Santa Cruz Launchpad Student Startup Competition & Job Fair
2026-05-13 12:00 - 19:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | the Grove, 400 Beach Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, United States
The 10th annual Santa Cruz Launchpad event combines a student startup competition with a community career fair, all under one roof! This year’s event takes place at the The Grove at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk (400 Beach St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060) on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.
The first half of the day spotlights emerging startups in a live startup competition, with cash prizes. The second half shifts into a job fair featuring 25+ local companies and 300+ opportunities, including part-time roles, full-time positions, and internships.
THIS EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC TO ATTEND. ADVANCED REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.

2026 Schedule
12-4pm: Student business plan pitches (open to the public)
4-4:45pm: Employer Table Setup
5-7pm: Job Fair + Networking (open to the public)
Student Startup Competition | 12-4pm
From 1-4pm, students will compete in a startup competition for cash prizes. The pitch competition portion of the event typically includes 12 student teams who each have five minutes each to deliver their pitches to a judge panel. Check out 2025 winners here. This year’s competition is open to both college and high school students in Santa Cruz County. If you are a student at UC Santa Cruz, Cabrillo College or a high school student in Santa Cruz County or Pajaro Valley Unified School District and would like to compete, click the button below.
Applications are due Wednesday, April 8, 2026 at 5pm: https://bit.ly/4d9MaqW
Pitch Prize Categories for 2026

• Biotech/Health (QB3) = $5,000
• Social Impact = $5,000
• Technology = $5,000
• Main Street = $2,000
• Runners Up = $500 each
• People’s Choice Award = $2,000
• High School Award = $2,000

– Top winners eligible to participate in the SC Accelerates program.
– All teams will receive Santa Cruz Works Perks Package by OneValley (Value $1M)

– Every team that qualifies for the final round will receive a cash prize!

Job Fair | 5-7pm
From 5-7pm, job seekers will have the opportunity to interact with 20+ local companies offering 200+ jobs and internships ranging from engineering to marketing, healthcare, project management, sales, customer support, tech, and more.
This event allows students, job seekers, and professionals of all experience levels and backgrounds the opportunity to show off their resumes, find career opportunities, and make new connections. There is no charge for job seekers to attend the job fair. The job fair is open to the public (you do not need to be a student or pitch contest participant to participate). But all attendees must register in advance! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/santa-cruz-launchpad-2026-tickets-1976673979082
Previous employers included Joby Aviation, Capstan Medica, Paystand, Santa Cruz Bicycles, Cruz Foam, Digital NEST, Bay Federal Credit Union, Mynt, Central California Alliance for Health, Unnatural Products, Santa Cruz Seaside Company, California Highway Patrol, BMO, PVUSD, and more.
A list of participating employers will be shared at the beginning of May.

This year’s event is proudly hosted by UCSC Center for Innovation and Development (CIED), UC Santa Cruz Innovation & Business Engagement Hub, UCSC Career Success, and UCSC QB3 Santa Cruz Works, Cabrillo College, , Pajaro Valley Unified School District (PVUSD), and Santa Cruz County Office of Education (SCCOE),

Free Attendee Registration

Employer Registration

Thriving in Transition: A Mental Fitness Toolkit for What's Next
2026-05-13 13:00 - 14:00
Life After Graduation Series
Hosted by UC Davis, open to recent alumni and rising seniors of all UC campuses.
The Cal Aggie Alumni Association is kicking off its Life After Graduation Series with an engaging virtual session, “Thriving in Transition,” on Wednesday, May 13 at 1 p.m. (Pacific Time).
The transition from college to post-graduate life can bring both opportunity and uncertainty. Without the structure of academic life, many graduates face new pressures related to job searching, career decisions, and navigating change.
This session introduces the concept of mental fitness – the capacity to respond to challenges with clarity, resilience, and intention. Through practical, accessible techniques, participants will learn how to manage stress, regulate emotions, and strengthen focus during this period of transition. Attendees will leave with tools they can apply immediately to support their wellbeing and sustain momentum as they move into their next chapter.
Learning Objectives

Define mental fitness and its role in personal and professional success
Recognize common stressors and emotional patterns during post-graduate transitions
Practice techniques to manage stress and increase emotional regulation
Strengthen focus, motivation, and adaptability during periods of uncertainty
Develop habits that support long-term resilience and wellbeing

LEARN MORE & REGISTER

Career Success Drop-Ins at the Cantú - Week 7
2026-05-13 13:00 - 14:30 | Cantu Queer Center, Crown Lane, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Drop-in at the Cantú with Career Coach & Engagement Specialist Bridge Kennedy to discuss career exploration, job search strategy, interview prep, grad school prep, or whatever’s on your mind related to your career success!
If you need accommodations please email bridgekk@ucsc.edu

You Belong Here: The programs and services described here are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiative—whether a student service, faculty program, or community event—is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities.
To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy for UC Publications.

