Events

Annual BE Student Project Showcase
2026-05-21 09:00 - 14:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | 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

Younger Lagoon Reserve Tours
2026-05-21 10:30 - 12:00 | Seymour Marine Discovery Center, 100 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060
Younger Lagoon Reserve tours are free and open to the public. Space is limited to 18 participants. Call 831-459-3800 or sign-up online. Virtual tours are available online.

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

Note Taking and Reading Strategies
2026-05-21 12:00 - 12:45 | Academic Resources Center (ARC), 408 McHenry Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
In this workshop, you will: Learn reading and note-taking methods and why they work to help you learn.
The Successful Slug Workshop series, hosted by Learning Support Services Peer Coaches, are open to all UCSC undergraduate students and focus on academic skills and tools to support your success as a student. At each workshop, you will be introduced to a topic, engage in active learning, be given resources to begin implementing the same day, and have an opportunity to learn more if you are interested.
You Belong Here: The programs and services described here are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiative—whether a student service, faculty program, or community event—is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities.
To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy for UC Publications.

Spring Exhibitions at the Institute of the Arts and Sciences
2026-05-21 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-22 12:00 - 17:00 | Institute of the Arts and Sciences, 100 Panetta Ave, Santa Cruz, United States
Visit the IAS, UCSC’s premier art galleries, for our spring exhibitions. On view April 10–August 16, 2026 are three diverse and interdisciplinary shows: Libia Posada: Everything is Going Right, the first US solo exhibition by the Colombia-based artist and medical doctor; Gina Athena Ulysse: A Redwoods Rasanblaj, a site-specific and immersive exploration of the Haitian kreyol conception of rasanblaj; and Ronaldo V. Wilson: There Are No Words, But Melodies, a mixed-media exhibition emerging at the intersections of Black poetics, performance, and visual art.
The IAS Galleries are open Wednesday-Sunday, 12 pm – 5 pm. Admission is free to the public.
Libia Posada: Everything is Going Right
Libia Posada’s first solo exhibition in the United States features installations, sculptures, and drawings meticulously constructed from surgical instruments, gauze bandages, crutches, used books, and domestic picture frames. The new and existing works in the exhibition powerfully stitch together the personal, social, and political disorders and afflictions that currently trouble the world, from the wars that resonate across the globe to the violences of aging in US prisons.
Gina Athena Ulysse: A Redwoods Rasanblaj: Origins & Disentanglements
The internationally-lauded work of humanities professor Gina Athena Ulysse is on view as a premier Faculty Spotlight Exhibition. The site-specific installation, produced in community from things collected, found, purchased and donated, centers on the Haitian concept of rasanblaj, a form of assembly and collage that transcends the formal use of materials to draw together people, spirits, and ideas.
Ronaldo V. Wilson: There Are No Words, But Melodies
Collage is both a material practice and a structural interrogation in the Faculty Spotlight Exhibition artworks by literature professor Ronaldo V. Wilson. In video, painting, and installation, layers and folds conceal and reveal, delving into the experience, both bodily and emotive, of living in times of violence.

