Hailing from Bakersfield, CA, Ricky Horne Jr. is a masterful storyteller who seamlessly blends art, strategy and humanity in his work. A graduate of Occidental College in Los Angeles, he currently serves as assistant director of communications, Student Affairs at UCLA, where he has spearheaded the evolution of the Media Team since 2017. Under his leadership, the team’s creative output has become the heart of @UCLAstudentlife and @UCLAhousing, capturing the vibrant stories of the student community.

Before working in higher education, Ricky honed his craft in the entertainment industry, beginning as an actor and later transitioning to writing, directing and photography. He co-produced the acclaimed feature film The Canyons, starring Lindsay Lohan, written by Bret Easton Ellis and directed by Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull), managing the day-to-day production, and leading The Canyons’ Kickstarter campaign — the first of its kind to launch a feature film with such renowned artists.

An award-winning filmmaker in his own right, Ricky has written, produced and directed the short films Free.Lunch and Blue.Nude and directed the History Channel’s web series Black History with Diallo and Bashir.

His photography portfolio is includes Old Navy’s 2020 Juneteenth campaign and working as the lead photographer for Represent Justice’s Play for Justice series. Partnering with the NBA, this initiative brought teams like the Lakers, Celtics, Bucks and Kings into local prisons to amplify stories of resilience and advocate for legislative reform among the incarcerated population.

In his time outside of UCLA, Ricky is working on his debut photographic novel, introduction.to.sunlight, photographing his favorite artists at the Bluenote Los Angeles, or cheering on his two kids, Boston and Lexi, as they pursue their own passions.