UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation

Toolbox Tuesday: California Healthy Places Index: Extreme Heat Edition
2022-08-30 13:00 - 14:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual Event
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Join our partners at the Southern California Association of Governments for a session and live demonstration of The California Healthy Places Index: Extreme Heat Edition, a new tool developed by the Public Health Alliance of Southern California in partnership with the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation. As extreme heat grips the world again this summer, people across the globe are seeing record-breaking temperatures and unprecedented heat waves. California is projected to experience higher average temperatures and an increase in life-threatening heat waves due to climate change. The California Healthy Places Index: Extreme Heat Edition provides datasets on projected heat exposure for California, place-based indicators measuring community conditions and sensitive populations, as well as a list of state resources and funding opportunities that can be used to address extreme heat. Join this session and use the tool to understand the underlying heat vulnerability and resilience characteristics of a community, to identify resources to mitigate adverse effects of extreme heat, and to prioritize the delivery of resources and programs. Explore to tool at https://heat.healthyplacesindex.org/.
Toolbox Tuesdays provide training on a range of practical skills and knowledge for local planning practitioners including training in the use of technology and education for practical approaches to timely issues. All classes and webinars are COMPLIMENTARY for staff of SCAG-member local governments and other SCAG partners in Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura Counties. Private sector planners, non-profit staff, academics and students are welcome to attend.

Healthy Place Index: Extreme Heat Edition - Demo Webinar
2022-07-11 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual Event
Learn more about our new online mapping tool, which helps the state prepare for extreme heat.
The California Healthy Places Index (HPI): Heat Edition helps the state ramp up its efforts to prepare for rising temperatures — visualizing where and who will be most affected in the coming decades. It was developed through a joint partnership between the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation and Public Health Alliance of Southern California.
During our demo event, we’ll walk through the unique capabilities of the tool and showcase how it can provide practical information for a variety of users, like state agencies, nonprofit organizations and households.

Launch of University of California Center for Climate, Health and Equity
2022-05-25 09:00 - 2022-05-26 15:00 | Zoom Webinar
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Join our partners at the UC Center for Climate, Health and Equity for a series of virtual events to hear from climate and health leaders as they discuss opportunities for building healthy and equitable communities and a healthier planet for future generations.
Featuring our co-executive director Colleen Callahan as moderator for the closing panel, California’s climate leadership: Advancing health and equity in climate policy, on May 26 at 2:00pm PT. Speakers for this panel include:

John Balbus, Interim Director, Office of Climate Change and Health Equity
Louise Bedsworth, Executive Director, Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, UC Berkeley
Shereen D’Souza, Deputy Secretary for Climate Policy and Intergovernmental Relations, California Environmental Protection Agency
Veronica Eady, Senior Deputy Executive Officer of Policy & Equity, Bay Area Air Quality Management District
Luz Rivas, Assemblywoman, California District 39
Marta Segura, Climate Mobilization Officer, City of Los Angeles

Achieving Community-Centered Water Quality Justice in California
2022-05-19 16:30 - 18:00 | Zoom Webinar
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Hosted by our partners at the UCLA Water Resources Group
While California is the only U.S. state to legally recognize a human right to safe, clean, affordable and accessible water, this goal is not a reality for many. This UCLA Water Resources Group panel discussion will feature the interdisciplinary perspectives of UCLA researchers and partner advocacy organizations in centering community priorities and expertise in water quality research partnerships and policy, both in California and Los Angeles specifically. The webinar will highlight both recent, novel research which has informed Human Right to Water policy progress, as well as persistent gaps. Researchers and community organizations who advocate for disadvantaged water system residents will share their experiences.
Speakers:

Lara Cushing, Assistant Professor and Jonathan and Karin Fielding Presidential Chair in Health Equity, UCLA School of Public Health
Kristin Dobbin, Postdoctoral Fellow, UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation
Silvia R. González (moderator), Director of Research, UCLA Latino Politics & Politics Initiative
Michael Rincon– Research and Policy Manager, Physicians for Social Responsibility-LA and State Water Resources Control Board SAFER Advisory Group
Greg Pierce, Co-Director, UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation

The Quest for Environmental and Climate Justice Lecture
2022-05-12 18:15 - 19:30 | Bruin Viewpoint Room in Ackerman Union, 308 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
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Often described as the father of environmental justice, TCU professor Robert Bullard is a renowned advocate for those who suffer the earliest and most damaging setbacks from climate change simply because of where they live. His presentation will focus on empowering vulnerable populations in the United States and ensuring that climate change mitigation is fair and equitable. He’ll draw on his background in urban planning and public policy to discuss emergency management, community resilience and disaster recovery strategies, offering a framework to dismantle the systemic racism that perpetuates inequality and vulnerability.
Robert D. Bullard is the former Dean of the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University 2011-2016. Professor Bullard currently is Distinguished Professor of Urban Planning and Environmental Policy and Director of the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice. Prior to coming to TSU, he was founding Director of the Environmental Justice Resource Center at Clark Atlanta University. He received his Ph.D. degree from Iowa State University. He is an award-winning author of eighteen books that address sustainable development, environmental racism, urban land use, industrial facility siting, community reinvestment, housing, transportation, climate justice, disasters, emergency response, and community resilience, smart growth, and regional equity. He is co-founder of the HBCU Climate Change Consortium. Dr. Bullard is a proud U.S. Marine Corps veteran.
Co-hosts: UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and UCLA Department of Urban Planning
Promotional Partner: UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation

InterActions LA Inclusive Approaches to Electric Carsharing
2022-05-06 10:00 - 12:00 | Zoom Webinar
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Hosted by the UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies and sponsored by the Luskin Center for Innovation.
Electric carsharing holds enormous potential for our cities — they can provide safe, clean, and convenient ways to travel and, for those unable to afford personal vehicles, they increase access to opportunities. Over the past five years, a new wave of carsharing services supported by public funding using electric vehicles has emerged. Nonprofit models have operated at a large scale in the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, and elsewhere, while public and community-controlled programs are emerging in Sacramento and Los Angeles.
At this year’s InterActions LA event, we’ll hear how people have benefited from electric carsharing programs and how agencies of different types may want to get involved. Speakers will also discuss sustainable business models, operational approaches that can fill mobility gaps, and outreach strategies to ensure the programs are known to people who stand to benefit the most.

Speakers

Evelyn Blumenberg

Evelyn Blumenberg is the Director of the Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies and a Professor of Urban Planning within the Luskin School of Public Affairs.

Seleta Reynolds

Seleta Reynolds is the general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) appointed by the Administration of Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Caroline Rodier

Caroline Rodier is a researcher at the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies.

Abigail Solis

Abigail Solis is the manager of the Sustainable Energy Solutions Department at Self-Help Enterprises.

Perloff Lecture: Karen Seto
2022-05-05 12:30 - 14:00 | Room 539 Luskin School of Public Affairs Building, 337 Charles E Young Dr, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
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Hosted by the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
Urbanization and the Planet: Current Trends — Karen Seto is a professor of geography and urbanization science at the Yale School of the Environment. Seto’s central research focus is how urbanization will affect the planet. A geographer by training, she integrates satellite remote sensing analysis, field interviews and modeling methods to study urbanization and land change, forecast urban growth, and examine the environmental consequences of urban expansion. Seto’s research has generated new insights on the interaction between urbanization and food systems, the effects of urban expansion on biodiversity and cropland loss, urban energy use and emissions, and urban mitigation of climate change.
This event is part of the Urban Planning at 50 celebration at UCLA Luskin.

LABC’s Mayoral Housing, Transportation & Jobs Summit
2022-04-13 07:00 - 15:00 | UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center
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Hosted by our partners at the Los Angeles Business Council
Los Angeles and the State of California are at a crucial inflextion point. With record breaking amounts of funding having been provided by the state and federal government, and a multitude of plans being proposed to address housing, homelessness, traffic, and the economy, the 20th Annual Mayoral Housing, Transportation & Jobs Summit will bring together the leading minds on these issues to debate and discuss how we should best approach and implement solutions to improve the livability and economic competitiveness of Los Angeles and California.

