Events

ECE 290 Seminar: AI for Enhancing Power Grid Resilience Against Extreme Weather Events
2026-05-18 10:40 - 11:45 (America/Los_Angeles) | Engineering 2, Engineering 2 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Presenter: Masood Parvania, Roger P. Webb Endowed Professor, University of Utah

Description: Many communities across the world are experiencing more frequent and severe extreme weather disturbances such as wildfires, heatwaves, drought, storms, rising sea levels, and flooding, which not only pose threats to human health, and the environment but also affect the ability of the power grid to continue powering the communities. This requires upgrading the operation of power grid from passive and manual applications to making complex decisions in real-time to facilitate the automated recovery of the system after major disturbances. This talk will review the application of various AI and ML techniques for detection, response and mitigation of cyber anomalies and extreme weather events in power distribution systems.

Bio: Masood Parvania is the Roger P. Webb Endowed Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Director of Utah Smart Energy Laboratory (U-Smart) at the University of Utah. Dr. Parvania is the Principal Investigator and Director of the U.S.-Canada Center on Climate-Resilient Western Interconnected Grid (NSF WIRED Global Center), co-funded by U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). He is also the Founder and President of the Energy-AI company, Grid Elevated, which specializes on developing and commercializing AI technology for resilient and efficient power grid operation.

Hosted by: Professor Soumya Bose, ECE Department
Zoom Link: https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/97975378707?pwd=[REDACTED]

The Sensory Arcade: Food as Language
2026-05-18 13:00 - 15:00 | Graduate Student Commons, 420 Hagar Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Are you looking for a unique way to connect with your peers and experience art and food together? Our team is thrilled to invite you to a special, immersive event hosted by your fellow international graduate students: The Sensory Arcade: Food as Language.

When & Where:

Date: Monday, May 18
Time: 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Location: Graduate Student Commons
Free Admission & Free Food

Please RSVP here to let us know you’re coming!

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Why you should join us:
This hands-on workshop and exhibition invites you into a softly-lit, immersive environment to explore how food designers use tactile, computational, and narrative tools to reimagine how we connect with one another. Through interactive installations, artist talks, and a shared rice-themed lunch, participants will experience food not just as a source of nutrition, but as a medium for conversation, play, and community.
Our event will include:

Rice-themed ice breaker game

An interactive food installation converting physical touch into acoustic sound

An exhibition and artist sharing session featuring works at the intersection of food design and Computational Media

Communal rice ball lunch

Whether you’re interested in design and technology or just want to enjoy a creative lunch break, we’d love to see you there!
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Learn about our hosts below:
Eunsol Choi is an interaction designer and PhD student at UC Santa Cruz whose work centers on multisensory and edible interfaces. Drawing inspiration from food and flavor, she designs tangible experiences that expand how we sense and interact with the world. Her research has been published and presented at ACM UIST, CHI, and CHI PLAY.
Leyu Li is a London-based interdisciplinary artist and food designer whose practice spans installation, narrative props, and criteunical writing. Working across conceptual and speculative design, she explores hybrid food systems and cross-cultural narratives through a research-driven lens. Her work has been exhibited at the London Design Festival, Milan Design Week, and Dutch Design Week, and featured in ARTNews, Dezeen, and Mold Magazine.
Jiangyue Leah Wu is an artist and researcher at UC Santa Cruz working at the intersection of computational media and food design. She explores how multisensory intervention can create new modes of sociality and collaboration, drawing on experience at Disney, ByteDance, and Central Saint Martins. Her work has been shown at Milan Design Week.

Seminar Series | Is the Farm a Digital Factory?: Labor, Leafy Greens, and the Limits of Automation with Summer Sullivan
2026-05-18 13:25 - 14:30 | Interdisciplinary Sciences Building, 7487 Red Hill Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Host:Madeleine Fairbairn
Silicon Valley investors, entrepreneurs, and engineers are increasingly interested in agriculture as a site to disrupt and improve upon with their technologies. The nearby Salinas Valley – known as the Salad Bowl of the World – might be considered a “ground zero” for these operations of technological introduction, with some calling it the Silicon Valley of Agriculture. This exit talk showcases my research on the evolving context in which new technologies are transforming social and environmental relations, especially for already exploited, racialized workers in the Salinas Valley. I trace the uneven ways in which agricultural automation is unfolding, but also its profound limits within the region’s delicate, leafy farming systems. Through interviews, focus groups, participant observation, and historical analysis, I will show how the materiality of crops such as lettuce continues to organize labor and limit full automation. Contributing to critical analysis of the uneven racial, class, and gender dynamics of the “future of work,” this project centers emergent, uncertain relationships among farmworkers, the plants they care for, and the fragile futures of capitalism.
In person and on Zoom
Meeting ID: 949 5253 7079
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Statistics Seminar: Unifying Regression-Based and Design-Based Causal Inference in Time-Series Experiments and Crossover Experiments
2026-05-18 16:00 - 17:00 | Jack Baskin Engineering, Baskin Engineering 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Presenter: Peng Ding, Associate Professor, UC Berkeley
Description: I will present some recent results on unifying regression-based and design-based causal inference in time-series experiments and crossover experiments. Part I: Time-series experiments, also called switchback experiments or N-of-1 trials, play increasingly important roles in modern applications in medical and industrial areas. Under the potential outcomes framework, recent research has studied time-series experiments from the design-based perspective, relying solely on the randomness in the design to drive the statistical inference. Focusing on simpler statistical methods, we examine the design-based properties of regression- based methods for estimating treatment effects in time-series experiments. We demonstrate that the treatment effects of interest can be consistently estimated using ordinary least squares with an appropriately specified working model and transformed regressors. Additionally, we show that asymptotically, the heteroskedasticity and autocorrelation consistent variance estimators provide conservative estimates of the true, design-based variances. This part is based on https://arxiv.org/pdf/2510.22864
Part II: Crossover designs randomly assign each unit to receive a sequence of treatments. By comparing outcomes within the same unit, these designs can effectively eliminate between-unit variation and facilitate the identification of both instantaneous effects of current treatments and carryover effects from past treatments. They are widely used in traditional biomedical studies and are increasingly adopted in modern digital platforms. However, standard analyses of crossover designs often rely on strong parametric models, making inference vulnerable to model misspecification. We unify the analysis of crossover designs using least squares, with restrictions on the coefficients and weights on the units. Based on the theory, we recommend specifying the regression function, weighting scheme, and coefficient restrictions to assess identifiability, construct efficient estimators, and estimate variances in a unified manner. This part is based on https://arxiv.org/pdf/2511.09215
About the speaker: Peng Ding is an Associate Professor in the Department of Statistics at UC Berkeley. He obtained his Ph.D. from the Department of Statistics, Harvard University in May 2015 and worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health until December 2015. Previously, he received his B.S. in Mathematics, B.A. in Economics, and M.S. in Statistics from Peking University.
This seminar is hosted by Professor Allen Kei.

