Opening Celebration—Celine Grenier Retrospective Exhibition
2025-10-04 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Mary Porter Sesnon Art Gallery, Baskin Service Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
2025 marks Céline Grenier’s 50th graduation anniversary from the Art Department at UC Santa Cruz. This retrospective celebrates the Santa Cruz-based alumna’s vast body of work in a diverse range of media. Grenier is both inspired by the beauty of life closely examined and horrified by man’s trajectory. She works from a large mental catalog of imagery and refuses to stick to one style
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ADMISSION
– FREE and open to UC Santa Cruz affiliates.
– Gallery hours are Mon.–Sat., noon–5:00 p.m.
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FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
– Ongoing exhibition is Sept. 30–Oct. 25, 2025.
– Opening celebration is Oct. 4, 2:00–4:00 p.m.
– Additional events and information may be announced here
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PARKING
– Lot 124 & 125 are the closest parking lots to the event.
– Parking is by permit or ParkMobile.
– Refer to TAPS for more parking information.
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This program is open to all UC Santa Cruz affiliates consistent with state and federal law.

ECE 290 Seminar: Operational Cybersecurity of Modern Power Systems
2025-10-06 10:40 | Engineering 2, Engineering 2 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Presenter: Dr. Daniel Arnold, Lead Power Systems Engineer, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Description: The adoption of new types of generation and loads, such as data centers, small modular reactors, and electric vehicles servicing equipment presents many challenges for system operators who are tasked with maintaining the safety and efficiency of the power grid. New consumption patterns, IoT connectivity of these devices, and emerging control paradigms, make it possible for these devices to be utilized to disrupt the operation of the power system. In this talk, I will discuss our past research efforts at the intersection of control theory, power systems, and AI to model, simulate, and mitigate cyber threats in the electric grid. I will close with a discussion of contemporary issues in power systems which will need to be addressed by the research and industrial community in the near future.

Bio: Dr. Daniel Arnold is a Lead Power Systems Engineer at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and an Adjunct Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UC Berkeley. He graduated from UC Berkeley with a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering in 2015 and was an ITRI-Rosenfeld Postdoctoral Fellow at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory from 2016-2017. From 2017 to 2025 he was a Research Scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. His interests are at the intersection of the fields of control theory, optimization, machine learning, and power systems. His recent work focuses on the use of these techniques for cybersecurity of the electric power system and other critical infrastructure.

Hosted by: Professor Soumya Bose, ECE Department

Zoom Link: https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/97975378707?pwd=[REDACTED]

AI Frontier: Data, Agents & Robots at TechWeek SF
2025-10-06 11:00
Join us for an immersive SF Tech Week experience hosted by the Silicon Valley AI Pioneer Club and UC Santa Cruz GenAI Center — where AI builders, investors, innovators and top researchers converge to explore the technologies shaping tomorrow. Details and reservations are available at https://partiful.com/e/OtqKL1z4hvYDLMk0uP8w

CM Seminar - Tracing and Shaping Paths in Design Space
2025-10-06 12:30 | Silicon Valley Campus, 3175 Bowers Avenue, Santa Clara, CA, 95054, United States
Presenter: Max Kreminski

About: It’s notoriously difficulty to evaluate interfaces intended to support creative work – but as software creative tools proliferate, the importance of understanding whether and how these tools support user creativity continues to grow. In this talk, I discuss several related approaches to making sense of user interactions with creativity support tools. I focus in particular on how AI-supported evaluation methods can help us illuminate a design tool’s expressive range; trace user trajectories through design space; and potentially even intervene to shape these trajectories while the interaction is still unfolding.

Bio: Max Kreminski is a human-computer interaction researcher focused on designing expressive and approachable computational systems to support creative work and play. Their research has been featured in outlets such as The New Yorker, New Scientist, and The Verge; published and exhibited at top HCI and AI conferences, including CHI, UIST, and NeurIPS; and honored with a variety of awards, including the Best Paper award at the ACM Conference on Creativity & Cognition. Max currently directs the Storytelling Lab at Midjourney and previously served as an assistant professor at Santa Clara University.

Hosted by: Professor Christina Chung
IMPORTANT: There will be a remote viewing room at UCSC Campus, in E2-280.
ALSO IMPORTANT: There will be lunch served at both locations.

