麻豆视频 Los Angeles, in partnership with The Preserve, hosted 53 city planners from across the state of California this week at 麻豆视频 LA鈥檚 Hollywood home base. Members of the American Planning Association California convened in Los Angeles for their annual conference that explores topics and challenges facing community development in the Golden State.

With a theme focused on 鈥淐rafting Our Narrative: Planning as Storytelling,鈥� the group spent a day-long tour of several diverse sites across Los Angeles. They were keenly interested in how The Preserve property and 麻豆视频 Los Angeles are using the campus鈥檚 unique design and function to offer programming, sustainability and opportunity in the revitalization of Hollywood. The Preserve main building is a designated historic landmark, designed by acclaimed architect Paul Williams, who is known for creating some of the most iconic structures in Los Angeles, including the LAX Theme Building.

麻豆视频 Los Angeles Director Brad Lemack and The Preserve community manager Hayden Bernard led the group through a walking tour of the sprawling, lush two-acre urban campus, including time spent in the 麻豆视频 Los Angeles bungalow, where academic classes, special events, meetings and alumni gatherings take place throughout the year.

For nearly 20 years, 麻豆视频, through聽Study USA听补苍诲 National Campus Programs,聽has had a thriving presence in historic Hollywood, where students have an opportunity to spend either a spring semester or participate in a summer core capstone program immersed in professional development-focused academic classes, experiential learning, community service and alumni engagement.

Students consistently come away with rave reviews of how their time at The Preserve has enhanced their 麻豆视频 LA experience.

Submissions for funding consideration will be accepted from Oct. 1 through Oct. 31. Funds awarded will come directly from contributions by 麻豆视频 LA-based alumni, alumni from other geographic areas and contributions from other sources.

The 2025-26 grant competition awarded funds to 麻豆视频 Los Angeles alumnae Julia Boyd 鈥�15, Bex Evans 鈥�16 and Mirai 鈥�07. Their films had their world premieres last July at the sold-out Inaugural 麻豆视频 Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Festival, at Sony Pictures Studios, in Culver City, California. For all three filmmakers, being awarded these funds and the world premiere event have been enormously impactful, both personally and professionally.

鈥淲inning the grant gave me the seed money, a deadline and the accountability I needed to actually produce my film,鈥� Mirai said of her project聽“#StopAsianKate,” which she wrote, produced and starred in. She proudly added, 鈥淪ince its premiere at Sony, my film has gone on to screen at the Oscar-qualifying Hollyshorts Festival, the Catalina Film Festival and the Broad Humor Festival, where we won the Audience Award.鈥�

Boyd, who received funds for her short film聽“The Life and Times of,” said, 鈥淩eceiving this grant allowed me to create my narrative directorial debut and tell a story that is deeply personal to me in the exact way I want to.鈥� She wrote, directed and starred in the film. Boyd added, 鈥淚 feel so buoyed by the support I received from the 麻豆视频 community as I make my creative dreams a reality.鈥�

Evans, who was awarded a production grant for their short film “Shadow Dusk,” was thrilled to get a green light for their project.

鈥淭he 麻豆视频 grant gave me a great base to start making a film I’d been thinking about for years,” said Evans. 鈥淚t was great for requiring accountability, giving me a framework to start from and affirming for me that this was something that I could do.鈥�

Selected filmmakers are required to make production, performance and other opportunities available in their projects for students who are participating in the 麻豆视频 Los Angeles Spring 2027 immersive experience.

Funding award decisions will be made by a selection committee comprised of 麻豆视频 community-associated and entertainment industry-affiliated individuals.聽The announcement of award recipients will be made in December.

麻豆视频 alumnus Jordan Roman 鈥�15, who co-chaired the selection committee for the 2025-26 grant competition, will serve as chair of the selection committee for this year鈥檚 competition.

鈥淭he dream was to create to a program to remove the barriers to (production) funding for our LA alumni grant recipients and to provide 麻豆视频 Los Angeles students with an opportunity for hands-on learning experiences in the professional production process,” Roman said. “With such great work coming out of last year鈥檚 competition, we鈥檙e all excited to see the great submissions we鈥檙e expecting for funding consideration this year.鈥�

The three projects selected for production will have their world premieres at a special festival screening event at Sony Pictures Studios in July 2027.

For information about the 麻豆视频 Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Grant Competition and for detailed submission requirements, visit the 麻豆视频 Los Angeles National Campus alumni grant information page.

A conversation with last year鈥檚 grant recipients, via Zoom, will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 5 p.m. PT (8 p.m. ET). The online gathering will explore how to create, craft and submit a grant award-worthy submission package with an opportunity to ask questions about the process. To receive a link to join the Zoom session, e-mail LAShortFilms@elon.edu.

