COVER STORY
UCLA for Life
ILLUSTRATIONS BY DRUE WAGNER
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Meyer Luskin ’49
Now a centenarian, the esteemed philanthropist — who, with his wife, Renee, has donated nearly $200 million to UCLA — remains as true a Bruin as ever.
JOHN HARLOW
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Scott Galloway ’87
The provocative thinker talks about “how UCLA took a chance on me,” the path that opened up as a result, and why he’s still optimistic about America.
MICHAEL CALLAHAN
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Janet Reilly ’86
As a proud Bruin, she brings a unique perspective to her role as chair of the UC Board of Regents — and a crystal-clear vision of the role of higher education in America.
MICHAEL CALLAHAN
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ’69
Reflections from one of UCLA’s greatest athletes — and legends.
FIONA RUANE
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Downtown, Where All the Lights Are Bright
With the founding of the Bruin Collaborative and the establishment of a new home for UCLA Extension, UCLA Downtown is charting a new course as it reshapes how Angelenos connect with their city — and the university.
ÁLVARO CASTILLO | PHOTOGRAPHY BY OSCAR MENDOZA
FEATURES
The Magnificent 7
They’re not only Bruins of prodigious brilliance, but the latest additions to the legion of UCLA recipients of a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship — the most prestigious arts award in the nation.
DELAN BRUCE | ILLUSTRATIONS BY KEITH HENRY BROWN
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Sara’s Love Song
Our 2025 commencement speaker, alum and Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Sara Bareilles, talks about growing up in a musical family, the most valuable lessons she learned in Westwood, and the surprising reason why she can’t name her favorite UCLA professor.
JONATHAN VAN METER
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At Their Service
At UCLA, every day is Veterans Day.
EMILY WILSON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHAYAN ASGHARNIA
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Building Civic Engagement, One Student at a Time
With democracy under attack here and abroad, dedicated professors at UCLA are instilling insight, reason and passion in students who are answering the call to save it.
ROBERT HUBER | ILLUSTRATIONS BY BRIAN STAUFFER
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The Bruins Who Come Back
Deciding to leave before earning a degree is never an easy decision. But for a growing number of students, the decision to return and finish is.
JOHN HARLOW
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The First Supper
On paper, it’s a bonkers idea: Twelve strangers with only one thing in common — UCLA — randomly gather at your house for a meal. How the eight-clap, a lot of candles and the ghost of an Italian grandmother showed me the magic of a cherished Bruin tradition.
MICHAEL CALLAHAN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALYSON ALIANO
BRUINOLOGY
The blue, the gold, and everything in between
Pride of the Bruins
Long before he was a Cy Young–winning ace for the New York Yankees, Gerrit Cole was pitch-perfect at UCLA.
SRIDHAR PAPPU
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All My Bruins
Celebrating four generations — and counting — of a family that truly represents “UCLA for Life.”
MADELINE ADAMO
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Paying It Forward
So you’re the first person in your family to ever go to college. Now what? A revamped program allows first-gen students to find their footing — and just maybe their futures — via a menu of mentors looking to smooth their UCLA journeys.
JENNIFER SHAKLAN M.F.A. ’02
MY VERY OWN UCLA
Growing Up Bruin
In this installment of our “My Very Own UCLA” column, a current staffer recalls what it was like to literally have the campus as his playground — and the lifelong lesson he learned from it.
BENJAMIN PAUL
WE ARE ONE UCLA
An Educational Home for Life
The story of UCLA’s 2025 Veteran of the Year illustrates how the university changes lives.
CHANCELLOR JULIO FRENK