Tracing and Shaping Paths in Design Space
2025-10-06 12:30 - 13:30 | Silicon Valley Campus, 3175 Bowers Avenue, Santa Clara, CA, 95054, United States
Presented by Max Kreminski

Description:
It’s notoriously difficulty to evaluate interfaces intended to support creative work – but as software creative tools proliferate, the importance of understanding whether and how these tools support user creativity continues to grow. In this talk, I discuss several related approaches to making sense of user interactions with creativity support tools. I focus in particular on how AI-supported evaluation methods can help us illuminate a design tool’s expressive range; trace user trajectories through design space; and potentially even intervene to shape these trajectories while the interaction is still unfolding.Bio:
Max Kreminski is a human-computer interaction researcher focused on designing expressive and approachable computational systems to support creative work and play. Their research has been featured in outlets such as The New Yorker, New Scientist, and The Verge; published and exhibited at top HCI and AI conferences, including CHI, UIST, and NeurIPS; and honored with a variety of awards, including the Best Paper award at the ACM Conference on Creativity & Cognition. Max currently directs the Storytelling Lab at Midjourney and previously served as an assistant professor at Santa Clara University.Hosted by: Professor Christina Chung
When: Monday, October 6 from 12:30PM to 1:30PM
Location: IN-PERSON @ SVC 3212 — viewing room @ UCSC Main Campus, E2-280. LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED AT BOTH LOCATIONS! Faculty and students are highly encouraged to attend.
Zoom info: https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/98638310898?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 986 3831 0898
Passcode: [REDACTED]

AM Seminar: Applications of the Flow-Density Relationship in Traffic Modeling
2025-10-06 16:00 | Jack Baskin Engineering, Baskin Engineering 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Presenter: Dr. Martha Shott, Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Sonoma State University

Description: Many mathematical models of traffic are macroscopic in nature, meaning that they model the relationship between average speed, density, and flow along a road or freeway segment. One of the fundamental relationships connecting these three quantities is the flow-density relationship, for which various models have been proposed since the 1930s. In this talk, we will discuss some of the more commonly used models of the flow-density relationship, as well as how those models are used within the contexts of stop-and-go congestion, catastrophe scenarios, and freeway infrastructure assessment.

Bio: Dr. Martha Shott is an applied mathematician and professor at Sonoma State University. She received her B.S. in Mathematics from Davidson College in North Carolina and subsequently earned her Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the University of California, Davis. While much of her research continues from her dissertation related to traffic flow modeling, Dr. Shott also works with undergraduate students on ecological modeling. Outside of academia, she enjoys running, cooking, playing board games, and adapting 80s pop music to be about her pets.

Hosted by: Professor Julie Simons

Familiar Touch Screening
2025-10-06 19:00, 2025-10-06 19:00 - 22:00 | Communications Building, 7487 Red Hill Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
This is a public screening and discussion of FAMILIAR TOUCH. Ruth (Kathleen Chalfant), a retired cook, prepares breakfast in her sunny and cozy kitchen — a dish she seems to have made many times before, although small and puzzling errors now punctuate her comfortable routine. When her son (H. Jon Benjamin) arrives to dine with her, she mistakes him for a suitor. Their “date” takes them to an assisted living facility, which Ruth does not remember that she had previously selected for herself. Among her fellow memory care residents, Ruth feels lost and adrift, certain she has found herself somewhere she does not belong. As she slowly begins to accept the warmth and support of care workers Vanessa (Carolyn Michelle) and Brian (Andy McQueen), she finds new ways to ground herself in her body, even as her mind embarks on a journey all its own. Writer-director Sarah Friedland’s coming-of-old-age feature compassionately follows the winding path of octogenarian Ruth’s shifting memories and desires while remaining rooted in her sage perspective. Sarah Friedland is a filmmaker and choreographer working at the intersection of moving images and moving bodies. Her work has been presented in festivals and art spaces including the New York Film Festival, New Directors/New Films, Mubi, MoMA and the Performa19 Biennial. From 2021 – 2022, she was both a Pina Bausch Fellow for Choreography and a NYSCA/NYFA Fellow in Film/Video, and was named to Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film in 2023. Her short film trilogy, MOVEMENT EXERCISES, is distributed by Video Data Bank. Sarah has been working in creative aging for the last eight years, as a caregiver to artists with dementia, and as a teaching artist facilitating intergenerational films and workshops for older adults. FAMILIAR TOUCH is her debut feature film.
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ADMISSION
– FREE and open to UCSC affiliates
– Doors are scheduled to open 30 minutes prior to event start time
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PARKING
– Parking by UCSC permit or ParkMobile.
– Baskin Engineering Lot #139A and Core West are the closest parking lots to the Communications Building.
– Visitors with DMV placards or plates may park for free in DMV spaces, Medical spaces, or ParkMobile spaces without additional payment, or in timed zones for longer than the posted time.
– More information provided by UCSC Transportation & Parking Services (TAPS)
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This program is open to all UC Santa Cruz affiliates consistent with state and federal law.