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

Rules Are Not Neutral: Play As Sense-Making, Acts Of Resistance, And Imagining Otherwise
2026-05-21 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-22 12:00 - 17:00 | Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery, 11 Cowell Service Rd, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
This exhibition brings together a range of analog games – including board, card, role-playing, and other participatory works – that engage social and political realities in different ways. The works span widely circulated commercial games to independently produced projects, one-of-a-kind artworks by artists, faculty, alumni, and students, and materials drawn from UC Santa Cruz Special Collections and Archives.
In part, the exhibition challenges the persistent assumption that games and play are detached from social and political life. On the contrary, game designers and artists across diverse perspectives and positions have long used play to engage questions of social systems, lived experience, and how power operates. This exhibition does not attempt to represent that full spectrum. Instead, it brings together a particular set of works that foreground how games can make systems visible, intervene in them, and imagine alternatives.
All games embody values, whether intentional or not.
– Mary Flanagan, game designer and scholar
Across all of these works, games are not only forms of entertainment, though they may be that as well. They are encountered in multiple ways: as objects, as systems, as artworks, and as experiences that unfold unpredictably through interaction. In each case, rules and constraints shape what participants can do. In these different forms, the works stage systems – such as housing and land ownership, capitalism, race and identity, civil rights and protest, fascism, and colonialism – in ways that are simplified and easy to see, opening space to recognize similar structures beyond the game. In this sense, the works suggest that rules are not neutral – they organize experience, distribute power, and produce meaning.
Games are the art of agency.
– C. Thi Nguyen, philosopher
The exhibition is intentionally dense. This abundance reflects the breadth of ways games operate across contexts, from activism and education to art and everyday life. While it celebrates creativity and difference, it also asks how these works engage critically with the structures that shape our lives.
Some works use rules to model systems, helping players understand how those systems operate. Others use play to rehearse action, asking players to practice navigating or challenging those systems. Still others turn toward speculation, inviting players to imagine alternative futures, worlds, and the systems that might shape them.
The imagination is an instrument of change.
– Ursula K. Le Guin, author
The focus on analog games reflects how they foreground materiality and shared physical presence. Played face-to-face, handled, read aloud, and experienced together, these works show how rules operate not in abstraction, but through lived, embodied experience.
Ultimately, the exhibition asks us to consider not only how games represent the world, but how they shape our engagement with it – and how through play, the social and political systems they model might be understood, challenged, and reimagined.
Games are not apolitical.
– Kishonna L. Gray, media scholar

Gallery Reception
May 15 from 1 to 4pm at the Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery

Art Friday
Hands-on art activities drawing from the current exhibition.
ALL ARE WELCOME regardless of skill level. Art supplies and free snacks are provided!

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.

Black on the Block
2026-05-21 13:00 - 14:00 | Crown Provost House, 660 Crown Service Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Join the African American Resource & Cultural Center every Thursday from 1–2 p.m., at the front of the Ethnic Resource Center for Black on the Block, a weekly tabling and engagement space.
Stop by to learn about campus resources, upcoming programs, and ways to get involved. It’s a casual, welcoming space to ask questions, make connections, and build community. All are welcome.
You Belong Here: The programs and services described here are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiative—whether a student service, faculty program, or community event—is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities.
To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy for UC Publications.

Let's Talk
2026-05-21 13:00 - 14:00 | Cantu Queer Center, Crown Lane, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Need to talk? We’re here to listen! Drop in for a confidential chat with a professional counselor who can provide support, advice and information.
Where: UCSC Cantú Queer Center, 633 Crown Rd, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
Facilitator: Dean Khambatta, LMFT (831) 459-5346
You Belong Here: The programs and services described here are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiative—whether a student service, faculty program, or community event—is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities.
To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy for UC Publications.

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.

Bites & Bytes: The College Night Directive
2026-05-21 17:00 - 19:00 | College Nine and John R. Lewis Dining Hall
Crown and Merrill Colleges, in collaboration with UCSC Dining, present “Bites & Bytes: The College Night Directive”. Step aboard the Axiom (AKA the Dining Hall) for a night where science fiction meets social responsibility, featuring Wall-E movie trivia, a special themed menu, and more. Join us Thursday, May 21 from 5–7 p.m. at the Crown/Merrill Dining Hall. 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.
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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.How to Use the Statement Across Communication Channels