Community Connections Annual Spring Scholarship Presentation
2026-05-13 14:00 - 16:00 | Arboretum, 122 Arboretum Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Join Community Connections as we present scholarships to local first-year and re-entry students. This event is an opportunity to meet, congratulate, and celebrate with these outstanding students. Choral group Fiat Musica will sing, and the scholars will share their stories as we dine.
Register to attend in-person
2:00 p.m.
Presented by Community Connections at UC Santa Cruz.
Questions? Contact Sally Lester at sal@ucsc.edu

Zheng, K. (CSE) - Towards Generalist Embodied World Models: From Neuro-Symbolic Interaction to Self-Evolving 3D World Generation
2026-05-13 15:00 - 17:00
Artificial intelligence is moving beyond passive perception toward systems that can understand, interact with, and generate the world. This dissertation studies generalist embodied world models that connect language, vision, action, and 3D scene representations. It explores how multimodal systems can ground human instructions in physical environments, reason over long-horizon tasks, generate coherent text-and-visual content, and construct spatially consistent 3D worlds from limited observations. Across embodied reasoning, multimodal generation, and 3D world construction, this dissertation develops methods that combine pretrained models with structured interfaces such as symbolic reasoning, generative visual tokens, spatial priors, and iterative self-refinement. These approaches aim to improve generalization, data efficiency, interpretability, and geometric consistency without relying solely on monolithic end-to-end training. Together, the work argues for a broader view of embodied AI: intelligent systems should not only recognize or describe the world, but also act within it, imagine it, and build reusable representations of it.
Event Host: Kaizhi Zheng, Ph.D. Candidate, Computer Science & Engineering
Advisor: Xin Eric Wang

Zoom: https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/91912825272?pwd=[REDACTED]
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Building Belonging Program Student Showcase 2026
2026-05-13 15:00 - 17:30 | Seymour Marine Discovery Center, 100 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060
Join us for the Institute for Social Transformation’s annual student showcase, celebrating the incredible work of our Building Belonging Fellows! This special event highlights the achievements of undergraduate research fellows. Each student will give a 2-minute lightning talk about a research project they worked on with a Social Sciences faculty mentor.
The event will be held in person on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, from 3:00–5:00 p.m. in the Seymour Center La Feliz Room, followed by an outdoor reception with light refreshments on the Oceanview Terrace from 5:00–5:30 p.m.
All are welcome—students, faculty, staff, family, and friends—we look forward to celebrating together!
RSVP HERE
Sponsored by:
The Institute for Social Transformation and the Division of Social Sciences
For questions, you can reach us at transform@ucsc.edu

Sweet Send-Off Celebration
2026-05-13 17:00 - 19:00 | Rachel Carson College Red Room
Greetings, International and Global Learning students!
Join us for a special celebration in recognition of our international students studying here at UCSC, Global Learning alumni that have studied abroad/away, and to those that are about to start their programs this summer and fall.

Wednesday, May 13, 2026 from 17:00 – 19:00 (5 pm – 7 pm)

We’ll be saying ‘bon voyage’ to our international exchange students that have been studying at UCSC and our new global learning students. Our global learning alumni will also be joining to join in our community space for reflection, connection, and storytelling!

Our event will consist of:

A panel for departing global learning students highlighting what it’s like to be on exchange and study abroad/away (led by our alumni and international students)
Opportunities to connect with each other based on region of the world or study/your home institution

Please RSVP here by our deadline of Friday, May 1 and let us know how you’d like to be involved.
If you have any questions, email us at globallearning@ucsc.edu.

