University Communications

Spring 2003
The Challenge
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Gilliam is now forging even stronger links between the university and the community. “This represents a new phase of public engagement and reaffirms our commitment,” he says. His strategies include tapping into the some 2,000 UCLA students who are enrolled in classes that involve community-based learning and more directly connecting them with affiliated community agencies. In addition, the university has recently established the L.A. Research Agenda through which UCLA, for the first time in its history, provides grants to nonprofit community organizations to nurture their independence.

“What we’re trying to do is more systematically, more centrally and more organically grow relationships between the campus and community,” says Gilliam. “This ensures that we build capacity with our community partners so that when UCLA researchers, programs and students eventually leave, what we will leave behind will be solid and self-sustaining.”

http://la.ucla.edu

— Judy Lin-Eftekhar

SENSING THE FUTURE

JUST AS THE INTERNET revolutionized how information is exchanged by connecting the world of computers, embedded-networked-sensing systems may one day connect us with the physical world using technology to monitor and collect information on environmental hazards and structural defects, create “smart spaces” that adjust to lighting and temperature preferences and serve as invaluable tools for scientific discovery and technological advance.

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