UCLA LiveWell

On this episode of the LiveWell podcast, we sit down with UCLA’s Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost (EVCP) Darnell Hunt. A proud UCLA alumnus and former Dean of Social Sciences, Dr. Hunt has spent three decades examining how the ways we see the world impact how we live. We explore his journey from a young journalism student with a secret passion for filmmaking to his role as the architect of the landmark Hollywood Diversity Report. We dive deep into the "sociological imagination", the economic necessity of representation, and how data can be a powerful tool for driving institutional and cultural change.In this episode, we discuss:· The Birth of the Hollywood Diversity Report: How a graduate student studying the 1992 LA uprisings became a leading voice in measuring representation in the entertainment industry.· Diversity as an Economic Necessity: Why "diversity sells" and how tying representation to the bottom line became the most effective way to change industry behavior.· The "Sociological Imagination": How stepping outside our own personal experiences allows us to see the larger social and historical patterns that shape our lives.· The Streaming Revolution: How technological shifts in how we consume media created unprecedented opportunities for storytellers of color and women.· From the Newsroom to Academia: A pivotal turning point at NBC News that prompted EVCP Hunt to trade a management career for a PhD in sociology.· Leadership and Strategic Vision: How EVCP Hunt’s scholarly background informs his current role guiding UCLA through its five-year strategic plan.This episode offers a fascinating look at the intersection of media, sociology, and leadership. It illustrates how inclusive excellence is not just a moral goal, but a vital part of a healthy, functioning community.Resources:· Report: UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report· Website: UCLA Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and ProvostToday’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

What if the key to healing our own trauma was held by a rescued cow or a rehabilitated horse? On this episode of the LiveWell podcast, we speak with Ellie Laks, the visionary founder of The Gentle Barn. Ellie shares on her lifelong journey of connecting with animals, from a seven-year-old with a dream to an international leader on the power of animal sanctuaries. We dive deep into 'Cow Hug Therapy,' interspecies empathy, and how creating a haven for animals creates a parallel sanctuary for humans who may have forgotten what it feels like to be safe.In this episode we discuss:·      The Origins of the Gentle Barn: Ellie’s childhood surrounded by animals and their companionship and how her upbringing birthed the dream of the Gentle Barn. ·      The Potency of Non-Verbal Connection: Animals offer a unique form of therapy different from traditional talk therapy; they can mirror our emotions and provide a grounding presence.·      Mutual Healing: The trauma these animals have experienced followed by rehabilitation at the Gentle Barn allows them to accept human visitors who may arrive with trauma of their own. ·      Lessons Learned: How different species living at the Gentle Barn have taught Ellie different lasting life lessons. The episode gives a glimpse into how the animals are rehabilitated, how the Gentle Barn is structured, and the different therapy modalities they offer to the public. Resources:Books: Cow Hug Therapy: How the Animals at The Gentle Barn Taught Me about Life, Death, and Everything in Between and My Gentle Barn: Creating a Sanctuary Where Animals Heal and Children Learn to HopeWebsite: https://www.gentlebarn.org/Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