Chat with the Chair: Conversations on AI
2026-05-13 18:00 - 19:00 | Silicon Valley Campus, 3175 Bowers Avenue, Santa Clara, CA, 95054, United States
Curious about the newest developments in artificial intelligence?
Join us for Chat with the AI Chair, a monthly drop-in conversation designed for professionals who want to stay ahead of emerging AI trends.
Event details
Praveen Krishna, chair of the Artificial Intelligence Application Development certificate program, will lead the informal discussion about what this technology means for developers, professionals, and organizations adopting AI tools.
Format: Online discussion + open Q&A
When: Every 2nd Wednesday of the month
Who should attend: Developers, technologists, product managers, and professionals exploring AI tools and automation
This is a casual, interactive session—bring your questions, share your experience, and hear directly from an AI educator working at the forefront of applied AI training. You’ll get an insider’s look at the technologies shaping the next generation of AI—and what you need to know to stay ahead.
Register
CLAIM YOUR SEAT.

What is Mythos? Conversations on AI
2026-05-13 18:00 - 19:00 | Silicon Valley Campus, 3175 Bowers Avenue, Santa Clara, CA, 95054, United States
What do we know about Mythos?
Anthropic’s Claude Mythos, a next-generation, general-purpose AI model with 10 trillion parameters, is the most powerful AI developed to date. It is highly capable of advanced reasoning, coding, and autonomously identifying and exploiting complex software vulnerabilities, creating significant cybersecurity risks.
Join us for Chat with Praveen Krishna, chair of our AI program, a monthly drop-in conversation about the latest developments in artificial intelligence and what this technology means for developers, professionals, and organizations adopting AI tools.
What you need to know to stay ahead
This is a casual, interactive session. Bring your questions, share your experience, and hear directly from an AI educator working at the forefront of applied AI training. You’ll get an insider’s look at the technologies shaping the next generation of AI.
Event details

Speaker: Praveen Krishna, AI chair, UCSC Silicon Valley Extension
Format: Online discussion + open Q&A about the latest news in AI
When: 2nd Wednesday of the month
Who should attend: Developers, technologists, product managers, and professionals exploring AI tools and automation

Claim your seat today.
Share your perspective. Plan your learning.
Visit our Artificial Intelligence program page to learn more about our AI offerings.

Drop-in Figure Drawing
2026-05-13 19:00 - 21:00 | Elena Baskin Visual Arts Center, Baskin Service Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Drop-In Draw provides a live model and room monitor. There is no formal lesson and only dry media is allowed (no paints).
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ADVISORIES
– These events contain mature content and nudity.
– Drop-In Draw is subject to the possibility of last-minute cancellation without notification, and sessions are not guaranteed.
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ADMISSION
– FREE and open to the public
– UCSC Art Department Room M-101
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FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
This series occurs weekly on Wednesday evenings during spring quarter, including the following:
Wednesday April 1, 2026, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Wednesday April 8, 2026, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Wednesday April 15, 2026, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Wednesday April 22, 2026, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Wednesday April 29, 2026, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Wednesday May 6, 2026, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Wednesday May 13, 2026, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Wednesday May 20, 2026, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Wednesday May 27, 2026, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
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PARKING
– Parking by permit or ParkMobile.
– Arts Lot #126 is the closest parking lot to the event.
– 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 members of the public consistent with state and federal law.

