Events

ECE 290 Seminar: Memristors for a brain-scale neuromorphic chip
2026-06-01 10:40 - 11:45 (America/Los_Angeles) | Engineering 2, Engineering 2 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Presenter: Sung-Mo “Steve” Kang, Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Research Professor, UC Santa Cruz

Description: Recently, applications of artificial intelligence (AI) have far outpaced Moore’s law in chip development, thus creating an increasingly large gap between user demand and the supply that the semiconductor industry can deliver. In this talk, we will discuss the unique roles of memristor technologies that can be leveraged to develop scaled-up AI neural networks, particularly spiking neural networks (SNNs) for brain-like neuromorphic computing and unsupervised learning with high energy efficiency. Open-source memristor circuit designs, along with open-source software, may facilitate the development of micro- and nano-electronic systems that emulate brain functions. In this venue, we will discuss how to harness memristor- based circuits and systems to build memristor neurons, synapses, and their interconnects for ultra-high packing density, low power consumption, and the fabrication services needed to enable innovation.

Bio: Sung-Mo “Steve” Kang is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Research Professor at the Baskin School of Engineering, UC Santa Cruz; Chancellor Emeritus of UC Merced; and President Emeritus of KAIST. He has published more than 500 journal and conference papers, authored 10 books, and holds 17 patents. Before returning to academia in 1985, he led the development of the world’s premier fully CMOS 32-bit VLSI microprocessor chipsets for telecommunications and computing applications as a technical supervisor at AT&T Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey. This work was recognized as an IEEE Milestone in February 2025. He has received honors, including best paper awards, induction into the Silicon Valley Engineering Hall of Fame, the Alexander von Humboldt Senior US Scientists Award, the IEEE Millennium Medal, the IEEE Mac Van Valkenburg Circuits and Systems (CAS) Society Award, the IEEE CAS Society Technical Excellence Award, the US Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) Technical Excellence Award, the IEEE Leon K. Kirchmayer Graduate Teaching Technical Field Award, and the IEEE CAS Society John Choma Education Award, as well as the Chang-Lin Tien Education Leadership Award. Dr. Kang is a Life Fellow of the IEEE and a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the Asia-Pacific AI Association. He is a life member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts and the Korean Academy of Science and Technology, and a foreign member of the National Academy of Engineering, Korea. He received his B.S. from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, New Jersey, in 1970; an honorary B.S. from Yonsei University; an M.S. from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1972; and a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley in 1975, all in electrical engineering.

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

The Deep Read – A Conversation with Merlin Sheldrake
2026-05-31 16:00 | Upper Quarry Amphitheater, 15 McLaughlin Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Join us for a free, public conversation with British mycologist and author, Merlin Sheldrake, at UC Santa Cruz’s Quarry Amphitheater on May 31, 2026. He’ll discuss his New York Times bestseller, Entangled Life: How Fungi Make our Worlds, Change our Minds, and Shape our Futures with Associate Professor of History Benjamin Breen and the Deep Read community. Together, we’ll explore the dependence of all life—human, plant, animal, and beyond—on fungal networks and how the resulting interconnections provoke us to reconsider our understanding of existence, identity, intelligence, and more.

Event Schedule:
3:00-3:15 pm: Doors Open
3:15-4:00 pm: Musical performance by Le Jazz Hot Duo
(Nelsen Hutchison & Paul Mehling) will play acoustic jazz in the style of Django Reinhardt and the Hot Club of France. Expect a mix of Parisian waltzes, jazz standards, bossa nova, and reimagined pop tunes, all driven by energetic improvisation
4:00-5:30 pm: Main program
Merlin Sheldrake will discuss his New York Times bestseller, Entangled Life: How Fungi Make our Worlds, Change our Minds, and Shape our Futures with UC Santa Cruz Associate Professor of History Benjamin Breen and the Deep Read community. We’ll explore the dependence of all life—human, plant, animal, and beyond—on fungal networks and how the resulting interconnections provoke us to reconsider our understanding of existence, identity, intelligence, and more.
5:30-6:00pm: Book signing

