Events

AI Application Development – A monthly conversation with the Chair
2026-02-11 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Silicon Valley Campus, 3175 Bowers Avenue, Santa Clara, CA, 95054, United States
Lead Innovation as a Machine Learning Engineer.
As AI becomes central to products and services across industries, there’s a growing demand for professionals who can design, build and deploy intelligent services & systems. Learn how you can preprocess data, develop Machine Learning models, apply Deep Learning techniques, and create AI solutions that solve real‑world problems.
Speaker
Join Praveen Krishna, Chair of the Artificial Intelligence Application Development program, for this new monthly conversation series designed to spark discussion and dialogue. Get an inside look at how our courses deliver hands-on learning, industry-driven projects, and the technical foundation needed to advance your career as an ML Engineer, MLOps Engineer, or Applied AI Researcher.
Learn more.
Visit our program page for a closer look at our AI App Development courses and offerings.
Register today.

Meet a Roomie: The Village
2026-02-11 18:00 | CA
Looking for roommates for next year?
Hoping to add a roommate to a group or to join a group? Attend a Meet a Roomie event to connect with other continuing students who are interested in living in The Village for the 2026-27 academic year.
This is a casual, in-person opportunity to meet potential roommates and start forming your housing group before the application and Room Selection process begins.
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: The Village (map) Community Lounge (F5)

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.

Meet a Roomie: Oakes/Rachel Carson
2026-02-11 17:30 | Oakes Learning Center
Looking for roommates for next year?
Hoping to add a roommate to a group or to join a group? Attend a Meet a Roomie event to connect with other continuing students who are interested in living in the Oakes or Rachel Carson communities for the 2026-27 academic year.
This is a casual, in-person opportunity to meet potential roommates and start forming your housing group before the application and Room Selection process begins.
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Oakes Learning Center (map)

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.

EOP Students - "Words That Impress: Creating a Great Résumé & Cover Letter"
2026-02-11 15:00 - 16:00 | Career Success Student Lounge (125 Hahn), 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, United States
Crafting a fantastic Resume and Cover Letter are the key to getting an interview and landing a job! Join us for this informative workshop that will cover best practices for resume and cover letter development. You’ll gain understanding about the perfect format, navigating AI filters, and how to write captivating resume bullet points and engaging cover letter paragraphs. The presentation will be 30 minutes, followed by 30 minutes of optional worktime here in our office with coaches to give you brief input.
We will provide captions for the presentation. If you have disability-related needs, please contact the Career Success office at csuccess@ucsc.edu or (831) 459-4420 as soon as possible.
YOU BELONG HERE
Programs and services are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiative—whether a student service, faculty program, or community event—is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities. To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy for UC Publications.

Successful Slug Workshop: Goal Setting
2026-02-11 14:30 - 15:30 | Academic Resources Center (ARC), 408 McHenry Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Goal Setting
Wednesday, February 11, 2:45–3:30 p.m.
Location: ARCenter 203
Set SMART goals to help you get organized & on track for success.
Successful Slug Workshop Series
Join Learning Support Services (LSS) for Successful Slug Workshops on Tuesdays at noon and Wednesdays at 2:45 p.m.
These 45-minute workshops are open to all UCSC students and offer tools and strategies to support your academic success. Each session highlights best practices for effective, long-lasting learning and is led by LSS professional staff.
To get first priority, sign up on TutorHub or simply drop in. You can also sign up on TutorHub to receive email reminders.
Learn more and sign up: learningsupport.ucsc.edu/programs/workshops/
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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.

Global Cafe (Winter 2026)
2026-02-11 14:00 - 16:00 | Classroom Unit, Classroom Unit, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, Select a Country:
International Student Services & Programming invites you to our monthly Global Cafe, a space for all international-minded community members to connect. Swing by for some refreshments and an opportunity to meet other international students and scholars, as well as Global Engagement staff. Feel free to drop in at any time and stay for as long as you’d like.
Our winter Global Cafe dates:

