*All times are listed in Pacific Time
8:00 AM
TO
7:00 PM
REGISTRATION
Check in at Bruin Central, the hub for all your UCLA Bruin Family Weekend needs.
8:00 AM
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9:30 AM
WELCOME BREAKFAST
Share your Bruin spirit and meet fellow members of the UCLA family at this friendly breakfast.
8:00 AM
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9:30 AM
ALUMNI BREAKFAST
Join Chancellor Gene Block, Mrs. Carol Block and fellow Bruin alumni families and their students for a delicious breakfast.
9:45 AM
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10:30 AM
CHANCELLOR’S WELCOME
Hear from Chancellor Gene Block in the historic Royce Hall as he brings you up to date on the latest campus developments. Also hear from parent volunteers and music from top student groups that will spark your Bruin pride.
11:00 AM
TO
NOON
FACULTY PRESENTATIONS
See UCLA through your student’s eyes. Hear renowned UCLA faculty speak on fascinating and groundbreaking topics.
Scientific Computing for Animations, Robots, and Metaverse
Chenfanfu Jiang, associate professor of mathematics
Scientific computing as a subfield of applied mathematics focuses on computational techniques for solving equations that govern physical materials and phenomena. It has further discovered new applications in 3D digital entertainment, animations, robotics, fashion design, surgical training, and many other exciting aspects of the virtual world known as the metaverse. Through some state-of-the-art research advances, this talk will show how mathematics and computer algorithms are creating computer simulations that will close the gap between virtual reality and physical reality.
Stand Up for the Earth While You Sit Down to Dinner
Jennifer Jay, professor of civil and environmental engineering
Have you ever considered the connections between our food, climate change, and antibiotic resistance in the environment? Globally, food systems–what we eat, where and how we grow it– play a major role in determining our impact on the environment. By considering our food choices, we can find “low hanging fruit” for reducing our “foodprint.” In fact, diet shifts hold great potential for helping us mitigate climate change! In addition, food system changes can help us address a suite of environmental challenges including biodiversity loss, nutrient pollution, and land use change. In this talk we will discuss the complex relationship between food and the environment. We will focus on research regarding the transport of antibiotic resistant bacteria through watersheds in California to the coastal ocean and even to the microbiome of surfers. We will also investigate how knowledge of the carbon footprint of foods can lead to healthier and more sustainable food choices.
The Poetry of Pop Songs
Adam Bradley, professor of English and African American studies
Pop songs are also poems. Thinking of them as such can change how we credit the craft of popular entertainers, how we appreciate the marriage of language and voice, and how we understand that our tastes are rooted not in mystery alone but in concrete particulars that live side by side with that mystery and enchant us all the more. Today we will explore the magic of pop songs and how a significant part of that magic resides in the language of the lyrics. Think of it as an unlikely sonic dinner party at which Kendrick Lamar sits beside Taylor Swift, who sits beside Aretha Franklin, who sits beside Paul McCartney, who sits beside Loretta Lynn, who sits beside Bad Bunny, and so on around the table. Singers’ and songwriters’ conscious creations in language, music, and performance affect us intellectually and emotionally. Their craft is the poetry of pop.
NOON
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1:30 PM
LUNCH WITH THE DEANS
Enjoy lunch with your student’s dean and fellow Bruin Families. Not sure which is your Bruin’s dean? Search by major.
School of the Arts and Architecture
Location: Broad Art Center Plaza
Dean Brett Steele
Samueli School of Engineering
Location: Court of Sciences
Interim Dean Bruce Dunn
The Herb Alpert School of Music
Luskin School of Public Affairs
Location: Dickson Court North
Dean Gary M. Segura
School of Education and Information Studies
Location: Royce Hall
Dean Christina A. Christie
School of Nursing
Location: Royce Hall
Dean Lin Zhan
School of Theater, Film and Television
UCLA College
The five divisions of the UCLA College and the International Institute span research and teaching in the liberal arts and sciences.
Division of Humanities
Location: Dickson Plaza
Senior Dean David Schaberg
Division of Life Sciences
Location: Dickson Plaza
Dean Tracy L. Johnson
Division of Physical Sciences
Location: Dickson Plaza
Dean Miguel García-Garibay
Division of Social Sciences
Location: Dickson Plaza
Interim Dean Abel Valenzuela Jr.
Division of Undergraduate Education
Location: Dickson Plaza
Dean Adriana Galván
International Institute
Location: Dickson Plaza
Vice Provost C. Cindy Fan
1:30 PM
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2:30 PM
FACULTY PRESENTATIONS
See UCLA through your student’s eyes. Hear renowned UCLA faculty speak on fascinating and groundbreaking topics.
The Brain in the Social World
Carolyn Parkinson, associate professor of psychology
Humans are inherently social creatures. We forge deep, lasting, and varied relationships with others. Often seemingly effortlessly, we also keep track of patterns of relationships among other people – or in other words, of the social networks that surround us. In this lecture, Professor Parkinson will discuss research on how our brains encode, shape, and are shaped by the structure of our social worlds. How do our brains represent where others sit in our social networks? Do spatial metaphors like “close friend” and “distant stranger” reflect how our brains encode abstract social relationships? Does the adage “birds of a feather flock together” extend to similarities in brain structure and function among friends? Discover how our brains are inextricably linked to the social networks that we inhabit.