Shadmon, R. (CS) - Proximal Byzantine Agreement
2026-05-14 09:00 - 11:00 | Engineering 2, Engineering 2 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Research on fault-tolerance protocols for approximate Byzantine agreement
(ABA) has largely focused on ensuring that distributed processes remain
consistent despite fewer than 1/3 faulty processes. Yet in many
real systems, consistency is only useful when it enables processes to
make accurate decisions from replicated, noisy, and potentially
adversarially corrupted data relative to an ideal fault-free baseline.
This limitation is increasingly important in edge applications such as
autonomous vehicles, drone networks, smart cities, manufacturing, and
sensor-based systems, where agreement directly drives downstream
actions. At the same time, many existing ABA protocols impose
impractical requirements, such as replica counts that grow with data
dimensionality or prior knowledge of the maximum distance between values
proposed by each process.
We introduce Stochastic Byzantine Agreement (SBA), a new problem
formulation in which the goal is to estimate an output from n replicated
values consisting of n-f nonfaulty outputs generated by an
underlying stochastic process and f arbitrarily chosen
Byzantine outputs. We then present Proximal Byzantine Agreement
(PBA), a stochastic agreement protocol that solves SBA by enabling
consumers to infer the most likely ideal output conditioned on the
outputs they receive. In addition, PBA provides a region
guarantee that, as we prove, always contains the corresponding
fault-free stochastic estimate of the true value.
We describe the design of PBA, formalize its guarantees, and evaluate
its accuracy against existing techniques using stochastic simulations
across symmetric and asymmetric distributions and multiple system
configurations. We also evaluate runtime overhead and performance in a
follow-the-leader drone network simulator and in a Java implementation on
Raspberry Pis using a real-world adaptive cruise control dataset. Our
results show that PBA performs competitively across all evaluated
settings and especially well under simulated Byzantine attack. Most
notably, PBA maintains stable accuracy as dimensionality increases,
outperforming methods that require up to 10x more replicas}
and incur up to 10x greater computation time per agreement
decision.
Event Host: Roy Shadmon, Ph.D. Candidate, Computer Science
Advisor: Owen Arden
Zoom: https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/98390167664?pwd=[REDACTED]
Passcode: pba

Survivor Circles: Healing After Trauma
2026-05-14 10:30 - 12:00 | Hahn Student Services, Hahn Student Services, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
CARE’s Healing After Trauma survivor circles are an in-person, drop-in space to share and connect on the glimmers & struggles of recovering from harmful sexual experiences. Guided and led by CARE advocates, each week’s session will offer an opportunity to engage with a different alternative healing modality – from sound healing, to art therapy, collective rest, and more.

Fill out an Interest Form for more information.

Please note: The interest form is not required for attendance, nor a registration form – registration is not necessary for these events.

You Belong Here: The programs and services described here are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiative—whether a student service, faculty program, or community event—is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities. To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy for UC Publications.

Narcan Training for Faculty and Staff
2026-05-14 11:00 - 11:30, 2026-05-14 13:00 - 13:30
Register for the Zoom link.
Narcan is a life-saving opioid overdose reversal drug. Join us in this workshop as we learn the following:

How to use Narcan
When to use Narcan
Narcan FAQs
Where to find Narcan locally

Register for the Zoom link. To learn more, please visit the Narcan wellness initiative webpage. For trainings, please visit the Occupational Health Training website.
For questions or to schedule a training for your team, please contact Occupational Health Specialist, Elizabeth Tomlinson, at ektomlin@ucsc.edu.

Queer Connections: Q/T Grad Students
2026-05-14 11:00 - 12:30 | Lionel Cantú Queer Center, Crown Lane, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
CAPS & Cantú Collaboration: Queer Connections.
Join us at the Lionel Cantú Queer Center for conversations facilitated by CAPS Providers.
Q/T Grad Students: Graduate students are welcome to join us at the Cantú to craft while in community. We will provide a safe space on campus to connect, share and reflect together! Come be in community with your peers, hear about resources available to you, and create a craft or two.
You Belong Here: The programs and services described here are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiative—whether a student service, faculty program, or community event—is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities.
To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy for UC Publications.

Time Management
2026-05-14 12:00 - 12:45 | https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/7372922776?pwd=[REDACTED]
In this workshop, you will: Learn the ways you can manage your time and avoid procrastination/burnout.
The Successful Slug Workshop series, hosted by Learning Support Services Peer Coaches, are open to all UCSC undergraduate students and focus on academic skills and tools to support your success as a student. At each workshop, you will be introduced to a topic, engage in active learning, be given resources to begin implementing the same day, and have an opportunity to learn more if you are interested.
You Belong Here: The programs and services described here are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiative—whether a student service, faculty program, or community event—is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities.
To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy for UC Publications.