In our latest LiveWell podcast episode, we sit down with Lonnie Ali, a dedicated advocate for Parkinson’s research, a champion of compassion, and widow to Muhammad Ali.Lonnie shares her personal journey from growing up across the street from the legendary boxer in Louisville to becoming his "rock" and care partner throughout his battle with Parkinson’s disease. Chair and co-founder of the Muhammad Ali Center, Lonnie details the importance of the Ali Compassion Index, the Center’s impressive measuring tool for compassion in cities across the U.S. With Lonnie’s help, we reframe compassion not just a soft sentiment, but a measurable "muscle" that can be flexed to bridge divides and foster civic engagement in our communities.In this episode, we discuss:The Five Layers of Compassion, from self-compassion to the nation on a whole. Stories of Muhammad’s instinctive kindness, from talking a man off a ledge to bringing a family in need into his home. The Compassion Index: Why cities like Seattle, Louisville, and Atlanta are leading the way in civic engagement and volunteerism. Overcoming the guilt of prioritizing one's own health to avoid burnout. How small, daily acts, like letting someone in during traffic, can catalyze global change.This episode offers actionable tools and powerful stories to help you flex your compassion muscle and live a fuller, more connected life. Resources:Book: Soul of a Butterfly by Hana Ali Website: AliIndex.org Website: Ali Compassion ReportListen now and subscribe for more stories that challenge conventional thinking and inspire holistic well-being.Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling.We also have links in the show notes on our website: healthy.ucla.edu/livewellpodcastIf you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]. To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @LiveWell_UCLA!Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Our latest LiveWell podcast episode features an inspiring and deeply insightful conversation with Angus Fletcher, Professor of English at Ohio State University and a core member of Project Narrative.Angus shares his personal journey from working in a neurophysiology lab studying live brain cells to pursuing a PhD in literature at Yale to understand the mechanics of story.Drawing from his work with the US Army Special Forces and his latest book, Primal Intelligence, Angus explores how the human brain evolved to be smart in uncertainty—a capacity he fears we are losing in an age of computational logic.He highlights the flaw in modern education that treats intelligence as a pattern-matching game and offers practical, hopeful pathways forward through the four pillars of primal intelligence.In this episode, we discuss:● Why AI is "lobotomizing" the human brain by ignoring narrative thinking● The four pillars of Primal Intelligence: Intuition, Imagination, Emotion, and Common Sense● How to train pediatric residents to trust their "feelings" as medical data● Lessons from Shakespeare on starting stories in the middle to spark wonder● The critical difference between being a manager and being a leader● How to reform education to support early-career scholars and innovative thinkersWhether you’re a student, educator, policymaker, or anyone searching for a sense of purpose in a digital world, this episode offers actionable tools, uplifting stories, and a powerful vision for a more human future.Resources:Book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/740110/primal-intelligence-by-angus-fletcher/Website: https://www.angusfletcher.co/Listen now and subscribe for more stories that challenge conventional thinking and inspire holistic well-being.Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center.It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform.Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling.We also have links in the show notes on our website at healthy.ucla.edu/livewellpodcast.If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected] stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @LiveWell_UCLA!Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Our latest LiveWell podcast episode features an inspiring and deeply insightful conversation with Diana Winston, the Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC). Diana shares her personal journey from being a young seeker traveling through Asia to spending a year as a Buddhist nun, a period that fundamentally shaped her understanding of the human mind. Drawing from her decades of teaching and her work at MARC, Diana explores how mindfulness is a practical, evidence-based tool that anyone can use to lower stress and enhance well-being. She highlights the growing crisis of "continuous partial attention" in our digital age and offers practical, hopeful pathways forward through the art of "natural awareness."In this episode, we discuss:● The difference between concentrated meditation and natural awareness● How mindfulness can physically rewire the brain for better focus● Techniques for "micro-moments" of peace during a hectic workday● The role of mindfulness in promoting equity and social justice● Overcoming common myths about meditation● How students can use presence to combat academic burnoutWhether you’re a student, educator, policymaker, or anyone searching for a sense of calm in a chaotic world, this episode offers actionable tools, uplifting stories, and a powerful vision for a more mindful society.Resources:Book: The Little Book of BeingWebsite:https://www.dianawinston.com/Listen now and subscribe for more stories that challenge conventional thinking and inspire holistic well-being.Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Our latest LiveWell podcast episode features an inspiring and deeply insightful conversation with Kasley Killam, a leading expert in social health and author of The Art and Science of Connection: Why Social Health is the Missing Key to Living Longer, Healthier, and Happier Lives. Kasley shares her personal journey from being a curious psychology student to becoming a nationally recognized voice on the power of human connection. Drawing from her work with Social Health Labs, global field research, and her own experiences as an empath and introvert, Kasley explores why social health is emerging as a critical pillar of well-being alongside physical and mental health.Her insights are grounded in both research and lived experience—from her transformative “108 Days of Kindness” project to her work with cities like Barcelona and Paris to strengthen community connection. Throughout the episode, Kasley highlights the urgent need to rebuild social ties in a time of widespread loneliness, and she offers practical, hopeful pathways forward.In this episode, we discuss:How Kasley discovered “social health” and why it is becoming a global movementHer four strategies for strengthening our “social muscles” The 5-3-1 guideline for building meaningful and sustainable relationshipsThe influence of built environments—from LA to Bhutan—on our ability to connectHow students and communities can create a culture of belonging The role of AI in modern connection, and why diversity of social ties mattersThe power of intentionality, kindness, and community-led initiatives in creating a thriving societyWhether you’re a student, educator, policymaker, or anyone searching for ways to strengthen your connections and improve well-being, this episode offers actionable tools, uplifting stories, and a powerful vision for a more connected world.Resources:Book: https://www.kasleykillam.com/social-health-bookWebsite: https://www.kasleykillam.com/Listen now and subscribe for more stories that challenge conventional thinking and inspire holistic well-being.Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

