Events

Ecology of Presence: Pathways to the Natural World
2026-02-04 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-02-05 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-02-06 12:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery, 11 Cowell Service Rd, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Norris Center Art + Science Graduate Fellowship Exhibition
Ecology of Presence: Pathways to the Natural World brings together the work of ten graduate students supported by the Kenneth S. Norris Center for Natural History Art + Science Fellowship, a program dedicated to creative research connecting art with the natural world. Across media – including sound, moving image, music, performance, installation, comics, social practice, photography, and storytelling – the artists in Ecology of Presence emphasize relationality and careful attention to place as essential to building relationships with environs. As accelerating environmental change and technological dependency threaten ways of belonging, the works in this exhibition maintain a steadfast commitment to interdisciplinary approaches that propose kinship with the natural world. By coming together, Art + Science Fellows artworks and social practices suggest ways of imagining human life in relation to the more-than-human world.

Career Success Drop-In Coaching at the Ethnic Resource Center - Winter 2026
2026-02-04 13:30 - 15:00 | Crown Provost House, 660 Crown Service Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Drop-in 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!
Time: 1:30pm – 3:00pm
Dates: Wednesdays, Weeks 2 & 5 of Winter Quarter 2026
1/14/2026 & 2/4/2026
Location: Crown Provost House / Ethnic Resource Centers Lounge
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.

VMCC Series: Yiman Wang
2026-02-04 16:00 - 17:30 | Porter College, D-Building, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
In a lecture delivered by UC Santa Cruz Professor Yiman Wang, this talk delves into Mao-era moving image culture that featured experimentation with public health, horticulture, and animal husbandry to unpack what cinematic experiments were developed, how scientific experiments were conducted, and in what ways they were intended to intertwine with the nation-wide experiment with rebuilding the new socialist human’s psyche and a new socio-political world. The talk also explores why such conjoined experiments often fell apart, what one might gain by recentering the unruly human and more-than-human “raw material” that were experimented on, and ultimately, how the environmental turn in media studies could benefit from a study of socialist trifold cinematic-scientific-socio-political experimentations.
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Yiman Wang (Ph.D., Graduate Program in Literature, Duke University) is Professor and Chair of Film & Digital Media at University of California, Santa Cruz. She is author of Remaking Chinese Cinema: Through the Prism of Shanghai, Hong Kong and Hollywood (University of Hawaii Press 2013), and To Be an Actress: Labor and Performance in Anna May Wong’s Cross-Media World (University of California Press 2024). She has published numerous articles in journals and edited volumes on topics of socialist environmental media, feminist media histories, ethnic border-crossing stardom, eco-cinema, Chinese cinema, independent documentary, film remakes and adaptations. She is editor of a special issue of Feminist Media Histories on Asian Feminist Media (2019), co-editor of an InFocus Dossier on Queering Asian Media in Journal of Cinema and Media Studies (2023), co-editor of Chinese Animation: Multiplicities in Motion (2025), associate editor of Journal of Chinese Cinemas, and co-editor of the Global East Asian Screen Cultures book series published by Bloomsbury.
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ADMISSION
– FREE and open to the public
– Located in Porter College Rm. D245
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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 members of the public consistent with state and federal law.

College Night: Winter Wonderland – Celebration of the Arts!
2026-02-04 17:00 - 19:00 | Porter/Kresge Dining Hall, 411 Porter-Kresge Rd, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Kresge College, in collaboration with UCSC Dining, present “Winter Wonderland – Celebration of the Arts!” . Join us Wednesday, February 4 from 5–7 p.m. at the Porter/Kresge Dining Hall for a night of activities, fun, community, and a special themed menu. Standard dining hall entry pricing applies, and all students, faculty, and staff are invited.
Please note: The dining hall will be closed from 2–5 p.m. for event preparation.
Learn more about College Nights at dining.ucsc.edu/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.How to Use the Statement Across Communication Channels