Wednesday, January 14
Wednesday, February 11
Wednesday, March 11

Faculty Forum — The Residential College System and the First-Year Student Experience
2026-02-11 13:30 - 15:30 | Stevenson Event Center, Stevenson Service Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Faculty Forum: The Residential College System and the First-Year Student Experience
UC Santa Cruz was founded on a residential college system that combines living and learning. A core goal of our system has always been to use a shared learning experience built around the college theme to create a sense of belonging and community among first-year students. The campus has changed dramatically over the last quarter century: the shift to letter grades and a new approach to general education; growth of the undergraduate population; an increasingly diverse student body (HSI recognition in 2012, AANAPISI in 2014, APRU in 2020, HSRU in 2022); and recognition as one of the top research universities in North America (AAU membership in 2019).
The college system has changed incrementally over that time, but we have not had a comprehensive, campus-wide discussion of what today’s students need from our college system and how best we might serve them; and Senate faculty engagement with the colleges has dwindled. As important, UCSC has not been meeting predicted graduation rates in comparison to the academic preparation of entering first-year students. This forum is the first step in engaging the faculty in thinking about how we can ensure that our college system serves our students and meets our obligations to the state and our aspirations as a research university.
The forum will feature four speakers who will offer brief comments and then engage in a panel discussion, largely addressing questions from the audience.

Kimberly Lau, UC Santa Cruz, Professor of Literature and Chair of the Council of College Provosts, on our current college system.
Laura Arroyo, UC Santa Cruz, Assoc. Vice Chancellor for Colleges, Housing, and Educational services, on co-curricular approaches to college engagement.
Daniel Friedman, Univ. of South Carolina, AVP University 101 and National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition, on the South Carolina first-year model
John Moore, UC San Diego, Professor of Linguistics and Dean of Undergraduate Education, on the UC San Diego college model

All faculty are invited to join us for this important conversation.
Hosted by:
Kimberly Lau
Professor of Literature
College Provost of John R. Lewis College
Chair of the Council of College Provosts
Matthew McCarthy
Professor of Ocean Science
Chair of the Academic Senate
Paul Koch
Distinguished Professor of Earth & Planetary Sciences
Interim Campus Provost/Executive Vice Chancellor
Richard Hughey
Professor of Computer Science & Engineering and Biomolecular Engineering
Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education and Global Engagement

Ecology of Presence: Pathways to the Natural World
2026-02-11 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-02-10 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-02-09 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-02-07 12:00 - 17:00 | Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery, 11 Cowell Service Rd, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Norris Center Art + Science Graduate Fellowship Exhibition
Ecology of Presence: Pathways to the Natural World brings together the work of ten graduate students supported by the Kenneth S. Norris Center for Natural History Art + Science Fellowship, a program dedicated to creative research connecting art with the natural world. Across media – including sound, moving image, music, performance, installation, comics, social practice, photography, and storytelling – the artists in Ecology of Presence emphasize relationality and careful attention to place as essential to building relationships with environs. As accelerating environmental change and technological dependency threaten ways of belonging, the works in this exhibition maintain a steadfast commitment to interdisciplinary approaches that propose kinship with the natural world. By coming together, Art + Science Fellows artworks and social practices suggest ways of imagining human life in relation to the more-than-human world.

Centering the Experiences of Undocumented Transfer Students at HSIs: A Brown Bag Presentation by Valeria Alonso Blanco
2026-02-11 12:00 - 13:00 | Huerta Center Conference Room (Casa Latina), 641 Merrill Rd, Santa Cruz,, CA, 95064
The Huerta Center is proud to present a brown bag presentation by Graduate Student Research Awardee Valeria Alonso Blanco. She will present on a qualitative study that explores how undocumented Latinx transfer students navigate institutional support, belonging, and barriers at a four-year Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). Findings reveal gaps between institutional commitments and student realities, and she offers actionable recommendations for more equitable, transfer-receptive practices.

On the Margins of Empire: The Archaeology of Social Complexities in Lower Akinyele, Southwest Nigeria Ca. 18th- 20th centuries
2026-02-11 12:00 - 13:00 | Social Sciences 1, Social Sciences 1, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Presentation Abstract: My research examines the materiality of everyday life in non-urban spaces between the 18th and 20th centuries. I seek to articulate the nature of social complexities that may have characterized these spaces, with particular attention to the domestic domain. In my study at Lower Akinyele, I aim to investigate how social agents negotiated their daily lives within complex historical processes such as imperial control, conflict, migration, and resettlement, and how these dynamics shape their lived experience and are reflected in the archaeological record over this extended period.
Combining an interdisciplinary approach, my research employs ethnography, archaeological field survey with geospatial analysis, and material science-based analysis. Drawing on theories of agency, practice, and feminist perspectives, I move beyond a monolithic view that privileges urban centers as the primary sites for studying social complexity. Instead, my work advocates for a more nuanced understanding that captures the varied scales of human interactions within these communities.
About the Presenter: Boluwaji Ajayi is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Anthropology at UCSC. Ajayi’s research examines the social complexities that shaped the everyday lives of settlements located on the peripheries of early cities and empires in the Yoruba-Edo region of Southwestern Nigeria from the precolonial era to the twentieth century.