“It is possible to believe that all the past is but the beginning of a beginning… the twilight of the dawn.” – H.G. WellsBut how do we shape what comes next—and prepare for futures we can’t yet see?Join us for a compelling episode of the UCLA LiveWell podcast featuring Dr. Andy Hines — futurist, professor at the University of Houston, and expert in strategic foresight.Andy guides us through:🔭 How to scan for signals and build stories about the future.🧠 Why vision is the antidote to chaos and uncertainty.🐸 The role of “frogs”—those who bridge foresight and organizational reality.🧩 How stealth strategies can embed future thinking in resistant cultures.Whether you're navigating change or dreaming big, this episode will help you think ahead with clarity and purpose.🎧 Tune in and explore how strategic foresight can help you live—and lead—with intentionDr. Andy Hines' WebsiteImagining After Capitalism University of Houston Foresight ProgramToday’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Our latest LiveWell podcast episode features an enlightening conversation with Dr. Dan Wildcat, a professor at Haskell Indian Nations University and a profound thinker on Indigenous perspectives of ecology, technology, and community. Dr. Wildcat shares his transformative journey from Sociology to Environmental studies, deeply influenced by his mentor, Vine Deloria Jr. In his book co-authored with Vine Deloria Jr., Power and Place (2001), covers the challenges that Native American students experience throughout educational systems and professions. Additionally, in his most recent book, Red Alert! Saving the Planet with Indigenous Knowledge (2009), Dr. Wildcat uses Native American wisdom and a perspective that is centered in nature for modern solutions to global warming.  In this episode, we discuss:·       His unique approach to understanding the relationship between nature and culture through an Indigenous lens·       The concept of eco-kinship and moving beyond anthropocentric thinking·       His experience writing "Red Alert" and finding hope in the face of climate change challenges·       The power of storytelling, gratitude, and generosity in creating resilient communities·       The importance of reframing technology to enhance life for all living beings, not just human convenienceWhether you're an environmentalist, educator, or anyone interested in Indigenous wisdom and sustainable living, this episode offers profound insights into reimagining our relationship with the natural world. Listen now and subscribe for more stories that challenge conventional thinking and inspire holistic well-being.Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Original air date: March 1st, 2023Why is controversy a good thing? What does it mean to have five eyes? Why is there no such thing as spectatorship? This is what we set out to uncover in Part 2 of our Special Series with Peter Sellars, world-renowned theater and opera director. Join us as we discuss imagining new and revolutionary solutions to issues and injustices by centering art and community care. Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, provide feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Original release date: February 16, 2023. Why were snakes at the original Olympics? How are the arts and sports intimately connected? How did the Greek tragedy come to be? We cover all of these questions in Part 1 of our Special 2 Part Interview  with Peter Sellars. Peter, with his gift of storytelling, takes us on a journey to the Olympics in ancient Greece, where health, theater, and the arts were of equal importance in this celebration of togetherness. Fast forward to today, we look at how arts and sports are both lifelong commitments to navigating struggle in thrilling, liberating, and uniting ways.Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, provide feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Our latest episode of LiveWell features a powerful conversation with Dr. Eraka Bath, a professor of psychiatry at UCLA and a triple board-certified expert in child, adolescent, adult, and forensic psychiatry. Dr. Bath’s work profoundly impacts youth in the foster care and juvenile legal system, addressing critical issues of racial justice, structural vulnerability, and the path to system transformation.We discuss:Her early exposure to social conditions and structural marginalization through her travels with her mother as a childWhy she was drawn to psychiatry and how this field can be used to address root causes of socioeconomic injusticesIdentifying problems in clinical spaces and finding solutions that extend beyond the doctor-patient relationship to impact structures and policiesHer vision for the future of psychiatry, including the integration of Neuroaesthetics and the Arts into health to enhance well-beingWhether you’re a healthcare professional, an advocate for youth, or anyone interested in the intersection of health, justice, and community, this episode offers profound insights into building a legacy of system transformation.Listen now and subscribe for more stories that elevate purpose-driven leadership.Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, offer feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast!Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Our latest episode of LiveWell is a conversation with Dr. Angela Fentiman. An educator and executive communications leader at UCLA, where we explore how an early introduction to communication in service and civic duties, then roles in energy and education shaped her approach to communication and leadership. From writing speeches for her father, a small-town mayor in Oregon, to managing narratives during utility and infrastructure outages, Dr. Fentiman shares the moments that defined her voice, and the lessons she shares with students and colleagues.We discuss:Her early exposure to public service and speechwritingWhat it means to lead with curiosity, empathy and clarityApproaches to crisis management and what’s at the core of every situationHer dissertation on women in executive political rolesWhy foundational skills like emotional intelligence and interpersonal communication are essential for today's leadersThe connection between living well and leading wellWhether you're a professional communicator, an aspiring leader or simply someone who values thoughtful conversation, this episode will leave you inspired to speak—and live—with intention.Listen now and subscribe for more stories that elevate purpose-driven leadership.Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, offer feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