Kraw Lecture: Learning Earth's Biodiversity via Space and eDNA
2026-02-04 17:30 - 19:00 | 3175 Bowers Avenue Santa Clara, CA 95054, 3175 Bowers Avenue, Santa Clara, CA, 95054, United States
The California DNA Program (CALeDNA), launched from the University of California in 2017, has been tackling the massive disconnection in scales of measuring nature from satellite-based sensing down to DNA in a gram of soil or water. Through dozens of collaborative projects around the world, CALeDNA lab scientists have harmonized different ways of observing biodiversity from microbes to plants and mammals. UC Santa Cruz’s Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, where CALeDNA is headquartered, now houses over 50,000 CALeDNA environmental sample collections, a thriving startup partnership, and an eDNA service and R&D lab that serves most national and CA state agencies that monitor nature. In this presentation, Rachel Meyer will demonstrate the challenges of connecting the microscopic to regional scales across all kingdoms of life for two central purposes: monitoring sensitive habitat change and estimating habitat ‘health’.

In-Person Reception: 5:30 p.m.
Lecture: 6–7 p.m.

Register Now

Pre-College Program Info Session
2026-02-04 18:00 - 19:00 | Silicon Valley Campus, 3175 Bowers Avenue, Santa Clara, CA, 95054, United States
Learn more about our Pre-College Programs
Discover what’s possible in Summer 2026! Join us for a one-hour info session to learn about our Pre-College programs, including courses, eligibility, and how students can get a head start on college and career pathways.
Special offer
Receive an application fee waiver when you enroll and attend the session.
Claim your seat.

Regulatory Affairs Info Session
2026-02-04 18:00 - 19:00 | Silicon Valley Campus, 3175 Bowers Avenue, Santa Clara, CA, 95054, United States
Lead regulatory strategy in the evolving medical device industry.
As global regulations become increasingly complex, professionals who can navigate FDA, EU, and international requirements are in high demand. Learn how to design and execute regulatory strategies, manage premarket submissions using tools like the FDA’s eSTAR, leverage AI-driven platforms for regulatory intelligence, and ensure compliance across device lifecycles.
Speaker
Join Kiran Gulati, chair of the UCSC Silicon Valley Extension Regulatory Affairs program, for a detailed overview of how our courses provide practical, hands-on training and industry-aligned skills to advance your career in regulatory affairs, quality assurance, and medical device compliance.
Start exploring
Check out our Regulatory Affairs certificate program page for a closer look at upcoming courses and offerings.
Claim your seat.

SEACoast Slow Seminar: A History of Families: Bosses, Bullies, and Dictators in the Modern Philippines
2026-02-05 11:00 - 13:00 | Humanities 1 Building, 257 Cowell-Stevenson Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, United States
The Center for Southeast Asian Coastal Interactions (SEACoast) invites you to join us for our winter Slow Seminar, “A History of Families: Bosses, Bullies, and Dictators in the Modern Philippines,” on February 5, 2026 from 11:00 am – 1:00pm.
Professor Steve McKay (Sociology) will facilitate our conversation focused on a selection of classic and contemporary scholarship on regional politics in the Philippines. With the present Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. presidency and the International Criminal Court case against former president Rodrigo Duterte in mind, we look forward to a critical discussion of historical and contemporary Southeast Asian politics
Please register for the Slow Seminar by filling out this Google Form. Registered guests will receive copies of the selected readings via email.
This is a Hybrid event. Participants may join in-person or by Zoom. The Zoom link will be sent out to registered participants at least 1 hour before the event.
New to Slow Seminars? Check out SEACoast’s definition here.