US - India: Normalization or Reset?
2025-10-07 14:30 - 20:00 | Silicon Valley Campus, 3175 Bowers Avenue, Santa Clara, CA, 95054, United States
The US–India relationship stands at a crossroads balancing strategic pragmatism with shared democratic values. Recent tensions over trade, tariffs, and technology have raised questions about whether the partnership is being recalibrated or simply cooling.
The 8th annual AIMA US–India Conference examines how the two countries can review their priorities and either restore normalcy or redefine the relationship for a multipolar world.
Join thought leaders and decision-makers from across policy, industry, and academia where we’ll explore one of the world’s most consequential relationships at a moment of reassessment. As the global landscape shifts and new alliances emerge, the conference examines how the US and India can navigate economic and strategic tensions while sustaining long-term cooperation. Key sessions will address AI governance, global conflict dynamics, and advances in human health and biotechnology.
Agenda

2:30 pm – Registration
3–3:55 p.m. – Inaugural Session: US India: Normalisation or Reset?
This opening session explores recent shifts in US–India ties and the roots of friction. With global alliances in flux, the discussion focuses on how leaders might reframe priorities, manage divergence, and steer the relationship toward strategic coherence.
4–4:45 p.m. – Panel 1: The Great AI Race: Who Sets the Rules?
AI is rapidly transforming global power dynamics. This session delves into the emerging competition over AI standards, access to critical technologies, and regulatory influence. Can the world agree on common frameworks before divides become entrenched?
4:50–5:45 p.m. – Panel 2: War Games and Peace Plans: Geopolitics of a World on Edge
In an increasingly polarised world, nations are turning to pressure and deterrence over diplomacy. This discussion looks at the fragility of global order, the risks of escalating conflict, and the role India and the US can play in rebalancing global cooperation.
5:50 – 6:35 p.m. – Panel 3: Biohacking Human Health
As scientific understanding of genetics and immunology grows, so does the possibility of extending not just life span but health span. The panel examines how AI, genomics, and metabolic science are converging to personalise and revolutionise human wellbeing.
6:35 p.m. – Networking Reception
An opportunity for speakers and attendees to connect informally and continue the conversation.

Who should attend
The conference will bring together policymakers, business leaders, entrepreneurs, academics, investors, and senior professionals to explore new strategies for US–India cooperation in a fast-changing global landscape.
Registration

Pre-registration is mandatory
Seats are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis

CSE Colloquium: Can Great Programmers Be Taught?
2025-10-08 11:00 | Engineering 2, Engineering 2 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Presenter: John Ousterhout, Stanford University
Abstract: People have been programming computers for more than 80 years, but there is little agreement on how to design software or even what a good design looks like. As a community, we talk a lot about tools and processes, but hardly at all about design. In this talk I will describe my recent work to identify and communicate a set of software design principles, including a new software design course at Stanford that is taught more like an English writing seminar than a traditional programming class, and a book on software design, which is based on the concepts from the class. I will also present a few of the design principles, such as "classes should be deep" and "general-purpose classes are deeper."
Bio: John Ousterhout is the Bosack Lerner Professor of Computer Science, Emeritus at Stanford University. His prior positions include 14 years in industry, where he founded two companies (Scriptics and Electric Cloud), preceded by 14 years as Professor of Computer Science at U.C. Berkeley. He is author of the book "A Philosophy of Software Design", co-creator of the Raft consensus protocol, and creator of the Tcl scripting language and the Tk toolkit. Ousterhout received a BS degree in Physics from Yale University and a PhD in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and has received numerous awards, including the ACM Software System Award, the ACM Grace Murray Hopper Award, the National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award, and the U.C. Berkeley Distinguished Teaching Award.
Hosted by: Professor Mohsen Lesani
*Refreshments such as coffee and pastries will be provided.

Resume Workshop with Google
2025-10-08 14:00 | Engineering 2, Engineering 2 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Are you submitting applications for internships and full-time opportunities this semester? Join us for this resume workshop to find out how the format, structure, and detailed content of your resume could maximize your chances of receiving an interview opportunity with Google. Don't forget to bring a copy of your most updated resume with you!

Understanding the Technical Interview Process at Google
2025-10-08 18:30 | Engineering 2, Engineering 2 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Curious of how the technical interview process at Google works? Are you gearing up for technical interviews this fall? Whether you’re Interested in their internships or full-time roles, you may want to brush up on those interview skills. Join us for mock questions and tips!

Talking Tales of the Undead
2025-10-08 18:30 - 21:30 | Santa Cruz Public Library
Join UC Santa Cruz professors Michael Chemers (The Monster in Theater History), Renée Fox (The Necromantics), and Kimberly J. Lau (Specters of the Marvelous) as they discuss the histories and politics of vampires, ghouls, zombies and other undead monsters in literature, theater, and pop culture in this free panel at the Downtown Branch of the Santa Cruz Public Library (224 Church St., downtown Santa Cruz). Chemers and Fox direct the Center for Monster Studies at UC Santa Cruz, while Lau will be giving one of the keynote addresses at the upcoming Festival of Monsters (October 15–18).
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ADMISSION
– FREE and open to the public
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AUDIENCE ADVISORIES
– Mature themes and content
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FUTURE FESTIVAL OF MONSTERS EVENTS
– Wed. Oct. 15, 5:30 p.m, Museum of Art & History (MAH): David Livingstone Smith Keynote
– Thurs. Oct. 16, 9:00 a.m.–6:30 p.m, UCSC Digital Arts Research Center (DARC): Conference Panels, Kim Lau keynote
– Fri. Oct. 17, 9:00 a.m.–6:30 p.m, UCSC Digital Arts Research Center (DARC): Conference Panels, Jeffery Jerome Cohen keynote
– Fri. Oct. 17, 8:30 p.m.–11:30 p.m, DARC 108 (No longer at the UCSC Cowell Ranch Hay Barn): Monsters Ball
– Sat. Oct. 18, 11:00 a.m, Bookshop Santa Cruz: “Oh! The Horror” Writers Panel
– Sat. Oct. 18, 2:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m, Atlantis Fantasyworld: Cole Lemke, Horror Comic Artist
– Sat. Oct. 18, 6:00 p.m, Game Santa Cruz: “Blood on the Clocktower”
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This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law

Weatherwax, K. (CM) - LoFi to X and Y: Background Media Use as Colloquial Assistive Technology for Neurodivergent People
2025-10-09 10:00
Research in media psychology has often framed background media as a distraction that undermines performance. Such perspectives rely on narrow, output-oriented definitions of success and overlook the emotional, mental, social, and environmental needs that shape how people actually work. They also fail to account for neurodivergent experiences, ignoring the diverse ways people engage with media in daily life.

This dissertation uses a critical disability and neurodiversity lens to examine background media, with a focus on LoFi as a commonly used exemplar, as a form of colloquial assistive technology. Drawing on interviews and large-scale online discourse, I show how LoFi is not primarily used to increase productivity, but to manage affect, sustain attention, and reduce cognitive or sensory overload. Users describe it as a supportive presence—helping them transition into work, recover from fatigue, and feel accompanied in otherwise isolating contexts.

These findings challenge dominant narratives about distraction and media use. Rather than being passively consumed, background media is deliberately shaped and adopted as a source of support. This work rethinks what counts as assistive technology, foregrounds the self-directed practices of neurodivergent people, and offers design directions for systems that legitimize and extend such strategies.

Event Host: Kevin Weatherwax, Ph.D Candidate, Computational Media
Advisor: Kate Ringland

Developing Personal Projects & Building Your Brand with Google
2025-10-09 17:30 | Engineering 2, Engineering 2 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Learn directly from successful Googlers about how to highlight the qualities, skills, and talents that describe you as a professional by building a brand profile and mission statement.

PMI Silicon Valley Symposium
2025-10-10 07:30 - 19:00 | Silicon Valley Campus, 3175 Bowers Avenue, Santa Clara, CA, 95054, United States
Project managers today are navigating more change than ever—new technologies, evolving teams, and rising complexity. To lead effectively, PMs must blend emotional intelligence with digital fluency, balancing human connection with AI-driven insights. Join UCSC Silicon Valley partner, the Project Management Institute Silicon Valley Chapter (PMISV), at this year’s symposium as industry leaders explore how modern project managers can adapt, inspire, and deliver in a world shaped by innovation and disruption.
Registration

PMISV Chapter and PMI members: $99 Early bird: $79
Non-Chapter and Non-PMI members: $119 Early bird: $99
Contact symposium@pmisv.org for the discount codes for the following:

Students
Veterans
PMISV Chapter active volunteers

This event is co-sponsored by the UCSC Silicon Valley Professional Education Project and Program Management certificate program.

Guide to Data Structures and Algorithms at Google
2025-10-10 11:30 | Engineering 2, Engineering 2 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Interested in learning more about data structures and algorithms? Join Google for this highly informative workshop!

Orientation to Community Archiving
2025-10-13 15:00 - 16:30 | Humanities and Social Sciences, 420 Hagar Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Learn about the importance of preserving and documenting the history and culture of our community through archiving.
We will discuss how the rise of interest in Community Archives has transformed the way collective memories are curated, capturing forgotten and suppressed voices, reshaping our understanding of what archives are and how they function, and challenging long-held assumptions about the role of professionals in mediating and sharing history.
The presenter, Rebecca Hernandez, is currently the inaugural Community Archivist at the UC Santa Cruz University Library, where she collaborates with community members to preserve the rich history and cultural heritage of Santa Cruz County. Her academic background includes a PhD in American Studies, MA in American Indian Studies, and an MFA in Design.
This is a hybrid event, with some space available in Humanities 2-259, and a virtual option available. Please RSVP here to be added to the Google Calendar event.

AM Seminar: Faculty Lightning Talk
2025-10-13 16:00 - 17:00
Join us for a fast-paced showcase of applied mathematics faculty research in this week’s AM Seminar, featuring lightning talks that spotlight the department’s wide-ranging interests—from [astro and geo]-fluid dynamics and numerical methods to environmental sensing, machine learning, genetics, and mathematical biology. Discover the innovative projects driving our community and learn about potential hands-on student research project opportunities that bridge theory, computation, and real-world impact.

Speakers include: Marcella Gomez, Ashesh Chattopadhyay, Pascale Garaud, Dongwook Lee, Nilah Ioannidis, Nic Brummell, Hongyun Wang, Julie Simons, Javier González-Rocha

Addressing Basic Needs in Higher Education: Innovative Research and Policy to Support UC Student Success
2025-10-14 12:00
This event, co-sponsored by the Partnership with California Initiative for Health Equity and Action (Cal-IHEA), features research insights and evidence-based recommendations to strengthen basic needs programs and resources for students in higher education. UC Essential Needs Consortium awardees Camelia Hostinar, Matthew Landry, Laura Enriquez, and Suzanna Martinez will present findings from their recently completed research in a panel moderated by Heather Bullock and Denise Payán.

How to Optimize Your Career Fair Experience
2025-10-14 17:30
Interested in attending an upcoming career fair but not sure what to do once you're there? We can help with that!
Join us and hear some quick tips on how to work a career fair. Some of the discussion topics will include:

What should you do to prepare in advance?
How should you engage with recruiters and other attendees?
Are there any practices or strategies to be mindful of before, during, and after?
Plus much more…

Career fairs can be a solid way to engage with recruiters to learn about job and internship opportunities as well as get an idea of what it’s like to work in a field that you might be interested in, and having a better understanding of how to navigate your experience can help make a huge difference. Join us today!

Respond, Don't React: Recognizing and Managing Emotional Triggers
2025-10-14 17:30 - 19:30 | Silicon Valley Campus, 3175 Bowers Avenue, Santa Clara, CA, 95054, United States
In a world of nonstop change and pressure, even the most experienced professionals get triggered in ways that throw us off course—hurting performance and straining relationships. In this presentation by the Silicon Valley chapter of the NHRA, we’ll explore what’s really happening when emotions take over, why it matters, and what we can do about it. Through real stories, group discussion, and practical tools, you’ll learn how to spot your own triggers, make space to respond instead of react, and better support others in the process. These tools aren’t just for managing stress—they help build trust, empathy, and stronger teams. You’ll walk away with simple strategies you can use right away for tough conversations, conflict, or just when everything feels like a little too much – both personally and professionally.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Spot the signs—learn to recognize how your body and brain react when you’re emotionally triggered.
• Get curious about cognitive blind spots—where might triggers be getting in the way of how we show up and lead?
• Build our ability to pause, regroup, and respond instead of react.
• Walk away with simple tools to better support yourself and create more space and trust for others, too.
AGENDA
5:30 PM IN-PERSON NETWORKING (dinner included)
6:00 PM VIRTUAL SESSION BEGINS
6:05 PM LEGAL UPDATES
6:15 PM PROGRAM
7:15 PM Q&A
ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Jeff Jacobs
Jeff is a recognized leadership development and organizational effectiveness executive who has facilitated and consulted on 500+ engagements over the past 10 years as an employee of top-tier companies like Adobe and Intuit. His diverse experience expands beyond the corporate world to chairing three non-profit boards, serving as an Assistant Lecturer at Haas School of Business at U.C. Berkeley, acquiring three certifications in compassionate leadership and mindfulness practices, including from Stanford Medical School, and even years of working with maximum-security inmates in California prisons. Jeff is a Contributing Author to the Amazon Best-Seller, “Leading with Self Awareness, Starting from the Inside Out,” and is working on his own first book, “Still Coming of Age, Cultivating Compassion for Lifelong Flourishing.”
This event is co-sponsored by the UCSC Silicon Valley Professional Education Human Resource Management certificate program.

Festival of Monsters 2025
2025-10-15 00:00 - 2025-10-18 23:59 | Digital Arts Research Center, 407 McHenry Rd, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
The Festival of Monsters returns for the annual academic conference with public performances, installations, readings, and more. Learn more about the Center for Monster Studies here and refer to the full schedule of events, below, for individual event details.
Co-presented by the UC Santa Cruz Center for Monster Studies, Department of Performance, Play & Design, The Humanities Institute (THI), and Porter College.
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ADMISSION
– Open to the public
– Some events have required registration; refer to individual event listings in the full schedule of events
– UCSC students, faculty, and staff registration HERE
– Academic conference registration for non-affiliates HERE
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AUDIENCE ADVISORIES
– Mature themes and content
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FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
– Wed. Oct. 15, 5:30 p.m, Museum of Art & History (MAH): David Livingstone Smith Keynote
– Thurs. Oct. 16, 9:00 a.m.–6:30 p.m, UCSC Digital Arts Research Center (DARC): Conference Panels, Kim Lau keynote
– Fri. Oct. 17, 9:00 a.m.–6:30 p.m, UCSC Digital Arts Research Center (DARC): Conference Panels, Jeffery Jerome Cohen keynote
– Fri. Oct. 17, 8:30 p.m.–11:30 p.m, UCSC Digital Arts Research Center—DARC 108: Monsters Ball (previously advertised location of the Hay Barn was incorrect)
– Sat. Oct. 18, 11:00 a.m, Bookshop Santa Cruz: “Oh! The Horror” Writers Panel
– Sat. Oct. 18, 2:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m, Atlantis Fantasyworld: Cole Lemke, Horror Comic Artist
– Sat. Oct. 18, 6:00 p.m, Game Santa Cruz: “Blood on the Clocktower”
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This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.

Creative Interventions (CI) Series
2025-10-15 00:00 - 2025-10-29 23:59
Creative Interventions (CI) is a community colloquium in contemporary creativity and creative practices that addresses the interconnected work of artists, designers, activists, and knowledge workers—and the intrinsic and transformative capacity of that work to cultivate a just society.
The CI Speaker Series raises questions of import to contemporary creative workers in media and technology:
– How do creative workers address their most challenging problems?
– How does creative labor intersect with other forms of labor to nurture the world views and cultural practices of our democracy?
The Creative Interventions (CI) Series is co-sponsored by the Arts Division’s Creative Technologies program and Porter College at UC Santa Cruz.
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ADMISSION
– Free and open to UCSC affiliates.
– All events in the series are presented online with registration required.
– Refer to the individual event listings for more information and a link to register.
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FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
– Wed., Oct 15, 4:00 p.m.: “Expensive-Sounding Sounds” with Catherine Provenzano
– Wed., Oct 29, 4:00 p.m.: “Asymptote: Computation, Disillusion, and Enchantment” with Nora Khan
– Additional event dates to be announced on the Creative Interventions events page here
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This program is open to all UC Santa Cruz affiliates consistent with state and federal law.