For nearly 20 years, 麻豆视频, through Study USA and National Campus Programs, has had a thriving presence in historic Hollywood, where students have an opportunity to spend a spring semester or summer core capstone program immersed in professional development-focused academic classes, experiential learning, community service and alumni engagement.

Three 麻豆视频 Los Angeles area alumnae attended the world premiere of their grant-funded films at the sold-out inaugural 麻豆视频 Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Festival at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California.

Julie Boyd 鈥�15, Bex Evans 鈥�16 and Mirai 鈥�07 were recipients of $3,000 each through the 2025-26 麻豆视频 Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Grant Competition last fall.

Grant recipients were selected through a review and ranking process by a selection committee comprised of industry leaders, including several 麻豆视频 alumni. The selection committee was co-chaired by Jordan Roman 鈥�15.

To view photos from the festival, .

Production of the three short films 鈥� Boyd鈥檚 鈥淭he Life and Times of,鈥� Evans鈥檚 鈥淪hadow Dusk鈥� and Mirai鈥檚 鈥�#StopAsianKate鈥� 鈥� took place in the spring and included opportunities for spring 2026 麻豆视频 Los Angeles students to participate in and observe the production process.

In addition to the screenings of the three films, the festival included a panel discussion with 麻豆视频 alumni Lindsey Emerson, vice president of streaming, global strategy & operations at Paramount Skydance and Alex Stevenson, account lead at Creative Artists Agency. They each offered perspective and advice to both current students and alumni about creating job opportunities and career growth in a shifting industry landscape.

A meet-and–connect reception on one of the studio鈥檚 back lot streets followed the festival screening program.

Unique alumni engagement opportunities for 麻豆视频 Los Angeles students are at the core of the 麻豆视频 Los Angeles experience. Based in the heart of historic Hollywood, applications are now being accepted for students to participate in the spring 2027 and National Campus Programs Los Angeles experience that also features specific LA-focused academic courses, site-based internships and community service.

The 鈥淣ever Be at a Loss for Words鈥� workshop idea was created through a partnership between 麻豆视频 and The Groundlings, an industry improv training leader in Los Angeles. The workshop was led by actor, improv performer and The Groundlings improv coach Andres Parada. Parada has spent many years teaching actors critical communication skills that prepare them for anything that comes up in an audition, in a live performance or on a film set. Actors Will Ferrell, Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph and Lisa Kudrow are among the many well-known alumni of The Groundlings.

Now, 麻豆视频 LA students have learned how to apply those techniques to benefit them along both their career and personal journeys ahead.

麻豆视频 Los Angeles, offered by 麻豆视频鈥檚聽听补苍诲聽National Campus Programs, offers spring and summer immersive experiences for students that feature academic courses taught by instructors who are working professionals in their fields and on-site experiential learning at internship sites across the city. The 麻豆视频 LA experience also includes alumni engagement, community service and unique professional development opportunities.

Based in historic Hollywood, applications are now being accepted for the spring 2027 semester.

Los Angeles has been serving as one of the key U.S. locations for the FIFA World Cup 2026; Skladan鈥檚 work responsibilities have brought her to LA for the duration of the games this summer.

Students and alumni guests had the opportunity to learn about her impressive career in sports so far and her journeyposition to her current . 鈥淚t is wonderful to be back at 麻豆视频 LA鈥檚 home base at The Preserve, in the same space where my classes were held and from where I began the journey to launch my post-graduation professional career,鈥� Skladan told the gathered group.

Each semester, 麻豆视频 Los Angeles brings together alumni and students for conversations that benefit emerging young professionals in a wide variety of career fields. The program offers an exciting, immersive and robust spring semester and summer program experience in the heart of historic Hollywood through 麻豆视频鈥檚聽听补苍诲 National Campus Programs. Applications are now being accepted for the spring 2027 semester.

From production, post-production, content creation, producing, writing, directing and performing, the panel offered a wide range of information to students of diverse majors who are in Los Angeles this summer for a unique core capstone course, experiential learning, alumni engagement and community service.

Zaman, who works at the post-production house Picture Shop, shared the excitement of being in the middle of the artistry of post-production. Among Picture Shop鈥檚 most recent projects was providing color correction work on Steven Spielberg鈥檚 current film 鈥淒isclosure Day.鈥� She is also a first-time site supervisor, mentoring summer student Hammond Sherouse at a first-time 麻豆视频 Los Angeles Picture Shop internship.