Collaborative Communications Workshop with Aimee Ryan
2026-02-05 12:00 - 16:00, 2026-02-06 12:00 - 16:00 | Arboretum, 122 Arboretum Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Collaborative Communication Workshop Series
O.A.B.E.’s Winter 2026 Professional Development
Baskin Engineering and The Office of Access, Belonging, and Equity invite you to join us for a series of in-person workshops over two afternoons this winter quarter to come together as a community of workers and develop our skills in collaborative communication, conflict navigation, and empathic leadership with communications coach & expert Aimee Ryan.
Aimee has over 15 years of experience in mediation, conflict resolution, and team development. Her training and teaching will seek to offer a transformative learning experience designed to develop the communication skills of our faculty, staff, and researchers, to support our thriving community.
Workshop Goals:

Strengthen empathy and active listening: Learn how to listen deeply, recognize emotions and needs in conversation, and respond in ways that foster understanding rather than division.
Enhance conflict-navigation skills: Gain practical tools to engage in difficult conversations with more connection and collaboration.
Promote inclusive dialogue and depolarization: Develop a “both/and” mindset that embraces multiple perspectives.

Workshop Details
We will hold the workshops at the serene and beautiful UCSC Arboretum. Lunch will be served.
Day 1: Thursday, February 5, 2025, 12:00 pm- 4:00 pm

Foundations of Collaborative Communication
Giving & Receiving Authentic Feedback

Auto-add this session to your calendar

Day 2: Friday, February 6, 2025, 12:00 pm- 4:00 pm

Moving from Polarization to Collaboration

Collaborating Across Power Differences

Auto-add this session to your calendar

Who should attend?
The workshops are open to all Baskin Engineering faculty, staff, researchers, and postdocs who are interested in strengthening leadership, communication skills, team dynamics, synergy, and making our work environment even better than it already is!
How to participate

RSVP here before Friday, Jan 30.
Save the date now! Add to your Google Calendar using the links above
The sessions are designed as a full course. Attendees are encouraged to attend both sessions. The Day 2 workshop will only be open to attendees of Day 1.
Attendance at both sessions is required to earn the Baskin Engineering Collaborative Communication Certificate.

Seats are limited
Due to limited space, we will close registration when we reach maximum capacity.
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to lead with clarity, empathy, and confidence!
Please direct your questions about the workshop to Richard Raygoza at riraygoz@ucsc.edu.

Workplace Mental Health Training for Supervisors and Managers
2026-02-05 12:30 - 15:00 | CA
The Office of Risk Services has partnered with OHSU’s Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Services to provide mental health support training to UCSC supervisors and managers.
This evidence based program teaches leaders:

To identify employee mental health struggles
Appropriate ways to respond to employee warning signs
Practical strategies to reduce employee stress

Employees whose managers and supervisors were trained in this program report:

Reduced anger and loneliness
Improved feelings of support from manager
Increased feelings of team cohesion

This training is open to all supervisors and managers at UCSC. Our next training session will take place on Thursday, January 15, and will comprise the following:

A self paced online training session
A live, virtual one hour session
A two-week voluntary virtual check in

If you would like to participate in this training on Thursday, February 5 from 12:30 PM – 3:00 PM please fill out this form. Please note that space is limited. Folks added to the waitlist will be given priority for our next training session.
To learn more, please visit the Workplace Mental Health Training for Supervisors and Managers website.
If you have any questions about this training, please reach out to Jessica Bulleri, Campus Health and Well-being Manager, at jbulleri@ucsc.edu.

Info Session: Global Seminar Mediterranean France in Marseille
2026-02-05 14:00 - 15:00 | CA
Learn more at our upcoming Information Session: Thursday, February 5, 2026, from 2:00-3:00 p.m. via Zoom.
Register Here
Earn 10 units on a summer program on the Global Seminar Mediterranean France in Marseille this summer. This program is taught by Muriam Davis, Associate Professor of History, and Thomas Serres, Associate Professor of Politics.
Quick Facts:

Locations: Marseille, France
Course:
His 170 C: France and its Empire in the 20th century (5 credits)
POLI 166: Politics of Migration (5 credits)
Led by: Muriam Davis and Thomas Serres
Eligibility: Good academic and disciplinary standing, Min Age: 18, Minimum GPA- 2.3 cumulative GPA or higher at the time of application and every quarter prior to departure, 45 units completed by the time of departure
Dates: Summer Session 1 (Exact dates to be announced)
Finances: Financial aid applies, and scholarships are available! Budget will be posted on the website when it is available.
How to apply: Visit here for instructions. Applications open on December 1 and close on March 2.
Get in touch: Email your questions to globallearning@ucsc.edu.

