In This Newsletter

MCAAD at Global Conference
What We're Reading
Building the Dream

MCAAD at Global Conference

The Milken Institute’s Global Conference ran from Saturday, April 29, through Wednesday, May 3, and featured industry leaders from across the globe. By focusing on “Advancing a Thriving World,” the 26th annual conference challenged attendees to tackle our most pressing issues and explore new and exciting opportunities. The Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream (MCAAD) was front and center, while speakers discussed everything from gene therapies to artificial intelligence (AI) and infrastructure.

The Center’s own Rachel Goslins moderated two panels during this year’s conference. “Cultural Institutions as Agents of Change” included leadership from the Studio Museum in Harlem, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the National Geographic Society, and the Sundance Institute. These influential leaders discussed the new generation of cultural institutions and how they can navigate the shifting paradigms that are driving social change. The second panel, “Storytelling to Move the Needle,” was an inspiring conversation about how we can utilize storytelling to advance social, civic, and corporate change. Goslins was joined by great minds Ronan Donovan, National Geographic storytelling fellow; Halim Flowers, artist and activist; Jordan Fudge, producer and founder of New Slate Ventures; and Geena Rocero, author, producer, director, and trans rights advocate. These sessions and all other public sessions can be streamed on demand.

What We’re Reading

East Coast vs. West Coast: A recent article from the Wall Street Journal highlights the national divide in housing markets. According to mortgage data firm Black Knight Inc.’s home-price index, home prices fell in all 12 major housing markets west of Texas, plus Austin, while prices in the East continue to rise. This pattern of geographic disparity is highly unprecedented and shows how housing prices are becoming increasingly dependent on local factors such as affordability, supply, and job growth.

True Cost of College: More than 90 percent of financial aid letters either understate the net price of attendance or don’t include it at all, as reported in a story from Bloomberg. According to the Government Accountability Office, only 9 percent of schools estimate the net price by subtracting only grants and scholarships from key costs. Many believe this lack of transparency is a significant player in the rising college dropout numbers.

Needing a Cure: Physicians and other trained health professionals are in short supply. The Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that if workforce trends and health-care demand continue as expected, the US could be short as many as 124,000 physicians by the year 2034. The Indicator, an NPR podcast, explored potential solutions to the rising workforce issue, including increasing funding, lowering requirements for doctors with foreign credentials, and giving nurses more autonomy.

Building the Dream

Chief of Design and Construction Dave Grissino is back with another Center construction update! Check out the latest footage of some of our big interactive environments and our “sixth building,” the atrium. We hope you enjoy this new introduction and make plans to join us as soon as we open to the public.