Spring Exhibitions at the Institute of the Arts and Sciences
2026-05-14 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-15 12:00 - 17:00 | Institute of the Arts and Sciences, 100 Panetta Ave, Santa Cruz, United States
Visit the IAS, UCSC’s premier art galleries, for our spring exhibitions. On view April 10–August 16, 2026 are three diverse and interdisciplinary shows: Libia Posada: Everything is Going Right, the first US solo exhibition by the Colombia-based artist and medical doctor; Gina Athena Ulysse: A Redwoods Rasanblaj, a site-specific and immersive exploration of the Haitian kreyol conception of rasanblaj; and Ronaldo V. Wilson: There Are No Words, But Melodies, a mixed-media exhibition emerging at the intersections of Black poetics, performance, and visual art.
The IAS Galleries are open Wednesday-Sunday, 12 pm – 5 pm. Admission is free to the public.
Libia Posada: Everything is Going Right
Libia Posada’s first solo exhibition in the United States features installations, sculptures, and drawings meticulously constructed from surgical instruments, gauze bandages, crutches, used books, and domestic picture frames. The new and existing works in the exhibition powerfully stitch together the personal, social, and political disorders and afflictions that currently trouble the world, from the wars that resonate across the globe to the violences of aging in US prisons.
Gina Athena Ulysse: A Redwoods Rasanblaj: Origins & Disentanglements
The internationally-lauded work of humanities professor Gina Athena Ulysse is on view as a premier Faculty Spotlight Exhibition. The site-specific installation, produced in community from things collected, found, purchased and donated, centers on the Haitian concept of rasanblaj, a form of assembly and collage that transcends the formal use of materials to draw together people, spirits, and ideas.
Ronaldo V. Wilson: There Are No Words, But Melodies
Collage is both a material practice and a structural interrogation in the Faculty Spotlight Exhibition artworks by literature professor Ronaldo V. Wilson. In video, painting, and installation, layers and folds conceal and reveal, delving into the experience, both bodily and emotive, of living in times of violence.

Visualizing Abolition Screening Series: Beyond Access
2026-05-14 12:00 - 17:00 | Institute of the Arts and Sciences, 100 Panetta Ave, Santa Cruz, United States
On view in the IAS Screening Room is a selection of short films curated by Visualizing Abolition Visiting Faculty Fellow Dr. Pooja Rangan.
Prisons deny and censor the access of those trapped inside them—to information, to intimacy, to community, to meaningful work, to nourishment of all kinds, and perhaps most cruelly, to care. This program assembles a series of films, including works by filmmakers incarcerated in California as well as others without that lived experience. Together, these works confront the debilitating impacts of these restrictions and reveal how the disabling logic of the prison is extended to other institutional spaces (the hospital, the university), turning access into a scarce commodity by enclosing what should be held in common. Questioning the carceral and state-sponsored productions of disability and accessibility, the short films together reveal the courage of people working despite limitations to produce collective access for one another, described simply and beautifully by disability justice activist Leah-Lakshmi Piepzna Samarasinha as “revolutionary love without charity.”
Thanh Tran
Dying in Prison, 2022
HD Video (color, sound), 3 minutes
Courtesy of the artist
Carolyn Lazard
Pre-Existing Condition, 2019
HD video (color, sound), 6 minutes
Courtesy of the artist and Trautwein Herleth3
Anthony Alejandrez
Another Rainy Day, 2023
Phone video (color, sound), 3 minutes
Courtesy of the artist
Jordan Lord
After…After… (Access), 2018
HD Video (color, sound), 16 minutes
Courtesy of the artist
Rahsaan “New York” Thomas
Friendly Signs, 2023
Video (color, sound) 21 minutes
Courtesy of Tommy Wickerd, Empowerment Ave & System Impact Media

Rules Are Not Neutral: Play As Sense-Making, Acts Of Resistance, And Imagining Otherwise
2026-05-14 12:00 - 17:00 | Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery, 11 Cowell Service Rd, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
This exhibition brings together a range of analog games – including board, card, role-playing, and other participatory works – that engage social and political realities in different ways. The works span widely circulated commercial games to independently produced projects, one-of-a-kind artworks by artists, faculty, alumni, and students, and materials drawn from UC Santa Cruz Special Collections and Archives.
In part, the exhibition challenges the persistent assumption that games and play are detached from social and political life. On the contrary, game designers and artists across diverse perspectives and positions have long used play to engage questions of social systems, lived experience, and how power operates. The works are encountered in multiple ways: as objects, as systems, as artworks, and as experiences that unfold unpredictably through interaction.
Ultimately, the exhibition asks us to consider not only how games represent the world, but how they shape our engagement with it – and how through play, the social and political systems they model might be understood, challenged, and reimagined.
“The imagination is an instrument of change.”
– Ursula K. Le Guin, author
Gallery reception: May 15, 2026 — 1 to 4pm.
Art Friday is available every Friday from noon to 4pm.

