Meet Our Founder
Dr. Yalda T. Uhls is the Founder and CEO of the Center for Scholars & Storytellers at UCLA. She is an internationally recognized research scientist, educator, author, and expert on the science of media and adolescent development, the importance of authentic inclusive representation, and the evolving nature of parenting.
Turned Developmental Psychologist
Former Movie Executive
Yalda T. Uhls, PhD
Founder and CEO
Recognized as one of the top 100 people in Hollywood (Fade-In Magazine), and one of nine DEI experts changing Hollywood (Business Insider), Dr. Yalda T. Uhls has devoted her career to making a positive impact through the power of entertainment.
She spent almost two decades working in the movie industry, serving as a senior executive at studios like MGM and Sony, where she supervised multimillion dollar films from initial stages to final distribution. An early champion of inclusive representation on-screen, Dr. Uhls worked closely with writers developing their scripts, alongside directors, actors, and marketing executives, to develop compelling and authentic stories like her very first film Mi Familia, prompting audiences to thoughtfully consider nuanced understandings of family, culture, and the American Dream.
After having kids of her own, Dr. Uhls decided to go back to school and earned an MBA and Ph.D. in developmental psychology from UCLA. She became one of the first researchers to study the impacts of social media on youth well-being. She also pioneered research around young people’s relationship to fame in an increasingly digital world, and won many awards in her academic career including the prestigious Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation from the 85 year old organization the Society for Research on Child Development.
Dr. Uhls has spoken in front of a myriad of audiences, including the White House, Harvard Business School, Google, the NFL, the American Psychological Association, and more. Her research continues to be featured in outlets like The New York Times, Time Magazine, Good Morning America, USA Today, NPR. She is the author of Media Moms and Digital Dads: A Fact Not Fear Approach to Parenting in the Digital Age. And in addition to her full time role leading the Center for Scholars & Storytellers, she is on faculty at UCLA where she teaches a class on Digital Media and Human Development. Dr Uhls currently serves on several advisory councils, including the NAACP Entertainment Advisory Council, Common Sense Media’s LA Advisory Council, and the YouTube Kids and Family Council.
As the proud daughter of Persian immigrants and mom of two incredible Gen-Z children, Dr. Uhls approaches her work with not only academic expertise but also from a place of passion and lived experience. She currently resides in Ventura, CA, where she enjoys retreating from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles to quiet moments near the beach.