CHAIR’S LETTER

As we make headway into the new year, we were again met with new challenges and hurdles to overcome. Challenges and hurdles are not new, and our Bruin community has always been a beacon for optimism and collective strength. In times like these, I find even more importance in celebrating our achievements and milestones and finding joy in what we achieve as we continue to better ourselves and our communities. 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX, and I am heartened to see today’s determined young Bruins continuing extend the limits of what is possible in creating equitable and diverse educational spaces. Additionally, UCLA Athletics will be honoring the legacy of our female student-athletes with special events and initiatives through their “Women of Westwood” celebration this year.

It is also exciting to acknowledge special initiatives taking place across campus this Black History Month, such as a month-long Spark campaign centered in enhancing the Black experience at UCLA. Fundraising for spaces and programs like the Black Bruin Resource Center and The UCLA Arts Racial Equity Fund (among others) plays a pivotal role in uplifting and amplifying Black voices and life on our campus and in our communities. I hope that you’ll consider participating in one of these campaigns. Learn more about these initiatives on the UCLA Spark website.

Looking to the future, I am sure that UCLA will continue to provide exemplary healthcare services to wide audiences, while simultaneously making strides across the sciences, arts, educational access, and more. Your leadership level support to UCLA provides much of the annual funding needed to accomplish such endeavors, and my gratefulness to you continues now more than ever. Please read on for stories of special Bruins, news on exciting upcoming in-person events, as well as a selection of virtual experiences to keep you connected and engaged with everything blue and gold.

With well-wishes and appreciation,

Chau Le ’88
Chair, UCLA Chancellor’s Society

WELCOME BACK TO BRUIN WOODS!

Registration for our return to Lake Arrowhead is now open! Our special Chancellor’s Society Bruin Woods Weekend will be held on Friday, April 29 through Sunday, May 1, 2022 and is offered at exclusive pricing to our Chancellor’s Associates, Chancellor’s Council and Chancellor’s Cabinet level donors. Join fellow Chancellor’s Society members at picturesque Lake Arrowhead to relax and reconnect with one another and UCLA. The weekend includes programming for the whole family, as well as a special faculty presentation about the innovative work done on our campus. This year’s featured speaker is UCLA Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Neil Garg, Ph.D., speaking on the philosophies of teaching Organic Chemistry at UCLA, and current initiatives being developed by students.

Check your inbox or visit our Bruin Woods website for further details. To make sure you won’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity, contact us at csevents@support.ucla.edu.

We hope to see you at Bruin Woods! 

IN MEMORIAM: RICHARD BODDIE

The incredible support that UCLA receives from our Chancellor’s Society volunteers enables our university to achieve excellence in so many ways. These impassioned individuals lend their expertise to drive the influence of our university, and inspire their communities. For over 25 years, Richard Boddie dedicated his life to helping UCLA achieve its mission, and his recent passing marks an indelible loss for our community.

Throughout his life, Richard embodied Bruin values of dedication, kindness, and service. An active member of the San Fernando Valley Chancellor’s Society Volunteer Committee along with his late wife, LeNae Boddie ’75, they both saw great merit in growing the support from their local Bruin community. Initially being involved in his local regional UCLA Alumni Associate support group and then the Order of the Blue Shield, Richard joined the San Fernando Valley Chancellor’s Society (then Associates) committee and quickly rose through the ranks to serve as Chair for the Chancellor’s Associates through the 1990’s. During his tenure, he helped encourage others to support the university in any way they could, and connected them to the programs he held so close to his heart.

Richard’s positive attitude deeply affected those around him, and imparted significant philanthropic values to his loved ones. His daughter, Wyndy, remarks that her father influenced her life in profound ways: “My father believed in donating to causes he was passionate about, and he encouraged me to do the same. I’ve followed in his footsteps in this regard, am proud to support causes such as cancer research, homelessness relief, and veteran advocacy.” She also notes that they often attended sporting events together, and that his love for UCLA Athletics was clear through his enthusiastic patronage. Richard’s love for giving was so contagious, that it inspired those around him to follow suit.

Richard was committed to helping others find the same kind of connections he had with UCLA and his loved ones. Nancy Davis ’76 and Larry Davis ’77, MS ’79, UCLA Parents, Co-chairs for the San Fernando Valley Chancellor’s Society Volunteer Committee, who grew close to Richard through their shared volunteering say, “We can tell you that Dick was a very smart, sensitive and sincere man. His commitment to UCLA was eclipsed only by his love of his family. He will be sorely missed.”

For Jason, giving back is the result of a reflective process. In understanding how the diversity of UCLA has informed his worldview, Jason notes, “I always try to remember how UCLA has shaped my life, and how I’m able to encourage that for the next generation of Bruins. As Chancellor’s Society donors, we are able to come together for a common purpose and be at the forefront of positive change.” 

Please join us in our grateful remembrance of Richard Boddie – a committed Bruin, a driven volunteer, and a kindhearted father.