Class Notes

Breaking news of those breaking new ground. This is where we celebrate noteworthy achievements and life changes of fellow Bruins. Here you can stay in touch, keep up and announce your own Class Note by submitting your story.

Ralph Shapiro '53, J.D. '58

Ralph Shapiro ’53, J.D. ’58, philanthropist and UCLA Medal recipient, has passed away. In a message to volunteer leaders that was shared with UCLA staff, Rhea Turteltaub, vice chancellor, UCLA External Affairs, and Laura Lavado Parker, associate vice chancellor, UCLA Development, expressed their appreciation and affection for this transformative figure in UCLA history. We are […]

Carolyn Webb de Macias '69, M.A. '72

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced last week that Carolyn Webb de Macias '69, M.A. '72, who, in the fall of 1968, was elected UCLA's first African American homecoming queen, will serve as her chief of staff and senior advisor. "In this role," the press release said, "Webb de Macias will help Mayor Bass deliver […]

Bill Walton '74

Bill Walton '74, a three-time NCAA basketball player of the year and an NBA Hall of Famer, passed away May 27 following a battle with cancer. He was 71. Tributes poured in from friends and fans within and beyond the world of sports, for whom Walton's on-court prowess was just one facet of his appeal. […]

Asad Madni '69, M.S. '72, Ph.D.

Asad Madni '69, M.S. '72, Ph.D., who received the 2024 UCLA Award for Professional Achievement for his revolutionary contributions to science, engineering and technology, is proud to announce that, starting in 2025, the IEEE Medal of Honor monetary prize will be increased to $2 million. In addition, for the first time, the 2025 IEEE Medal […]

Nathan Siegel '16, J.D. '24

Intellectual property firm Fish & Richardson has welcomed Nathan Siegel '16, J.D. '24, as a member of its 2024 fall associate class. Previously a summer associate with Fish, Siegel, who earned his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and has professional experience as an application verification and validation engineer, will partner with clients in the electrical […]

Tracy Badua '06

Award-winning author Tracy Badua '06 is proud to release her sixth novel, "Thea and the Mischief Makers" (HarperCollins), a middle-grade contemporary fantasy about a star athlete who must face her worst fears when two mischievous "duwendes" (Filipino goblins), threaten to wreak havoc on her life — and destroy her town. Badua's work has garnered such […]

Chad L. Williams '98

Chad L. Williams '98 will be honored Thursday, Oct. 10, during the 2024 Museum of African American History (MAAH) Stone Book Awards presentations for his book "The Wounded World: W.E.B. Du Bois and the First World War," which was also named a best book of 2023 by The Washington Post, The New Yorker and the […]

Sheryl Lynn Winslow Hoffman Toney '77

Sheryl Lynn Winslow Hoffman Toney '77 passed away Aug. 1. Born to Cleon and Jo Winslow Sept. 14, 1955, in Newport, RI, she grew up the South Bay area of Greater Los Angeles and graduated from UCLA with a bachelor's degree in music. She was a piano teacher, classical performer, church accompanist and composer, and […]

Teresa Valenzuela ’94, Cert. ’11

You might not know her, but, if you follow the UCLA Alumni social media channels, you know her work. Those black and white photos of campus with a blue and gold #BruinUmbrella highlighted? A beautiful night shot of Royce Hall or a gorgeous sunset shot from the hill? Those are the work of Teresa Valenzuela […]

Feliza Ortiz-Licon '99, Ed.D.

Feliza Ortiz-Licon '99, Ed.D., has joined the Campaign for College Opportunity, a higher education nonprofit advocacy organization, as executive vice president. In that role, she will lead as a key strategist in coalition building, policy advocacy, program design, fund development and research to maximize the organization's influence in supporting California students of all backgrounds to […]

Laura Gifford, M.A. '03, Ph.D. '06

Fortress Press is pleased to announce that Laura Gifford, M.A. '03, Ph.D. '06, has been named editor-in-chief of the academic imprint, which has been a leading publisher of books in theology, biblical studies and ethics since the early 1960s. In addition to her degrees from UCLA, earned in history, Gifford has an M.A. in ministry […]