Whether he’s working one-on-one with a patient, studying public health to improve the community or using filmmaking for social impact, Dr. Eric Esrailian is committed to helping others. It’s an ethic honed by his Armenian family’s struggle for survival, plus lessons learned from teachers, colleagues at UCLA and mentors in his life. While expanding community engagement for UCLA and volunteering for charitable organizations, he also produced The Promise to shine a light on the atrocities that took place during the last days of the Ottoman Empire. Proceeds from the film will benefit nonprofits like UCLA and organizations around the world. “The movie is one part of our bigger mission,” says Esrailian, “which is to activate people’s sense of altruism and use whatever resources they have to make the world a better place.”