Events

2026 Right Livelihood International Conference
2026-04-13 08:00 - 2026-05-15 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
The Right Livelihood International Conference is a five-week global conference exploring how education can strengthen democracy, collective intelligence, and just futures. Bringing together Right Livelihood Laureates, students, faculty, and community partners across continents, the conference combines asynchronous learning with participatory dialogue and collaborative action. Rather than advocating specific outcomes, the conference positions education as a democratic practice and the Right Livelihood College as a steward of dialogue, student voice, and long-term institutional learning.
Registration is free and open to the public. Sign up to receive conference updates, session links, and participation opportunities.

Summer Session Enrollment Open
2026-05-01 09:00 - 17:00 | https://events.ucsc.edu/event/summer-session-enrollment-open/2026-05-01/
Summer Session enrollment is now open! All continuing students can add classes in MyUCSC. Incoming students must register to enroll. Get ahead on your degree, explore new subjects, or catch up on requirements. Financial aid is available. Learn more and enroll at summer.ucsc.edu

Sequence to Survival: Using Genomics to Save Biodiversity
2026-05-01 13:00 - 16:30 | Cultural Center – Merrill College, 641 Merrill Rd, Santa Cruz, 95064, United States
A Free Public Symposium
Friday, May 1, 2026 Merrill Cultural Center, UC Santa Cruz Main Campus Doors open at 12:30 PM | Program begins at 1:00 PM
Registration is free but required!

In the 25 years since the Human Genome Project, scientists have sequenced the DNA of thousands of species. But what can genomics actually do for ecological conservation? The answers are both surprising and urgent. Join us for an afternoon at the cutting edge of conservation genomics as we explore everything from de-extinction to searching water samples for viral genomes, with researchers from the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute who are turning DNA into a tool for protecting life on Earth.
Keynote Speaker: Beth Shapiro Chief Science Officer, Colossal Biosciences Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UC Santa Cruz; Director of Conservation Genomics, UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute
Beth Shapiro leads the science behind Colossal Biosciences’ efforts to bring back the woolly mammoth and dire wolf. In her talk, “How (and Why) to Clone a Mammoth,“ she’ll share what the science of de-extinction is revealing about how we can protect the species we still have — and why the tools being built for resurrection may be our best hope for preventing extinction in the first place.
Panel Discussion: Conservation Genomics in Action
Following the keynote, Beth joins a panel of researchers working on the front lines of conservation: helping kelp forests survive warming oceans, tracking the genetic health of California’s brown bears, monitoring biodiversity through DNA collected from soil and water, and partnering with Indigenous communities to protect species around the world. Panel participants include:

Beth Shapiro- Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Santa Cruz, CSO of Colossal Biosciences
Meaghan Clark- Postdoctoral Scholar in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UCSC
Katie Jones- Director of Community Engagement at Wise Ancestors
Joanna Kelly- Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Santa Cruz
Rachel Meyers – Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Santa Cruz, CSO of eDNA Explorer

Science Fair Showcase
Explore live demos and talk directly with researchers from some of the top conservation genomics labs in the country. Come curious.
Refreshments provided by 10X Genomics and Oxford Nanopore Technologies!
Schedule
12:30 PM — Doors open
1:00 PM — Welcome remarks by David Haussler and Keynote by Beth Shapiro
1:50 PM — Panel discussion and Q&A
2:50 PM — Refreshments and science fair showcase
4:30 PM — Event close