Discussion on Los Angeles County's Climate Vulnerability Assessment
2022-04-11 10:00 - 11:30 | Webinar
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The USC Schwarzenegger Institute, the UCLA Luskin Center, and the Los Angeles Business Council invite you to join the Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability Office for a discussion of the Los Angeles County Climate Vulnerability Assessment.
Just over two years ago, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted the OurCounty Sustainability Plan, which set forth a bold, people-centered vision for making our communities healthier, more equitable, economically stronger, and better prepared for the future. The OurCounty Plan directed the preparation of this Climate Vulnerability Assessment to help understand the risks and challenges that a changing climate will bring to people living in Los Angeles County.
This event will include an overview of the Climate Vulnerability Assessment, what it means for different communities in Los Angeles, and discuss strategies to adapt Los Angeles to a changing climate.
Speakers:

Cecilia Estolano, CEO, Better World Group
Gary Gero, Chief Sustainability Officer, Los Angeles County
Chris Hannan, Executive Secretary, Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building Trades Council
Ricardo Lara, California Insurance Commissioner
Mary Leslie, President, Los Angeles Business Council
Holly Mitchell, Los Angeles Supervisor
Elizabeth Rhoades, Climate Change Program Director, LA County Department of Public Health
Jisung Park, Assistant Professor, UCLA, and Associate Director, UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation
Fran Pavley, Environmental Policy Director, USC Schwarzenegger Institute

Luskin Lecture: Mary Nichols’ Bold Roadmap to Cleaner Transportation
2022-04-04 18:15 - 19:30 | In-Person and Virtual Options, 308 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
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Environmentalist Mary Nichols helped lead California’s internationally recognized efforts to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions during four terms as chair of the California Air Resources Board. Her legacy includes support for policies to cut emissions from the transportation sector — the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the state and nation. Learn from Nichols’ deep experience during this conversation about how government leaders should take bold, equity-focused action. Nichols will be joined by UCLA transportation equity scholar Tierra Bills and Colleen Callahan, the co-executive director of the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation.
Nichols has held leadership roles with environmental agencies at the national level, and TIME magazine has included her among the world’s 100 most influential people. She is currently distinguished counsel at the UCLA School of Law and the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment. Nichols was inaugural director of UCLA’s Institute of Environment and Sustainability and is a former advisory board member at the Luskin Center for Innovation.
Bills holds a joint faculty appointment at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and the Samueli School of Engineering. Callahan earned her master’s in urban planning at UCLA.
Speakers:

Mary Nichols, Distinguished Counsel at the Emmett Institute of UCLA Law

Gary Segura, Dean, Luskin School of Public Affairs

Tierra Bills, Assistant Professor, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and Samueli School of Engineering

Colleen Callahan, Co-Executive Director, UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation

Co-hosts: UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation

Partners:

UCLA Center for Healthy Climate Solutions

UCLA Center for Impact@Anderson

UCLA Emmett Institute on Climate Change & the Environment

UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability

UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies

UCLA Samueli Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

UCLA Sustainable LA Grand Challenge

Luskin Summit 2022: Launch Event
2022-01-19 08:00 - 13:00 | Virtual Event
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Hosted by the Luskin School of Public Affairs
This virtual event launches the 2022 Luskin Summit with a keynote presentation and four breakout sessions on topical issues, plus a closing panel discussion centered around the Los Angeles mayoral race.
Breakout sessions:
• Ridehail Without Riders — Cruising, Parking and Racial Bias
• From Homelessness to Social Housing: Policy in a Time of Plenty
• How the Pandemic Exacerbated Systemic Class and Racial Inequality
• Designing Cooler Cities in the Face of Extreme Heat
Subsequent Luskin Summit 2022 events will include the following:
February-April: Online webinars on various topics, many with a global perspective.
Mid- to late-April: In-person presentation by Zev Yaroslavsky of the Luskin School about the results of the 7th annual Quality of Life Index, plus a closing panel discussion centered around the history and impact of California’s governors.
Notes:

Details about the keynote speaker, some session topics and participants in the various panel discussions will be released closer to the event dates.
Compliance with UCLA and Los Angeles County COVID-19 health and safety protocols will be required during all in-person events.

