many ways to study, analyze and understand it. Although I went on to become a chemist, it really built off that initial interest in living things — I just got deeper and deeper and smaller and smaller with it, so that I was focusing on molecules and structures.

Park: I remember taking a basic English course and the TA — her name was Allegre Shapiro — told me that she thought maybe I should consider a future in writing. Her encouragement shifted the way I saw myself. And that led to an interest in creative writing, which would eventually lead me to writing plays and then to co-founding a theater company on campus called Lapu the Coyote That Cares, which is still going on to this day, 30+ years later! I talked about this Ms. Shapiro when I gave the UCLA English commencement speech in 2017. And to my surprise, she was there at the ceremony! That was so cool.

Why should everyone attend the UCLA College Lecture Awards?

Park: At a time when higher education is under fire, it’s more important than ever to honor the people who devote their lives to public education, research, teaching, service and creativity. I feel like the world doesn’t value expertise like they used to. This event is going to put a spotlight on expertise, oration and ideas. It’ll also be an opportunity to celebrate, to be inspired and to take pride in being a Bruin. But most importantly, again, it is an opportunity to see me do a three-hour interpretive dance.

García-Garibay: It’s going to be a very exciting, thought-provoking celebration of everything that the UCLA College is and aspires to be, centered around five incredible scholars sharing some of their work. And one of the things that makes the College so special is how much overlap there is to explore, whether it’s philosophy and quantum science or history and the environment — or any combination you can think of. I’m hoping every attendee will come away inspired.

And will you both be dancing, or just Randall?

García-Garibay: I don’t think anyone would want to see me try, so I’ll leave it to the professional.

Park: Professional?! I’m sorry if this is disappointing, but the dance thing was a joke. I will not be dancing. Unless there’s a backstage bartender with a very heavy pour. Then, anything goes.

Click here to registerfor the Oct. 12 UCLA College Lecture Awards.