Research Lunch & Learn: NAGPRA, CalNAGPRA, and UC Repatriation policy overview
2026-02-11 12:00 - 13:00 | https://events.ucsc.edu/event/research-lunch-learn-nagpra-calnagpra-and-uc-repatriation-policy-overview/
This presentation provides an overview of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and UCSC’s responsibilities in compliance with federal law, CalNAGPRA state-specific law, and the UCOP policy regarding repatriation. Join Victoria Jennings, UCSC’s Repatriation and Tribal Collaborations Coordinator, on February 11, 2026, 12-1 p.m., to learn more about where NAGPRA intersects with research activities and how we can show respect for tribal sovereignty in our day-to-day actions on and off campus.
Join: Zoom link for this session.

CSE Colloquium: Incentivized Alignment for Strategic Agents (Human and Otherwise)
2026-02-11 11:00 - 12:15 | Engineering 2, Engineering 2 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Presenter: Grant Schoenebeck, University of Michigan
Abstract: Advances in machine learning enable new forms of human-AI collaboration, but collaborative settings typically involve agents with divergent objectives and private information. This will become increasingly critical in the emerging world of agentic AI, where ML-powered agents act on behalf of individuals or institutions with conflicting goals. I use the term incentivized alignment to describe the approach of combining both machine learning and incentive design to achieve alignment of system outcomes despite misaligned agents. This talk presents two case studies of incentivized alignment showing how machine learning can make mechanism design scalable and practical, and how mechanism design can make machine learning strategically robust. First, I examine the use of LLMs as judges for rating subjective responses. While LLMs perform well on existing datasets, they are highly susceptible to manipulation. I propose adapting peer-prediction mechanisms to create strategically-robust scoring mechanisms that incentivize honest reporting. Beyond ensuring high-quality inputs to AI systems, these mechanisms can potentially eliminate reward hacking in ML training pipelines. Second, I consider collective decision-making where agents hold different objectives and private information. The goal is to design mechanisms that incentivize strategic agents to select outcomes that would be optimal under full information sharing, according to certain criteria. Both case studies demonstrate solutions for incentivized alignment in multi-agent systems employing the combination of incentive design and machine learning, a theme likely to be central to the future of collaborative AI.
Bio: Grant Schoenebeck is an associate professor at the University of Michigan in the School of Information. His work has recently focused on developing and analyzing systems for eliciting and aggregating information from a diverse group of agents with varying information, interests, and abilities by combining ideas from machine learning and economics (e.g. game theory, mechanism design, and information design). More generally, his recent work has been about incentives and (machine) learning in a variety of contexts. His research is supported by multiple NSF grants including a CAREER award and spans publications in top venues including NeurIPS, ICLR, EC, WINE, the Web Conference, STOC, and FOCS. His former PhD students and postdocs now hold tenure-track positions at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Peking University, George Mason University, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He recently served as Program Committee Co-chair for WINE, Theory Track Co-chair for EC, and Economics and Computation Track co-chair at the Web Conference. Grant received his PhD at UC Berkeley, studied theology at Oxford University, and received his BA in mathematics and computer science from Harvard.
Hosted by: Professor Nikos Tziavelis
Location: Engineering 2, Room E2-180
*Light refreshments such as coffee, pastries, and fruit will be available.
Zoom: https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/93445911992?pwd=[REDACTED]

Continuing Student Housing Info Session
2026-02-11 10:00 - 12:00 | https://ucsc.zoom.us/meeting/register/NkGSdQM0RNK0VmYaXUeiNA
Interested in university housing for next year?
Join us for an information session about university housing options for the 2026-27 academic year. Led by knowledgeable housing staff, this is a great opportunity to learn about the different housing options available, the housing application and Room Selection processes, ways to improve your chances of getting a space, and more.
The session will be held on Zoom and will include breakout rooms for individual colleges and housing communities, allowing you to get more specific information about your housing options.
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026
Time: 10 a.m.–12 noon
Location: Zoom (register here)