Program Description: Students will study French history and politics in Marseille, a port city that has a rich tradition of immigration, activism, and cultural production. By meeting with urbanists, musicians, activists, historians, and filmmakers, they will reflect on how the diverse communities have shaped French culture and politics. They will also study the lingering effects of French colonialism and immigration policy through visits to the many museums and archives located in and around Marseille. Read about Marseille here or watch this Anthony Bourdain clip here.

UC Santa Cruz NAI Chapter: From Campus to Commerce Winter Event
2026-02-05 16:00 - 18:00 | Merrill Cultural Center, 200 McLaughlin Dr, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Join us for an engaging gathering at the intersection of breakthrough science and real-world impact featuring:

​A fireside chat with accomplished inventor and NAI Fellow David Schaffer – UC Berkeley Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Director of QB3, and Director of Bakar BioEnginuity Hub – with a conversation exploring translational research and commercialization successes as well as approaches to lab management and mentorship that encourage a culture of innovation impact
​Induction of new chapter inventor and honorary members
​Networking with chapter leaders and fellow campus inventors

Looking at School, Fear, and Possibilities: Imagining Futures Under Authoritarian Rule
2026-02-05 17:00 - 18:00 | CA
Please join us in a conversation around School, Fear, & Possibilities: Imagining Futures Under Authoritarian Rule, featuring two guest speakers: Manuel Espinoza Ph.D, Muhammad Khalifa!

Title: School, Fear, & Possibilities: Imagining Futures Under Authoritarian Rule Talk
Guest speakers: Manuel Espinoza & Muhammad Khalifa.
Date: Thursday, February 5th, 2026, 5-6PM
Location: McHenry 0266 or via Zoom (Meeting ID: 933 0685 4982; Passcode: [REDACTED]
Please complete this RSVP form if you plan to attend
Feb 5th guest speakers
Learn about Manuel Espinoza
Manuel is a child of desegregation and a Chicano ethnographer working in the scholarly tradition that emerged during the 20th-century struggle against racism in the U.S. As the Director and Co-founder of the Right2Learn Dignity Lab, now in its 15th year, Manuel works with an undergraduate and graduate research collective to develop two interconnected strands of research: 1) an inquiry into the historical and legal origins of educational rights and 2) a social interactional method for studying the manifestations of dignity in educational activity. Presently, the Dignity Lab is working to amend the “education clause” of the Colorado Constitution. Manuel has shared his expertise by contributing content on dignity in schools to the Cultivating Compassion for Ourselves and Others digital certificate.

Learn about Muhammad Khalifa
His research examines how urban school leaders enact culturally responsive leadership and anti-oppressive schooling practices. He is a leading expert on equity audits for school districts. He was previously a teacher and administrator in Detroit Public Schools, and he has also contributed to community-informed education projects in Africa, Latin America, and Asia in various capacities. He formerly held the endowed Beck Chair of Ideas in Education at the University of Minnesota. He has contributed to education, development, or research programs in several contexts.

We hope you can join us in this conversation with Manuel and Muhammad!

