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UCLA Stavros Niarchos Foundation Center Partners with US Embassy in Greece for “Makriyannis Unplugged”

The UCLA Stavros Niarchos Foundation Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture (UCLA SNF Center) has been awarded a grant from the U.S. Embassy in Greece to support the Athens’ performance of Makriyannis Unplugged, a contemporary retelling of the life and memoirs of Yannis Makriyannis, who played an essential role in the 1821 Greek War of Independence. Written and performed by actor and director Yorgos Karamihos (The Durrells in Corfu; Fugitive Pieces; Like Chef, Like God), the play premieres at UCLA on November 7, 2021. “The U.S. Embassy’s support for Makriyannis Unplugged helps to tell the compelling story of this…

Spanish, Community and Culture Major Highlighted for International Women’s Day

In honor of International Women’s Day 2021 on March 8, the UCLA International Institute is publishing a series of profiles of female Bruins who have overcome challenges in their quest to effect change in the world. UCLA Global, March 8, 2021 — Jazminne Rodriguez joined UCLA as a transfer student in fall 2020 as a Spanish, Community and Culture major. Her lovely smile and soft, calm voice give no indication of the obstacles she has overcome to become a Bruin, a goal she set over a decade ago after a high school field trip. “There was something about UCLA that made me feel…

UCLA Stavros Niarchos Foundation Hellenic Center Gifted a Library Devoted to Modern Greek Poetry

The UCLA Stavros Niarchos Foundation Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture (UCLA SNF Hellenic Center) has received a rare collection of Modern Greek poetry books from Koren Christofides, wife of scholar Constantine Christofides, who assembled the library. “On behalf of the Center, we warmly thank Koren Christofides for the generous donation of an outstanding collection of Greek poetry books that represent the broad intellectual interests of her husband,” said Sharon Gerstel, Director of the UCLA SNF Hellenic Center, professor of Byzantine Art and Archaeology, and George P. Kolovos Family Centennial Term Chair in Hellenic Studies. “It is an honor…

Linguistics student fulfills dream at UCLA

In honor of International Women’s Day 2021 on March 8, the UCLA International Institute is publishing a series of profiles of female Bruins. Abeer Ali Abdullah Al-Abbas, a UCLA graduate student in linguistics who hails from Saudi Arabia, grew up in the Farasan Islands, a group of coral islands in the Red Sea. A star student throughout her school years, Abeer set her sights on a college education as a young girl with her mother’s strong support. After graduating from high school in 2007, Abeer had to move to mainland Saudi Arabia to attend college. She chose linguistics among the…

Professors hope their film changes immigration policy

When UCLA professor Maite Zubiaurre decided to make a documentary about volunteers who search for the remains of migrants in the desert between the U.S. and Mexico, she wanted people to see what she believes has become invisible: not just the deaths, but how ignoring them enables policies that lead to even more deaths. Now she’ll have an opportunity to help bring that hidden reality to light. Her 14-minute film “Águilas,” co-directed with Kristy Guevara-Flanagan, a professor at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, has been selected to screen at both the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival (Feb. 20–28) and SXSW…

UCLA establishes Department of European Languages and Transcultural Studies

In a giant leap for our language studies programs, the departments of French and Francophone Studies, Germanic Languages, Italian, and Scandinavian have completed a merger resulting in the new Department of European Languages and Transcultural Studies (ELTS). Chaired by Professor Dominic Thomas, ELTS strengthens our existing language offerings while providing a holistic approach to the future of the field. The merger also creates opportunities for interdisciplinary community-building among our faculty and graduate students, who have driven this transition from the ground up. At the UCLA Newsroom, you can learn more about this transition and the emerging vision and impact of…

Miwon Kwon named inaugural Walter Hopps Chair in Modern and Contemporary Art

Internationally renowned scholar and curator of contemporary art Miwon Kwon has been named the inaugural Walter Hopps Chair in Modern and Contemporary Art in the Department of Art History of the UCLA College. A UCLA faculty member since 1997, Kwon is a professor of art history and chair of the department whose research draws upon her training in architecture, urban studies, and contemporary art to explore the “space/spatial politics” of art. David Schaberg, senior dean of UCLA College and dean of humanities, said, “Miwon Kwon is an exceptional, highly accomplished scholar whose work has had a major impact in her…

Professor Michael Berry receives National Endowment for the Arts Literature Translation Fellowship

Los Angeles—Today, the National Endowment for the Arts announced that Michael Berry will receive a Literature Translation Fellowship of $12,500 to translate Soft Burial (Ruan mai) by Fang Fang into English. Michael Berry is one of 24 Literature Translation Fellows selected for fiscal year 2021. In total, the Arts Endowment will award $325,000 in grants to support the translation of works written in 16 different languages into English. “Supporting literary translation not only means that many of the world’s talented writers reach a new audience, but also new and different perspectives and experiences are made available to readers in this…

UCLA English major featured on new Transfer Nation podcast! #StudentStory: Bianca Trevizo

UCLA English major Bianca Trevino was interviewed for the #TransferNation podcast speaking about her experience as a transfer student at UCLA. In the podcast, Bianca, who is currently working on a research project on The House on Mango Street with Professor Marissa Lopez, talks about feeling uncertainty about which college to attend as well as how getting involved at her community college prepared her for UCLA. Listen below to her story: #StudentStory: Bianca Trevizo – YouTube

UCLA, Berggruen Institute announce lecture series featuring emerging visionaries

The UCLA Division of Humanities has partnered with the Los Angeles–based Berggruen Institute to launch “Possible Worlds,” a new lecture series that invites some of today’s most imaginative intellectual leaders and creators to deliver talks on the future of humanity. The series will kick off Feb. 18, 2021, with a lecture by Harvard classicist and political theorist Danielle Allen, followed by presentations by architect Alejandro Aravena (spring 2021), author Kim Stanley Robinson (fall 2021), and innovation and sustainability expert Darja Isaksson (spring 2022). The cross-disciplinary lectures will highlight innovative ideas and offer unique insights about our transforming world. The first collaborative project between UCLA and the Berggruen…