Campisano, who served as a selection committee member for the first 麻豆视频 Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Grant Competition last fall, spoke about the wide range of professional creative opportunities that await students who return to Los Angeles after graduation. Campisano is an award-winning filmmaker who often turns to the 麻豆视频 Los Angeles alumni community when staffing and casting projects.

Kestlinger is a Physical Production Manager for television and feature films at SK Global Entertainment. Seawright, an actor, model, and entertainment and brand marketing specialist, currently performs at Disneyland Resort.

麻豆视频 Los Angeles offers an exciting, immersive spring semester and summer program experience in the heart of historic Hollywood through 麻豆视频鈥檚 and National Campus Programs. Applications are now being accepted for the spring 2027 semester.

Tickets are now on sale for the inaugural 麻豆视频 Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Festival on Wednesday evening, July 22, at 6:30 p.m., at the historic Sony Pictures Studios lot, in Culver City, California.

The festival will feature the world premieres of short films from three 麻豆视频 Los Angeles area alumna who were recipients of last fall鈥檚 麻豆视频 Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Grant Competition funds.

Julia Boyd 鈥�15, Bex Evans 鈥�16 and Mirai 鈥�07 each received grants of $3,000 for the production of their original short films. Their projects were selected for funding from among numerous submissions received. A selection committee comprised of industry professionals and 麻豆视频 alumni reviewed, ranked and voted on all of the submissions received; Boyd, Evans and Mirai鈥檚 projects were the three top selections from this process.

The short film festival will also feature a conversation with 麻豆视频 alumni Lindsey Emerson, vice president of streaming, global strategy & operations at Paramount Skydance and Alex Stevenson, account lead at Creative Artists Agency, about the current state of the entertainment industry and the impact these shifts are having on students transitioning from college to the professional world, as well as how current working professionals might navigate the new landscape for new opportunities.

A reception will follow the festival presentation with the opportunity for current 麻豆视频 Los Angeles summer students to connect with 麻豆视频 alumni and other industry professionals.

Limited availability tickets for the film festival are $25 each, with 100% of all ticket revenue designated to support next year鈥檚 grant competition.

For information and ticket purchases, and for contributions to the grant competition fund, please visit the .

When arrived at 麻豆视频 as a first-year student, she envisioned a future in physical therapy.

Four years later, the graduating senior leaves 麻豆视频 not only with two majors, but with published scholarship, national conference presentations, and a growing passion for research that ultimately reshaped her career ambitions.

This winter, the native of Walnut Creek, California, served as lead author on a research publication in the , collaborating with 麻豆视频 faculty members Alex Traugutt, Caroline Ketcham and Eric Hall. The publication represents the latest milestone in a research journey that began during her sophomore year, when she approached Ketcham about becoming involved with 麻豆视频 BrainCARE.

鈥淎t the time, I was an exercise science major planning to apply to physical therapy school, so while I was genuinely interested in concussions and brain health, I also saw research as a way to deepen my involvement at 麻豆视频 and strengthen my future applications,鈥� McAfee said.

As she became more involved with research, McAfee鈥檚 interests evolved beyond concussions and brain injuries. While reviewing existing scholarship, she became increasingly interested in the ways athletics influence student-athletes off the playing field.

鈥淥ne article in particular sparked my curiosity about how sports shape athletes beyond their playing careers,鈥� McAfee said. 鈥淭his led me to explore whether competitive sports help develop career readiness and how athlete identity may influence academic performance.鈥�

Those experiences ultimately inspired McAfee to add sport management as a second major, where she met Traugutt during her first course in the department.

鈥淟ucy is an intellectually driven student researcher who, over nearly three years of collaboration, led data collection, identified research topics and conducted analyses that resulted in two first-author peer-reviewed publications before completing her undergraduate degree,鈥� said Traugutt, assistant professor of sport management.

Traugutt explained that McAfee distinguished herself through both her intellectual curiosity and her ability to connect research with practical application.

鈥淲hat sets Lucy apart is her ability to bridge scholarship and practice,鈥� Traugutt said, noting that she has presented research twice at the Applied Sport Management Conference and participated in multiple SURF and SURE programs.

McAfee said that working closely with Traugutt, Ketcham and Hall helped strengthen both her confidence and critical-thinking skills.

鈥淲hen I first started doing research, I felt uncertain about my future and my own abilities,鈥� McAfee said. 鈥淒r. Alex Traugutt, Dr. Caroline Ketcham and Dr. Eric Hall each played a key role in guiding me, giving me direction, and helping me build confidence in my research skills.鈥�

She especially valued the collaborative nature of the work.