College Night: I Love NYC
2026-02-05 17:00 - 20:00 | Cowell/Stevenson Dining Hall, 520 Cowell-Stevenson Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, United States
Cowell and Stevenson Colleges, in collaboration with UCSC Dining, present “I Love NYC” – a cultural celebration of New York City, the foods and cultures that make it up. Join us Thursday, February 5, from 5–8 p.m. at the Cowell/Stevenson Dining Hall for a night of activities, fun, community, and a special themed menu. Standard dining hall entry pricing applies, and all students, faculty, and staff are invited.
Please note: The dining hall will be closed from 2–5 p.m. for event preparation.
Learn more about College Nights at dining.ucsc.edu/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.How to Use the Statement Across Communication Channels

Carl Deppe Memorial Lecture with Dr. Kara Cooney
2026-02-05 17:30 - 19:30 | Hay Barn, 94 Ranch View Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, United States
The UCSC Ancient Studies Program presents the Carl Deppe Memorial Lecture, taking place February 5th at the Cowell Ranch Hay Barn (reception to follow). Kara Cooney will present her lecture “When Women Ruled the World”. Doors open at 5:30pm, program begins at 5:45pm.

Kara Cooney is a professor of ancient Egyptian art and architecture and chair of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at the University of California, Los Angeles. Specializing in social history, gender studies, and economies of the ancient world, she received her PhD in Egyptology from Johns Hopkins University. Her books include The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut’s Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt, When Women Ruled the World: Six Queens of Egypt, and The Good Kings: Absolute Power in Ancient Egypt and the Modern World. Her latest books include Recycling for Death: Coffin Reuse in Ancient Egypt and the Theban Royal Caches, Ancient Egyptian Society: Challenging Assumptions, Exploring Approaches, and Coffin Commerce.

Science in the Neighborhood: Innovations for building coastal resilience locally, nationally, and globally
2026-02-05 18:00 - 19:30 | Seymour Marine Discovery Center, 100 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060
Science In the Neighborhood
A public lecture series hosted quarterly by the UC Santa Cruz Science Division
Innovations for building coastal resilience locally, nationally, and globally
Presentation by Mike Beck, Director, UC Santa Cruz Center for Coastal Climate Resilience
Q&A with Stefano Profumo, Professor, UC Santa Cruz
Coastal risks are growing from climate change, development, and habitat loss. The Center for Coastal Climate Resilience assesses coastal risks, promotes nature-based adaptations, and identifies innovative solutions to reduce risks to people, property, and the environment. Dr. Beck will describe recent successes in bridging ecology, engineering, and economics to develop solutions at the intersection of science, policy, and finance.
He will show some of the latest innovations, presenting examples from Santa Cruz, across the country, and internationally. These include new policies that open funding for nature as natural infrastructure; the development of nature-positive insurance; and the use of game-engine technology to communicate the cost effectiveness of nature-based solutions.
The event is in-person only. Register here.
Thursday, February 5, 2026 | 6-7:30 p.m.
Seymour Marine Discovery Center, La Feliz Room
100 McAllister Way
Santa Cruz 95060

Safety Planning for ICE Raids at Work
2026-02-05 18:00 - 19:30 | CA
February 5, 2026 | 6PM-7:30PM *ONLINE*
How can workers stay safe on the job amidst increased immigration enforcement and raids that target our workplaces?
Register below to join UC Berkeley’s Labor Occupational Health Program and UC Santa Cruz’s Center for Labor and Community for this hands-on, interactive workshop to develop a worker-led safety plan for ICE raids at work. A calendar invitation and Zoom link will be sent out prior to the event.
In this workshop you will:

Hear directly from rank-and-file teachers and nurses about the steps they took to make a safety plan with coworkers to prevent ICE access to their workplaces and protect targeted workers and community members.
Talk through steps to create a safety plan for your workplace.
Learn how to enforce workplace health and safety laws and immigration laws (AB 450, etc.)
Prepare to act even when your employer will not.

