Category Archives: Uncategorized

Former State Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman and former Democratic Congressmember and State Assemblymember Mel Levine sit down to talk higher education.

As the public bemoans increasing partisan rancor in local, state and federal government, a new Political Action Committee (PAC) has quietly grown in prominence in California that is being driven by both Democrats and Republicans — showing a bipartisan way forward through an issue they can all agree on: funding higher education.

Former State Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman and former Democratic Congressmember and State Assemblymember Mel Levine are the “odd couple” as co-chairs of the California Coalition for Public Higher Education (CCPHE), but to them, there is nothing weird about teaming up for an issue that is of paramount importance to keep California prominent in the nation and the world.

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The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and is considered the nation’s medical research agency — making important discoveries that improve health and save lives.

That mission overlaps with UCLA’s research and discovery goals frequently. NIH invests tens of billions of dollars into health research every year, and UCLA is a consistent recipient of grants that total in the hundreds of millions of dollars — $387.4 million in 2016, to be exact, which is about 64 percent of all federal money coming into the university.

This year NIH again came under the microscope, originally facing a suggestion from President Donald Trump’s administration for Congress to cut its funding by about 20 percent. Instead it saw a $1.1 billion increase for Fiscal Year 2018. The good news is that NIH has increased by almost $50 million versus Fiscal Year 2013 — an indication of bipartisan support.

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The National Science Foundation (NSF) has been an important partner for UCLA research over the years. The independent federal agency was created to promote the progress of science; advance national health, prosperity, and welfare; and secure the national defense.

It is the second largest federal funder of UCLA research (13 percent), with almost $80 million given in grant money during Fiscal Year 2016. As a celebration of our federal partnerships, we have compiled a brief list of research breakthroughs that were helped along by the funding of NSF during the calendar year.

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The University of California announced today (Nov. 30) that a $22 million investment from the State of California to accelerate innovation and entrepreneurship across the UC system has supported more than 500 new startups and existing companies, helped launch at least 47 new products and enabled companies to attract $3.7 million in additional investments.

Assembly Bill 2664, the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Expansion, was authored by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin and signed in fall 2016 by Gov. Jerry Brown. Through the bill, each of UC’s 10 campuses received $2.2 million in one-time funding in Jan. 2017 to invest in infrastructure, incubators and entrepreneurship education programs.

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Chancellor Gene Block greets 4-year-old who led the Pledge of Allegiance at UCLA-VA launch. (all photos by Reed Hutchinson/UCLA)

From UCLA Newsroom by Alison Hewitt.

For veterans at risk of homelessness, the tipping point can be as trivial as a jaywalking ticket.

Too often, a veteran can’t afford to pay the fee for that ticket, and then can’t get to court to explain the circumstances — perhaps because of a lack of access to public transportation, an inability to miss a day of work or crippling depression. Late-payment fines are tacked on to the original fine. A court warrant, a revoked driver’s license and a ruined credit history follow.

What might have seemed like a trivial citation has spiraled into a serious obstacle to being approved for housing, finding employment, driving to doctor’s appointments and reintegrating into civilian life.

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