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

Drop-In Figure Drawing
2026-02-10 19:00 - 21:00 | Elena Baskin Visual Arts Center, Baskin Service Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Drop-In Draw provides a live model and room monitor. There is no formal lesson and only dry media is allowed (no paints).
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ADVISORIES
– These events contain mature content and nudity.
– Drop-In Draw is subject to the possibility of last-minute cancellation without notification, and sessions are not guaranteed.
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ADMISSION
– FREE and open to the public
– UCSC Art Department Room L-101
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SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
This series occurs weekly on Tuesday evenings during winter quarter, including the following:
Tuesday January 6, 2026, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Tuesday January 13, 2026, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Tuesday January 20, 2026, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Tuesday January 27, 2026, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Tuesday February 3, 2026, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Tuesday February 10, 2026, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Tuesday February 17, 2026, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Tuesday February 24, 2026, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Tuesday March 3, 2026, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Additional dates to be announced for spring quarter.
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PARKING
– Parking by permit or ParkMobile.
– Arts Lot #126 is the closest parking lot to the event.
– Visitors with DMV placards or plates may park for free in DMV spaces, Medical spaces, or ParkMobile spaces without additional payment, or in timed zones for longer than the posted time.
– More information provided by UCSC Transportation & Parking Services (TAPS).
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This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.

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

Successful Slug Workshop: Note Taking and Reading Strategies
2026-02-10 12:00 - 13:00 | Academic Resources Center (ARC), 408 McHenry Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Note Taking and Reading Strategies
Tuesday, February 10, 12:00-12:45 p.m.
Location: ARCenter 203
Learn reading and note-taking methods and why they work to help you learn.
Successful Slug Workshop Series
Join Learning Support Services (LSS) for Successful Slug Workshops on Tuesdays at noon and Wednesdays at 2:45 p.m.
These 45-minute workshops are open to all UCSC students and offer tools and strategies to support your academic success. Each session highlights best practices for effective, long-lasting learning and is led by LSS professional staff.
To get first priority, sign up on TutorHub or simply drop in. You can also sign up on TutorHub to receive email reminders.
Learn more and sign up: learningsupport.ucsc.edu/programs/workshops/
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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.

2026 Pre-Health School Fair
2026-02-10 11:00 - 14:00 | Colleges Nine and John R. Lewis College Multi-purpose Room, 615 College Nine Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Here is a chance to meet the recruiters in person!
If you are interested in pursuing a career in medicine or other health professions, then take advantage of this opportunity to meet recruiters from health professional schools. Learn more about their respective health professional programs, including medical schools, and discuss ways in which to stand out in the application process.
Undergraduate students, graduate students, and recent alumni are all welcome to attend!
Curious about how to best prepare for the fair?
1. Research the organization
Identify your top 3-5 pre-health and medical schools you’re interested in (but be sure to stay open to engaging with multiple programs at the event). Do your research by reviewing school websites (what’s the pre-health or medical school program mission? values?), admissions process and requirements, and perhaps check out their social media for the latest news from the university/school. Pre-health and medical school representatives are impressed by potential candidates who take the time to do this!

2. Prepare your introduction and questions
Reflect on what about each program resonates with you. Perhaps it’s the specific the curriculum they’re developing, research they’re leading, or the career path a specific degree program can lead you on. What relevant experiences do you have? How can you be of service to the pre-health or medical school? Exercise critical thinking skills to develop questions to ask recruiters.
3. Plan your time
Be sure to manage the time you have to ensure you’re able to connect with the pre-health and medical school programs you’re most interested in, but remember to also be open to different schools you may not have heard of because they may be a smaller or out of area pre-health or medical school program.
Want more support?

View our Pre-Health page
Visit a peer coach during drop-in hours
Schedule a career coaching appointment with a Career Engagement Specialist
Stay in the loop by following Career Success on Instagram

You will receive registration and additional information in your email from Career Success via Handshake. Please check your junk/spam folder if you are not receiving any communication.

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.