Register Here.
Planificación de Seguridad Ante Redadas de ICE en el Lugar de Trabajo
5 de febrero de 2026 | 6:00-7:30PM *EN LÍNEA*
¿Cómo pueden los trabajadores mantenerse seguros en el trabajo ante el aumento de las redadas y la intensificación de las operaciones de control migratorio en nuestros lugares de trabajo?
Regístrese a continuación para participar en este taller práctico e interactivo, organizado por el Programa de Salud Ocupacional Laboral de UC Berkeley y el Centro de Labor y Comunidad de UC Santa Cruz, donde desarrollará un plan de seguridad liderado por los trabajadores para hacer frente a las redadas de ICE en el trabajo. Se enviará una invitación de calendario y el enlace de Zoom antes del evento.
En este taller usted podrá:

Escuchar directamente a maestros y enfermeros sobre las medidas que tomaron para crear un plan de seguridad con sus compañeros de trabajo para impedir el acceso de ICE a sus lugares de trabajo y proteger a los trabajadores y miembros de la comunidad afectados.
Hablar sobre los pasos para crear un plan de seguridad para su lugar de trabajo.
Aprender a hacer cumplir las leyes de salud y seguridad laboral y las leyes de inmigración (AB 450, etc.).
Prepararse para actuar incluso cuando su empleador no lo haga.

Registrese Aqui

Climate Justice and the Moss Landing Battery Fire Panel
2026-02-05 18:00 - 19:30 | Institute of the Arts and Sciences, 100 Panetta Ave, Santa Cruz, United States
As part of the Intersections of Climate Change Lecture series there will be a panel discussion including marine geologist Ivano Aiello and environmental studies scholars J. Mijin Cha and Dustin Mulvaney focused on the climate justice issues raised by the Moss Landing Battery Storage System fire.
The Intersections of Climate Change Series is organized with the Friedlaender Lab in conjunction with Weather and the Whale.
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ADDITIONAL SERIES EVENTS
– Thurs. Feb. 5, 6:00 p.m: Intersections of Climate Change Lecture: Climate Justice and the Moss Landing Battery Fire
– Wed. Feb. 11, 6:00 p.m: The California Firefighter Cancer Research Study with Shehnaz Hussain and Fire Captain Jamie Gabriel
– Thurs. Feb. 26, 6:00 p.m: Intersections of Climate Change Performance: Electroacoustic Performance and Artist Talk with the Whale Liberation Front
– Wed. March 4, 6:00 p.m: Unexpected Returns: The Historic Entanglements of Fire, Settlement, and Stewardship in the Santa Cruz Mountains
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ADMISSION
– FREE and open to the public
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PARKING
– The entrance to the Institute of the Arts and Sciences Galleries is on Delaware Street and has an accessibility ramp.
– Convenient and free self-parking is available on Panetta Avenue and High Road, immediately adjacent to the galleries.
– Accessible parking is on High Road.
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This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.

Info Session: Global Seminar Food Study, Field Study in London
2026-02-06 10:00 - 11:00 | CA
Learn more at our upcoming Information Session: Friday, February 6 at 10:00-11:00 a.m. via Zoom.
Register Here
Earn 12 units on a summer program on the Global Seminar: Food Study Field Study in London this summer. This program is taught by Melissa L. Caldwell, Professor of Anthropology and Anthropology Instructor Rikki Brown. It is a great opportunity to fulfill Anthropology requirements and/or units towards graduation!
Quick Facts:

Location: London, United Kingdom
Courses: ANTH 161 Anthropology of Food – 6 units (satisfies PE-H); and ANTH 151 Workshop in Ethnography – 6 units
Led by: Professor Melissa L. Caldwell and Instructor Rikki Brown
Eligibility: Open to students from any major who have completed 45 units by time of departure and have a minimum of a 2.3 GPA
Dates: July 27-August 29, 2026
Finances: Financial aid applies, and scholarships are available! Budget will be posted on the website when it is available.
How to apply: Visit here for instructions. Applications open on December 1 and close on March 2.
Get in touch: Email your questions to globallearning@ucsc.edu.