What if healing didn’t start in a clinic—but in the soil?On the newest episode of LiveWell, we explore how nature, community, and purpose are transforming Veteran care with Dr. Kaitlyn Fruin, UCLA preventive medicine fellow, and Air Force Veteran Cyntrea Cotton, founder of the Veterans Garden Initiative.This inspiring episode reveals: • How therapeutic gardening is easing PTSD, anxiety, and depression for veterans. • Why growing organic food can support whole-person healing—from the inside out. • The challenges and triumphs of reviving a 15-acre clinical garden on VA grounds.Cyntrea shares her personal journey of struggling with panic attacks, isolation, and chronic stress—and how reconnecting with the earth sparked her recovery and purpose. Katie walks us through the science and systems behind food as medicine, highlighting how gardens can be powerful entry points for mental and physical health.If you’ve ever wondered how nature can heal trauma, build community, and restore well-being, this episode will plant a seed.Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, offer feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Episode Resources + Mentions: -       Transcript -       GrowGood-       Restoring The Veterans GardenToday’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Welcome back for Part 2 and a sneak peek into Emily Falk's upcoming book, What We Value? Curious about why we make the choices we do? Want to explore how to make more intentional and fulfilling decisions? In our latest LiveWell episode, Emily Falk unpacks her groundbreaking research in neuroscience, psychology, and communication. Through personal stories and compelling research, she shares:- What makes an effective message and how ideas spread- How to be a more effective communicator- The key ingredients for happiness and well-beingTune in and discover how to approach everyday life with insights from a neuroscientist and a storyteller’s lens. There’s much to reflect on and put into action!More information on her book and to pre-order: https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324037101Catch Part 1 here - https://healthy.ucla.edu/media/livewellpodcast/ep-83/ - where we discussed her research and collaborations exploring key brain systems that influence what we choose and why we choose, our behaviors and forming a value system, and the power of storytelling.Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Our latest episode of LiveWell is a two-parter with guest Emily Falk and a preview to her upcoming book, "What We Value". An expert in the science of behavior change, Emily is a Professor of Communication, Psychology, Marketing, and Operations, Information, and Decisions at the University of Pennsylvania, and the Vice Dean of the Annenberg School for Communication. In episode 1, we discuss her research and collaborations exploring key brain systems that influence what we choose and why we choose, our behaviors and forming a value system, and the power of storytelling. In episode 2, we get a preview of her upcoming book, “What We Value”, and go deeper into her research in neuroscience, psychology and communication. Through personal stories and research studies, she examines what makes certain messages influential, how and why ideas spread, what makes an effective communicator and what are key ingredients for happiness and well-being. For those curious about why we choose the things we do, how to explore ways to make more intentional and rewarding choices, and methods of changing behavior and opening perspectives – approaching daily decisions with a neuroscientist and storytelling lens – there’s much to ponder and put into practice. Enjoy this 1st episode - part 2 releasing next week! - and many thanks to Emily for being part of our LiveWell community!Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Morgan Tingley, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and faculty in the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, is an expert on how climate change and other environmental changes impact biodiversity, primarily birds. His research, which largely focuses on birds in temperate mountain environments, including California’s Sierra Nevada, examines how species shift their ranges and the timing of their activities in response to rising temperatures and other effects of climate change. Tingley is a leading authority on the effects of wildfire on biodiversity, specifically in the western United States. For over a decade, he has studied how birds respond during and after fires and, in particular, how the increase in massive forest fires is negatively affecting species.For Morgan’s lab website and more information about the research he conducts, please visit https://www.morgantingley.com/. Check out his Bird of the Day at https://www.morgantingley.com/botd/ and a fantastic resource for all bird enthusiasts - Cornell Lab All About Birds - https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/.  Outdoors and onscreen, check out a movie that Morgan was the “ornithological consultant” on to ensure an accurate portrayal of birding and matching bird sounds to the images - “Birder’s Guide to Everything” - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6375322/.Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Original air date: May 2023.You don’t want to miss today’s episode--mainly because Wendy and Elizabeth reveal their reigning favorite salt! How’d we get there? Because Elizabeth shares how she guides her students through a mindful salt tasting--an exercise that embodies her research at the intersection of food and performance. A PhD candidate at UCLA in Theater and Performance Studies with a graduate certificate in Food Studies, Elizabeth discusses how she approaches food experiences and food justice through an artistic research lens. Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, provide feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Episode Resources + Mentions: Elizabeth’s Recent Newsroom article Sustainable LA Grand ChallengeDonna Haraway, Staying with the TroubleUCLA REC Teaching Kitchen Common Threads Non-Profit Black Panther Movement + Breakfast ProgramToday’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Original air date: March 2023 Coffee, community, and connection are the ways that Joe and Celia Ward-Wallace advocate for their South Central LA community. As founders of the South LA Cafe and the South LA community nonprofit, this dynamic duo is paving the path toward food justice and community health. Learn how Celia, with her coaching and consulting background, and Joe, with his firefighting background, came together to create a place of gathering. Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, provide feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast!Podcast Resources:  South LA website Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Original air date: May 2022. Executive Director of the Resnick Center for Food Law and Policy and Professor at the UCLA School of Law, Michael Roberts, joins us to explain the complexities of governing food and why he always makes sure to check the labels before buying olive oil. Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, offer feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Episode Resources + Mentions: Resnick Center for Food Law & Policy Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Original air date: July 2023. Join us today for a lesson in environmental storytelling with Tamar Christensen. Everything about Tamar’s story is fascinating-- she is a writing instructor at UCLA, a Veteran, a composter, a chicken mom, and a zero-waste lifestyle icon. We hear about how she sold her car after a transformative trip to Europe, how she gave food nonprofit Nourish LA a home at UCLA, and how she structures her creative writing classes around navigating eco-anxiety and knowing one’s place in the climate crisis. Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, provide feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Episode Resources + Mentions: Nourish LA Daily Bruin Article Tamar Christensen Writing Programs Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