Questions? Send to csuccess@ucsc.edu or visit Career Success at Hahn 125 East Entrance
Need accessibility support? Let us know at slugtalent@ucsc.edu at least two weeks prior to the fair date.

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

Coffee and Convo with Provost Aims
2026-02-10 09:00 - 11:00 | CA
Stay for the engaging conversation or grab it to go. Either way, it’s hot and free. Featuring Alta Organic Roasting Company coffee, a fair trade locally women owned company.

February Slugs and Steins with Distinguished Professor Emeritus John Brown Childs
2026-02-09 18:30 - 20:00
Kings of Infinite Space: Courageous Compassion Among Men in Soledad Prison

“I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself king of infinite space…”
–Hamlet
When I reflect on the expansively creative, compassionate, and transformational minds and actions of the incarcerated men with whom I have worked as a volunteer teacher of what I call “transcommunal peace and cooperation,” for some twenty years first in DVI Prison, and mostly Soledad Prison, the central image that strikes me is the first part of Hamlet’s statement, in the Shakespeare play, wherein he says, “I could be bounded in a nutshell and count myself king of infinite space….” The men with whom I work, despite their incarceration in narrow, constraining, routinized circumstances, are nonetheless able to reach out to, and draw from a wide and deep universe of humane love for all. Their organizing group, Cemanahuac (an Indigenous Nahuatl word meaning “One World”-all races, cultures, faiths, regions, and perspectives); is the foundation for the success of transcommunality. My book Transcommunality, from the Politics of Conversion to the Ethics of Respect, (Temple University Press, 2003), that is the basis for my teaching in Soledad and elsewhere, emphasizes ways of achieving mutual respect among diverse, even opposing vantage points, with an emphasis on being able to disagree over key matters while still working together. The concept of “transcommunality” is rooted in the brilliant, ancient Indigenous philosophy of the Haudenosauunee (“Iroquois”) Peacemaker, Deganawidah. Similarly, rather than being simple stereotyped negatives; these Soledad men are positives, who are providing important foundations for building bridges in a time of overall societal division, and emphasizing, in the midst of the national cauldron of hate, the healing power of love.
REGISTER

Building Brotherhood with the Khalil Center
2026-02-09 17:30 - 18:30 | CA
Join AA/PIRC, SWANA, & the Khalil Center for a conversation about mental health for men in the Southwest Asian & North African (SWANA) community. This event centers SWANA men & is open to all students. Food will be provided! Please RSVP here.
The Khalil Center is a wellness center that integrates Islamic spiritual approaches into professional psychology to help achieve optimal, holistic health by providing a wide variety of mental health services.
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.

AM Seminar: Data Driven Modeling for Scientific Discovery and Digital Twins
2026-02-09 16:00 - 17:00 | CA
Presenter: Dongbin Xiu, Professor, Ohio State University
Description:We present a data-driven modeling framework for scientific discovery, termed Flow Map Learning (FML). This framework enables the construction of accurate predictive models for complex systems that are not amenable to traditional modeling approaches. By leveraging data and the expressiveness of deep neural networks (DNNs), FML facilitates long-term system modeling and prediction even when governing equations are unavailable. FML is particularly powerful in the context of Digital Twins, an emerging concept in digital transformation. With sufficient offline learning, FML enables the construction of simulation models for key quantities of interest (QoIs) in complex Digital Twins, when direct mathematical modeling of the QoIs is infeasible. During the online execution of a Digital Twin, the learned FML model can simulate the QoIs without reverting to the computationally intensive Digital Twin simulation model. As a result, FML serves as an enabling methodology for real-time control and optimization for complex systems.
Bio: Dongbin Xiu received his Ph.D degree from the Division of Applied Mathematics of Brown University in 2004. He joined the Department of Mathematics of Purdue University in 2005 and moved to the University of Utah in 2013. In 2016, He joined The Ohio State University as Professor of Mathematics and Ohio Eminent Scholar. He received NSF CAREER award in 2007 and was elected to SIAM Fellow in 2023. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Computational Physics and the founding Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Machine Learning for Modeling and Computing (JMLMC). His current research focuses on developing efficient numerical methods for scientific machine learning, data driven discovery and digital twins.
Hosted by: Daniele Venturi, Applied Mathematics