Program Description: How do anthropologists learn about a place? Using contemporary ethnographic methods, they cultivate their senses to see, hear, touch, smell, and taste the stories and worlds around them. In this dual course summer program taught by a UCSC Anthropology Professor, London will become a living laboratory to learn how anthropologists study and practice ethnographic methods, with a focus on how and why food is an especially important gateway to understanding culture, power, exchange, memory, identity, histories of colonialism, and postcolonial futures. Immersive learning activities will provide exceptional opportunities to experience London’s multicultural food traditions firsthand. Discover more here.

Johnstone, J. (AM) - The Effects of Asymmetry on Overshooting and Magnetic Pumping from Compressible Convection Zones
2026-02-06 11:00 - 12:00 | Engineering 2, Engineering 2 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
We present a comprehensive numerical investigation examining how vertical asymmetry in compressible convection affects overshooting and the transport of large-scale magnetic fields from convective to stably stratified regions. Using three-dimensional direct numerical simulations, we systematically vary the superadiabaticity and stratification of a convective layer to control the vertical asymmetry of the flow and analyze its influence on overshooting depth and magnetic pumping efficiency. We extend previous work by Tobias et al. (2001) and draw guidance from the asymmetry regimes identified by John & Schumacher (2023), investigating whether similar asymmetric convecting regimes emerge in our overshooting model that incorporates a stably stratified region below. We find that vertical asymmetry increases significantly with stratification at a moderate, fixed Rayleigh number, while superadiabaticity contributes primarily through enhanced downflow velocities, with both combined leading to increasing overshooting depths reaching approximately 0.46 − 0.7 pressure scale heights. Magnetic pumping efficiency initially increases with stratification but unexpectedly decreases at higher stratification, despite increasing overshooting depths. We find that this behavior arises from the increasing thermal and magnetic diffusivities that result from increasing stratification at fixed Ra. When instead either holding these diffusivities constant or increasing Ra sufficiently, we find that then both overshooting and magnetic pumping depths both decrease with increasing stratification. This behavior is explained by a change of dynamical state from one of laminar downflows to one of turbulent downflowing plumes leading to a high degree of turbulent mixing and entrainment. We thus find two distinct regimes that might be described as a microscopically diffusive regime and a turbulently diffusive one. These results suggest that, in the highly turbulent regime expected in the Sun, magnetic pumping efficiency may decrease with increasing stratification due to enhanced turbulent entrainment, with important implications for solar dynamo theory and the transport of large-scale magnetic fields in the solar interior.

Event Host: Jason Johnstone, Ph.D. Student, Applied Mathematics
Advisor: Nic Brummell
Zoom- https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/5428987373?pwd=[REDACTED]
Passcode- 778899

Waste Fest: a Sustainability Office event
2026-02-06 12:00 - 15:00 | Porter College Quad
The UCSC Sustainability Office is excited to announce Waste Fest, a fun, interactive event focused on reducing waste on campus! 🌱♻️ Join us for free food, tabling from campus organizations, free thrifting, and a book swap, plus learn about waste sorting, reuse, and sustainable living at UCSC. Come hang out, grab some goodies, and discover how you can help make our campus more zero-waste. We can’t wait to see you there!
⭐️ RSVP here: https://forms.gle/V63uVeKWsunrjy5XA
For any questions please email: dsanai@ucsc.edu or khallac@ucsc.edu

GDAC Portfolio Workshop
2026-02-06 12:15 - 13:00 | Cultural Center – Merrill College, 641 Merrill Rd, Santa Cruz, 95064, United States
Workshop

Part of the GDA Conference on campus – come and learn best practices for creating a portfolio to use in the gaming industry!

KNOW OUR POLICIES
Job postings and employer announcements are made without endorsement, direct or implied, by Career Success or UCSC. Career Success educates students about various opportunities and ensures equity of access to campus recruiting activities for all employers who abide by our Employer Policies. Individual students are encouraged to determine which employers align with their diverse talents, values, and interests.