This is the story of how noticing the abundant produce on citrus trees turned into what is now a 15 year old nonprofit, Food Forward, that transports nearly 90 million pounds of food to communities in need. Join us today as Rick Nahmias, founder and CEO of Food Forward, tells us that story and gives us insider tips to starting your own nonprofit, growing a team, and building meaningful relationships that help bring food where it belongs. Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, offer feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Episode Resources + Mentions: Food Forward Food Forward is Recognized by the White House For Its Commitment to End Hunger Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

If you’re even the slightest bit curious about community movement building, look no further. In today’s episode, Olivia Farr, nonprofit and environmental activist extraordinaire leading the Bedford 2030 campaign, tells us the why and how of meeting people where they’re at, and ultimately, creating ripple effects when it comes to making change in your community. Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, offer feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Episode Resources + Mentions: Hannah Richie’s “Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet”Bedford’s Recyclopedia Bedford 2030 Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

While so much has changed in the food world, much has stayed the same -- we are making bread the same way Egyptians did thousands of years ago, according to today’s guest, Bill Yosses. In this episode, Bill Yosses, former White House Pastry Chef, teaches us how cooking has transcended language, and how innovative chefs and food leaders across the globe are using simple, ancient practices -- like harvesting heirloom seeds, eating locally and culturally, and using every part of an ingredient -- to make food more nutrient-dense and delicious. If you liked this episode, you’d also like Episode #70 with Homa Dashtaki and Episode #53 with Joe and Celia Ward-Wallace. Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, offer feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Episode Resources + Mentions: Blue Hill Restaurant Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture Wish4Life Foundation Bill Yosses BooksToday’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

This episode is abundant in resources for anyone and everyone interested in food equity, health, community activism, or journalism. Corby Kummer is more than a renowned journalist and food writer, he is a changemaker working to break down the barriers to nutrient-rich and culturally-appropriate food. He asks the sort of perspective-shifting questions, as a writer and as the Executive Director of the Food and Society Program and the Aspen Institute, that can reframe our understanding of food access and food justice and, as he says, can help shine light where it’s not been shined before. This episode really dives into the importance of building community trust between researchers and communities and most importantly, bringing different groups together with cross-sector knowledge to create meaningful change in the food equity world. If you liked this episode, you may also like Episode #61 about the Fresh Food Farmacy with Dr. Andrea Feinberg, or #68 Why Study Food? Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, offer feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Episode Resources + Mentions: Food Leaders at Aspen Institute (Applications through February 20, 2024) UCLA Teaching Kitchen Food as Medicine Research Action Plan Coalition of Immokalee Farm Workers  Foundations Mentioned: Marshall Project, Newmark Foundation, Knight Foundation Food Fix Food Politics Beyond Meat Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

See last episode for Dr. Bill Resnick's full-length interview!  How is pain different from suffering? Why is community a spiritual practice? In this episode, you’ll not only learn the answers to these questions, but uncover the story of Dr. Bill Resnick’s journey as a clinical psychiatrist, and mindfulness teacher. AND we’re gifted a ten-minute mindfulness meditation, a poem read aloud, and a sprinkling of Buddhist parables. Dr. Bill Resnick is a clinical psychiatrist with an MD from University of Pennsylvania, working as a clinical psychiatrist for over 20 years. He now teaches residents Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, along with being an avid proponent of mindfulness, meditation, and community-gathering as the founder of the Big Bear Retreat Center. If you liked this episode, you’d also like Episode #55 with Bob Thurman. Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, offer feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Episode Resources + Mentions:  Big Bear Retreat Center 10% Happier by Dan Harris Insight LAHeadspace Marc UCLA  Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