Urban Water Conservation in a Drought
2021-12-01 16:30 - 18:00 | Virtual Event
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Hosted by the UCLA Water Resources Group.
During the last drought (2011 -2017), California had to manage through emergency regulation which includes conservation mandates. Since then, new legislation was signed to “Make Conservation a Way of Life” for all water users, improving the efficiency of water use, and using less of it permanently.
The 2020-2021 California Drought Monitor Map above shows California is in exceptional drought, due to low precipitation, record breaking high temperatures, little snow, high evaporation and prior droughts.
We have brought together a great panel of experts to discuss:

How has urban water conservation evolved since the 2018 Water Conservation Legislation passed?
What are we doing differently now from the last drought?
What do we need to know about water use and water users to become more prepared for longer and/or more extreme droughts?
What can water experts contribute to make Conservation a Way of Life?
How do the burdens and benefits of conservation fall? Fairly, or not?

OUR PANEL:
Sonali Abraham, Research Associate, The Pacific Institute.
UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability D. Env.
Eduardo De La Riva, Maywood City Council Member
Erik Porse, Research Engineer in the Office of Water Programs, CSU Sacramento,
Assistant Adjunct Professor at UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability
Tracy Quinn, Director, NRDC California Urban Water Policy, Healthy People & Thriving Communities Program;
Member, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
Panel Moderator
Madelyn Glickfeld, Co-Director, UCLA Water Resources Center

High Impact Tea with Mary Nichols - COP26, Climate Regulation & Beyond: How Business Leaders can Become Effective Climate Leaders
2021-12-01 11:30 - 13:00 | Virtual Event
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Hosted by UCLA Impact@Anderson
High Impact Tea featuring Mary Nichols, Distinguished Counsel at UCLA Law, Former Chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board, in conversation with Dr. Magali Delmas, Professor of Management at the Anderson School of Management and the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability
With COP26 underway and almost to its conclusion, we wanted to feature Dr. Mary Nichols, whose work spans the gamut of environmental law and policy. Her long tenure working in this field through four gubernatorial administrations in California has made her a model of conversation, collaboration, and outcomes, managing to balance the interests of utilities companies, communities, activists, policy-makers, financiers, and the auto, oil and gas industries without getting co-opted. This High Impact Tea will explore what will come next in environmental regulations, how young graduates can have an environmental impact, and how each of us can influence corporations to be truly green. Dr. Nichols will be in conversation with Maggie Delmas, Professor of Management at the Anderson School of Management and the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at UCLA and Faculty Director of the Center for Impact at Anderson.
The High Impact Tea is a quarterly speaker series that features social impact industry leaders sharing stories about their successes, and lessons learned in their careers. The social and educational event is open to faculty, students, staff and alumni across UCLA, as well as the broader social impact community. It is designed to provide a forum for conversation and exchange of ideas among people committed to creating social, environmental and economic impact around the world.

Engineering in Action: Water Equity
2021-11-09 17:00 - 18:00 | Virtual Event
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Hosted by our partners at UCLA Samueli.

UCLA Samueli and the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) at UCLA invite you to Engineering in Action: Water Equity. Ask our expert panelists about equitable access to safe, reliable, and clean water. Learn about the new technologies being developed to address water contamination, the next era of our ageing water infrastructure, and the policies that can protect the human right to water.
PANELISTS:
Evelyn Cortez-Davis, P.E., BCEE
Director, Water Engineering and Technical Services
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP)
Shaily Mahendra, Ph.D.
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
UCLA Samueli School of Engineering
Gregory Pierce, Ph.D.
Co-Director, UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation
Co-Director, Water Resources Group
UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability
For inquiries, please contact hsseasevents@support.ucla.edu

Environmental Sustainability Grad Student Reception
2021-10-28 17:00 - 18:30 | Luskin School of Public Affairs Luskin Center 3rd Floor Lounge & Patio, United States
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Calling all UCLA graduate students interested in environmental sustainability! Join us for a free, cross-campus mixer.
Learn about environmental organizations, student funding opportunities, and jobs and internships while getting to know your peers across campus. Appetizers and drinks will be served.
Attendees will be required to show a clearance certificate from the UCLA COVID-19 Clearance Portal.
Collaborators