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.
Online Safety Tips
UC Santa Cruz Career Success〡Hahn 125
Email Career Success: csuccess@ucsc.edu
Visit Career Success Website: https://careers.ucsc.edu

Interview Preparation Workshop
2026-02-06 13:00 - 14:30 | Career Success Student Lounge (125 Hahn), 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, United States
Ready to sharpen your interview skills?
Join Career Success for an interactive workshop on Interview Best Practices, followed by Mock Interview Practice!
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.

International Grad Workers Chat Lounge
2026-02-06 13:00 - 16:00 | Graduate Student Commons, 420 Hagar Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Come by the Graduate Student Commons on Friday, 2/6, and Tuesday, 2/10 afternoon to grab snacks and chat with fellow international grads. Join our grad peer mentors to discuss specific topics related to international workers, such as informed decision-making through step-by-step information about bargaining, voting (SAV), and striking. They’ll also hold space for questions and concerns you may have.
Time: Friday, 2/6 and Tuesday, 2/10 from 1:00 – 4:00 PM
Place: Graduate Student Commons – Fireside Lounge & Room 204
RSVP here. You are also welcome to submit anonymous questions/concerns.
Refreshments will be provided. Feel free to drop by individually or with friends anytime during these afternoons. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Yang, J. (CSE) - Towards Controllable and Compositional Generative Vision
2026-02-06 16:00 - 18:00
Diffusion-based text-to-image models can generate impressive images, but they largely treat an image as a single, flat output, which makes precise editing of individual elements difficult. This proposal studies layered generative representations that align with professional editing workflows, enabling users to manipulate foreground objects while preserving the rest of the scene. A central focus is visual effects such as shadows and reflections, which are essential for realistic composition yet are often missing or inconsistent in current generative pipelines. This proposal outlines a research program toward controllable, compositional image generation that supports practical, edit-ready content creation.
Event Host: Jinrui Yang, Ph.D. Student, Computer Science and Engineering
Advisor: Yuyin Zhou
Zoom- https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/91510964517?pwd=[REDACTED]
Passcode- 544143

Lunar New Year First Friday with Santa Cruz Mahjong Club
2026-02-06 17:00 - 20:00 | Institute of the Arts and Sciences, 100 Panetta Ave, Santa Cruz, United States
Celebrate the Year of the Horse on Friday, February 6, at the Institute of the Arts and Sciences for a night of student-led craft activities and (beginner-friendly) mahjong play hosted by the Santa Cruz Mahjong Club. Craft materials and light refreshments will be provided at this family friendly event.
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ADMISSION
– FREE and open to the public
– Attend in person at the UC Santa Cruz Institute of the Arts and Sciences on the Westside in Santa Cruz, Calif.
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PARKING
– The entrance to the Institute of the Arts and Sciences is on Delaware St. and has an accessibility ramp.
– Free self-parking is available on Panetta Ave. and High Rd., immediately adjacent to the building.
– Accessible parking is on High Rd.
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This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.

Blueberries for the Home Garden and Small Farm
2026-02-07 10:00 - 12:30 | Hay Barn, 94 Ranch View Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, United States
Learn about varietal selection, site selection, planting, pruning and general care of blueberries in the home garden
Join UC Santa Cruz Farm Garden Manager Christof Bernau as he covers the fundamental information you need to know to successfully grow and harvest blueberries in the home garden. Beginning in the Hay Barn at UCSC, Christof will discuss a brief history and origin of these crops, their primary cultural requirements, site selection and soil preparation, pruning systems, protection from bird predation, varietal selection and sourcing. The group will then walk up to the farm and look at each of these crops in three dimensions, using the living plants to illustrate key terminology and plant physiology and discuss seasonal care requirements and the specifics of winter pruning. Pre-registration is required for this workshop.