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

Who Can I Run To?, by Alyssa Windom—2026 Dharma Grace Creative Writing Award and Theatrical Production
2026-05-21 19:30, 2026-05-22 19:30 | Second Stage, Second Stage, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Through their belief in Ifá and the divine, three generations of women grow their relationships with each other and navigate living within their African diasporic identities in undergraduate student Alyssa Windom‘s award-winning script, Who Can I Run To? Windom is a 3rd year History of Art and Visual Culture (HAVC) major with the Arts Division at UC Santa Cruz and is the recipient of the 2026 Dharma Grace Creative Writing Award. The award includes a full theatrical production of their script.
In a modern, undisclosed time and a familiar yet unvisited space within the Americas, the audience meets four women, Lucia, Esme, Naia, and Aviva, three generations of the Sanderson family. The play follows each woman as they navigate how to live within the African diaspora, as well as grow their relationships with each other. Families are complex, but audiences learn this family does not have to figure out this life alone. Their belief in Ifá, and the divine, connects each woman with a guiding orisha that aids them in discovering themselves and their life paths.
Who Can I Run To? is directed by Theater Arts graduate student Darren Jackson-Wilkins.
The character of Mrs. Sanderson is played by hip hop artist, poet, producer, playwright, performer, and Assistant Professor akua naru from the UCSC Music Department.
There will be music and light refreshments on opening night and a talk-back with the production team after each Saturday performance.
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ADVISORIES
– Content includes: strobe lighting effects, electronic cigarettes, loud noises, and strong language.
– This presentation is approximately 1hr. 15 min. with no intermission.
– To request accessibility accommodations, or for more information, contact theaterartstickets@ucsc.edu.
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ADMISSION
– Attend in person at UCSC’s Theater Arts Second Stage.
– Free for UCSC undergrads (ticket required).
– General admission “Pay What You Like” options $5–20.
– Tickets issued online through Eventbrite only.
– Follow the Dept. of Performance, Play & Design on Eventbrite for notifications and updates.
– Doors are scheduled to open 30 minutes prior to event start time.
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FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
This production has seven performances over two weekends between May 15 and May 24, 2026, with 7:30 p.m. evening performances Thurs.–Sat., and Sun. matinees at 2:00 p.m., including:
– Fri. May 15, 7:30 p.m. (7:00 p.m. opening night celebration before the show)
– Sat. May 16, 7:30 p.m. (9:30 p.m. talk-back after the show)
– Sun. May 17, 2:00 p.m. matinee
– Thu. May 21, 7:30 p.m.
– Fri. May 22, 7:30 p.m.
– Sat. May 23, 7:30 p.m. (9:30 p.m. talk-back after the show)
– Sun. May 24, 2:00 p.m. matinee
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PARKING
– Arts Lot #126 is the closest parking lot to the event.
– $5 ParkMobile Arts Special Event flat rate; cash/credit via parking attendant when present in the lot; or by valid UCSC permit.
– Before arriving to UCSC, we recommend downloading the ParkMobile App on Google Play or Apple App Store and setting up a profile with license plate and payment information.
– 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.
– UCSC affiliates must get their permits in advance; attendants will only sell non-affiliate rates
– More information provided by UCSC Transportation & Parking Services.
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ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
The 2026 Dharma Grace Creative Writing Award recipient, Alyssa Windom, is currently the chair of the Student Union Governance Board and co-Chair of the Black Student Union at UC Santa Cruz. Outside of organizing, she is a resident advisor for African, Black and Caribbean housing, a volunteer with Engaging Education, a frequenter in Cultural Arts and Diversity Resource Center (CADrc) spaces—such as Rainbow Theater and the African American Theater Arts Troupe—and is a member of Kasama, a Filipino Ballroom Dance Troupe. Windom is a 3rd year History of Art and Visual Culture major at UC Santa Cruz.
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ABOUT THE AWARD
Established in 2005, the Dharma-Grace Foundation Creative Writing Award Fund, an endowed fund, provides an award for an outstanding script, written by a junior or senior undergraduate student (from any discipline) who is in good academic standing. The award is designated to provide funding for a full production of the script. Eligible candidates for the award are selected by a faculty committee of the Department of Performance, Play & Design and recommended to the Dean of the Division of Arts for final approval. UCSC students interested in submitting a dramatic work to the 2028 award cycle are invited to learn more at the PPD website here.
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This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.

