In this issue, UCLA Strategic Communications Features Writer MADELINE ADAMO tells the story of UCLA Ventures, a network of alumni and friends that has supported the Bruin business ecosystem since the late ’90s. Adamo says the work done by UCLA Ventures suggests the campus is a “prime spot for aspiring entrepreneurs, especially those whose values align with the university’s culture of giving back.” Before joining UCLA in 2021, Adamo worked as a digital content strategist at UC Riverside, where she also wrote for UCR Magazine. The Bay Area native studied English literature at Mills College in Oakland, following her first career as a Disney Entertainment performer.
While shooting our cover story on UCLA Recreation’s summer programs, award-winning photographer MATTHEW BRUSH was struck by “just how many amazing recreational activities are offered to the students of UCLA. Every activity seemed to be full of participants.” Brush has deep experience shooting sports culture, dance and professional athletes: Active lifestyle brands such as Nike, Adidas and Gatorade are just a few of his Fortune 500 clients. When he’s not raising a viewfinder to his eye, Brush is busy raising his 1-year-old son, playing drums or showing off his forehand in tennis tournaments around Southern California.
As a writer whose family roots extend to both Mississippi and Long Beach, JORDAN TAYLOR JONES says interviewing California Secretary of State Shirley Weber “was like learning about my own history in a way.” A freelance writer for such magazines as Sojourners and Condé Nast Traveler, Jones has worked as a journalist in Bogotá, Colombia, and as an associate editor at the digital edition of The Atlantic. As for his chat with Weber, he says that “it was incredibly refreshing to speak with a politician who seemed more committed to justice and equity than what plays politically.”
After two decades at the top of the comic book world, artist ERIC NGUYEN had seen and done it all. Or so he thought. Then he took on the task of depicting the UCLA women’s soccer team’s historic 2022 NCAA championship victory. “I never had to adapt a specific sports contest into a visual narrative before,” he says. “I was really curious about what kind of story we were going to tell.” The Art Center College of Design graduate has worked on Marvel and DC classic titles like X-Men, Batman, Hulk, Old Man Logan and The Sandman. Nguyen was also handpicked by R&B megastar The Weeknd to draw his futuristic epic Marvel title Starboy.
For this issue, Andrew Small and Jared Raskind — the powerhouse creative duo known as SMALLZ + RASKIND — shot breathtaking, colorful images at UCLA Pow Wow, the celebration of Native American and Indigenous heritage held at Wallis Annenberg Stadium in May. The photographers were impressed that multiple age groups were represented among the 5,000 participants and spectators. “It was really cool to see how tradition is passed down through generations. We saw people from what seemed like 2 years old on up, all participating,” Small says. The Los Angeles–based team is known for celebrity portraits and advertising work for such clients as DirecTV, MotorTrend and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
A veteran graphic-format storyteller, DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI was an ideal choice to tackle our story replaying the UCLA women’s soccer team’s incredible NCAA Championship win last December. “I was truly blown away by how much strategy, training — and split-second decision-making — can make all the difference when things look so bleak,” he says. “That all started with Coach Aozasa and, by extension, the people who brought her to UCLA to lead the team.” A writer of more than 250 comic books and the author of 15 novels, Swierczynski has received two Edgar Awards. His latest novel, California Bear, will be published next year by Hachette.
Read more from UCLA Magazine’s Summer 2023 issue.