ADA & General Public Parking:
For our ADA guests, the ADA accessible parking will be available at the Hahn Student Services/Lot 101. Please follow directional signs that will lead you to this Lot. Disability Van Services will be available to support guests that require transport. An ADA placard will be required to park in this lot.
General parking is located at the East Remote. Carpooling is highly recommended. Parking will be free and a courtesy shuttle will be available to and from the East Remote to the Quarry Amphithater. Directional signage will be posted starting at the base of campus.
It is up to a 20 minute walk to the Quarry Amphitheter from the East Remote Lot.

Additional Events of Interest:
Entangled Life Faculty Salon: On May 19, 2026, at 6pm, we will hold a salon-style event at the Hay Barn on campus where a group of Deep Read faculty—Professors Breen, Gilbert, and Haraway —will give brief presentations and discuss Entangled Life with moderator Laura Martin and the Deep Read community. Participants can also attend virtually.
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.

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.

UCSC Opera—Orpheus in the Underworld
2026-05-31 15:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-30 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-05-29 19:30 - 21:30 | Music Center Recital Hall, 400 McHenry Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
A rollicking and irreverent spoof of the Orpheus myth, Jacques Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld is most famous as the origin of the “gallop infernal”—the music now strongly associated with the can-can dance. This operetta follows the unhappy (and unfaithful) union of Orpheus and Eurydice, as the latter’s love affair with the god of the underworld results in Eurydice relocating to hell. Cowed by Public Opinion, Orpheus makes an attempt to retrieve his wife from the underworld, but Jupiter’s involvement, along with many of the other gods of Olympus, complicates matters further.
The UCSC Orchestra ensemble and voice students are conducted by Bruce Kiesling, with direction by Sheila Willey.
Costumes by Brooke Jennings, wigs by Sharon Ridge and Jessica Carter, and set/lighting design by David Dunning.
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ADMISSION
– Attend in person at the UCSC Music Center Recital Hall.
– General admission opera tickets available online through Eventbrite.
– Free for UCSC students (ticket required).
– Follow the Music Department on Eventbrite for notices and updates.
– Doors are scheduled to open 30 minutes prior to event start time.
– Ticket holders not seated at least 5 minutes before the advertised start time may forfeit their ticket/seat and no refund will be issued.
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FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
– Th., May 28, 7:30 p.m.
– Fr., May 29, 7:30 p.m.
– Sa., May 30, 7:30 p.m.
– Su., May 31, 3:00 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 in Lot 126; 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.
– More information provided by UCSC Transportation & Parking Services.
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This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.

Lavender Graduation Celebration
2026-05-31 14:00 - 16:00 | Colleges Nine and John R. Lewis College Multi-purpose Room, 615 College Nine Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
For over 20 years, The Lionel Cantú Queer Resource Center has proudly honored the accomplishments of graduating students at UCSC. At the annual Lavender Graduation Celebration, graduates of all academic levels and programs are celebrated in a uniquely queer way. Graduating students receive a lavender or rainbow stole in addition to enjoying refreshments, music, and student speakers.

Register to attend the celebration (or to reserve a stole to pick up after).

Nominate a student speaker.

Lav Grad 2026 will take place on May 31, 2026 from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. in the multipurpose room (MPR) of College 9/John R. Lewis College. Friends and family are invited to cheer on graduates.

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
2026-05-31 14:00 - 16:00, 2026-05-30 19:30 - 21:00, 2026-05-29 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.

Visualizing Abolition Screening Series: Beyond Access
2026-05-31 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-30 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

Spring Exhibitions at the Institute of the Arts and Sciences
2026-05-31 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-30 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.