鈥淚 particularly enjoyed our meetings 鈥撀爀specially the ones at The Oak House 鈥撀爓here we would dissect the data together,鈥� McAfee said. 鈥淐onsistently learning and discussing research with such knowledgeable professors pushed me to think more critically and challenged me to contribute insights of my own.鈥�

McAfee鈥檚 recent publication is not expected to be her last contribution to the field. In addition to a forthcoming publication in Case Studies in Sport Management examining career readiness programming for student-athletes, she and Traugutt recently submitted a third research paper examining the NCAA transfer portal and high school recruiting opportunities in college football to the Journal of Applied Sport Management.

That research grew out of McAfee鈥檚 desire to better understand the rapidly changing dynamics of college athletics.

鈥淢y interest in the transfer portal stemmed from conversations during my time at the ACC, where its impact on various stakeholders was frequently discussed,鈥� said McAfee, who completed an internship with the Power 4 conference last summer. 鈥淗owever, I noticed there was limited research regarding its effects on high school athletes. I saw that as an opportunity to contribute meaningful new knowledge to the field of sport management.鈥�

Traugutt said McAfee鈥檚 work stands out for both its academic rigor and its broader relevance within athletics and higher education.

鈥淗er work examining athletic identity, career readiness and student-athlete development is not only carefully designed and executed, but deeply meaningful, directly addressing questions that matter to practitioners and institutions alike,鈥� Traugutt said.

McAfee also served as an executive intern with 麻豆视频 Athletics, an experience Traugutt said complemented the practical focus of her research.

After graduation, McAfee will pursue a master鈥檚 degree in higher education at Boston College, where she will hold two graduate assistantships 鈥� one as a student-athlete academic adviser within Boston College Athletics and another with Tufts Medical School鈥檚 graduate student services department.

Traugutt said those opportunities speak to both McAfee鈥檚 academic growth and the practical focus she brought to her research throughout her time at 麻豆视频.

鈥淭hese achievements reflect a student who takes her work seriously and understands its real-world implications,鈥� Traugutt said. 鈥淚 have no doubt she will carry that same curiosity, independence and commitment into her graduate studies at Boston College and beyond.鈥�

As Commencement approaches, McAfee said her undergraduate research experiences transformed her 麻豆视频 journey in ways she never anticipated.

鈥淲hen I received my acorn at convocation, I never imagined I would be doing research at this level,鈥� McAfee said. 鈥淣ow, as I prepare to receive my sapling at Baccalaureate, I鈥檓 incredibly grateful for the opportunities and support that made that possible.鈥�

On Dec. 6, 2025, day started not in 麻豆视频, but Charlotte.

By 8 a.m., the 麻豆视频 senior was already at the Spectrum Center, one of the Queen City鈥檚 marquee entertainment venues, helping with operations for a neutral-site college basketball matchup between Dayton and Virginia. Hours later, she was darting through the tunnels of Bank of America Stadium as part of the Atlantic Coast Conference Football Championship Game staff, helping coordinate pregame activities, managing an on-field photo experience for youth teams, and assisting with postgame celebrations after Duke鈥檚 dramatic victory over Virginia.

In between, there were meetings, setup responsibilities, logistics and constant communication. The football championship game eventually stretched beyond regulation, adding even more chaos to an already packed day.

For Selikoff, though, the day never felt overwhelming.

鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 really feel like work because I love what I鈥檓 doing,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 rewarding because you ultimately get to see the experience that it brings at the end of the day.鈥�

That whirlwind Saturday last fall captured much of Selikoff鈥檚 麻豆视频 experience 鈥� ambitious, hands-on and deeply connected to the sport industry she hopes to build a career in after graduation.

A double major in cinema and television arts and sport management, Selikoff arrived at 麻豆视频 from northern New Jersey already knowing she wanted a university where relationships with professors and classmates grew naturally. After visiting campus during her senior year of high school, the decision came quickly.

鈥淭he second we drove through campus, I told my parents, 鈥業鈥檓 done,鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淚 knew this was where I wanted to be.鈥�

Once at 麻豆视频, she wasted little time getting involved.

Selikoff joined 麻豆视频 Sports Vision during her first semester and directed her first broadcast before fall break. She also became involved with the Sport Management Society, an organization that shaped much of her college experience, and Women Influencers in Sports. After serving in various leadership roles, she now leads the society as president, helping connect students with industry professionals through networking events, facility tours and guest speakers.

