#4 THE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF LOS ANGELES with Francisco Jasso Magana
Our final podcast episode in this series is describing an important research project at the Center for the Study of Los Angeles (StudyLA) at Loyola Marymount University, conducted by expert Research Associate Francisco Jasso Magana who received his Doctorate from the University of Caifornia at Irvine, California. His subject is Measure G, designed for major government reform and funded by the Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation. At a time when the status of Democracy is being questioned, this Foundation is dedicated to supporting projects that promote ways for government to better serve the public. Francisco describes first of all how Measure G came about to be passed by the electorate in Los Angeles. There were several reasons but a major catalyst was a scandal of a leaked recorded conversation by prominent political City leaders that displayed racist attitudes and gross incompetence. The goals for this Measure G government reform is accountability, transparency and more fair representation - meaning people power. Listen to Francisco and learn how this Measure G will be changing Los Angeles and developing some new governmental structures that have not changed in over a hundred years. This kind of government reform has the potential to become a model to be imitated by others far and wide.
To Contact:
Email: StudyLA@lmu.edu
17 Sept 2026
#3 THE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF LOS ANGELES with Chhandosi Roy, Ph.d
We are continuing with the podcast series describing several research projects which are the centerpiece of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles (StudyLA) at Loyola Marymount University. The podcast guest, Chhandosi Roy is a Co-Principal Investigator of StudyLA and has a Doctorate in Political Science from the University of Buffalo, New York. In this episode she is telling us all about the “Angeleno Poll”, a survey that has been conducted every year since 2014, and is the largest of its kind in any metropolitan area of urban America. This research project is asking the people of Los Angeles (Angelenos) their opinion on some of the most pressing problems facing the City, and reaches more than 22,000 residents. The survey covers hundreds of hours of conversation on various topics such as the following: sense of belonging in Los Angeles, the Black experience, housing and the unhoused, the upcoming 2028 Olympics and Paralympics. Chhandosi reports that some of the conversations may include general ideas of how Angelenos feel about the future of the region, or how they think things are going for the City. Given that Los Angeles and California often have a worldwide impact, famous for innovation, creativity and optimism, listen to the answers to salient questions. At the same time in this 2026 year of much turmoil and duress, contemplate your own thoughts on these highlighted issues. The results of the Angeleno Poll are published on the StudyLA website and, as the Center’s Director has discussed, reveal important information for Los Angeles leaders and organizations to use in making policy decisions for the future.
To Contact:
StudyLA@lmu.edu
17 Sept 2026
#2 THE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF LOS ANGELES with Brianne Gilbert
It was a quiet, peaceful time as the year 2025 began in Los Angeles, California, in the first days of January. Then, suddenly, with winds of 100 miles an hour, a fire began that roared across the City with biblical destruction in its path. The fire came to be known as the Eaton and Pacific Palisades fires for the two neighborhoods that were decimated. In truth, like disasters that cause a public trauma, it affected the very spirit of Los Angeles and its impact lingers as a two year marking point is fast approaching.
In this episode you will hear from Brianne Gilbert, Managing Director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University and a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Political Science and International Relations. Now referred to as StudyLA, the Center cultivates knowing how the people of the City are feeling and coping. Brianne is telling us of a particular effort called the Community Action Project (CAP.LA) funded by the R & S Kayne Foundation. It is comprised of unique teams of experts from three Universities; Loyola Marymount, University of Southern California and Harvard. These teams of disaster recovery experts came together to gather information for the households and businesses from the affected neighborhoods to be empowered with data as they struggled to make critical decisions for their recovery. Here is an example of the academic world leaving the ivory tower with information to help solve community programs. It is the Action in CAP.LA which is most important and reflects the vision of the Center founded by Fernando Guerra, to create a bridge between the University and the community. That morning of early January 2025, thousands were evacuated from walls of fire that were whipped as high as the sky with air that had a stench with gray smoke everywhere. There were many who had everything swept away in the burning. Brianne will describe how information was power from the likes of the Community Action Project and gave hope to the immediate fire victims and to the City of Los Angeles as a whole.
To Contact:
Email: Brianne.Gilbert@lmu.edu
or StudyLA@lmu.edu
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Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.8 / 5
12 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
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