Three Pillars, One University

The UCLA Volunteer Center is taking a novel approach in fulfilling the University’s three pillars: Education, Research, and Service. To expose students with special needs to cutting edge research, the Center created a quarterly event called Three Pillars, One University, which provides students with special needs (namely Autism, Down’s Syndrome, and Cerebral Palsy) from the Pathway at UCLA Extension program the chance to attend a professor research symposium. Since 2012, this program has allowed students the opportunity to learn about some of the most acclaimed research taking place at UCLA in a variety of fields.

UCLA Volunteer Center Flickr (Three Pillars)

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

On February 28, students, staff, and university community members gathered to participate in an Arts and Humanities themed Three Pillars, One University program. The event was hosted by the Volunteer Center Fellows and attended by the students from Pathway at UCLA Extension.

The following faculty, staff and student groups were present at the winter event:

• Hannah Johnson, Presenter, SLAM!
• Lily Chen-Hafteck, Professor of Music Education, Department of Music
• Peter Asco, Lecturer, Tai Chi
• Sevy Hernandez, Lecturer, UCLA Fowler Museum
• UCLA Foundations Choreography, Team Members

On February 28, students, staff, and university community members gathered to participate in an Arts and Humanities themed Three Pillars, One University program. The event was hosted by the Volunteer Center Fellows and attended by the students from Pathway at UCLA Extension.

The following faculty, staff and student groups were present at the winter event:

• Hannah Johnson, Presenter, SLAM!
• Lily Chen-Hafteck, Professor of Music Education, Department of Music
• Peter Asco, Lecturer, Tai Chi
• Sevy Hernandez, Lecturer, UCLA Fowler Museum
• UCLA Foundations Choreography, Team Members

On May 8 students, staff, students and university community members gathered to participate in an Arts and Culture themed Three Pillars, One University program. The event marked the 15th in the series and was again hosted by the Volunteer Center Fellows and attended by the students from Pathway at UCLA Extension. A special opening presentation was also given by Dr. Isaac Yang M.D., Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery to start the event.

For the winter 2017 event, the following faculty members and student groups were present to share their expertise:

• Lily Chen-Hafteck, Professor of Music Education, Department of Music
• Sonali Gupta-Agarwal, Lecturer, Cotsen Institute of Archaeology
• Wendy Teeter, Co-Director, Pimu Catalina Island Archaeology Project, UCLA Lecturer
• Maya Ram, Presenter, UCLA World Arts and Culture Department
• Becky King, Lecturer, UCLA Visual Culture
• Ipsita Dey, Researcher, UCLA Anthropology

The winter quarter Three Pillars, One University took place on February 27 in Covel Commons. UCLA faculty members, undergraduate students, and volunteers joined students from Pathway at UCLA Extension for a half day workshop filled with presentations about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

For the winter 2017 event, the following faculty members and student groups were present to share their expertise:

• Brittany Voth, Neurosurgery Researcher
• UCLA FISH, Healthcare Focused Student Group
• Doug Daniels & Lux Lab, 3D Printing Lab
• Joshua Trachtenberg, Neurobiology Professor & Researcher
• Anthony Frisicia, Biology Professor
• Interaxon, Student Group Focused on Brain Development

Members of the UCLA community joined together on November 14 to learn about the work of UCLA faculty members and students in the areas of Health, Nutrition, and Athletics. All were welcomed to attend presentations alongside students from Pathway at UCLA Extension.
For the Fall 2016 event, the following faculty members and student groups were present to share their expertise:

• Dr. Dena Herman, adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences
• Patricia Nguyen, Zumba instructor
• UCLA Club Quidditch
• Andrew Rosenstein, expert in vegan nutrition and health
• AllofUs Mental Health, student group founded to rethink way mental health is viewed
• Asian Pacific Health Corps

On April 13, as part of Volunteer Appreciation Week at UCLA, university community members gathered to celebrate the week and participate in an Arts and Humanities-themed Three Pillars, One University program. The event marked the twelfth in the series and was again hosted by the Volunteer Center Fellows. Images from the day may be viewed on the Center’s flickr page.

Several faculty members, alumni, and students presented in their respective research and performance areas:

• Lily Chen-Hafteck, Professor of Music Education, Department of Music
• Barbara Drucker, Associate Dean of Civic Engagement and Arts Education, Professor of Art
• Sonali Gupta-Agarwal, Lecturer, Cotsen Institute of Archaeology
• William Hickman, Alumnus, School of Theater, Film, and Television
• Antonio Lysy, Professor of Cello, Department of Music
• Andrew Rosenstein, Undergraduate Student, Department of Film and Television

Members of the UCLA community joined together on January 25 to learn about the work of UCLA faculty members and students in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. All were welcomed to attend presentations alongside students from Pathway at UCLA Extension.

For the Winter 2016 event, the following faculty members and student groups were present to share their expertise:

• Jesse Cushman, Lecturer, Psychology, and UCLA Behavioral Testing Core Supervisor
• Andrea Kasko, Associate Professor, Bioengineering
• Vivian Lew, Lecturer, Department of Statistics
• Matthew Malkan, Professor, Physics and Astronomy
• Paul Weiss, Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Director of CNSI
• Interaxon at UCLA

The tenth Three Pillars, One University event, and the first of the 2015-2016 academic year, featured presentations focused on Health and Athletics. Held at Sunset Canyon Recreation Center, the event allowed all participants to learn about a variety of topics from acclaimed UCLA faculty members, student organizations, and student-athletes. Thank you to the following guest presenters:

