Lecturer at US’s No.1 public university says low pay leaves him homeless

“Hi everyone, my name is Daniel, and I’m an astrophysics professor at UCLA. Recently, I had to move all of my belongings into a storage unit because I was paid only $66,000 last year and am earning $70,000 this academic year,” said Daniel McKeown in a TikTok video posted on Sept. 29.

“Technically, I am homeless. I don’t have a place of my own. I’m not on any lease,” McKeown, who is listed as a lecturer in Physics & Astronomy on the UCLA website, continued.

With his rent set at $2,500 per month, McKeown turned to social media for help. He mentioned that he had already requested a raise from his department head but was denied.

Since vacating his apartment, McKeown has been staying with a friend while he searches for affordable housing near UCLA. Currently residing in San Diego, he faces a two-hour commute to the university and has moved his classes online to accommodate the distance.

UCLA was recently ranked the No. 1 public university in the U.S. for the eighth consecutive year by the U.S. News & World Report. The university has an undergraduate enrollment of 33,040, with in-state tuition and fees at $14,208 as of last year. Total expenses for in-state students average $34,667, according to the university’s website.

The campus of UCLA. Photo coutersy of the university

When asked why he does not seek a teaching position elsewhere, McKeown told KTLA“I refuse to stop teaching. Teaching my students is my absolute passion. UCLA is a top university for physics.”

McKeown, who holds a Ph.D. in astrophysics, expressed frustration over his salary, saying, “I teach full-time, six classes a year, yet I’m earning about half of what the average physics professor in California makes. It’s not fair.”

UCLA guaranteed housing for students starting in the fall of 2022, but this policy does not extend to faculty members.

According to the Los Angeles Homeless Initiative, the county had a shortage of nearly 500,000 affordable homes in 2022.