How is pain different from suffering? Why is community a spiritual practice? In this episode, you’ll not only learn the answers to these questions, but uncover the story of Dr. Bill Resnick’s journey as a clinical psychiatrist, and mindfulness teacher. AND we’re gifted a ten-minute mindfulness meditation, a poem read aloud, and a sprinkling of Buddhist parables. Dr. Bill Resnick is a clinical psychiatrist with an MD from University of Pennsylvania, working as a clinical psychiatrist for over 20 years. He now teaches residents Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, along with being an avid proponent of mindfulness, meditation, and community-gathering as the founder of the Big Bear Retreat Center. If you liked this episode, you’d also like Episode #55 with Bob Thurman. Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, offer feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Episode Resources + Mentions:  Big Bear Retreat Center 10% Happier by Dan Harris Insight LAHeadspace Marc UCLA  Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Today, we’re learning why yogurt is more than just protein and probiotics, but is the final result of an intricate and ancient yogurt-making practice that creates ease and cultiavtes belonging. Homa Dashtaki founded The White Moustache, a yogurt company that honors traditional Persian techniques and her Iranian descent. After a law career, Homa has published Yogurt & Whey: Recipes of an Iranian Immigrant Life and her yogurt has garnered acclaim from the New York Times, Vogue, Bon Appétit, and Food & Wine. Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, offer feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Episode Resources + Mentions: Yogurt & Whey: Recipes of an Iranian Immigrant LifeThe White Moustache Hudson Valley Fresh Co-OpFast Company Article Mentioned: How One Woman Survived A Bad Career Break, Then Launched A Life-Changing BusinessFeeling generous? It makes a real difference to us when you rate and review our podcast. Thank you!Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Join us (again) for a conversation with the former NBA World Champion and one of the premier NBA defenders of his era, Metta Sandiford-Artest, previously known as Metta World Peace. Metta has been a leader in de-stigmatizing mental health in the world of professional sports and beyond by embracing vulnerability and sharing his life story. Episode Resources: This re-release comes at a perefct time as we enter into colder, darker months. There are resources to support you. Here are some at UCLA: UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services RISE Center at UCLA Stress and Resilience Wellness Check National Mental Health Resources: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:Phone: 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)Website: National Suicide Prevention LifelineCrisis Text Line:Text "HELLO" to 741741Website: Crisis Text LineNational Alliance on Mental Illness:Helpline: 1-800-950-NAMI (1-800-950-6264)Website: NAMIMental Health America:Helpline: 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)Website: Mental Health AmericaToday’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

3 guests. 2 hosts. And one big question: why study food? Join Dr. Amy Rowat, Chef Julia Rhoton,  Laila Adarkar, and guest host, Kayleigh Ruller, on this  exploration. Food--accessing it, cooking it, gathering around it--is a powerful tool for inciting change on both an individual and community level. It’s a lens for understanding environmental, social, and political issues, near and far. How do we leverage the power of food? What does it mean to prioritize Food Studies in a large university setting? UCLA is exploring these very questions  through its educational programs, like the Food Studies Minor and the Rothman Family Institute for Food Studies, and the plethora of on-campus resources, the Teaching Kitchen, Bruin Dining, Community Programs Office, and beyond. Episode Resources + Mentions: Food Day 2023: Food & Country Screening, December 7th 2023, 7:00-9:00 pm, James Bridges TheaterRegister here: tinyurl.com/foodandcountryucla Teaching KitchenJane b semel HCI Community Garden  UCLA CPOFood Studies Minor UCLA Extension Food Studies CertificateWestwood Food Co-OpUCLA Farmers Market EatWell Pod Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