AM Seminar: Dissecting Complex Disease Mechanisms with Causal Inference and Deep Learning
2026-05-18 16:00 - 17:00 | Jack Baskin Engineering, Baskin Engineering 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Presenter: Dr. David A. Knowles, New York Genome Center & Columbia University
Description: Many human diseases have a substantial genetic component, which association studies are increasingly capable of characterizing, empowered by ever-growing sample sizes. These associations have the potential to elucidate complex disease biology and prioritize therapeutic interventions. However, it is challenging to determine the impacted genes, pathways and cellular states since most risk variants are noncoding. I will describe strategies we have explored to address this challenge, particularly in the context of Alzheimer’s disease. We have mapped genetic effects on expression, splicing and RNA editing in over 10k postmortem brain samples, enabling interpretation of common variant associations. We developed a Mendelian randomization-based causal network inference method to estimate how genetic effects propagate through the gene network to converge on disease risk. We show that deep learning models of pre- and post- transcriptional regulation can refine functional fine-mapping, improve the portability of polygenic risk scores across ancestries, and increase power in novel annotation-aware noncoding rare variant association studies. Finally, we designed a CRISPR/Cas13-based strategy to perform isoform-specific knockdown, opening the door for isoform-resolved functional characterization of putative disease-causal transcriptomic changes.
About the speaker: Dr. Knowles studied Natural Sciences and Information Engineering at Cambridge before obtaining an MSc in Bioinformatics and Systems Biology at Imperial College London. During his PhD in the Cambridge University Machine Learning Group under Zoubin Ghahramani he worked on variational inference and Bayesian nonparametric models. He was a postdoc at Stanford developing methods for functional genomics with Daphne Koller (CS), Sylvia Plevritis (Computational Systems Biology/Radiology) and Jonathan Pritchard (Genetics/Biology). At Columbia, he is an Associate Professor of Computer Science, an Interdisciplinary Appointee in Systems Biology and an Affiliate Member of the Data Science Institute. He is also a Core Faculty Member at the New York Genome Center. His group develops methods to better understand the genetic basis of human disease.

This seminar is hosted by Professor Nilah Ioannidis.

ECE Seminar: Multiscale Sensing for Specialty Crop Systems: From Field Monitoring to Food Safety Application
2026-05-19 10:00 - 11:00 | Engineering 2, Engineering 2 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Presenter: Eve Laroche-Pinel, Postdoctoral Researcher, California State University, Fresno
Description: Advances in remote sensing, drone platforms, and data analytics are enhancing the ability to monitor agricultural systems at fine spatial and temporal scales. This presentation will highlight applied research using multispectral and hyperspectral data from satellites, drones, aircraft, and ground platforms to assess crop water status, detect disease, and estimate fruit composition. These efforts are developed in collaboration with growers and industry partners, with an emphasis on methods that are robust under field conditions and scalable across production systems. Building on this foundation, the talk will examine how similar sensing approaches could be extended to address food safety challenges in California agriculture, particularly in systems transitioning toward organic and regenerative practices . By linking environmental variability, water dynamics, and landscape features with potential contamination pathways, sensing technologies may support improved risk assessment and monitoring.
Bio: Eve Laroche-Pinel is a researcher specializing in the application of sensing technologies to agricultural systems, with a focus on translating data-driven methods into tools that support decision-making in real production environments. Her work sits at the intersection of agricultural engineering, remote sensing, and applied machine learning.
She holds a PhD from the National Polytechnic Institute of Toulouse (France), completed in partnership with industry, where she developed an operational service to monitor vineyard water status using satellite imagery. This work fostered a strong emphasis on applied research, system integration, and technology transfer to end users.
She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at California State University, Fresno, contributing to a research program that uses multispectral and hyperspectral data collected from satellites, drones, aircraft, and ground-based platforms. Her work addresses plant water status, disease detection, and crop composition, combining field measurements, laboratory analyses, and predictive modeling. These projects are conducted in collaboration with growers, industry partners, and multidisciplinary academic teams, with the objective of producing methods that are robust under field conditions and scalable across production systems.
She plans to increasingly focus on how sensing technologies could contribute to food safety challenges in specialty crops. By linking environmental variability, crop condition, and landscape features with potential contamination pathways, her future work would aim to support improved risk assessment and monitoring strategies, particularly in systems transitioning toward organic and regenerative practices.
Extension and stakeholder engagement are central to her approach. She works closely with growers and partners to co-develop field trials, adapt methodologies to operational constraints, and translate technical outputs into actionable guidance. Her work includes participation in workshops, training activities, and collaborative projects that connect research with practice.
Her long-term goal is to build integrated research and extension programs that combine drones, spectral sensing, and environmental monitoring to support safe, resilient, and technology-enabled agriculture.
Hosted by: Professor Marco Rolandi, ECE Department
Zoom Link: https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/96727838511?pwd=[REDACTED]

