Meet Carla Suhr | UCLA Professor, Community-Engaged Scholar, Poetry Enthusiast

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carla Suhr and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carla, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
To me, balance is the cornerstone of sustainability in all environments. Without it, we cannot foster and maintain a thriving life – both individually and collectively. The lack of balance either resets our progress or slows down the realization of our full potential. Of course, achieving balance in every area of life is not always easy which is why I intentionally expose myself to activities and routines that help cultivate it. My climbing and yoga practices, for example, enhance my body’s balance awareness and allow me to approach tasks with greater focus and intention.
I have never felt the need to create a strict divide between work and other aspects of my life such as family, friends, or hobbies. They have always organically found their perfect place in my routine. I truly love the work I do -there are nights when I work until 4 or 5 a.m. without even realizing. But then, at the same time, as a good Spaniard, I place great importance on a healthy social life, making a point to stay connected and seeking out experiences to grow from beyond my professional world. Since I can remember, balance has always been something I have pursued.

Perhaps the most significant shift in my understanding of balance has come in how I process and share information. In recent years, poetry has become a valuable and meaningful outlet, allowing me to step away from the structured academic language I’m accustomed to and explore a more creative side of expression. Writing free verse in Spanish, without constraints or rules is liberating. It has opened up new ways of conceptualizing the world and has brought balance in how I convey my thoughts in a powerful way.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a Community-Engaged scholar in the fields of Spanish sociolinguistics and cognitive linguistics, applying my research and skills into collaborative projects that benefit from this type of expertise.
I am known among my colleagues for creating transdisciplinary projects that bring together faculty and professionals from disciplines that typically wouldn’t collaborate. I firmly believe in the saying ‘if you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together.’
A clear example of one of the most successful collaborative transdisciplinary projects began as an initial partnership among UCLA Brain Research Institute, the organization Knowing Neurons and my Community-Engaged courses, – it has since then reached an international dimension with the inclusion of two new partners from Spain, Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. The project ‘Making Neuroscience Accessible to a Broader Audience,’ involves students who are passionate about Spanish and neuroscience; they translate articles from English into Spanish, create podcasts based on interviews with Spanish-speaking neuroscientists, and conduct workshops for Latinx youth in LA on the path to earn a Spanish and STEM degree. In just 3 years, 45 undergraduate translators have translated over 140 articles. Despite the rise of neuroscience in the media, barriers persist in making it accessible, especially due to the lack of resources in languages other than English. Our project tackles this by integrating humanities and STEM to translate neuroscience into Spanish, increasing accessibility to global audiences. The collaborative nature and impact of this work earned us the 2022 Society for Neuroscience Next Generation Award.
Alongside this, I regularly mentor students at UCLA guiding them through research in the areas of bilingual education, information literacy, language diversity and linguistic accessibility. In recognition of my mentorship for undergraduate students conducting community-engaged research and sociolinguistic justice projects, I received the UCLA Faculty Mentor Award.
My fascination with how language connects to culture and identity is what led me to pursue a Ph.D. in Cognitive Linguistics. After completing my studies in Madrid, I co-founded IDESLI in San Francisco, where we offered translation services and language courses to clients like Google, LinkedIn, and Fair Trade USA. After some time teaching on the East Coast, I joined UCLA’s Spanish and Portuguese Department in 2016.
Throughout this time, maintaining a constructive and growth-oriented mindset has propelled me forward during challenging times, while collaboration and a shared sense of purpose have been at the core of everything I do. I’m proud of the partnerships I’ve built and excited about what’s yet to come, especially regarding the positive impact our projects will have in our community.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The best part of living in LA, for me, is having access to a world-class art scene, incredible food diversity, and close proximity to nature. If a friend were visiting, here are some of my favorite spots I would take them to:
– Arts: The variety of live music, art exhibitions, theater, poetry readings, talks, stand-up comedy is just endless. Some top venues include: The Wiltern, Hollywood Palladium, The Nimoy, The Mint, Hotel Cafe
– Climbing Days:
Indoor: Stronghold Climbing Gym (climbing, an art walk through the various artists’s studios and a beer at Barbara’s at the brewery) and Sender One LAX
Outdoor: Texas Canyon, Echo Cliffs (Santa Monica Mountains), Point Dume beach
– Malibu: A perfect day in Malibu for me would include hiking the Point Dume Trail, enjoying tacos al pastor at Lily’s Malibu, grabbing ice cream at Le Café de la Plage, and finishing with a meal at Malibu Farm Restaurant on the Pier or Malibu Farm Pier Café.
– Downtown and Koreatown: Exploring El Pueblo de Los Angeles, La placita Olvera, and Siqueiros tropical museum, followed by tacos in Olvera Street and a visit to LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes to learn about the history of Los Angeles. Other musts in the area are Grand Central Market, Wi spa, and dining at one of the fantastic Korean restaurants that serve traditional Korean soups such as Haemaru.
– South Bay: Brunch at Martha’s in Hermosa Beach, gelato at Capri Gelateria, hiking along the Palos Verdes coastline, sunset drink at Terranea, and either dinner at Hook and Plow in Rivera Village or a light meal with drinks at Good Stuff
– The Great Wall of Los Angeles mural

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
A significant part of my work at UCLA involves building bridges between academia and the Greater Los Angeles community to tackle the social issues that disproportionately impact Latinos. This effort wouldn’t be possible without the partnerships I’ve cultivated with over 40 nonprofits. These organizations are led by inspiring individuals who are deeply committed to their missions, and it’s to them that I’d like to dedicate my shoutout. Leaders and community activists like Mayra Medina-Nuñez and Frida Ramirez Aldapa at the San Fernando Refugee Children Center, Lucía and Blanca Díaz at the Mar Vista Family Center, Yanai Molina and Yessenia Cux at COFEM, Mirella Diaz-Santos at Equity for Latinx/Hispanic Healthy Aging Lab, and the wonderful teams at Chrysalis, 3 Strands Global Foundation, and Streets Poets. These individuals collectively dedicate thousands of hours each year to serving their communities in critical areas such as legal, medical, and social services, education, and the arts. It’s truly an honor to join forces with them, as we are united by the belief that a more equal and just world is possible and that every action, no matter how small, contributes to that vision.

Website: https://csuhr.humspace.ucla.edu/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlasuhr/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carla-suhr-phd-65b70417/

Image Credits
Photo: Bay. Photographer Saray Guerra