Chicano Theatre: Arts, Activism and the Search for Identity
J.Ed Araiza, professor of acting; chair, department of theater
An introduction to the beginning of the Chicano Theatre Movement with an emphasis on the Socio-Political contexts surrounding events in 1965. How did the Civil Rights Movement, the War in Vietnam, The Beatles, the Great Society, a small strike by Filipino agricultural workers in Delano, California, and many other circumstances help spark an artistic movement?
How did these seemingly unrelated events lead the union activist and UFW co-founder, Dolores Huerta, to set up a meeting between Cesar Chavez and a young theater artist named Luis Valdez? How was an individual and generational search for identity influenced and to a certain extent defined by an artistic vision and some cool 60’s music. This is start of the story.
What’s So Special about a Stradivarius Violin?
Movses Pogossian, professor of violin
What makes a simple wooden box with four strings on it, made in 1732 by an 88-years old man in distant Cremona, Italy, so special? Why, for almost 300 years, people all over the world obsess over its sound, and are willing to pay millions for the violins of the great Antonio Stradivari? And how come UCLA’s violin students get to play it every year? Meet UCLA-owned “Duke of Alcantara” violin (once owned by Napoleon!), learn about its suspense-filled history, and hear it in the hands of Professor Movses Pogossian.
3:00 PM
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4:00 PM
PARENT & FAMILY WORKSHOPS
Learn, discover and get your questions answered at these informative and interactive workshops.
Career Resources for Every Bruin: Tapping into the UCLA Network
UCLA actively supports the career needs of all students and alumni at every phase of their journey. During this interactive session, alumni association staff will talk about the programs and resources that play an essential role in your Bruin’s lifelong professional success from mentorship to career services.
First in the Family: Celebrating the First-Generation Community
Nearly one-third of the UCLA undergraduate population are first-generation college students.* Parents and family members of first-generation Bruins are invited to join the First to Go program and First-Generation Alumni Network to hear stories of the successes and challenges of current students and alumni, learn about the resources available to first-gen students and their families, and spend some time mingling and getting to know each other.
Note: At UCLA, a “first-generation college student” is identified as a student whose parent/guardian have not received a four-year U.S. bachelor’s degree.
Study Abroad for Bruins and Families
Study abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and a Bruin’s family and loved ones are an important part of this journey. Come learn about how students can make academic progress towards their degree, regardless of major, while traveling the world, and how families can support their Bruin in their study abroad goals.
The “On-Ramp” of Resilience: Launching the College Journey with Emotional Health Skills
Student resilience is fostered at campuses where communities feel supported, encouraged, and empowered to reach their goals. This workshop provides an overview of the numerous campus resources and initiatives aimed at meeting students where they are and guiding them through challenges in and beyond the classroom. This year UCLA introduces a new, nationally scaled skills-based resilience program that uses peer connections to empower students to anticipate and manage challenges before they turn into a crisis. Parents and families in attendance will also learn effective tools to build students’ confidence, self-belief, and mental well-being in a post-pandemic educational landscape.
4:30 PM
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5:30 PM
PARENT & FAMILY WORKSHOPS
Learn, discover and get your questions answered at these informative and interactive workshops.
Academic Advancement Program (AAP) Experience
This workshop provides information on AAP and its services. Engage in conversation with the AAP staff about the resources and programs available to historically underrepresented students. Learn about the support available to family members of students who may be the first to attend a university. The session includes opening remarks by AAP Director Charles Alexander and a Q&A panel of AAP staff and students.
Career Resources for Every Bruin: Tapping into the UCLA Network
Through an innovative approach to career and professional development, UCLA actively supports the career needs of all students and alumni at every phase of their journey. During this interactive session, staff will talk about the programs and resources that play an essential role in your Bruin’s lifelong professional success.
Summer Sessions: Unlock Your Opportunities
Enhance your academic and professional experience with UCLA Summer Sessions. Learn about the extensive opportunities for students offered each summer, including hundreds of courses that can help you get ahead in your degree and specialized Summer Institutes that provide hands-on, career preparatory experiences. Explore how you can incorporate Summer Sessions to maximize your time at UCLA.
Transfer Family Connections
Parents and families of transfer students, please join us for an informal gathering to learn about how your student can maximize the Transfer Student Center, UCLA Alumni Association, plus many other resources during their time at UCLA. You will hear from staff, students, and the Transfer Student Alumni Network, and have the opportunity to connect with each other. We look forward to seeing you there!
5:30 PM
TO
7:00 PM
BRUIN FAMILY DINNER
Join your Bruin family for a friendly meal with a guest DJ. Get ready for a rousing performance by the UCLA Bruin Marching Band and Spirit Squad.