• Cori Close, UCLA Women’s Basketball
• Paul ‘British Ninja’ McCarthy, UCLA Recreation Martial Arts Program
• Mandy Muenzer, FITWELL
• Dr. Michael Rodriguez, Department of Family Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine
• Dr. Isaac Yang, Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine
• Fitness Improvement Training through Exercise and Diet [FITTED]
• Eve Lahijani, M.S., R.D., UCLA Residential Life

The final Three Pillars, One University of the 2014-2015 academic year featured presentations focused on Health and Athletics. Held at Sunset Canyon Recreation Center, the event allowed students from Pathway at UCLA Extension and athletes from Special Olympics to try out their skills in yoga, taekwondo, and gardening, in addition to learning about healthy habits, nutrition, and fitness from experts in the field. The following professors, student groups, and UCLA community members were present to lead the interactive workshops:

• DigUCLA
• Erika Chau, yoga instructor
• Student Wellness Commission: Health, Nutrition, and Fitness committee
• UCLA Taekwondo
• Vietnamese Community Health
• Wendy Slusser, M.D., M.S., Associate Vice Provost, UCLA Healthy Campus Initiative

The winter quarter Three Pillars, One University event allowed students from Pathway at UCLA Extension, athletes from Special Olympics at UCLA, and community members to learn about the latest advancements in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). UCLA faculty members from these fields presented interactive sessions in Covel Commons. Presenters included:

• Anthony Friscia, Assistant Professor, Integrative Biology & Physiology
• Vivian Lew, Lecturer, Department of Statistics
• Matthew Malkan, Professor, Physics & Astronomy
• Isaac Yang, Professor, Neurosurgery
• Yoh Kawano, Coordinator, Institute for Digital Research and Education

The seventh event in the series focused on Arts and Humanities at UCLA. Five professors and an innovative student group presented interactive sessions on art, music, performance, writing, history, and more to participants from Pathway at UCLA Extension and Special Olympics at UCLA. Thank you to the following people for sharing your passions:

• Travis J. Cross: Associate Professor of Music & Vice Chair of the Department of Music
• Meryl Friedman: Director of Education & Community Programs at the Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA
• Tara Prescott: Lecturer with UCLA Writing Programs & Faculty-In-Residence
• Teofilo Ruiz: Distinguished Professor of History
• Dave Wilson: Ph.D. student in Ethnomusicology at the Department of Music
• SLAM!: Student Leader Advocates of Music, a student music group

The sixth Three Pillars event focused on the outstanding work of our faculty researchers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). Students heard from a variety of faculty in these fields during special cutting-edge research sessions in the Covel Commons. Thank you to the following faculty and student groups for sharing your research:

• Katsushi Arisaka, Professor of Physics & Astronomy – High Energy, Astroparticle, Neurophysics
• Dennis Montoya, Post Doc in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics & Chair of STEMPLEDGE
• Kimberly Thill, Research Assistant in the Department of Neurosurgery
• Paul Weiss, Director of the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) & Distinguished Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Materials Science & Engineering
• Isaac Yang, Professor of Neurosurgery
• BEAM: Building Engineers And Mentors

The 2013-2014 academic year kicked off with a sports and health-themed event featuring the UCLA 8-Clap Heard Around the World, Joe & Josie Bruin, and the UCLA Spirit Squad. This program covered a tour of the UCLA community garden at Sunset Recreation, a tutorial on strength and conditioning, soccer lessons, and a special “Ask Dolores” session with ORL’s favorite resident nutritionist. Thank you to the following groups for sending volunteers to lead the sessions:

• UCLA Athletics
• UCLA Gymnastics
• UCLA Spirit Squad
• DIG UCLA
• UCLA ORL’s “Ask Dolores” Nutritionist

The fourth Three Pillars, One University event blended music, art, dance, math, and science to allow students to enjoy a wide variety of subjects and topics. This event included hands-on, sensory experiences at the UCLA Herb Albert School of Music’s Schoenberg Hall, featuring the following distinguished faculty members, musicians, and a student organization:

• Anne Milasincic Andrews, Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry
• Dan Froot, Associate Professor of World Arts & Cultures
• Antonio Lysy, Professor of Music (Cello)
• Matthew A. Malkan, Ph.D., Professor of Astronomy
• Victoria Marks, Professor of Choreography/Performance, Vice Chair-World Arts & Cultures
• Joshua Trachtenberg, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Neurobiology
• Isaac Yang, M.D., Physician & Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery
• Activity Books for Children, Student Group

The third Three Pillars, One University event took place in the  Charles E. Young Research Library. With an opening presentation by Three Pillars’ new Faculty Chair, Dr. Isaac Yang M.D., Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery, this event was the third in the series, further opening the gates of the university’s research community to students with developmental disabilities. This quarter’s theme was “All Hands on Deck” and featured fifteen-minute hands-on research presentations by distinguished members of UCLA’s Faculty:

• Katsushi Arisaka, Professor, High Energy, Astroparticle, and Neurophysics
• Isaac Yang M.D., Neurological Surgery, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
• Lynn Vavreck, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science
• Barbara Drucker, Professor, Painting and Drawing; Associate Dean, Academic Affairs
• Paul Weiss, Professor, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Materials Science & Engineering
• Elizabeth Neufeld, Professor Emerita, Biological Chemistry
• David Weisbart, Assistant Adjunct Professor, Mathematics

• Ronald Busuttil, M.D. Ph.D., Executive Chairman, Department of Surgery
• Isaac Yang, M.D., Neurological Surgery
• Katsushi Arisaka, Physics and Astronomy, Researcher at CERN (Geneva)
• Ann Kerr, International Institute, Fulbright Coordinator
• David Weisbart, Mathematics
• Peter Lanfer, Near Eastern Languages and Cultures
• Netta Avineri, PhD Candidate, Applied Linguistics, Center for Jewish Studies Civic Engagement Fellow