This conversation with Evan Kleiman, host of KCRW'S Good Food, is a breath of fresh air, covering the practices and perspectives that sustain Evan’s regenerative, equitable, and of course, delicious approach to preparing a meal. The perspectives offered honor the transformative role that food can play in a complex social landscape, honoring each and every part of the food system. Resources: The Teaching KitchenCook This Kit UCLA Farmers MarketThe Rothman Institute for Food StudiesKCRW Good Food (Evan's podcast!) Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Superheroes, science fiction, and fantasy tell a much more complex story than what meets the eye. Dr. Drea Letamendi, clinical psychologist, media consultant, TEDx Speaker, and former Interim Director of UCLA’s RISE center, talks with us today about the power of storytelling in the fictional media landscape-- how storytelling accelerates empathy and helps audiences navigate their own personal experiences of joy, grief, resilience, and healing. Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, provide feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Podcast Resources: UCLA Rise CenterDr. Drea’s website full of resources Dr. Drea’s The Arkham Sessions Podcast! UCLA CapsToday’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Turns out, we need more wonder in our lives, beauty is a survival tool, and mushrooms are the greatest carbon-sequester solution for climate change. Learn about this and more through the words and wisdom of our guest today, Louie Schwartzberg. Louie Schwartzberg is an environmental activist, UCLA graduate, and award-winning artist, director, cinematographer. In this episode, Louie says that the messaging of the environmental movement has failed. Why? Because instead of just laying facts on the table, you have to tell a really good story to move people. And Louie tells the story of nature by capturing its abundant beauty in his breathtaking photography and videography seen on Netflix and Disney. Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, offer feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Episode Resources + Mentions: Louie Channel Moving Art by Louie SchwartzbergLouie’s Ted TalksNYT article about Dacher Keltner’s research on awe The Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center is partnering with Louie’s Moving Art for a research project on UCLA campus. If you would like to install Moving Art in your campus building or department, please email [email protected]. Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Why can preventive health services be covered by health insurance? Why should we be prioritizing research and screenings that close the evidence gaps in health research? And who can help shift these priorities? That’s the US Preventive Services Task Force. Today, our guest, past appointed chair of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and UCLA professor and physician, guides us through getting onboarded, choosing recommendations, bridging evidence to make preventive services more accessible for everyone.  Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, offer feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Episode Resources + Mentions: US Preventive Services Task ForceUCLA Health Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Why can preventive health services be covered by health insurance? Why should we be prioritizing research and screenings that close the evidence gaps in health research? And who can help shift these priorities? That’s the US Preventive Services Task Force. Today, our guest, Dr. Carol Mangione, past appointed chair of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and UCLA professor and physician, guides us through  onboarding, choosing recommendations, and bridging evidence to make preventive services more accessible for everyone.  Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, offer feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Episode Resources + Mentions: US Preventive Services Task ForceUCLA Health Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

What are the little things we can do to create ritual, reflection, and reduce stress as we navigate new transitions? As we enter into this upcoming school year and a new season, this re-released episode with Dr. Brenda Bursch will walk us through resilience tools -- from setting boundaries to putting plants in your office -- to navigate change with a bit more calm. Dr. Bursch, an expert in mental health and resilience, is a professor and clinical psychologist in the UCLA Departments Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences and Pediatrics. This re-released episode was originally our 36th episode in September 2021. Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, offer feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Episode Resources + Mentions: Part 1: Finding the Path Back to Meaning and JoyPart 2: Finding the Path Back to Meaning and JoyMindful Awareness Research Center Find Transcripts under each episode page on our website.  Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Join us today for a deep dive into how social determinants of health, the non-medical influences that contribute to someone’s health outcomes, can be addressed with a preventive, population-based approach, like Geisinger’s Fresh Food Farmacy. Dr. Andrea Feinberg guides us through this topic, outlining her work as a critical care ICU doctor, a population health leader, and as the lead doctor addressing chronic diabetes and food insecurity in Pennsylvania's communities through free meal programs and food education. The subsequent diabetes control results are striking, and serve as an example for further community-based approaches to healthcare. Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, offer feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Episode Resources + Mentions: Harvard Business Review Article Geisinger Health Fresh Food Farmacy Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Join us today for a lesson in environmental storytelling with Tamar Christensen. Everything about Tamar’s story is fascinating-- she is a writing instructor at UCLA, a Veteran, a composter, a chicken mom, and a zero-waste lifestyle icon. We hear about how she sold her car after a transformative trip to Europe, how she gave food nonprofit Nourish LA a home at UCLA, and how she structures her creative writing classes around navigating eco-anxiety and knowing one’s place in the climate crisis. Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, provide feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Episode Resources + Mentions: Nourish LA Daily Bruin Article Tamar Christensen Writing Programs Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

In this special “Behind the Mic” episode, podcast producer Kayleigh Ruller interviews Dr. Wendy Slusser to learn more about her career, her inspirations, her mentors, and how the Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center came to be. Dr. Wendy Slusser has been leading the Semel HCI center for nearly a decade to advance health research, host summits, gather leaders, and embed health equity across campus. Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, provide feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Episode Resources + Mentions: Venice Family ClinicEatwell Pod School Salad Bar Research Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Today, Wendy chats with Matt St.Clair to learn about his advocacy work, starting with the ground-breaking UC Go Solar Campaign in 2003 to his current position as the UC’s Chief Sustainability officer. We learn about cross-department collaboration, effective communication for change, and staying grounded in mission. Enjoy!Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, provide feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Episode Resources + Mentions: UC Go Solar CampaignLEED CertificationSustainability Action Research Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Hi listeners! We want to extend to you an invitation to our annual Semel HCI Celebration: Cultivating Community. Please RSVP (free) here. There will be food, music, performances, speeches, teaching demonstrations, and more. We will be honoring Louie Schwartzberg  with the Eudaimonia Lifetime Achievement Award.  Come join us for an evening of gathering and celebration!  Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