Black on the Block
2026-05-14 13:00 - 14:00 | Crown Provost House, 660 Crown Service Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Join the African American Resource & Cultural Center every Thursday from 1–2 p.m., at the front of the Ethnic Resource Center for Black on the Block, a weekly tabling and engagement space.
Stop by to learn about campus resources, upcoming programs, and ways to get involved. It’s a casual, welcoming space to ask questions, make connections, and build community. All are welcome.
You Belong Here: The programs and services described here are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiative—whether a student service, faculty program, or community event—is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities.
To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy for UC Publications.

Let's Talk
2026-05-14 13:00 - 14:00 | Cantu Queer Center, Crown Lane, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Need to talk? We’re here to listen! Drop in for a confidential chat with a professional counselor who can provide support, advice and information.
Where: UCSC Cantú Queer Center, 633 Crown Rd, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
Facilitator: Dean Khambatta, LMFT (831) 459-5346
You Belong Here: The programs and services described here are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiative—whether a student service, faculty program, or community event—is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities.
To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy for UC Publications.

SlugCents "Words That Impress: Creating a Great Résumé & Cover Letter"
2026-05-14 16:30 - 17:30 | Hahn 203-SlugCents, Hahn Student Services, Room 203 400 Hahn Road, Santa Cruz, 95064, United States
Crafting a fantastic Resume and Cover Letter are the key to getting an interview and landing a job! Join us at the SlugCents office (Hahn 203) for this informative workshop that will cover best practices for resume and cover letter development. You’ll gain understanding about the perfect format, navigating AI filters, and how to write captivating resume bullet points and engaging cover letter paragraphs. The presentation will be 40 minutes, followed by 20 minutes of optional worktime here in our office with coaches to give you brief input.
We will provide captions for the presentation. If you have disability-related needs, please contact the Career Success office at csuccess@ucsc.edu or (831) 459-4420 as soon as possible.
YOU BELONG HERE
Programs and services are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiative—whether a student service, faculty program, or community event—is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities. To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy for UC Publications.

QB3/QBI Pre-Hackathon Mixer
2026-05-14 17:00 - 19:00 | Rachel Carson College, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Join us for an exciting pre-hackathon mixer at University of California, Santa Cruz! Get ready to mingle, form teams, and start brainstorming ideas for your projects before the QBI Hackathon kicks off at UCSF in June 2026.
Agenda
5:00 PM – Doors Open
5:30 PM – Pitch Session
6:00 PM – Networking & Mingling
We can’t wait to see the ideas and projects that will be presented at the mixer. Whether you’re presenting or simply attending to learn more and meet potential teammates, this event is an excellent opportunity to start building connections within our vibrant community of participants.
Don’t miss out on this chance to get inspired and kickstart your hackathon experience. To attend, please RSVP – https://qbi.ucsf.edu/events/hackathon-mixer-ucsc-2026
The QBI hackathon is a 48-hour event connecting the developer community in the Bay Area with the scientists from the three QB3 campuses (UCSF, UCB and UCSC), during which we work together on cutting edge biomedical problems. One of the highlights of our pre-hackathon mixer is the opportunity for participants to showcase their ideas, projects, or concepts to the group.

Learn more about high school health pathways
2026-05-14 18:00 - 19:00 | Silicon Valley Campus, 3175 Bowers Avenue, Santa Clara, CA, 95054, United States
At this interactive info session about our new program for college-bound high schoolers, program staff will talk about the UC Santa Cruz High School Health Pathways Summer Academy, a six-week session of transformative learning, in-person, at the Silicon Valley Campus of UC Santa Cruz.
Get hands-on learning in diverse topics such as:

Human biology
Microscopy
Public health advocacy
Expert mentorship
Field experiences
Capstone project

Attend to learn more about the program and how to apply. Applications are due May 16th.
Who should attend?
High school students, parents, and advisors are invited to join the discussion and bring questions.
Sponsor
This session is sponsored by the UC Santa Cruz Premed Postbacc Program.

CLAIM YOUR SEAT.

