UCLA - University of California - Los Angeles
04/01/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 04/01/2026 17:56
IN FOCUS: Arab American Heritage Month
Former UCLA faculty member wins Nobel Prize
Omar Yaghi, a Jordanian-born chemist who taught at UCLA from 2006 to 2011, is the recipient of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He is known as the pioneering inventor of reticular chemistry, a branch of science that deals with the linking of molecular building blocks into extended crystalline structures.
Learn about how his discoveries are driving clean energy from UCLA Newsroom.
UCLA researcher receives international award for cancer treatment and aging research
Dr. Mina Sedrak was awarded the King Hussein Cancer Research Award in recognition of his efforts to understand and prevent accelerated aging in cancer survivors. One of the Arab world's most prestigious honors, the award's namesake was a champion of healthcare and oncology research.
Read more about how he is helping patients thrive after cancer from UCLA Health.
Connecting through language
An unexpected friendship formed when UCLA doctoral student Richard Assaley - who researches Arabic languages and has studied Maltese since community college - met Glen Spiteri, who is one of only two current UCLA students from Malta.
Workshop examines how Arabic-script manuscripts got to UCLA
UCLA holds the second-largest collection of Arabic-script manuscripts in the Americas, including Persian and Ottoman Turkish manuscripts dating from 1100 to 1930 and covering a wide range of subjects. Last November, Luke Yarbrough, a professor in the Department of Near Eastern Studies and Cultures, organized a workshop that brought together students, scholars and members of the public to discuss the origins of these rare texts.
Read about the initiative from the UCLA International Institute.
Cataloging rare manuscripts
As part of the Islamicate Manuscripts Initiative, UCLA Library stewards a vast collection of Arabic-script manuscripts, among other texts in additional languages across North Africa, Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the Middle East and Central and South Asia.
Watch experts talk about the significance of this work from UCLA Library.
The inspiration behind Ali Eyal's art
Iraqi visual artist Ali Eyal tells the story behind his immersive painting "And Look Where I Went," describing his experience visiting the 9/11 Memorial in New York City and a conversation he had with a hot dog vendor. This program was part of the Hammer Museum at UCLA's "Made in L.A. 2025" biennale,which highlighted artists working throughout the greater Los Angeles area.
Watch a video about this monumental work from the Hammer Museum.
Scent therapy with plants to heal from the past
For Dr. Nasser S. El-Okdi, a UCLA Health hospitalist and associate clinical professor of medicine, the art of healing extends not just to his patients but also to his devotion to the hoya plants he cultivates. The plant reminds him of his childhood in Lebanon, as he seeks to help change the face of medicine.
Learn more about how he finds the strength to help heal others from UCLA Health.
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