UCLA Emmett Institute
UCLA Graduate Student Water Resources Group
UCLA GSA: Sustainable Resource Center
UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability
UCLA Sustainability
UCLA Sustainable LA Grand Challenge

A Reception Honoring J.R. DeShazo
2021-09-13 16:00 - 18:00 | UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center
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Make a gift
Come celebrate J.R.’s leadership as the Luskin Center for Innovation’s founding director, his 24 years of service to UCLA and specifically the Department of Public Policy, and his success in advancing a more environmentally sustainable and equitable city, state, and nation.
We will toast J.R. as he takes up his new post as dean of the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas; hear from a few speakers including LCI’s visionary new co-directors, Greg Pierce and Kelly Turner; and enjoy drinks and appetizers.
At this pivotal moment for climate action and environmental justice, please consider honoring J.R. by joining him in making a donation toward environmental justice fellowships for students at the Luskin School of Public Affairs. A gift of any size supports first-generation college students, students of color, and classmates working with LCI and environmental justice organizations toward a more just and sustainable society.
Want to leave a message for J.R.? Send him a note on our Kudoboard.

Climate Adaptation Research Symposium 2021
2021-09-08 - 2021-09-09 | Virtual Event
LEARN MORE AND REGISTER
While global warming presents an unprecedented threat, researchers are making progress to estimate the impacts of climate change and offer potential solutions. This two-day, virtual event will highlight recent social science research on the impacts of climate change, particularly on vulnerable populations and communities.
Hosted by the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation, the event aims to translate cutting-edge findings for policymakers to inform adaptation strategies. Further, the symposium will identify emerging research needs, foster dialogue across disciplines and sectors, and offer a path forward to developing resilient communities.

Ensuring That All Californians Have Access to Clean Transportation
2021-07-26 13:00 - 14:30 | Virtual Event
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Hosted by our partners at the Coalition for Clean Air and featuring research from the Luskin Center for Innovation.
As California works to electrify passenger cars, how do we ensure all Californians have access to clean transportation? While zero-emission cars reduce the long-term cost of ownership, sticker shock discourages low-income consumers from ditching polluting, gasoline-powered vehicles.
California’s mobility equity program, such as the Clean Cars 4 All program, are important tools in addressing this challenge. Yet, questions about the program’s effectiveness in serving disadvantaged communities and low-income residents have been raised. How much of this funding is going to disadvantaged communities? How do people sign up for the program, or even learn about it?
Join us for a virtual webinar answering these questions and more. We will be talking with:
Emilia Reyes, CEO of the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission, on the need for an on-the-ground community outreach strategy and an intersectional strategy.
Gregory Pierce and Rachel Connolly, UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation will present their recently published study on the Clean Cars 4 All program, and how to make the program more equitable and effective in reaching disadvantaged communities.
Transportation remains the leading source of climate-damaging and health-harming pollution. While California has committed itself to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving air quality, and deploying millions of electric vehicles over the next decade, we must ensure clean transportation is accessible to all.

Data-Informed Governance Conference
2021-07-07 08:00 - 14:50 | Virtual Event
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The trajectory of modern society increasingly deploys data to address equity issues around such diverse topics as housing evictions, air quality, or criminal justice reform. Learn how at UCLA’s first conference on Data-Informed Governance.
Watch three panel discussions featuring experts and peers from the public, private, and civic sectors.
Exchange innovative, actionable approaches to real-world policy issues.
Find out why it is increasingly critical for state and local governments to become technology proficient, using data to inform critical policy decisions.
Join with participants from a wide spectrum of organizations and geographies — from local nonprofits to national research institutes, small cities to regional governing bodies.
The DIG conference is a convening of people from diverse backgrounds that aims to demonstrate the potential for structured peer-to-peer learning on this subject. This cross-section of attendee profiles encourages the advancement of data-centric solutions for public policy that are accessible, scalable, and pragmatic.

