Tommaso Treu
Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy
What is the universe made of?
- Friday, April 24, 2026
- 2:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
- Schoenberg Hall
Ever since the dawn of time humans have been wondering "what is the universe made of"? Answering this question has led to fundamental advances and countless surprises, from the understanding of atoms and the periodic table to elements to the development of the standard model of particle physics. Perhaps the most surprising answer has been given by astronomical observations: the universe appears to be mostly made of "stuff" that we have never seen or interacted with on Earth. We call this "stuff" dark matter and dark energy. In this talk, Professor Treu will describe how this discovery came about and what we are doing to understand what dark matter and dark energy are.
Peter Lunenfeld
Professor of Design Media Arts
Future Street: Los Angeles in the Era of Artificial Intelligence
On October 31, 2025, UCLA Professor Peter Lunenfeld presented his lecture "Future Street: Los Angeles in the Era of Artificial Intelligence." In his talk, Peter Lunenfeld, a media theorist turned urban storyteller, weaved his research on the cultural impact of artificial intelligence into a connectionist narrative about LA's beguiling complexities.
Past Recipients
2025 (Spring)
Raymond Knapp
"How Music(ology) Saves Lives"
2024 (Fall)
Keith Holyoak
"Intelligence, Creativity, and Consciousness in Humans and (Perhaps) Machines"
Nomination Guidelines
Nominated and selected by peers, the distinguished recipients of the Faculty Research Lecture awards are exemplary of UCLA’s commitment to research excellence. The lecture format of this honor provides the recipients a platform to share their scholarship broadly with faculty, students, and the UCLA community and is a recognition of the importance of the wide dissemination of knowledge generated by UCLA faculty.
Previously administered by the Academic Senate, the Faculty Research Lecture is now a program of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research & Creative Activities (ORCA).