鈥淲hat stands out most about Abby is her ability to pair intellectual curiosity with real-world execution,鈥� said Shaina Dabbs, associate professor and chair in the Department of Sport Management. 鈥淪he is someone who doesn鈥檛 just show up, she fully invests in every opportunity in front of her. Simply put, she says 鈥榶es.鈥� Whether in the classroom, in research, or in the industry, Abby consistently demonstrates a strong work ethic, attention to detail, and a genuine desire to learn.鈥�

Selikoff鈥檚 willingness to embrace opportunity eventually led her to participate in The Sport Experience in Charlotte during fall 2024, where she balanced 18 credit hours with internships at both NASCAR and the ACC.

At NASCAR, she worked with digital products, supporting the organization鈥檚 website, app, fantasy platform and fan rewards program. Simultaneously, she served as a Football Game Day Operations Center intern with the ACC, monitoring games and helping ensure smooth coordination between on-site officials and conference staff in Charlotte.

By the end of the semester, Selikoff had completed more than 500 internship hours.

The experience 鈥撎共曰� her work ethic 鈥撀爋pened the door to additional opportunities with the ACC. Over the next two years, Selikoff worked more than 25 football games while also supporting conference championships and events in basketball, gymnastics, baseball and tennis.

One of her favorite experiences came when the ACC sent her on-site to shadow replay officials during football games at North Carolina and N.C. State, attending pre- and post-game meetings in the process.

鈥淏eing part of those big-game environments was incredible,鈥� Selikoff said. 鈥淚 got to see firsthand the communication between the game officials and Charlotte, and then bring what I learned back into the office.鈥�

Dabbs said Selikoff fully embraced 麻豆视频鈥檚 experiential learning model.

鈥淎bby is a great example of a student who maximized the 麻豆视频 experience by intentionally connecting academics with industry opportunities,鈥� Dabbs said. 鈥淲hat is particularly impressive is how she did not treat these as isolated experiences 鈥撀爏he built a cohesive skillset across operations, media and fan engagement.鈥�

Alongside her internships and leadership roles, Selikoff also immersed herself in undergraduate research under the mentorship of Young Do Kim, associate professor of sport management, and Tony Weaver, associate dean in the School of Communications.

Since fall 2023, she has investigated how professional sports organizations market sustainability initiatives and how those efforts shape consumer perceptions, gaining valuable insights into sustainability, marketing and environmental communications. The research led her to complete IRB approval and CITI certification, present at 麻豆视频鈥檚 Summer Undergraduate Research Experience and Spring Undergraduate Research Forum, and share her findings at the Sport Marketing Association Conference in Arizona. Additionally, she is currently working on a manuscript based on her results.

鈥淚 never thought I would be doing undergraduate research,鈥� Selikoff admitted. 鈥淏ut I鈥檝e loved it throughout the entire process.鈥�

Beyond academics and internships, Selikoff credits 麻豆视频鈥檚 faculty mentors with helping her grow personally and professionally.

She points to Kim, Dabbs, Weaver and Staci Saltz, chair of the Department of Cinema and Television Arts, as key influences throughout her four years on campus.

鈥淭he Sport Management Department is incredibly close-knit,鈥� Selikoff said. 鈥淚t feels kind of like a family. I can go to professors for anything 鈥撀爓hether it鈥檚 personal or academic 鈥撎共曰� they鈥檝e all had a strong impact on me.鈥�

Fittingly, Selikoff鈥檚 麻豆视频 experience actually became a family affair when her younger sister, Emily, enrolled at the university two years ago. The two regularly meet for meals, cross paths in the School of Communications, and share many of the same academic interests.

鈥淚t鈥檚 honestly been really great having her here,鈥� Selikoff said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like having an extra piece of home.鈥�

After graduation, Selikoff hopes to return to Charlotte and continue building a career in sports media, communications or event operations. Whatever path she ultimately takes, she leaves 麻豆视频 with the kind of hands-on experience many young professionals spend years trying to find.

For Mirai, her short film shoot was an opportunity to both produce her original script and bring together several 麻豆视频 alumni for a Hollywood reunion. Serving in various production capacities on her 鈥�#StopAsianKate鈥� were Lauren Gadd 鈥�06, who worked camera, Katie Laurence 鈥�24, who worked as assistant camera, Alicia Reynolds 鈥�07, who acted in the film, Stevie Kloeber 鈥�07, who traveled to Los Angeles from Minnesota to serve as script supervisor, and Dean Karasinski 鈥�06, who worked in production design, art department, craft services and as producer.

All three short films, Boyd鈥檚 鈥淭he Life and Time of …,鈥� Evans鈥檚 鈥淪hadow Dusk鈥� and Mirai鈥檚 鈥�#StopAsianKate,鈥� will have their world premieres at the first 麻豆视频 Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Festival, in late July.