2026 Robert L. Sinsheimer Distinguished Lecture in Biology: Global Vaccines and Immunizations in a Time of Climate Change, Mega Cities, and Anti-science
2026-05-14 19:00 - 20:30 | Colleges Nine and John R. Lewis College Multi-purpose Room, 615 College Nine Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Join us for an evening with Dr. Peter Hotez, a world-renowned vaccine scientist, pediatrician, and Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. A graduate of Yale, Cornell, and Rockefeller University, Dr. Hotez has dedicated his career to global health, co-developing low-cost COVID-19 vaccines administered to over 100 million people in India and Indonesia.
Beyond the lab, Dr. Hotez is one of the nation’s most prominent “science explainers,” tirelessly combating the rise of anti-science sentiment. In this lecture, he will discuss the themes of his current book, Science Under Siege (co-authored with climate scientist Michael Mann), offering a front-line perspective on defending scientific integrity and public health in an era of unprecedented challenge.

Flow and Friction Symposium: Media Practices Across Global Asias
2026-05-15 09:00 - 18:00 | Cowell Conference Room, 257 Cowell-Stevenson Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
“Media Practices Across Global Asias,” a graduate-student research cluster working across the History of Art and Visual Culture and Film and Digital Media departments, hosts their first symposium titled “Flow and Friction.” The day-long symposium is comprised of four panels with presenters from UC Santa Cruz and universities further afield in the U.S. and abroad. Three of the panels are focused on papers, while the fourth is focused on practice as research, with a screening of three short video works followed by Q&A. Professor Lisa Nakamura will visit from the University of Michigan, where she is the Gwendolyn Calvert Baker Collegiate Professor in the Department of American Cultures, as keynote speaker for the event. Each of the symposium presentations takes up the notion of flow and friction in response to the research cluster’s open call inviting inquiries in media studies and audiovisual culture in the context of Global Asias. Global Asias offer an expansive model to consider the imaginary or symbolic Asia as a series of diasporic interpolations constituted by Asian, non-Asian, and indigenous peoples and cultures. It demonstrates that worlds are not singular, much like media and its practices, and are contingent upon the labor and bodies that engage and disengage with them.
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ADMISSION
– Attend in person at the Cowell Conference Room at UC Santa Cruz.
– FREE and open to Arts Division staff & faculty, Arts Division students, and their invited guests.
– Registration recommended here.
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PARKING
– Closest lots to the event are Lots 107, 108, 109 and 110.
– All lots require an A permit which can be purchased via UCSC TAPS.
– ParkMobile can be found at Lot 107 and 109.
– Additional parking can be found in Lot 111 or Lot 111B or East Remote Lot 104.
– 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.

Run Like a Slug 5k
2026-05-15 12:00 | Upper East Field
The UC Santa Cruz Department of Athletics and Recreation is proud to announce the second annual Run Like a Slug 5k. Banana Slugs can register here for the race.
Get ready to embrace your inner Banana Slug at the Run Like A Slug 5k Fun Run! Join fellow students, staff, and faculty members for a scenic and spirited run (or walk!) through the beautiful UC Santa Cruz campus. Whether you’re a seasoned runner or just looking for a fun way to get active, this event is perfect for all paces—sluggish or speedy.
Expect a laid-back, supportive atmosphere, some slug-themed surprises, and a great way to enjoy the outdoors before finals. Costumes and UCSC pride are encouraged.
Perks include fun giveaways, music, and post-race refreshments.
Lace up, take it slow (or fast), and Run Like A Slug!
Register here »
You Belong Here: The programs and services described here are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiative—whether a student service, faculty program, or community event—is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities.
To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy for UC Publications.

Risk Services & Occupational Health's Campus Wellness Fair
2026-05-15 12:00 - 14:00 | Upper East Field
Friday, May 15, 12:00 PM -2:00 PM

Where: Upper East Field
The Risk Services & Occupational Health’s Campus Wellness Fair is a fun-filled event open to all students, staff, and faculty. It will showcase the many UCSC departments, programs, and resources on campus that help contribute to a culture of well-being on our campus. You can go visit to their tables, learn what they have to offer, grab some giveaway items, and maybe even win some prizes!
Fill out the tabling request form by Monday, April 20, to showcase how your department contributes to a culture of well-being!

To learn more, visit the Campus Wellness Fair website.
For questions, please reach out to Ashley Parker, Health and Well-being Specialist, at aseparke@ucsc.edu.
