Yalda T. Uhls, Ph.D.

Founder & Executive Director
The Center for Scholars & Storytellers

Yalda T. Uhls, Ph.D. is an internationally recognized, award-winning research scientist, educator and author studying how media affects young people. She is the founding director of the Center for Scholars & Storytellers, a research organization based at UCLA, which bridges the gap between social science research and media creation to support authentic and inclusive stories for youth. Through her background as a former movie executive, Dr. Uhls has connected industry professionals with academic experts to improve content children and adolescents consume. She is also an adjunct professor at UCLA, where she conducts research on how media affects the social behavior of tweens and teens, and has published a book on parenting in the midst of the digital media landscape. Within the Center for Scholars & Storytellers (CSS), Dr. Uhls’ work focuses primarily on conducting research, creative engagement and collaborating with adolescents through the Youth Media REPresentation Program.