Paul Pena, D. (CSE) - Efficient Pattern Counting in Sparse Graphs and Hypergraphs
2026-05-19 10:00 - 12:00 | Engineering 2, Engineering 2 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Pattern counting is a fundamental problem in computer science with applications in many domains. For a fixed small pattern H, we are given a large graph G and we are asked to count the number of subgraphs or homomorphisms (edge-preserving maps) of H in G. For practical applications where the input graph can be very large, we are interested in finding efficient algorithms, that is, algorithms that run in linear or subquadratic time with respect to the size of the input.
Finding such algorithms in general (when G can be any graph) is not possible. Instead, we restrict our input to sparse classes of graphs. One family of graph classes that has been widely studied in the context of subgraph and homomorphism counting is bounded-degeneracy graph classes. Real-world graphs in many domains have bounded degeneracy, so studying these classes in theory can lead to practical algorithms.
A series of advances in the study of homomorphism counting led to a dichotomy theorem that exactly characterized which patterns were linear-time computable for bounded-degeneracy inputs. This dissertation builds on this result, extending it to other variants of this problem, and generalizing it to other different settings, like counting hypergraphs and notions of sparsity beyond degeneracy.
Our results help develop the theory of subgraph counting in sparse graphs and hypergraphs, and showcase how sparsity can be used both in theory and practice to develop faster algorithms.

Event Host: Daniel Paul Pena, Ph.D. Candidate, Computer Science & Engineering
Advisor: C. Sheshadhri
Zoom: https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/97685906168?pwd=[REDACTED]

Privacy’s Defender: Fight Against Digital Surveillance with Cindy Cohn
2026-05-19 12:00 - 13:30 | Humanities 1 Building, 257 Cowell-Stevenson Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, United States
Privacy’s Defender
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) Executive Director Cindy Cohn’s Journey Inside the Privacy Battles That Shaped Today’s Internet
Cindy Cohn has devoted her life to the fight for digital rights. She’s tangled with federal officials to keep our online conversations secure from the government’s prying eyes, fought to ensure that you are told when your information has been turned over to the government, and argued before judges to protect our right to speak and to share science and knowledge on the internet.
In Privacy’s Defender: My Thirty-Year Fight Against Digital Surveillance (MIT Press), Cindy weaves her own personal story with her role as a leading legal voice representing the rights and interests of technology users, innovators, whistleblowers, and researchers during the Crypto Wars of the 1990s, battles over NSA’s dragnet internet spying revealed in the 2000s, and the fight against FBI gag orders.
During this national book tour, Cindy will be at UC Santa Cruz to give a book talk on May 19, 2026 from 12:00-1:30 pm.
Free and open to the public with registration.
RSVP HERE to attend in-person or on Zoom.
In-Person location: UCSC Humanities 1, Room 210 (map link)
Virtual: Zoom link will be sent separately
Cindy Cohn is the Executive Director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which works to ensure that technology supports freedom, justice and innovation for all the people of the world. Before becoming Executive Director a decade ago, Cindy was the organization’s Legal Director from 2000-2015, and led the organization’s impact litigation work on bringing balance to copyright law, stopping mass spying and protecting freedom of expression online. She’s won many awards for her work and even more court decisions.

UCSC co-sponsors:
Institute for Social Transformation, The Humanities Institute, Dolores Huerta Research Center for the Americas, The Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society and the Banatao Institute (CITRIS), and the Security Research Lab.