DIG is made possible thanks to the support of the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, the Luskin Center for Innovation at UCLA, the College of Social Sciences, the LA Social Science Initiative, the Anderson School of Management, the Ziman Center for Real Estate, and Impact@Anderson.

LABC's Sustainability Summit: Accelerating California’s Climate Leadership
2021-06-11 08:00 - 16:00 | Virtual Event
Register here
The Los Angeles Business Council’s 15th Annual Sustainability Summit is hosted virtually in partnership with USC President, Dr. Carol Folt, and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.
The Summit will tackle pressing issues, including:

The national agenda for clean energy and climate change
How the nation’s largest municipal utility is moving toward 100% renewable energy
Ensuring equity in the transition to clean transportation
Securing and investing in water conservation and resources
Preparing for the 2021 United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP26) and the Race to Zero

Featuring:

U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, United States Senate
Arnold Schwarzenegger, 38th Governor of California
State Senator Henry Stern, California State Senate
Jennifer Kropke, Director of Energy Jobs, U.S. Department of Energy
Wade Crowfoot, Secretary, California Natural Resources Agency
Scott Kirby, Chief Executive Officer, United Airlines
Jason Barrett, Senior Vice President, Sales, GAF Energy
Mary Nichols, former Chair, California Air Resources Board
Dr. Manuel Pastor, Distinguished Professor and Director, USC Equity Research Institute

Environmental Health Equity: Moving from Evidence to Action
2021-06-02 12:00 - 13:15 | Virtual Event
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This webinar is hosted by our partners at the California Initiative for Health Equity & Action and is cosponsored by the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation.
Wildfires, air toxins, and various other environmental hazards disproportionately burden low-income communities of color and contribute to adverse health outcomes. Urgent action to address environmental inequities is necessary in order to improve community health.
This event will bring together environmental health researchers and community-based advocates to provide insights that can guide policy recommendations and advance environmental health equity. Speakers will discuss environmental justice as it relates to their research surrounding climate change, air quality, and prenatal exposures.
Speakers:

Amy Padula, Associate Professor, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine
Camila H. Alvarez, PhD, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of California, Merced
Dr. Michael Méndez, Assistant Professor of Environmental Planning and Policy, University of California, Irvine
Omar Paz Jr., Lead Organizer, North Bay Jobs with Justice

A California Agenda for Equity-Centered Clean Transportation
2021-05-19 14:30 - 16:00 | Virtual Event
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The Los Angeles Business Council Institute is pleased to share the findings from our new study, A California Agenda for Equity-Centered Clean Transportation, authored by the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation.
This research represents a new strategy to expand and identify how to measure household and community scale progress toward expanding equitable access to clean transportation and recommendations to develop a feasible agenda for near- and long-term equity-centered policies.
The study is the result of a partnership with the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, who were tasked with leading the development of the state’s Zero Emission Vehicle Market Development Strategy, and stakeholders representing municipal government, environmental and environmental justice organizations, major employers, and more.
Speakers:

J.R. DeShazo, Director, UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation
Tyson Eckerle, Deputy Director, Zero Emission Vehicles, Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development
Commissioner Patty Monahan, California Energy Commission
Analisa Bevan, Assistant Division Chief Sustainable Transportation and Communities Division, California Air Resources Board

Plastic Pollution and Possible Solutions
2021-04-22 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual Event
Register Here
More Info
Plastic pollution has long been a problem affecting people and the planet’s health locally and globally. The recent upheaval in the global recycling and waste industry, followed by the pandemic, has deepened the challenges and necessity for change. Why have existing policies failed us? California lawmakers and corporate leaders have taken and proposed innovative steps in recent years, but are they enough?
A panel of policy, corporate and academic leaders will discuss the need and strategies for a more closed loop, less wasteful economy.

What does corporate social responsibility around recycling and waste reduction look like in the absence of effective legislation? What is the responsibility of the private sector to address public interest more broadly?
Where are our recycling and composting policies headed? How could California policymakers advance a closed loop, circular system approach? How would effective laws address both supply and demand for recyclables?
A role for everyone: What is the role of plastic manufacturers and product distributors, the broader private sector, and the public at large to reduce waste?