Career Success Drop-In Coaching at the EOP Office - Winter 2026
2026-02-09 13:30 - 15:00 | Academic Resources Center (ARC), 408 McHenry Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Drop-in with Career Coach & Engagement Specialist Bridge Kennedy to discuss Career Exploration, Job Search Strategy, Interview Prep, Grad School Prep, or whatever’s on your mind related to your career success!
Time: 1:30pm – 3:00pm
Dates: Mondays, Weeks 2, 4, 6, & 8 of Winter Quarter 2026
1/12, 1/26, 2/9, 2/23
Location: Academic Resource Center, EOP Lounge
YOU BELONG HERE
Programs and services are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiative—whether a student service, faculty program, or community event—is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities. To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy for UC Publications.

Li, X. (CSE) - Compute-Efficient Scaling of Fully-Open Visual Encoders
2026-02-09 13:00 - 14:30
Vision encoders have demonstrated significant performance gains in visual generation and multimodal reasoning. These improvements are primarily attributed to the scaling of data, model capacity, and compute. However, this progress is becoming less accessible due to a lack of transparency in data curation and training recipes. In combination with the high compute requirements of foundation-scale pre-training, these factors hinder independent reproducibility.
In this dissertation, we democratize large-scale visual encoder training by developing compute-efficient, reproducible training recipes for video encoders, vision-language models (VLMs), and multimodal large language models (MLLMs). First, we challenge the common belief that scaling necessarily requires proportionally more resources. Specifically, we show that decoupled pre-training separates key factors such as space/time and token length, and learns strong priors first. This design yields dramatic efficiency gains across image, video, and generative modeling. Next, we address the challenge of undisclosed or inaccessible training data by releasing and systematically studying the curation of high-quality, large-scale datasets. We demonstrate that high-quality synthetic captions at scale enable vision-language models to learn stronger visual representations, especially when paired with training frameworks that unify contrastive and generative objectives. Lastly, building on these findings, we develop fully open vision encoders with complete training data, recipes, and checkpoints, and show that transparency can enable rather than hinder state-of-the-art performance as an MLLMs’ visual backbone.
Together, these contributions establish that openness and efficiency are mutually reinforcing, providing a reproducible foundation for the next generation of visual intelligence.
Event Host: Xianhang Li, Ph.D. Candidate, Computer Science and Engineering
Advisor: Cihang Xie
Zoom- https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/95801462664?pwd=[REDACTED]
Passcode- 782017

CM Seminar - “The ‘Social’ Side of Social Virtual Reality”
2026-02-09 12:30 - 13:30 | Engineering 2, Engineering 2 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Presented by: Bree McEwan
Description: One of the potential use cases of virtual reality is to create spaces where humans can interact with each other or virtual agents across distances. However, despite many of the technological challenges of social VR being solved, social VR does not see poised for widespread adoption. Multi-user social VR needs to be perceived not just as a technology to be solved but an emerging communication channel. Social science approaches, particularly from communication scholars, are needed to truly understand the way that humans engage with VR and each other in these new environments. McEwan’s talk will outline a program of research using qualitative and quantitative approaches to understand communication processes, effects, and user perceptions of VR design to deepen our understanding of how people engage with environments and each other in social VR.
Bio: Bree McEwan is a Professor in the Institute of Communication, Culture, Information and Technology, an associate director of the Data Sciences Institute, and a faculty affiliate of the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society at the University of Toronto. She is a co- organizer and founder of the Questioning Reality conference, a social VR research incubator. McEwan authored Navigating New Media Networks and co-authored Interpersonal Encounters. She directs the McEwan Mediated Communication Lab which researches the intersection of technology and social interaction. McEwan has published on relational maintenance on social network sites, perceived social affordances of communication channels, linguistic patterns in online communities, and the diffusion of information through social media. In addition, McEwan has metascience interests focused on transparency and replication in the social sciences. Current studies of the McMC Lab focus on affordances of social virtual environments, cognition and heuristics related to learning in VR spaces, and nonverbal communication patterns of avatars and agents.
Hosted by: Professor Katherine Isbister
When: Monday, February 9, 2026 from 12:30PM to 1:30PM
Location:
IN-PERSON @ UCSC Main Campus, E2-280.
Viewing room @ SVC 3212.
LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED AT BOTH LOCATIONS! Faculty and students are highly encouraged to attend.
Zoom info:
https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/91469785121?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 914 6978 5121
Passcode: [REDACTED]