Bai, G. (BMEB) - Long-read single-molecule chromatin architecture and its role in transcriptome regulation
2026-05-19 13:30 - 15:30 | Biomedical Sciences Building, 575 McLaughlin Drive
Sequencing technologies have revolutionized our understanding of biology, yet many existing methods require fragmentation of DNA or RNA, fundamentally limiting our ability to study these molecules in their native, intact forms. Long-read sequencing overcomes this constraint by enabling the sequencing of long, single-molecule native DNA and RNA, providing simultaneous access to both sequence and base modifications that reflect epigenetic state. This capability has already yielded landmark achievements, including the first complete, gapless human genome assembly. Yet while our ability to decode genomic sequence has advanced dramatically, how chromatin structure shapes a cell’s transcriptome remains poorly understood. My thesis addresses this gap through three aims. First, I co-developed a novel long-read approach for profiling chromatin accessibility at single-molecule resolution using the small molecule angelicin. Second, I characterized how long-range chromatin states are associated with RNA processing and transcription, leveraging multi-omic long-read data in yeast. Third, I incorporate chromatin data into sequence-to-function deep learning models to interpret the mechanistic contribution of chromatin state to RNA processing. Together, these aims establish a new framework for studying the relationship between epigenetic state and transcriptome regulation at a resolution not previously possible.
Event Host: Gali Bai, Ph.D. Candidate, Biomolecular Engineering & Bioinformatics
Advisor: Angela Brooks
Zoom Meeting ID: 940 6201 8397
Passcode: [REDACTED]

The Deep Read: Faculty Salon on Entangled Life
2026-05-19 18:00 | Hay Barn, 94 Ranch View Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, United States
Join us for a salon-style event at the Hay Barn on campus where our participating Deep Read faculty, Professors Benjamin Breen (History), Gregory Gilbert (Environmental Studies), and Donna Haraway (History of Consciousness and Feminist Studies) will give brief presentations and discuss Entangled Life with the Deep Read community in a Q&A moderated by Deep Read Faculty Co-Lead, Laura Martin. Participants can also attend virtually.

In person at the Cowell Ranch Hay Barn. Doors open at 5:30pm.
Event Logistics: Bicycling, carpooling, ridesharing, and public transportation are encouraged as parking is limited on campus. If you drive to the event, please plan to park in UCSC Lot #115 or #116. To reach these lots, proceed through the main entrance to campus, continue up the hill from the information kiosk on Coolidge, then turn right at the Ranch View/Carriage House Road stoplight into the Carriage House/Campus Facilities parking lot. The Hay Barn is a 5-minute walk across the street from the parking lot. There will be directional signage to help you get to the correct parking lot and the Hay Barn entrance. Overflow parking will be available in lot #122. View the campus parking map here.

Additional Events of Interest:
The Literature and Poetics of Fungi Salon: On May 26, 2026, at 6pm, we will hold a salon at the Hay Barn focused on the literary and poetic influence of fungi and its relation to Entangled Life. The salon will feature Professors Cole, Hillman, Palmer, and Tseng in conversation with moderator Laura Martin and the Deep Read community. Participants can also attend virtually.
Author Event – A Conversation with Merlin Sheldrake: On May 31, 2026, at 4pm, we will welcome Merlin Sheldrake to the Quarry Amphitheater on campus where he will be in conversation with Associate Professor of History, Benjamin Breen. This will be an in-person event, and, as always, it will be free and open to the public.

The Deep Read is an annual program of The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz made possible through the generous support of the Helen and Will Webster Foundation. We invite curious minds to think deeply about books and the most pressing issues of our contemporary moment.

Maram, S. (CM) - Scripture To Console: The Nexus between Religion and Digital Play
2026-05-20 08:00 - 10:00
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.
First, 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.
Building 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.

Event Host: Sai Siddartha Maram, Ph.D. Candidate, Computational Media
Advisor: Magy Seif El-Nasr
Zoom: https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/91946426300?pwd=[REDACTED]
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Lucas, J. (BMEB) - Enabling Population-Scale Analysis of Human Centromere Diversity
2026-05-20 09:00 - 11:00 | Engineering 2, Engineering 2 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
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.
Event Host: Julian Lucas, Ph.D. Student, Biomolecular Engineering & Bioinformatics
Advisor: Karen Miga
Zoom: https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/94129246296?pwd=[REDACTED]
Passcode: [REDACTED]

CSE Colloquium - Safety Alignment of LMs via Non-cooperative Games
2026-05-20 11:00 - 12:15 | Engineering 2, Engineering 2 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Presenter: Arman Zharmagambetov, Meta
Abstract:
Ensuring the safety of language models (LMs) while maintaining their usefulness remains a critical challenge in AI alignment. Current approaches rely on sequential adversarial training: generating adversarial (harmful) prompts and fine-tuning LMs to defend against them. We introduce a different paradigm: framing safety alignment as a non-zero-sum game between an Attacker LM and a Defender LM trained jointly via online reinforcement learning. Each LM continuously adapts to the other’s evolving strategies, driving iterative improvement. Our method uses a preference-based reward signal derived from pairwise comparisons instead of point-wise scores, providing more robust supervision and potentially reducing reward hacking. Our RL recipe, AdvGame, shifts the Pareto frontier of safety and utility, yielding a Defender LM that is simultaneously more helpful and more resilient to adversarial attacks. In addition, the resulting Attacker LM converges into a strong, general-purpose red-teaming agent that can be directly deployed to probe arbitrary target models.
Bio:
Arman Zharmagambetov is a research scientist in the Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) team at Meta. His research primarily focuses on machine learning and optimization, recently exploring their application in enhancing the security and robustness of AI systems. He received his PhD from the University of California – Merced. Afterward, he completed his postdoctoral research at FAIR, focusing on Reinforcement Learning, AI-guided design and Optimization.
Hosted by: Professor Alvaro Cardenas and Professor Sungjin Im
Date and Time: Wednesday, May 20, 2026 from 11:00 am – 12:15 pm
Location: Engineering 2, Room E2-180 (Refreshments such as fruit, pastries, coffee, and tea will be provided.)
Zoom Option: https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/93445911992?pwd=[REDACTED]