SPEAKERS

Congressman Alan Lowenthal, U.S. Representative, California’s 47th Congressional District

Noel Kinder, Chief Sustainability Officer, Nike
Rita Kampalath, Sustainability Program Director, Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability Office
Charles Corbett, Professor of Operations Management and Sustainability; IBM Chair in Management (moderator)
Daniel Coffee, Researcher, UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation

CO-HOSTS

UCLA Impact@Anderson
UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation

Register for Additional Sessions
ABOUT UCLA ANDERSON’S IMPACT WEEK
This webinar is part of UCLA Anderson’s Impact Week, which celebrates our community’s commitment to creating a more equitable, just, and sustainable society. With a theme of “Power to Change,” Impact Week 2021 will spotlight ideas, practices, and skills that business leaders need to change their organizations and industries in support of social justice, economic inclusion, environmental sustainability, quality healthcare, educational equity, and other important global goals.
Impact Week is organized by UCLA Anderson’s Impact@Anderson Center and the Net Impact MBA Chapter, in collaboration with partners within the business school and across the broader UCLA community. The program is open to all students, alumni, prospective applicants, industry professionals, and the public.

SAFER: Needs Assessment Results
2021-04-13 09:00 - 12:00 | Virtual Event
Register Here.
This webinar will provide an opportunity for stakeholders to learn about the State Water Board’s Needs Assessment results. The State Water Board will provide an overview of the results of the Risk Assessment (public water systems, state small water systems, and domestic wells), Cost Assessment, and Affordability Assessment.
AGENDA

Overview of Needs Assessment
Risk Assessment Results
Public Water Systems
State Small Water Systems and Domestic Wells
Cost Assessment Results
Affordability Assessment Results

The focus of this webinar is to provide an overview of the Needs Assessment results. The State Water Board has been hosting public webinar workshops to provide opportunities for stakeholders to learn about and contribute to the development of the Needs Assessment methodologies. The Risk Assessment for public water systems identifies systems (starting with 3,300 or less service connections) and K-12 schools that are at-risk of failing to provide adequate safe drinking water. The Risk Assessment for state small water systems and domestic wells identifies areas where systems and households may be accessing groundwater that does not meet primary drinking water standards (maximum contaminant level or MCL). The Cost Assessment results will estimate the costs related to the implementation of interim and longer-term solutions for systems on the Human Right to Water list and At-Risk systems. The Cost Assessment also includes the identification of available funding sources and the funding gaps that may exist to support these solutions. The Affordability Assessment will identify community water systems that serve disadvantaged communities that must charge their customers’ fees that exceed the affordability threshold established by the State Water Board in order to provide adequate safe drinking water.

UCLA Anderson Energy Innovation Conference 2021
2021-02-26 09:00 - 14:30 | Virtual Event
Register Here
Join CEOs and executives from the Environmental Defense Fund, Microsoft, Southern California Edison and other pioneering firms for a one-day virtual conference focused on reinventing the energy industry.
UCLA Anderson’s annual Energy Innovation Conference brings together students and professionals to cover a range of topics including decarbonization, grid modernization, and a more equitable energy future for all.
The event will be virtual this year, held on the Engagez conferencing platform. Attendance is free for all students. A $15 donation to Anderson’s Energy Management Group is suggested for alumni and industry professionals.
View the program.
The UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation is proud to serve as a sponsor for the event.

LABC’s Mayoral Housing, Transportation and Jobs Summit
2021-02-19 07:45 - 14:30

A Landmark Opportunity for Park Equity
2021-02-17 11:00 - 12:30
Watch the recorded webinar here
Download the presentation slides here
The pandemic has proved the importance of public parks for our physical and mental well-being, as well as the environmental health of our communities. During this watershed moment, new funding and initiatives offer an opportunity to improve access to public spaces for all. This discussion will illuminate new pathways to increase park equity in Los Angeles and beyond.
Speakers

Jon Christensen, Affiliated Faculty, UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation (moderator)
Angela Barranco, Undersecretary, California Natural Resources Agency
Norma García, Director, Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation
Alfredo Gonzalez, Southern California Director, Resources Legacy Fund