SOAR— Los Mejicas Grupo Folklórico
2026-05-30 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-05-29 19:30 - 21:30 | Theater Arts Mainstage, 411 Kerr Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Come enjoy Los Mejicas’ 54th Anniversary Spring Show: Aqui Estamos y No Nos Vamos, Con Amor a Mi Mexico on Friday, May 29th and Saturday, May 30 at the UCSC Theater Arts Mainstage.
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ADMISSION
– Doors open at 7:00 p.m., and the show begins at 7:30 p.m.
– Please note that seating is not assigned— it’s first come, first served.
– TICKET RESERVATION LINK HERE
– We only accept cash.
– If you’re picking up your tickets at tabling, you can pay at that time.
– If you plan to pick up your tickets at the door on the day of the show, they MUST be paid for in advance by your dancer/point of contact.
– Any reserved but unpaid tickets, after Wednesday May 27th, will be considered unreserved and made available for purchase at the door.
– Email losmejicas@gmail.com for any accessibility accommodations.
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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 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.
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This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.

UCSC French and Japanese Student Performance Evening
2026-05-30 18:00 - 19:00 | Stevenson Event Center, Stevenson Service Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Saturday, May 30, 2026, at 6:00 PM
Stevenson Event Center – UCSC
FREE – ALL WELCOME
In the spirit of the Miriam Ellis International Playhouse, students from the French and Japanese programs at UCSC will present an evening of theater and music performances.
French:
Dur dur la torture (Pure Torture), an original play written by the students and directed by Renée Cailloux.
Japanese:
“きぼうのうた” (Song of Hope), directed by Naoko Yamamoto.
This informal end-of-quarter performance celebrates the creativity, dedication, and collaborative work of UCSC language students.
Event Location:
Stevenson Event Center, UCSC
Free admission.

Go Bananas! Carnival
2026-05-30 14:00 - 18:00 | Upper East Field
Get ready to turn the field yellow!
Presented by the Division of Student Affairs and Success Leadership and Involvement Team
Join us for the ultimate end-of-year bash as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Banana Slug as our official mascot. We’re transforming the East Field into a high-energy carnival packed with thrills, food, and slug pride.
Save time and get to the fun faster by claiming your free ticket in advance: Claim Your Ticket Here
The Fun Stuff

Thrills: Mechanical bull, bumper cars, zorb balls, dunk tank, rock climbing wall, and more!
Creativity: Face painting, airbrushing, caricature artist, hair tinsel, and a 360 photo booth to capture the memories.
Vibes: Live DJ sets and specially-themed treats from UCSC Catering.
Challenge: We want to see a sea of yellow—dress like a slug and help us “Turn the Field Yellow!”

Event Details

When: Saturday, May 30, 2026
Time: 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Where: East Field
Admission: FREE for UCSC students (includes all attractions, activities, and UCSC Catering food & drinks!) Please note: there will be additional food for purchase from food trucks and pop-ups.

Questions? Contact involved@ucsc.edu for general inquiries or to request accessibility 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.

Arts Staff Live!
2026-05-30 13:00 - 16:00 | Digital Arts Research Center, 407 McHenry Rd, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Arts Staff Live! is a music and art event, made possible with support from the Arts Division, celebrating and exhibiting diverse creations and expressions of Arts Division staff members’ performing and visual arts. UCSC Arts staff artists/musicians include: Raissa Boysen, J Gaston, Jason Greenberg, Moon Rinaldo, and Courtney Scruggs.
– Art and crafts sale
– Live band: Arcane Lullaby
– Pana Venezuelan Arepas Food Truck (free for first 100 guests)
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ADMISSION
– Attend in person at the Digital Arts Research Center at UC Santa Cruz.
– FREE, open to the public, and family friendly
– event update: this event is scheduled for 1 p.m.–4 p.m. (updated from the previous listing of 2 p.m.–7 p.m.; rev. by CEMO 5/21/26/)
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PARKING
– Guests can park anywhere in the UCSC Arts Lot 126 on the weekend for a $11 flat rate (plus a $0.45 transaction fee) via the ParkMobile app.
– Please download the ParkMobile app in advance and use code 15158 for the day long pass.
– Alternatively you can pay $5 per hour using the code 15143.
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EVENT FLYER

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This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.