You don’t want to miss today’s episode--mainly because Wendy and Elizabeth reveal their reigning favorite salt! How’d we get there? Because Elizabeth shares how she guides her students through a mindful salt tasting--an exercise that embodies her research at the intersection of food and performance. A PhD candidate at UCLA in Theater and Performance Studies with a graduate certificate in Food Studies, Elizabeth discusses how she approaches food experiences and food justice through an artistic research lens. Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, provide feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Episode Resources + Mentions: Elizabeth’s Recent Newsroom article Sustainable LA Grand ChallengeDonna Haraway, Staying with the TroubleUCLA REC Teaching Kitchen Common Threads Non-Profit Black Panther Movement + Breakfast ProgramToday’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

If you have ever visited UCLA, you have likely seen and heard piano melodies around campus. We have today’s guest, Jeremy Barrett, to thank for that. In this conversation, we hear how Jeremy’s Piano Project was sparked by a desire for community engagement. We learn how he pitched the concept to UCLA Chancellor Gene Block, and how eventually, he landed a job with music legend Quincy Jones. All of his outward success is guided by preparation, courage, and a desire to connect through the universal language of music.Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, provide feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast!Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Bob Thurman, longtime Professor of Buddhist Studies at Columbia University, believes education is one of the most important aspects of being human, but not education in the way academics typically refer to. A Tibetan Buddhist writer, student, and teacher, Bob believes in the education of the soul---cultivating character, not simply mind, and revolutionizing culture toward equanimity, harmony, and justice.  Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, provide feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Former UCLA gymnast, Anna Glenn, shares with us how she translated athleticism into advocacy during her time at UCLA and beyond. We found out how Anna is a masterful transitioner, so to speak--moving to LA from North Carolina, facing career-pausing injuries, being adopted, graduating in the pandemic, and embracing her Asian American identity.Check out Anna’s Bruin Brave campaign here. Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, provide feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Coffee, community, and connection are the ways that Joe and Celia Ward-Wallace advocate for their South Central LA community. As founders of the South LA Cafe and the South LA community nonprofit, this dynamic duo is paving the path toward food justice and community health. Learn how Celia, with her coaching and consulting background, and Joe, with his firefighting background, came together to create a place of gathering in their neighborhood. To learn more and support their work head to www.southlacafe.com.Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, provide feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

How is controversy a good thing? What does it mean to have five eyes? Why is there no such thing as spectatorship? This is what we set out to uncover in Part 2 of our Special Series with Peter Sellars, world-renowned theater and opera director. Join us as we discuss imagining new and revolutionary solutions to issues and injustices by centering art and community care. Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, provide feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Why were snakes at the original Olympics? How are the arts and sports intimately connected? How did the Greek tragedy come to be? We cover all of these questions in Part 1 of our Special 2 Part Interview  with Peter Sellars. Peter, with his gift of storytelling, takes us on a journey to the Olympics in ancient Greece, where health, theater, and the arts were of equal importance in this celebration of togetherness. Fast forward to today, we look at how arts and sports are both lifelong commitments to navigating struggle in thrilling, liberating, and uniting ways.Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, provide feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

Superheroes, science fiction, and fantasy tell a much more complex story than what meets the eye. Dr. Drea Letamendi, clinical psychologist, media consultant, TEDx Speaker, and former Interim Director of UCLA’s RISE center, talks with us today about the power of storytelling in the fictional media landscape-- how storytelling accelerates empathy and helps audiences navigate their own personal experiences of joy, grief, resilience, and healing. Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, provide feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

There is no better person to tell us how to acquire and enjoy traditional Japanese shiso leaves or the modern honeynut squash than Dr. James Bassett--a Master Gardener, beloved UCLA lecturer, and sustainability non-profit founder. An advocate for urban agriculture, James shares with us resources and tools regarding the practice of seed-saving. We learn how seed saving is a path to improving crop diversity, preserving food culture, and promoting soil and human health for the future. Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, provide feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast! Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla

This conversation with Evan Kleiman is a breath of fresh air, covering the practices and perspectives that sustain Evan’s regenerative, equitable, and of course, delicious approach to preparing a meal. The perspectives offered honor the transformative role that food can play in a complex social landscape, honoring each and every part of the food system. KCRW's Good Food PodcastSubstack: Evan's Food ThoughtsToday’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla