Q&A with Interim Dean of Social Sciences Abel Valenzuela

 

Starting Sept. 1, Abel Valenzuela Jr. became the interim dean of the UCLA Division of Social Sciences.

Professor of labor studies, urban planning and Chicana/o and Central American studies and director of UCLA’s Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, Valenzuela steps into the role after Dean Darnell Hunt became UCLA’s next executive vice chancellor and provost, and will remain in it through the end of the 2023-24 academic year.

On UCLA’s faculty since 1994 and a longtime leading national expert in his field, Valenzuela discussed his new role in his beloved division and its path forward.

What does it mean to you to follow in the footsteps of Dean Hunt?

Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Hunt is a longstanding UCLA faculty, gifted administrator and scholar who has pushed his discipline and division on a formidable pathway of civic and local engagement, problem-solving and intervention by drawing on UCLA’s greatest talent — its faculty and student body.

During my own tenure leading the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment and its well-established reputation engaging Los Angeles, undertaking empirical and policy-driven research and providing our students with opportunities in applied research, I often consulted with Dean Hunt because our work was so aligned and he was always so receptive and supportive.

Now, as I look ahead into this next chapter, I feel so honored to continue his mission and I’m assured our shared efforts will enhance and strengthen UCLA’s public mission and dedication to excellence in problem solving.

What qualities of the division make it so special and impactful?

The division is large, robust and driven by brilliantly accomplished faculty and students who thoughtfully engage with each other.  Our research engages every corner of our city and our world with a formidable impact.  I continue to be amazed as I reflect on my over 30 years of service at UCLA and all the accomplishments and discoveries that our division makes on a regular basis.  When I travel, I marvel at the impact our alumni are having in the world — their reach is seemingly everywhere you turn.

What are your top priorities as interim dean?

EVCP Hunt was an excellent steward and dean of the division of social sciences. His visionary and steadfast focus on local engagement to change the world and on a social science that matters and is focused on the public good are all priorities that align with my own work and philosophy at the IRLE. In my new leadership role, this vision will continue.

In addition, EVCP Hunt’s dedication to faculty recruitment and retention and to advocating for our division with senior leadership are priorities that I intend to continue as interim dean. Finally, I intend to devote attention to two key matters: staff morale and workplace issues, and graduate student funding.

How can the division’s community show their support during this time and going forward?

We can build community through outreaching to each other and also by just being cognizant of the fact that we are navigating uncertain times. We need to be patient, respectful of others and kind to a fault. If you have the resources and are able, give to UCLA so we can redistribute your generosity in the form of fellowships, summer employment and other ways that build community and support our students.

What does teaching mean to you?

Teaching is connecting — it is gratifying and exhilarating. It is also a lot of hard work. Teaching is reciprocal; you learn when you teach. Some of the best teachers and classes in the world are here at UCLA. My favorite advice to share with students is that the research process is long and its policy impact is incremental. Patience is a virtue and if you have it, you can use it in meaningful and impactful ways. Small, steady, forward movement steps are key to winning — our work is a marathon, not a race.

Is there a fun or little-known fact about you that we could share?

As a teenager I worked at McDonald’s, as a Union 76 “carwashero” (vacuum attendant, to be precise), as a dishwasher at White Memorial Hospital and, shortly after high school graduation, I became a bank teller. Hard work and multiple skill sets have always been a part of my experience and will guide my work ethic for the division.

When you complete your term as interim dean, how will you determine that you’ve done a good job?

I will rely on standard UCLA metrics used to evaluate deans by senior leadership, faculty and students. I will also ask my colleagues — department chairs, research unit director, faculty and students — if my work as interim dean surpassed their expectations and standards. At UCLA, we are all very vocal! Finally, I will constantly remind myself that enhancing student success and positive academic outcomes should be a primary catalyst for my decision making. I am honored, humbled and thank senior campus leadership and EVCP Hunt for their confidence in me as I undertake this new leadership assignment.

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This article originally appeared in the UCLA Newsroom. For more of Our Stories at the College, click here.