Preparing for Even Wilder Wildfires
2021-02-04 11:00 - 12:00
Watch Here
Wildfires ravaged an unprecedented amount of California in the past 12 months. This session will explore the impacts of wildfires on health, low-income housing, and small water systems, as well as highlight innovative tactics to increase resiliency, especially for populations that are most vulnerable to wildfire.
Speakers

Karen Baker, Co-Chair of Listos California & Advisor, California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services
J.R. DeShazo, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs (moderator)
Michael Jerrett, UCLA School of Public Health
Julia Kim, Climate & Energy Program Director, Local Government Commission
Justin Knighten, Co-Chair of Listos California & Advisor, California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services
Gregory Pierce, UCLA Urban Planning Department and Luskin Center for Innovation

Covering The Coast
2021-01-30 12:00 - 13:30
Register Here
Join the UCLA Water Resources Group for a conversation about the legacy of ocean pollution on the California coast in an era of climate change and other stressors.

Rosanna Xia will discuss her work as an environmental reporter and storyteller for the Los Angeles Times, including the story she broke in the fall about decades of previously unknown DDT dumping in the Catalina Channel.
In the second part of the event, Mark Gold (Deputy Secretary, Coast and Oceans, California Natural Resources Agency) and Sean Hecht (Faculty, UCLA Law School) will join to discuss the implications of this DDT dumping ground and what can be done about it. Jon Christensen (Professor at the UCLA Institute of Environment and Sustainability) will moderate both conversations.
Zoom link will be emailed to registered attendees prior to the event!
Co-sponsored by:
The Graduate Student Environmental Humanities Research Group at UCLA
The Graduate Student Water Resources Group at UCLA
UCLA Laboratory for Environmental Narrative Strategies (LENS)
UCLA Water Resource Group at the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability
UCLA Law School
UCLA Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment
Heal the Bay
Speaker bios
Rosanna Xia is an environment reporter for the Los Angeles Times. She covers the coast and has written about sea level rise, toxic dumping and endangered species in the deep ocean. Her stories connect science and policy and have led to new laws and regulations. She was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2020 for explanatory reporting.
Mark Gold is Executive Director of OPC and the Deputy Secretary for Ocean and Coastal Policy for the California Natural Resources Agency. He serves as a key advisor to Governor Newsom and the Secretary of Natural Resources and directs policy, scientific research, and critical partnerships to increase protection of coastal and ocean resources in California.
Sean B. Hecht is the Co-Executive Director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, and Evan Frankel Professor of Policy and Practice, at UCLA School of Law. He works with students to serve environmental organizations and government agencies in his role as co-director of the Frank G. Wells Environmental Law Clinic.
Jon Christensen teaches and conducts multidisciplinary research at UCLA focusing on equity and the environment, strategic environmental communication, and journalism, media, and storytelling. He is an adjunct assistant professor in the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, Luskin Center for Innovation, Department of History, and Center for Digital Humanities at UCLA.

Accelerating Clean Energy Transitions
2021-01-27 11:00 - 12:15 | Virtual Event
Watch the recorded session here
View the presentation slides
Community choice in energy is transforming California’s electricity sector while transitioning the Golden State to carbon-free energy and serving as an effective tool for climate action. Community choice aggregators (CCAs) offer communities control over their electricity purchasing decisions.
Join us for this webinar, which features new research on how CCAs have exceeded California’s renewable energy targets and how rapid CCA growth has resulted in investor-owned utilities to also outpace California’s requirements for renewable energy. Then a discussion with energy leaders in California will address opportunities, concerns, and recommendations for the future of CCAs, clean energy policy, and system reliability in California and beyond.
Presenters:

Kelly Trumbull, Energy and Climate Project Manager, UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation
Beth Vaughan, Executive Director of CalCCA

Panelists:

Angelina Galiteva, Chair, California Independent System Operator
Tom Habashi, CEO, Central Coast Community Energy
Edward Randolph, Deputy Executive Director for Energy and Climate Policy, California Public Utilities Commission
JR DeShazo (Moderator) Director, UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation
