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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260520T080000
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SUMMARY:Maram\, S. (CM) - Scripture To Console: The Nexus between Religion and Digital Play
DESCRIPTION:Religion has historically been a profound force for global mobilization\, shaping geopolitics\, economies\, and geography. Similarly\, contemporary interactive media\, with video games at the forefront\, has moved beyond mere entertainment to become a powerful vehicle for communication\, narrative\, and inspiration\, reaching millions worldwide. This dissertation investigates the intersection of these two influential forces: religion and video games\, demonstrating the influence of religion on video games\, the influence of video games on religion\, and finally\, how these two powerful mobilization forces can come together to solve global challenges. \nFirst\, I examine the current landscape of religious representation in commercial video games (e.g.\, Assassin’s Creed\, SMITE). I analyze how key stakeholders i.e. players\, game designers\, and development studios\, interpret and engage with embedded religious elements\, drawing on existing critical reception and player discourse. This analysis identifies common narrative pitfalls and successful strategies for incorporating complex religious themes in digital spaces\, culminating in proposed design frameworks for sensitive and effective representation. \nBuilding on this foundational work\, the thesis culminates in defining and validating a new interaction paradigm where learning meets religion through play. This paradigm focuses on intentionally leveraging religious content i.e. specifically its rituals and narratives as mechanics in serious games to drive motivation and learning toward collective action. I validate this paradigm through a comprehensive case study focused on climate change\, arguably the most pressing issue of the modern era. This involves the design and empirical discussion of a serious game that incorporates specific religious mechanics\, ethics\, and narratives (e.g.\, stewardship\, ritual) to effectively communicate the severity of the climate crisis and motivate stakeholders toward a collective solution. \n  \nEvent Host: Sai Siddartha Maram\, Ph.D. Candidate\, Computational Media \nAdvisor: Magy Seif El-Nasr \nZoom: https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/91946426300?pwd=wxe1x3YCRsXrtcvOSy2kmfC9dZ3inW.1 \nPasscode: 558570
URL:https://events.ucsc.edu/event/maram-s-cm-scripture-to-console-the-nexus-between-religion-and-digital-play/
LOCATION:
CATEGORIES:Ph.D. Presentations
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260520T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260520T110000
DTSTAMP:20260507T160500Z
CREATED:20260507T160500Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260507T160500Z
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SUMMARY:Lucas\, J. (BMEB) - Enabling Population-Scale Analysis of Human Centromere Diversity
DESCRIPTION:Centromeric DNA is critical for accurate chromosome segregation and genome stability\, but due to its repetitive nature\, it was only recently fully included in a human reference. Rapid evolution and sequence diversity in these regions limit the utility of one reference sequence\, however. Integrating centromeric and pericentromeric satellite DNA – which together constitute over 5% of the human genome – into genetic research requires access to diverse sequences and the variation between them. The HPRC’s Release 2 dataset\, together with recent advancements in long-read assembly algorithms and new tools for sequence alignment and annotation\, now make characterization of centromeric variation possible. In this proposal\, I outline my work as part of the Human Pangenome Reference Consortium (HPRC) to create a diverse set of reference assemblies that accurately represent centromeric variation (aim 1)\, use novel tooling to characterize variation in centromeric regions (aim 2)\, and define the mutational processes that drive centromere evolution (aim 3). Completion of these aims will create a resource to enable the analysis and interpretation of centromeric variation data\, bringing these historically inaccessible regions into mainstream studies of human genetics\, evolution\, and disease. \nEvent Host: Julian Lucas\, Ph.D. Student\, Biomolecular Engineering & Bioinformatics \nAdvisor: Karen Miga \nZoom: https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/94129246296?pwd=QAs2hW8QZRNgpfaGJXvmaVfo52tIh7.1 \nPasscode: 669318
URL:https://events.ucsc.edu/event/lucas-j-bmeb-enabling-population-scale-analysis-of-human-centromere-diversity/
LOCATION:Engineering 2\, Engineering 2 1156 High Street\, Santa Cruz\, CA\, 95064
CATEGORIES:Ph.D. Presentations
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