✨ ✈️ 🌎Travel Your Way: The UCSC Partner Program Advantage 🌎 ✈️ ✨
2026-05-20 13:00 - 13:30 | https://events.ucsc.edu/event/%e2%9c%a8-%e2%9c%88%ef%b8%8f-%f0%9f%8c%8etravel-your-way-the-ucsc-partner-program-advantage-%f0%9f%8c%8e-%e2%9c%88%ef%b8%8f-%e2%9c%a8/
Are you looking for a global experience that fits your specific major, budget, and vibe? Whether you’re an engineer eyeing a semester in Korea, an artist dreaming of London, or a scientist looking for research in Norway, Partner Programs offer a unique, flexible path to going abroad. Join the Global Learning team for a quick, high-energy info session where we’ll break down how these programs work, how to use your financial aid, and why these “hidden gem” programs might be the perfect fit for your degree.
Register here.

Career Success Drop-Ins at the Cantú - Week 8
2026-05-20 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.

BME80G Seminar – Ann Mc Cartney, "The Why, What and How of Indigenous Data Sovereignty"
2026-05-20 13:20 - 14:25 | https://events.ucsc.edu/event/bme80g-seminar-ann-mc-cartney-the-why-what-and-how-of-indigenous-data-sovereignty/
Presenter: Dr. Ann Mc Cartney

Location: Virtual. Please register here: https://ucsc.zoom.us/meeting/register/ciShTZsyRViYxMDjCc_cAQ#/registration
Abstract: In 2007 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) that supports Indigenous Peoples’ inherent rights to self-determination and governance over Indigenous Peoples, territories and resources. This codification in an international treaty led to the conceptualization of Indigenous Data Sovereignty in 2016. Indigenous Data Sovereignty is defined as the right of Indigenous Peoples to own, control, access and possess data that derive from them, and which pertain to Nation membership, knowledge systems, customs or territories and is not an internationally recognized concept. Practically, Indigenous Data Sovereignty gives decision-making authority to Indigenous Peoples and allows them to decide how best data should be collected, accessed, and used for nation-building. For this reason, Indigenous Data Sovereignty is inextricably linked to Indigenous Data Governance.
This lecture will dive into the why, what, and how of Indigenous Data Sovereignty. Beginning with dive into the history of genomics research and Indigenous Peoples. Then moving into a more in-depth description of both Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Indigenous Data Governance. The lecture will close with highlighting three real world case-studies of genomics projects operationalising Indigenous Data Sovereignty.
About the speaker: Dr. Mc Cartney is a Full Researcher at the University of California, Irvine and a Consultant for the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, where she works at the intersection of bioinformatics, bioethics and policy across human and non-human species. Dr. Mc Cartney completed her PhD in Bioinformatics and Molecular Evolution from Dublin City University. After this she carried out a Genomics Aotearoa Postdoctoral Research Fellowship where she created culturally respectful genomic informatics pipelines for the project that were responsive to the needs and rights of Māori. She then moved Stateside and carried out a second Visiting Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Genome Informatics Section at the NHGRI. During this time, she also conducted a detail in the NIH Office of Science Policy. Dr. Mc Cartney then transitioned to the University of California, Santa Cruz’s Genomics Institute as an Assistant Researcher where she worked at the forefront of genomic sequencing technologies to develop more just genomic data infrastructures, policies and frameworks for engagement. She became an elected member of the Executive Council of the Earth BioGenome Project, the Vice-chair of the European Reference Genome Atlas, and the Director of International Partnerships for the Human Pangenome Reference Consortium. She also acted as a “technical expert” for many international science policy initiatives including the DSI Scientific Network, Native Biodata Consortium and the Informal Advisory Group on DSI for the Convention on Biological Diversity. Additionally, Dr. Mc Cartney was part of the team to build the first NIH-funded Tribal Data Repository for American Indian and Alaska Natives.

It Takes an Ecosystem: Staff and Faculty Perspectives on Collaboration at UC Santa Cruz
2026-05-20 15:00 - 16:15 | https://events.ucsc.edu/event/it-takes-an-ecosystem-staff-and-faculty-perspectives-on-collaboration-at-uc-santa-cruz/
Funded through a Department of Education Title V grant, a team at UC Santa Cruz launched CULTURA (Centering Undergraduate Latine Thriving with University Racial-Equity Action) in 2024 as a bold, campus-wide effort to reimagine how we can collectively advance student success and equity. At its core, CULTURA asks: What becomes possible when we intentionally invest in and connect the people, relationships, and infrastructures already engaged in transformative work?
Different from past Title V HSI grants, which have rigorously tested and sustained single interventions, CULTURA embraces an ecosystem approach. This approach recognizes that meaningful, sustained change depends on the investment in and coordination of those leading equity work every day: campus staff and faculty. The HSI Equity Talk centers their voices.
In June 2025, we launched the HSI CULTURA Staff and Faculty Survey, a collaborative effort* designed to surface insights from staff and faculty respondents. The survey explored key dimensions of the ecosystem: coordination among campus units, support (or lack thereof) available to equity-focused leaders, and collective and institutional capacity to collaborate, adapt, and transform campus culture.
In this interactive session, facilitators will share key survey findings as an invitation to collective sense-making. Together, we will discuss: What resonates? What is missing? How do these findings reflect or challenge your own experiences? How can we mobilize this collective knowledge to strengthen and coordinate our shared efforts toward student success and equity, especially amid severe financial constraints? Join us as we aim to deepen our coordination, elevate the voices of those leading change, and build a more connected ecosystem for student success and equity.
Please register to receive a calendar invitation and Zoom details.

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.

Queer Joy Crafting Time (Communi-tea)
2026-05-20 15:00 - 17:00 | Cantu Queer Center, Crown Lane, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Drop by the Cantú Cabin to be in community with SHOP and talk about queer joy. Crafting supplies provided. Come for the raffle prize, stay for the community!
This event is supported by Student Health Services for Mental Health Awareness Month. You are invited to engage in a variety of campus-wide activities focused on mental health and wellness. Learn about support services, discover ways to help a friend in need, and explore strategies to care for your own well-being. Information is available on the Mental Health Month Event Calendar.
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.

The Helene Moglen Lecture in Feminism and Humanities: Donna Haraway
2026-05-20 17:30 - 19:00 | Merrill Cultural Center, 200 McLaughlin Dr, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Donna Haraway, “Staying with the Trouble for Still Possible Times”
Wednesday May 20, 2026, 5:30 p.m.
There will be refreshments from 5– 5:30 p.m., the talk at 5:30 – 7 p.m., and a reception at the very end.
Merrill Cultural Center
In-person only
The sky has not fallen – yet. In troubled times, this lecture joins human and more-than-human companion species to ask how to think, really think, without either the apocalyptic violence or salvific comfort of human exceptionalism. Revisiting themes, images, arguments and collaborations from a lifetime of feminist work and play in science studies, biology, cultural studies, and arts, Haraway asks how to tell evidence-laden, effective stories for earthly flourishing in exterminationist times. Is it still possible to make powerful oddkin in opposition to techbro anti-immigrant pronatalism and extraterrestrial settler nationalism in order to partially heal devastated worlds together? If oddkin hold up the sky, we have a chance.
Donna Haraway is Distinguished Professor Emerita in the History of Consciousness Department at the University of California Santa Cruz. She writes and speaks in science and technology studies, feminist theory, and multispecies studies. She is an active participant in the Science and Justice Research Center and Center for Cultural Studies. Attending to the intersections of biology with culture and politics, Haraway’s work explores the string figures composed by science fact, science fiction, speculative feminism, speculative fabulation, science and technology studies, and more-than-human worlding. Haraway’s renowned essay “A Cyborg Manifesto” (1985) is considered a foundational text in multiple scholarly fields. Some of her books include Staying with the Trouble:
This lecture is presented by the Center for Cultural Studies and made possible by the Helene Moglen Lecture in Feminism and Humanities for the Center for Cultural Studies Endowment, The Humanities Institute, and the Department of Polities.

VMCC Talk with Salar Mameni—Blood of Tulips
2026-05-20 17:30 - 19:00 | Porter College, D-Building, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
What counts as life in the midst of war, genocide, and planetary destruction? What is death and how do ideas around martyrdom and sacrifice contribute to our understanding of sacred ecologies? In this talk, Mameni engages these questions based on research for his second book project focusing on ecologies of war and martyrdom in the SWANA region.
ABOUT THE SERIES
The Visual & Media Cultures Colloquium (VMCC) is an annual lecture series that brings cutting-edge scholars to speak on a broad range of subjects related to visual and media culture. The series is co-sponsored with the graduate programs in the History of Art & Visual Culture (HAVC) and the Arts Division.
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ADMISSION
– Attend in person.
– Porter College D245
– FREE and open to the public.
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This program is open to the public consistent with state and federal law.
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Save, download, and share the event flyer here:
image: blood of tulips by salar

Tripoli: A Tale of Three Cities—reception, screening, and discussion with the filmmmaker
2026-05-20 19:00 - 21:30 | Communications Building, 7487 Red Hill Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
While living abroad, a filmmaker returns to Tripoli, Lebanon, to confront a hometown that once rejected him as a queer child. With a microphone in hand, he walks around coffee shops, public squares, and a park to ask the city’s inhabitants about their cultural and social beliefs and their embrace of new ideas. Gradually, he meets a group of marginalized individuals whose eccentric life choices contradict the general lifestyle in this religiously and socially conservative city. Through intimate conversations with a communist activist, a queer music producer, and other unconventional characters, Tripoli: A Tale of Three Cities explores the complicated relations one forms with a hometown in crisis. This contemplative urban symphony paints a picture of a city trapped in a self-spun web, paralyzed by a deep economic crisis, a faltering revolution, and a looming doomsday.

UC Santa Cruz affiliates are invited to a screening of the film, followed by a discussion between UCSC alum, Raed Rafei, and Professor of Film and Digital Media, Peter Limbrick.
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ADMISSION
– Attend in person at the Communications Studio C
– FREE and open to UCSC affiliates
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FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
5:30 p.m.—Reception in Communications 139
7:00 p.m.—Film Screening and Discussion in Studio C
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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.

