The devastating fires that started on January 7, 2025 here in Southern California—sweeping through several communities, killing 31 people, displacing thousands, and forever upending Angelenos’ sense of security—have been a defining event for UCLA—and specifically for SLAGC.
Much of our work since January 2025 has centered on bringing together experts, institutions, and policy makers to catalyze solutions-oriented research that lays the groundwork for a recovery responsive to community needs and ensures a more resilient future in the face of changing risk.
Drawing on the last year of work, SLAGC will convene researchers, civic leaders, community partners, and philanthropists to develop a solutions-oriented shared agenda for reducing urban-wildfire risk in Los Angeles and beyond for our 2026 Wildfire Research Symposium:
Urban Firestorms: Risk and Resilience
Thursday | May 7, 2026
Luskin Conference Center | UCLA
Join us for this day-long symposium to help us build the roadmap for a more resilient American West in the face of dynamic and evolving disasters with a focus on how to pioneer new ways for universities to collaborate across disciplines, and with civic institutions and communities to create more impactful and responsive research.
The symposium will include a poster session to showcase the depth and breadth of UCLA research around fire and its impact on our region. Below is the agenda for the day; details are still being finalized.
SYMPOSIUM AGENDA
9:15 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Opening
- Welcoming Remarks: Randall Winston, Los Angeles Deputy Mayor of Infrastructure
- Keynote: Alex Hall, Director, UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Panel 1 | Research Meets Reality: Mobilizing Universities for Fire Resilience
- Moderator: TBA
- Panelists:
- Megan Mullin, Faculty Director, UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation
- Kari Nadeau, MD, Chair, Department of Environmental Health at Harvard
- Nurit Katz, Chief Sustainability Officer at UCLA
- Liz Koslov, Assistant Professor of Urban Planning, UCLA Institute for the Environment and Sustainability
11:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. Break
11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Panel 2 | Why Can’t We Stop Fires Once They Start?: The Role of Water and Infrastructure in Fighting Wildfires
- Moderator: Noah Haggerty, LA Times
- Panelists:
- Greg Pierce, Senior Director, UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation
- Faith Kearns, Director of Research Communications, ASU Arizona Water Innovation Initiative
- Mike Antos, Senior Integrated Water Management Specialist, Stantec Consulting
- Edith de Guzman, Water Equity and Adaptation Policy Cooperative Extension Specialist with UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation
12:15 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Lunch
1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Panel 3 | Everything That Burns: A Conversation About Fuels Where Cities Meet the Wildlands
- Moderator: TBA
- Panelist:
- Alex Hall, Director, UCLA Institute for the Environment and Sustainability
- Travis Longcore, Senior Associate Director, UCLA Institute for the Environment and Sustainability
- David Eisenman, MD, Director, UCLA Center for Public Health and Disasters
2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Discussion and Wrap-up
3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Poster Session and Social Event
- Poster session to showcase the depth and breadth of UCLA research around fire, combined with a hosted social event. If you are affiliated with UCLA and would like to be considered for the poster session, fill out this form.