Of Nature and the Cosmos—April in Santa Cruz
2026-05-21 19:30 - 21:30 | Music Center Performance Studio 131, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, United States
Join acclaimed Iranian virtuosi Siamak Barghi (kamancheh, tombak), and Arya Tavallaei (santour); Stanford University’s celebrated guzheng master Hui You; and San Francisco’s Del Sol Quartet (“excavations of beauty from the elemental”—New York Times) for an intrepid concert that explores nature, the cosmos, the “deep acoustics” of musical harmony, and an exchange of imagination and inspiration among Iranian, Chinese, and European improvisation practices. Featuring the music of Iranian composer Nina Barzegar (“each [Barzegar’s music] slid into … mellifluous melody … heedless-sounding glissandos, you wondered if the center would hold. But Barzegar’s compositional command kept it together.”—New York Times), icon of Central California experimentalism, Ben Johnston, and well-known Santa Cruz composers Ben Dorfan, Christopher Pierandozzi Everingham, and Jinwei Sun.
This event is presented as part of the April in Santa Cruz Festival of Creative Music.
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ADMISSION
– Free and open to the public per advance registration only
– Attend in-person at the Music Center Performance Studio 131 at UC Santa Cruz
– Registration required via Eventbrite due to limited seating
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PARKING
– Arts Lot #126 is the closest parking lot to the event.
– $5 ParkMobile Arts Special Event flat rate; cash/credit via parking attendant when present in the lot; or by valid UCSC permit.
– Before arriving to UCSC, we recommend downloading the ParkMobile App on Google Play or Apple App Store and setting up a profile with license plate and payment information.
– 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.
– UCSC affiliates must get their permits in advance; attendants will only sell non-affiliate rates
– More information provided by UCSC Transportation & Parking Services.
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FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
– This year’s festival includes seven events between April 15 and May 21, 2026
– Additional April in Santa Cruz events and information at aprilsc.ucsc.edu
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OF NATURE AND THE COSMOS
SAN FRANCISCO’S DEL SOL QUARTET WITH IRANIAN AND CHINESE VIRTUOSOS

image: photo of Del Sol Quarter by photographer RJ.Muna
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This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.

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.

Let's Talk
2026-05-22 11:00 - 12:00 | https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/8704358865?pwd=[REDACTED]
Need to talk? We’re here to listen! Drop in for a confidential chat with a professional counselor who can provide support, advice and information.
Zoom Meeting Link
Meeting ID: 635 182 8273
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Facilitator: Mitchell Rees, PhD (831) 459-2628

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.

Something held by poetry
2026-05-22 12:00 - 14:00 | Institute of the Arts and Sciences, 100 Panetta Ave, Santa Cruz, United States
In this intimate workshop, UC Santa Cruz students, faculty, and staff are invited into conversation with poets Ronaldo V. Wilson and Terri Witek. Something held by poetry is programmed for Wilson’s multimedia exhibition, there are no words, but melodies, currently on view at the IAS.
RSVP is required.

Ronaldo V. Wilson is a poet, interdisciplinary artist, academic, and the author of Narrative of the Life of the Brown Boy and the White Man, winner of the Cave Canem Prize; Poems of the Black Object, winner of the Thom Gunn Award for Gay Poetry and the Asian American Literary Award in Poetry; Farther Traveler: Poetry, Prose, Other, and Lucy 72. His latest books are Carmelina: Figures and Virgil Kills: Stories. He is the editor of three special issues of hybrid and experimental work in Interim: A Journal of Poetry and Poetics; and Obsidian: Literature & Arts in the African Diaspora. Wilson is Professor of Creative Writing and Literature at U.C. Santa Cruz, where he directs the Creative Writing Program, and serves on the core faculty of the Creative Critical PhD Program; principal faculty member of CRES (Critical Race and Ethnic Studies); and affiliate faculty member of DANM (Digital Arts and New Media).

Terri Witek’s most recent books include her 2026 eco-poetics collection with Amaranth Borsuk, W/ SH, which loops two rain prophets, both women, into a crisis between future worlds, and 2023’s Something’s Missing in This Museum (Anhinga Press). A translation by Dona Mayoora of 2018’s The Rape Kit into Malayalam is forthcoming. Her work has been included in many anthologies, including 2 from 2021: JUDITH: Women Making Visual Poetry (Timglaset Editions ) and the WAAVe Global Gallery (Hysterical Books). Witek’s solo and collaborative work has been featured in a wide variety of text venues, including Fence, The Colorado Review, Hampden-Sydney Poetry Review, American Poetry Review, Poetry, Slate, Hudson Review, Lana Turner, The New Republic, and UTSANGA .