Annual BE Student Project Showcase
2026-05-21 09:00 - 14:30 | CA
Join Baskin Engineering for our annual Student Project Showcase to celebrate the innovative work and accomplishments of undergraduate engineers in capstone courses and research pathways. The broader campus community, parents, and industry partners are invited to view the culmination of student work.
The day begins with oral presentations from nominated “best-in-class” teams and those working on industry-sponsored projects. Following this, all students will participate in a comprehensive Poster Session featuring project outcomes with some teams including table-top demonstrations of functional hardware.
Event Details:

Date: May 21, 2026
Oral Presentations (Nominated/Industry Teams): 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM, Engineering 2, Room 180
Poster Session (All Student Teams): 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM, Engineering Courtyard

BME 280B Seminar: Speaker Dylan Shropshire - "How did Wolbachia become Earth's most pervasive animal symbiont?"
2026-05-21 11:40 - 13:15 | Biomedical Sciences Building, 575 McLaughlin Drive
Presenter: Dylan Shropshire, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University
Description: Maternally transmitted Wolbachia bacteria inhabit roughly half of all arthropod species, making them likely the most common animal-associated microbe on Earth. Wolbachia alter host reproduction, persist across deep evolutionary timescales, and move into new host species in ways that we are only beginning to resolve. Wolbachia‘s biological success now also underpins global biocontrol programs aimed at suppressing arboviral disease, lending applied urgency to a foundational question: how did a single bacterial lineage come to dominate the animal world? In this seminar, I will draw on my recent and ongoing work to explore facets of this question, leveraging Wolbachia‘s evolutionary diversity and wet-lab tools to define the mechanisms driving this microbe’s success across the animal world. Collectively, this work aims to clarify the determinants of Wolbachia‘s natural prevalence and to sharpen the predictive frameworks underpinning Wolbachia-based biocontrol of vector-borne disease.
Bio: Dylan Shropshire is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, where he leads a research group studying mechanisms of Wolbachia-host interactions. He earned his PhD at Vanderbilt University as an NSF Graduate Research Fellow and completed an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Montana. He is also a first-generation high school graduate and former Pell Grant recipient, experiences that motivate his commitment to high-quality mentorship and evidence-based pedagogical practices. His work has been recognized by the Charles E. Kaufman New Investigator Award, Lehigh’s Pre-Tenure Faculty Award, and the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence.
Hosted by: Professor Shelbi Russell, BME Department

Beautiful Universe - An astrophotography exhibit
2026-05-21 12:00 - 2026-05-31 18:00 | Museum of Art & History, 705 Front St, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, United States
Beautiful Universe is a pop-up exhibit in collaboration with the UC Santa Cruz Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics that will be on display at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History from May 21 to 31.
In over more than 20 photos, you will see galaxies, novae, supernovae, reflection and emission nebulae, and interstellar dust clouds that give birth to new stars and planets. They are artistic images filled with scientific information. The astrophotography exhibit bridges the gap that often exists in our minds between art and science.
Ask an astronomer! Astronomers will be on site at the Museum of Art and History in downtown Santa Cruz from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends (May 23, 24, 30, and 31) to answer your questions.
Images are by Steve Mandel and Bob Fera, Deep Space Remote Observatories, and once the pop-up exhibit concludes, the photos on display will be permanently installed on the UC Santa Cruz campus, courtesy of Steve Mandel, research associate for the UC Santa Cruz Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics and sponsor of the Mandel Lecture Series.
Learn more.

Springtime Sip and Social with SHOP and Stevenson
2026-05-21 15:00 - 17:00 | Cowell Courtyard, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
Join SHOP, Stevenson, CAPS, CARE and other campus partners to learn more about mental health resources and get free boba!
This event is supported by Student Health Services for Mental Health Awareness Month. You are invited to engage in a variety of campus-wide activities focused on mental health and wellness. Learn about support services, discover ways to help a friend in need, and explore strategies to care for your own well-being. Information is available on the Mental Health Month Event Calendar.
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.

Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism Book Talk with Thea Riofrancos
2026-05-21 17:00 - 19:00 | Hay Barn, 94 Ranch View Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, United States
Please join The Community Studies Department together with The Center for Critical Urban and Environmental Studies (CUES), in the (The Barn), for talk by Thea Riofrancos about her recent book Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism.

Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism Book Talk with Thea Riofrancos

Date: May 21st @ 5pm
Location: Cowell Ranch Hay Barn
Light refreshments
Get Your Copy

About Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism
Will green capitalism save us from the climate crisis? “Clean” technologies and renewable energy are certainly growing sites of capitalist investment, with government policies playing a key role in making these sectors profitable. But the supply chains that produce the technologies pose vexing dilemmas for the energy transition. These dilemmas are most dramatic at the extractive frontiers of green capitalism: where the natural resources needed to manufacture electric vehicles and build windmills are extracted. In this talk, we will unpack these challenges through the lens of lithium, a so-called “critical mineral” essential for its role in decarbonizing one of the most polluting sectors: transportation. With forecasters predicting an enormous surge in lithium demand, exceeding existing supplies, Global North governments and downstream firms scramble to “secure” lithium, resulting in a new state-corporate alliance and the return of vertical integration. Meanwhile, Global South governments are attempting to leverage critical mineral deposits into sustainable and sovereign economic development. And, across the world, environmental and Indigenous movements contest the rapid expansion of extraction, defending ecosystems, livelihoods, and waterways already under pressure from global warming from a new boom in mining. It is in the play of these forces, unfolding amidst geopolitical rivalry and economic turbulence, that the energy transition will be forged. To conclude, we will explore the possibility of a less mining-intensive pathway to zero carbon transportation.
About the Author
Thea Riofrancos is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Providence College, a Strategic Co-Director of the Climate and Community Institute, and a fellow at the Transnational Institute. Her research focuses on resource extraction, renewable energy, climate change, the global lithium sector, green technologies, social movements, and the Latin American left. She is the author of Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism (W.W. Norton, 2025) and Resource Radicals: From Petro-Nationalism to Post-Extractivism in Ecuador (Duke University Press, 2020), and the coauthor of A Planet to Win: Why We Need a Green New Deal (Verso Books, 2019). Her publications have appeared in scholarly journals such as Global Environmental Politics, World Politics, and Perspectives on Politics, as well as in media outlets including The New York Times, Financial Times, Foreign Policy, n+1, Dissent, and more.

