Events

Science in the Neighborhood: The earthquake problem
2026-06-05 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Coastal Biology Building, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060
Science In the Neighborhood
A public lecture series hosted quarterly by the UC Santa Cruz Science Division
The earthquake problem
Presentation by Emily Brodsky, Professor, UC Santa Cruz
Q&A with Stefano Profumo, Associate Dean of Science, UC Santa Cruz
Register here.
Earthquake prediction has simultaneously remained both the central, unsolved problem in seismology and the issue that communities care about most—especially here in Northern California. Earth & Planetary Sciences Professor Emily Brodsky will discuss what we do and do not know about when earthquakes will happen. She will explain what we understand about the basic mechanics of faults and how drilling into faults has transformed our understanding of how earthquakes happen. Her talk will also explore how the machine learning revolution is powering a transformation in forecasting aftershocks, as well as look ahead toward the kind of instrumentation and approaches that offer the most promise for the next big advances.
The event is in-person only. Register here.
Friday, June 5, 2026 | 6:00–7:30 p.m.
Coastal Biology Building. Rm. 110
UC Santa Cruz Coastal Campus
130 McAllister Way
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
The screenshot below shows where to find the entrance of the Coastal Biology Building.

First Saturday Tour at the Arboretum
2026-06-06 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-07-04 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-08-01 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-09-05 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-10-03 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-11-07 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-12-05 11:00 - 12:00, 2027-01-02 11:00 - 12:00 and 10 more dates | Arboretum, 122 Arboretum Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
First Saturday Tours are a wonderful way to introduce yourself to the Arboretum or to deepen your knowledge of the Arboretum’s plant collections. Each tour is a little different depending on the time of year, the interests of the tour guide, and the people who join in. For example, you might learn about the birds and mammals that make this land their home or about the amazing physical adaptations that plants have evolved to better deal with our extreme weather and climate conditions. Tours are free with paid admission.

SocDoc MFA Thesis Screening
2026-06-10 19:00 - 21:00 | Landmark’s Del Mar Theatre
The Social Documentation MFA Thesis Screening is a yearly event held by the Film and Digital Media Department. This event is part of the Social Documentation MFA program, and involves second-year students presenting a 20-minute documentary film they have produced while in the program. Films are screened sequentially at the Del Mar Theater, with a Q&A with the student filmmakers at the end.
—
ADMISSION
– FREE and open to the public
—
PARKING
Nearby Parking Lots
– Lot No. 3: The Cedar/Church Garage 800 Cedar St (270 feet W)
– Soquel Front Garage 601 Front St (444 feet SE)
– Lot No. 8: The Pearl Alley Parking Lot 710 Cedar St (525 feet SW)
– Lot No. 16: The Sentinel Parking Lot 204 Church St (575 feet W)
—
This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.

Santa Cruz Pickwick Club presents: Bleak House
2026-06-28 13:00 - 15:00
Spontaneous human combustion! Evil lawyers! Detectives! Family intrigue! These all come together in Charles Dickens’s masterwork, Bleak House. This year, we will spend the year reading the 2026 Dickens Universe novel. Join Dickens enthusiasts and Pickwick Club members on Zoom for a series of discussions about this beloved book.
Register via Zoom
Reading Schedule:

OCT 26: Chapters 8-13
NOV 23: Chapters 14-19
DEC 28: No meeting
JAN 25: Chapters 20-25
FEB 22: Chpaters 26-32
MAR 22: Chapters 33-38
APR 26: Chapters 39-46
MAY 24: Chapters 47-53
JUN 28: Chapters 54-67 (End)

Recommended Edition: We recommend the Penguin Classics edition of the novel for its appendices and notes, but other versions are fine. First-time readers should avoid the Introduction if they don’t want spoilers. Download the novel to read at Gutenburg.org or listen to it at LibriVox.org.
The Santa Cruz Pickwick (Book) Club, a branch of the Dickens Fellowship, is a community of local bookworms, students, and teachers who meet monthly to discuss a nineteenth-century novel. The Santa Cruz Public Libraries provide support for the reading group.

From Diploma to Dollars: Money Matters for New Alumni
2026-06-30 12:00 - 13:00
Life After Graduation Series
Hosted by UC Davis, open to recent alumni and rising seniors of all UC campuses.
Join the Cal Aggie Alumni Association for another session in the Life After Graduation Series, “From Diploma to Dollars: Money Matters for New Alumni,” on Tuesday, June 30 at 12:00 p.m. (Pacific Time).
Graduation is behind you—now it’s time to take charge of your finances. From new careers and paychecks to bills and major financial decisions, this transition can feel overwhelming. This session will help you build confidence navigating budgeting, debt, benefits, and financial priorities. Walk away with practical tools and smart habits to support long-term stability and success.
LEARN MORE & REGISTER

The Dickens Universe featuring 'Bleak House'
2026-07-26 01:00 - 2026-07-27 00:59, 2026-07-27 01:00 - 2026-07-28 00:59, 2026-07-28 01:00 - 2026-07-29 00:59, 2026-07-29 01:00 - 2026-07-30 00:59, 2026-07-30 01:00 - 2026-07-31 00:59, 2026-07-31 01:00 - 2026-08-01 00:59, 2026-08-01 01:00 - 2026-08-02 00:59 | Humanities and Social Sciences Facility, 2 Hagar Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
The Dickens Universe is a unique cultural event that brings together scholars, teachers, students, and members of the general public for a week of stimulating discussion and festive social activity on the beautiful Santa Cruz campus of the University of California—all focused on one or two Victorian novels, usually (but not always) one by Charles Dickens. In 2026, the Dickens Universe will feature Bleak House by Charles Dickens.
Dickens’s ninth novel, published between 1852-1853, shines a light on social injustice and the devastating effects of a corrupt legal system, following the entangled lives of those caught in the never-ending Jarndyce and Jarndyce case. Told in alternating narrative voices, this rich literary experiment plays with a variety of genres from detective fiction and social realism to melodrama and satire. As characters move from city to suburb, from mansions to slums, we discover unexpected connections among classes, plots, and characters.
Now in its 46th year of operation, the Dickens Universe combines features of a scholarly conference, a festival, a book club, and a summer camp. Participants include people of all ages and walks of life—distinguished scholars, graduate students, undergraduates, retirees, young professionals, high school teachers, and anyone who loves reading and enjoys long Victorian novels.
Here are some things that make the Universe such a special experience.

The college lifestyle: participants live on campus, eat together in the student dining hall, and have time to meet and come to know each other in different ways.
Everyone is reading the same book. We all have this one important thing in common.
The activities include formal lectures, small discussion groups, films, daily Victorian teas, performances, and Victorian dancing.

The Universe offers a week of total immersion in the world of Victorian fiction with friendly, like-minded colleagues in a beautiful setting. Whether we’re returning to a Dickens novel that everyone knows and loves, or branching out into a Victorian novel by another author who might be less familiar, during the Universe we build a community out of our passion for reading, talking with one another, and bringing Victorian culture to life.

View the complete schedule
Registration options
Plenary Lecturers and Guest Scholars

Summer Session Enrollment Open
2027-05-01 09:00 - 17:00 | https://events.ucsc.edu/event/summer-session-enrollment-open/2027-05-01/
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