Building Retention and Recovery: Strategies to Avoid Burnout
2026-05-22 13:00 - 13:45 | Academic Resources Center (ARC), 408 McHenry Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
In this workshop, you will: Maximize cognitive durability through structured pre- and post-study habits designed for the fast-paced quarter system.
The Successful Slug Workshop series, hosted by Learning Support Services Peer Coaches, are open to all UCSC undergraduate students and focus on academic skills and tools to support your success as a student. At each workshop, you will be introduced to a topic, engage in active learning, be given resources to begin implementing the same day, and have an opportunity to learn more if you are interested.
You Belong Here: The programs and services described here are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiative—whether a student service, faculty program, or community event—is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities.
To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy for UC Publications.

Opening Reception: Envisioning Health for All Photo Exhibit!
2026-05-22 15:00 - 16:00 | McHenry Library, 1156 High St, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Please join us for an Opening Reception of two student photo exhibits, focusing on health justice. Students across all divisions, undergrad or grad, visually explore global and community health. Photography is a powerful way to represent our care and concern for health justice beyond the university.
Exhibit will be held in conjunction with “Between Two Worlds,”a Photovoice exhibition funded by the UCSC Center for Economic Justice and Action (CEJA). We hope you can join us!

Vectors, Rasters, and Robots: Navigating the Shift from Digital Cartography to Spatial AI
2026-05-22 15:00 - 16:00 | Interdisciplinary Sciences Building, 7487 Red Hill Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
The Center for Integrated Spatial Research (CISR) and GISTAR are excited to resume the CISR Bytes Geospatial Frontier Talk Series. We are pleased to welcome May 22 speakers from the Google Maps and Google Geo team: Megan Goddard and W. Kailen Wright. They will present on:
Vectors, Rasters, and Robots: Navigating the Shift from Digital Cartography to Spatial AI
The speakers will explore the history of digital mapmaking, with a focus on the pivotal Project Ground Truth and how it helped shape modern tech-based mapping since the early 2000s. They will also discuss the rapid advancement of AI technologies and share firsthand experiences from their work at Google Maps and the broader geospatial industry.
Time: Friday, May 22, 3:00–4:00 PM, Talk, Q&A session, and coffee reception.
Location: UC Santa Cruz, ISB Room 221
Hosted by: CISR, GISTAR, and UCSC Drone and GIS Society
About the Speakers

Dr. Megan Goddard is a Google Maps Program Manager with more than 20 years at Google, where she has witnessed the evolution of digital cartography firsthand. Her current work focuses on emerging frontiers in mapping and AI. She holds a PhD in Forestry and Natural Resources and an MS in Environmental Engineering & Science from Clemson University, with an emphasis on water resources. A Santa Cruz native, she also serves as a Water Commissioner for the City of Santa Cruz and is a guest lecturer at UCSC.

Mr. W. Kailen Wright has been a key figure in Google Geo for over 18 years, within a geospatial career spanning more than two decades. As a Geospatial Lead, he works on complex global data challenges, including standardized addressing systems, large-scale geospatial data ingestion, and AI-powered geospatial workflows. His foundational contributions include work with the Google Earth Vector Team and the Ground Truth project. He holds a BS in Computer Science and completed three years of graduate study in Remote Sensing and Geography at UC Santa Barbara. He also earned a Certificate in Spacecraft Design and Operations from Stanford University.
All faculty, staff, and students interested in geospatial technology, GIS, remote sensing, mapping, and Spatial AI are welcome to attend. We hope to see you there!
GISTAR_CISR_Talk_Goddard_Wright_Google_05.22.26

Women’s Center Graduation Ceremony: A Season of Becoming
2026-05-22 18:00 - 20:00 | University Center, University Center, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Join us as we honor and celebrate the achievements, journeys, and growth of our graduating students at our annual Women’s Center Graduation Ceremony! This final event of the year not only celebrates students’ academic successes but also the resilience, community, and powerful womanhood that have empowered students throughout their time at UC Santa Cruz ✨.
Hear from inspiring speakers who will share their own reflections of their barrier-breaking journeys as well as share their own wisdom as they depart UC Santa Cruz and boldly step into the future. We will also be provided a banquet style dinner while celebrating the many ways graduating students have ambitiously grown and thrived in their academic and diverse communities 🎓🎓.
Please fill out the RSVP Form to indicate your interest in attending this graduation ceremony. All graduates who RSVP are guaranteed a graduation cord. The Women’s Center is so excited to celebrate with you!
Date: Friday, May 22nd, 2026
Time: 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Where: Bhowjani Dining Room at the University Center (Above the C9/JRL Dining Hall)
For questions or accommodations, please contact women@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.

Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles, directed by Kinan Valdez
2026-05-22 19:30 - 21:00 | Experimental Theater, Theater Arts Center, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Blending Euripides’ classic Medea with Mexican folklore, Luis Alfaro examines the tragedy behind America’s immigration system and the destiny of one family caught in its grip. Directed by Kinan Valdez.
ADVISORIES
– Content advisory: includes violence, adult language, mature themes, and mention of sexual violence
– This presentation is 90 minutes in length with no intermission.
– Seating is limited and will reach full capacity.
– Ticket holders not seated at least five minutes before the advertised start time may forfeit their ticket/seat, and no refund will be issued.
– Parking impacts may be significant on Fri-Sun during Week 2 of this production in Lot 126 due to other overlapping events expected to reach full capacity.
ADMISSION
– Tickets issued online through Eventbrite only.
– Attend in person at Theater Arts eXperimental Theater at UC Santa Cruz.
– Free for UCSC undergrads (ticket required).
– General admission “Pay What You Like” options for $10, $15, or $20.
– Follow the Dept. of Performance, Play & Design on Eventbrite for notifications and updates.
– Doors are scheduled to open 30 minutes prior to event start time.
PARKING
– Arts Lot #126 is the closest parking lot to the event.
– $5 ParkMobile Arts Special Event flat rate; cash/credit via parking attendant when present in the lot; or by valid UCSC permit.
– Before arriving to UCSC, we recommend downloading the ParkMobile App on Google Play or Apple App Store and setting up a profile with license plate and payment information.
– 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.
– UCSC affiliates must get their permits in advance; attendants will only sell non-affiliate rates
– More information provided by UCSC Transportation & Parking Services.
Full Schedule of Events
This production includes seven performances over the course of two weeks, including the following dates/times:
– Fri, May 22, 7:30 p.m.
– Sat, May 23, 7:30 p.m.
– Sun, May 24, 2:00 p.m. matinee
– Thu, May 28, 7:30 p.m.
– Fri, May 29, 7:30 p.m.
– Sat, May 30, 7:30 p.m.
– Sun, May 31, 2:00 p.m. matinee
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This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.

Berry U-Pick at the UCSC Farm
2026-05-23 09:00 - 12:00 | UCSC Farm, 152 Farm Rd, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Come enjoy picking your own organic strawberries and/or blueberries at the campus farm! Our delicious, organic berries will be plentiful this spring and we hope you can come enjoy the bounty.
When: U-picks will take place on Saturdays from 9am to 12pm while supplies last. Blueberries will be available approximately through June, and strawberries will be available into the summer season. PLEASE NOTE that u-picks will not occur on Saturday, June 13 due to campus commencement ceremonies that will impact traffic and parking.
Where: Free parking will be available in the Hay Barn lot or lot 115/116 during u-pick hours. Please do not park in the dirt lot at the farm’s back gate. Please walk to the pinned location at the farm to pre-pay and collect your u-pick container(s). We will have directional signage displayed. There is one ADA parking spot on the farm. The UCSC Farm has uneven, hilly terrain. If you require accommodations to fully participate, please email agroecology@ucsc.edu and we will do our best to accommodate.
Cost: UCSC students with valid ID get 25% off.

Strawberry pints – $4 each
Strawberry flats (12 pints) – $44
Blueberry pints – $4.50 each
Blueberry flats (12 pints) – $50

Payment: Credit card payments only (you will need a smartphone to scan a QR code and enter your card info manually).
Dogs are not allowed on the UC Santa Cruz campus (service animals are OK).