ECE Seminar: Integrated Micro- and Nanosystems for Biosensing, Neural Therapy, and Nanotoxicity
2026-02-09 10:40 - 23:45 | Engineering 2, Engineering 2 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Presenter: Dr. Ke Du, Associate Professor of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside
Description: Miniaturized micro- and nanofluidic systems, integrated with biochemistry, microscopy, nanomaterials, and computer vision algorithms, provide powerful platforms for diverse biomedical applications, including molecular diagnostics, biophysics, and optogenetics. In this presentation, we introduce a pneumatically controlled nano-sieve device with nanolithography-defined microstructures designed to enhance target capture efficiency in bodily fluids. This system incorporates sheath flow configurations, surface-enhanced Raman probes, and CRISPR reactions for the sensitive and multiplexed detection of drug-resistant bacteria in nanoconfined environments. We also highlight our recent advancements in implantable devices for adeno-associated virus (AAV) delivery and the treatment of neurological disorders in mouse models. These devices, fabricated via high-resolution 3D printing, utilize total internal reflection at the liquid–air–microstructure interface to efficiently stimulate neurons. Finally, we integrate experimental approaches with molecular dynamics simulations to study the interactions between arbitrary nanoparticles and living cells—advancing our understanding of nanotoxicity and guiding the design of next-generation drug delivery systems.
Bio: Dr. Ke Du is an Associate Professor of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Riverside. He established his independent research lab in 2018 following postdoctoral training with Richard Mathies at the University of California, Berkeley, and Holger Schmidt at the University of California, Santa Cruz. His research team focuses on molecular diagnostics for infectious diseases such as sepsis, in vivo bioimaging, and nanotoxicology. Dr. Du has received numerous honors, including the EIPBN Inaugural Early Career Award (2024) and the NIH Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (2021). He was recognized as an Emerging Investigator by Lab on a Chip (2024) and Nanoscale (2025), and named a Global Rising Star in Sensing by ACS Sensors. His research is supported by federal agencies and industry partners, including NIH NIGMS, NIH NIAID, NSF CBET, NSF CMMI, USDA, DOE, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Mammoth Biosciences, and Biological Mimetics. Beyond his research activities, Dr. Du serves as an Early Career Editorial Advisory Board member for Biomicrofluidics (AIP Publishing) and Sensors and Actuators Reports (Elsevier).
Hosted by: Professor Soumya Bose, ECE Department
Zoom Link: https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/97975378707?pwd=[REDACTED]

Ben Verdery, classical guitarist—with the UCSC Guitar Ensemble
2026-02-07 19:30 - 21:00 | Music Center Recital Hall, 400 McHenry Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Audiences are invited to Some Towns and Cities, a concert with internationally-recognized classical guitarist, composer, and educator Benjamin Verdery. The concert includes original compositions such as “Ellis Island,” featuring the UCSC Classical Guitar Ensemble, directed by Chris Mallett, and the world premiere of a composition called “Santa Cruz,” with William Coulter and Chris Mallett. Learn more about Benjamin Verdery on his website here.
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ADMISSION
– FREE and open to the public
– Open seating (no ticket required)
– First-come, first-served
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PARKING
– Parking by permit, ParkMobile, or $11 cash/credit via the on-site parking attendant
– Arts Lot #126 is the closest parking lot to the event
– Visitors with DMV placards or plates may park for free in DMV spaces, Medical spaces, or ParkMobile spaces without additional payment, or in timed zones for longer than the posted time.
– UCSC affiliates must purchase their permits before arriving at the event in order to receive their discounted UCSC rate. Attendants will only sell the non-affiliate-priced permits.
– More information provided by UCSC Transportation & Parking Services (TAPS)
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This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.

First Saturday Tour at the Arboretum
2026-02-07 11:00 - 12:00 | Arboretum, 122 Arboretum Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
First Saturday Tours are a wonderful way to introduce yourself to the Arboretum or to deepen your knowledge of the Arboretum’s plant collections. Each tour is a little different depending on the time of year, the interests of the tour guide, and the people who join in. For example, you might learn about the birds and mammals that make this land their home or about the amazing physical adaptations that plants have evolved to better deal with our extreme weather and climate conditions. Tours are free with paid admission.
