Chancellor Julio Frenk shared this message with UCLA students.
Dear Bruin Students:
Spring quarter comes with a renewed sense of purpose and possibility at UCLA. For many of you, this is the home stretch — the final months before summer or graduation — and an opportunity to make this time both meaningful and memorable. For those of you graduating in June, we look forward to celebrating your accomplishments with your families and loved ones at Commencement.
This is also a time of great uncertainty in our world and polarization in our national conversations. As a university community, we are called to engage with these challenges — recognizing that higher education is a place where diverse perspectives come together in the pursuit of understanding. Our aspiration is to turn polarization into pluralism through respectful dialogue and deep listening. At UCLA, our Campus Community Conversations continue to create space for thoughtful dialogue, reminding us that how we show up for one another matters. Small acts of kindness and an openness to listening help build a community where everyone feels valued and can contribute. I invite you to join one of these events this quarter. It might provide surprising insights and new connections.
Staying Connected
At a recent campus gathering launching the Hope Connects Us initiative, we reaffirmed a core principle of our university: we put students first and your well-being is central to our mission. This effort reflects a broader commitment to fostering a culture of connection — where engagement, support and a shared sense of belonging help ensure that every student can thrive.
Last quarter, I began holding monthly office hours with students, and these conversations consistently lift my spirits. Learning about your scholarly and creative projects — and the dreams you hold for life after graduation — inspires me. I will continue these office hours throughout the spring quarter. On Thursday, I will send a message inviting you to sign up.
I am also continuing to join student breakfasts throughout the quarter. I sat down with undergraduate research fellows in February and was deeply impressed by the range and rigor of the projects — and the passion each student brings to their work. In April, I look forward to connecting with students from the School of Theater, Film and Television; the Herb Alpert School of Music; the School of Dentistry; and the School of Nursing.
Celebrating Successes
This past quarter, UCLA students continued to create good in the world — across disciplines and communities. Stephanie Reynoso, a fourth-year student in UCLA’s Education and Social Transformation program, helped lead a Bruin-built playground initiative that creates inclusive play spaces for children of all abilities. Transfer student Rania Gomaa-Mersal, a second-year civil engineering student at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, is advancing innovative research to improve infrastructure systems, demonstrating how UCLA students are developing solutions to complex, real-world challenges. These are just two stories, and each of you has your own.
If you are looking for a moment to pause and recharge, I encourage you to attend a student recital, theater performance, dance showcase or art exhibition this spring. These offer chances to experience the joy, creativity and passion of your fellow students.
In athletics, women’s gymnastics won the Big Ten Championship, earning back-to-back titles, and men’s water polo won the NCAA tournament last December. Women’s basketball is making an exciting run in the NCAA tournament, as they advance toward the Final Four. And a UCLA undergraduate psychology major — Alysa Liu — won two gold medals in figure skating at the Olympics in Milano Cortina.
In February, Nobel laureate and alumnus Fred Ramsdell returned to campus to reflect on how his groundbreaking research on regulatory T cells is advancing new therapies for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. His journey is a reminder that when you graduate from UCLA, your own paths may lead in many directions — including discoveries that change the world.
I wish you a productive and fulfilling spring quarter.
We are One UCLA.
Julio Frenk
Chancellor