Campus to Career: Job Talk with Kristen Amicone, Education Program Specialist
2025-10-15 12:30
Are you curious about careers in education or nonprofits? Join this job talk with UCSC Humanities alum Kristen Amicone, a doctoral student with expertise in nonprofits, educational programming, and leadership. Kristen will share insights from her academic and professional experience, from being a transfer student, to making career transition decisions, to navigating an online graduate school program.
Learn more about Kristen:
Kristen Amicone is a UCSC Feminist Studies and Kresge alumna and a lifelong Californian. Growing up in the Inland Empire, she moved to Santa Cruz to attend UCSC and then to San Diego for her first stint in grad school at SDSU. After working in the nonprofit sector for 15 years, she made the jump to education/government work with the San Diego County Office of Education. Kristen specializes in employee/volunteer engagement and educational programming. She returned to school in 2022, earning her MSNPA from Louisiana State University, Shreveport (LSUS) in 2023 before applying for and getting accepted to the EdD program at the same institution. Her research interests include employee engagement, change confidence, and leadership. She lives in La Mesa, a small town right outside San Diego, and enjoys theatre, movies, and horror novels.

Creative Interventions: Catherine Provenzano
2025-10-15 16:00 - 17:35
Since the shift to predominantly digital audio recording, manufacturers of software tools have stepped in claiming to make production work faster and easier while unlocking the artist/producer’s creative potential. In 2016, artist Justin Bieber explained to the New York Times Magazine that the way producers Diplo and Skrillex were able to manipulate Ableton on his hit Where Are Ü Now resulted in what he affirmatively coined as “expensive-sounding sounds.” More recent messaging around sounds that “stand out” is surging as most major music software outfits roll out new AI tools meant to do everything from automate the engineer’s vocal chain to help the artist quickly find and tailor samples.
Refusing to take these claims at face value, this talk will consider several songs, advertisements, and demonstration videos from the last 25 years and ask, what makes a technology “creative” in practice? And under what conditions?
This presentation is an interactive listening exercise that brings together conceptions of creative musical production and interrogates the ways software designers lay claim to and promise creativity. Participants are encouraged to assemble examples from their own listening and creative lives and present them for group discussion.
This event is presented as part of the Creative Interventions (CI) Series and is co-sponsored by the Arts Division’s Creative Technologies program and Porter College at UC Santa Cruz.
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ADMISSION
– Free and open to UCSC affiliates.
– This is an online event.
– Registration is required here.
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ADVISORIES
– Participants are encouraged to assemble examples from their own listening and creative lives and be prepared to present them for group discussion during this interactive online event.
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FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
– Event dates to be announced throughout the 2025-26 academic year.
– Learn more about the Creative Intervention Series here.
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ABOUT THE SERIES
Creative Interventions addresses the interconnected work of artists, designers, activists, and knowledge workers—and the intrinsic and transformative capacity of that work to cultivate a just society. More information about the Creative Technologies program.
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This program is open to all UC Santa Cruz affiliates consistent with state and federal law.

Festival of Monsters: David Livingstone Smith Keynote
2025-10-15 17:30 - 20:00 | Museum of Art & History, 705 Front St, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, United States
David Livingstone Smith, author of Making Monsters: The Uncanny Power of Dehumanization, opens the 2025 Festival of Monsters with a free public keynote talk 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15 at the Museum of Art and History (705 Front Street). A philosophy professor at University of New England in Maine, Livingstone Smith writes about the ways in which we dehumanize one another — creating our own monsters through pogroms, genocide and massacres. He asks “How do some people come to believe that their enemies are monsters, and therefore easy to kill?” The Festival of Monsters is hosted by the UC Santa Cruz Center for Monster Studies.
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ADMISSION
– FREE and open to the public
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AUDIENCE ADVISORIES
– Mature themes and content
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FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
– Wed. Oct. 15, 5:30 p.m, Museum of Art & History (MAH): David Livingstone Smith Keynote
– Thurs. Oct. 16, 9:00 a.m.–6:30 p.m, UCSC Digital Arts Research Center (DARC): Conference Panels, Kim Lau keynote
– Fri. Oct. 17, 9:00 a.m.–6:30 p.m, UCSC Digital Arts Research Center (DARC): Conference Panels, Jeffery Jerome Cohen keynote
– Fri. Oct. 17, 8:30 p.m.–11:30 p.m, DARC 108 (No longer at the UCSC Cowell Ranch Hay Barn): Monsters Ball
– Sat. Oct. 18, 11:00 a.m, Bookshop Santa Cruz: “Oh! The Horror” Writers Panel
– Sat. Oct. 18, 2:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m, Atlantis Fantasyworld: Cole Lemke, Horror Comic Artist
– Sat. Oct. 18, 6:00 p.m, Game Santa Cruz: “Blood on the Clocktower”
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The Festival of Monsters returns for a three-day academic conference with public performances, installations, readings, and more. Learn more about the Center for Monster Studies here.
This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law

Eat Well, Live Well: Preventing Prediabetes & Type 2 Diabetes
2025-10-16 12:00
If preventing or delaying prediabetes or type 2 diabetes is a top priority for you—you are not alone. We know that carbs are key players when it comes to controlling blood sugar, but did you know that healthy fats and lean proteins are also just as important when it comes to managing blood sugar? Join our next workshop on how to make smart nutrition choices to support a healthy metabolism. We will also explore how lifestyle habits like physical activity, stress management, and sleep connect with nutrition for a holistic approach to type 2 diabetes prevention. If you have been seeking guidance on how to eat more nutritiously and make lasting lifestyle changes to reach your health goals, this workshop is for you.
To register, please fill out the registration link.
For more information, please visit the Wellness Events Calendar.
For questions, please contact Health and Well-being Specialist, Ashley Parker, at aseparke.ucsc.edu.

Archives 101 for Graduate Students
2025-10-16 13:00 | McHenry Library, 1156 High St, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Feeling the archival impulse? Come get some hands-on experience with our collections, chat about archives with your fellow grad students, and get your questions answered about archival research at UCSC and beyond.

Curious undergrads are welcome, too!

Space is limited. Please RSVP so we can get an accurate headcount.

Learn more about the Center for Archival Research and Training (CART) and Special Collections & Archives.

Sesnon Salon: History of Art & Visual Culture
2025-10-16 16:00 - 17:00 | Mary Porter Sesnon Art Gallery, Baskin Service Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
The Arts Division welcome students, faculty, staff, and the general community to a salon-style gathering presenting the work of UC Santa Cruz’s History of Art and Visual Culture (HAVC) Department.
Assistant Professor Clementine Bordeaux, an enrolled member of the Sičáŋǧu Lakóta Nation (Rosebud Sioux Tribe), grew up on the Pine Ridge Reservation (South Dakota). Bordeaux received her Ph.D. in Culture and Performance from the World Arts and Cultures/Dance Department at the University of California, Los Angeles. She works across multi- and interdisciplinary fields and collaborates with artists, cultural bearers, and community activists, and employs Lakota concepts of ikčé, the everyday, and ingenuity, to illustrate a continuum of Očéti Šakówiŋ artistic engagements.
This presentation offers a brief overview of her research, which methodologically and theoretically utilizes relationality as the primary tool to communicate the interrelatedness of Lakota kinship values, a cultural connection to other-than-human beings, and creative practice, as demonstrated through storytelling, poetry, and material culture.
The event will take place outdoors by the Porter Koi Pond. Light refreshments will be served.
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ADMISSION
Free and open to the public.
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FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Oct 16: History of Art and Visual Culture Department
Nov 20: Music Department
Jan 15: Art Department
Feb 19: Film and Digital Media Department
April 16: Creative Technologies
May 21: Department of Performance, Play & Design
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PARKING
Lot 124 & 125 are the closest parking lots to the event.
Parking via permit or ParkMobile.
See TAPS for parking information.
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This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.