Dress to Represent
2026-05-21 17:00 - 19:00 | Terry Freitas Commons, 600 McLaughlin Dr. College Nine, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Join the Asian American/Pacific Islander Resource Center on Thursday, May 21st from 5-7pm at Terry Freitas Commons to create custom cultural clothing for trinkets as we discuss Asian representation in fashion and media!
Small plushies, crafting supplies, and food will be provided — but feel free to bring your own trinket to customize.
RSVP at bit.ly/aapirc-dress
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

Optimizing Your Internship: Insider Strategies on How to Thrive in the Workplace
2026-05-21 17:30 - 19:30 | CA
An internship is more than just a summer job, it can be the ultimate launchpad for your career! Join us for a practical, insider-focused discussion designed to help you maximize your internship experience and position yourself for future offers and success. In this session, we’ll talk about ways to:

Set goals and make a strong first impression
Build relationships with mentors and teammates
Communicate your impact and ask for feedback
Strategically position yourself for return offers
Navigate challenges and grow from setbacks

You’ll hear from a mix of soon-to-be UCSC grads who have landed full-time offers that will share tips on what worked for them, as well as alumni leaders who have mentored interns in their industry roles, and understand exactly what managers look for in top-performing interns.

Whether you’ve landed an internship this summer, are hoping to sometime in the future, or just want to get as prepared as possible to navigate the workplace, this will be a highly informative event!

If you need accommodations please email esbusch@ucsc.edu

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.

Changemakers with Dr. Cornel West
2026-05-21 19:00 - 21:00 | Merrill Cultural Center, 200 McLaughlin Dr, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
We are engaging education and we are honored to host Dr Cornell West as a Keynote speaker for this year’s Changemakers: Resisting Hopelessness, Shaping Our Future Through Love!

This event will take place on:
Date & Time: Thursday May 21st, 2026
Doors open: 6:30pm
Location: Merrill Cultural Center
In order to attend the event all participants must RSVP!
RSVP by: Thursday, May 21st at 3pm
engaging education (e²) is a student initiated outreach and retention center at UCSC for student engagement and academic excellence. e² provides a supportive and dynamic space for programming that addresses the low rates of recruitment, retention and graduation that historically underrepresented and under resourced communities face within higher education.

A respected leader and intellectual, Dr. West is currently the Bonhoffer chair and professor at the Union Theological Seminary in New York, and Professor Emeritus at Princeton University. He is dedicated to engaging diverse audiences and advancing the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., with a focus on truth-telling and the pursuit of love and justice.

This event is sponsored by:
Arab Student Union, Asian Pacific Islander Student Alliance (APISA), Bayanihan, Black Student Union, Hermanas Unidas, MEChA de UCSC, South American Student Association, The CoCo, Cultural
Arts & Diversity Resource Center, Education for Sustainable Living Program (ESLP), Student Media Council, Student Union Governance Board (SUGB), SUA Office of the Chair, SUA Office of Internal Affairs, SUA
Office of Academic Affairs, African American Resource Cultural Center, Lionel Cantú Queer Center, College 9, John R. Lewis College, Crown College, Merrill College, Stevenson College, The History of Consciousness Department, The Politics Department, The Sociology Department, The Institute for Social Transformation, & The Committee on Ethnic Programming (CEP).

We will be giving away 15 SIGNED COPIES of Dr. Eddie Glaude Jr’s book in a randomized drawing.

You Belong Here: This program is open to all and designed to be inclusive, accessible, and welcoming. Learn more at: bit.ly/dsas_youbelonghere. If there are any questions or accommodations needed please contact: engaging@ucsc.edu
We look forward to seeing you there!Thank you,
engaging education ⋆˚ʚɞ

Santa Cruz Cinema Takeover Showing: Mandalorian & Grogu
2026-05-21 20:00 - 22:00 | Santa Cruz Cinema, 1405 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz, 95060, United States
The Force is strong with this one.
Whether you’re a Jedi or a Bounty Hunter, join us on Thursday, May 21 at 8 p.m. for another Santa Cruz Cinema Takeover! We’re bringing The Mandalorian and Grogu to the big screen for a special free screening.
Grab your friends and may the Force be with you!
Meet us in the lobby starting at 7:30 p.m. to snag your ticket and be sure to bring your student ID.
Hosted by the Center for Leadership and Involvement.
Contact involved@ucsc.edu for questions or accommodations.
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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.