Rules Are Not Neutral: Play As Sense-Making, Acts Of Resistance, And Imagining Otherwise
2026-05-30 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-29 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!

Office Hours Under the Sea
2026-05-30 12:00 - 17:00 | Institute of the Arts and Sciences, 100 Panetta Ave, Santa Cruz, United States
Join Ronaldo Wilson and special guests for a site-specific, endurance performance as part of there are no words, but melodies. The exhibition emerges at the intersections of Black poetics, performance, and visual art toshuttle between verbal and non-verbal forms of language, rendering the boundaries of identity and meaning slippery.
Drop in and visit Wilson’s office hours any time between 12pm and 5pm.
About the Artist:
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. He has shown work and performed most recently at the Center for African American Poetry and Poetics, and The Woodberry Poetry Room at Harvard. The recipient of numerous fellowships, including Cave Canem, the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, MacDowell, and The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, 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).

Herbs and Tending the Inner Garden
2026-05-30 12:00 - 14:30 | UCSC Farm, 152 Farm Rd, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
The way to care for humans and gardens have lots of similarities. We will explore the realm of self care, health maintenance and disharmony management through the lens of herbal medicine and metaphors of organic garden management. This class will be an herb walk where we will visit common garden plants, “weeds” and medicinal plants and learn how to use them for our self care.

Rooted in Identity — Mixed Identity Retreat
2026-05-30 10:30 - 13:30 | Crown Provost House, 660 Crown Service Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Join the Asian American/Pacific Islander Resource Center on Saturday 5/30 from 10:30am-1:30pm at the Ethnic Resource Centers (located at the Crown Provost House) to explore the unique experiences of those with mixed racial and cultural identities within the AA/PI/SWANA communities!
This event will include affinity spaces, a book-club style discussion, and a zine-making activity to connect with other students and reflect on your own identities. Food from Mad Yolks will be provided!
Please note that this event is open to all current UCSC students, and if you have any questions, please email aapirc@ucsc.edu.
RSVP at bit.ly/aapirc-rooted
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

Younger Lagoon Reserve Tours
2026-05-30 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.

Berry U-Pick at the UCSC Farm
2026-05-30 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).

Making an Exoneree Showcase
2026-05-29 18:00 - 21:30 | Digital Arts Research Center, 407 McHenry Rd, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Audiences are invited to Making an Exoneree, a reception and film screening featuring the premiere of five student-made short documentaries that reveal the facts—and falsehoods—of wrongful conviction cases from around the country. Over the Winter and Spring quarters, 15 UCSC undergraduate students in the Making an Exoneree course dedicated themselves to uncovering the truth about these cases. The final short films unravel the unjust convictions of Aaron Addison, Dennis Littleton, Ken Middleton, Frank Perkins, and Taunee Smith, who have spent a combined 126 years in prison.The students hope that by sharing these stories, they can help correct this injustice and bring innocent people home.
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ADVISORIES
– Mature themes or content, No intermission, Strong language.
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ADMISSION
– FREE and open to the public
– Attend in person or online
– ONLINE LINK HERE
– Reception at 6:00 p.m.
– Screenings at 7:00 p.m.
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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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This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.

Stanley Flatté Memorial Lecture: Chaos, black holes, and quantum mechanics
2026-05-29 18:00 - 19:00 | The 418 Project, 155 River St S, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, United States
CHAOS, BLACK HOLES, AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
The world is a chaotic place. Even if we know the rules of nature, we often find it difficult to predict the future – forecasting the weather is a notorious example. Recently, we have understood that chaos plays a central role in the behavior of black holes, some of the most striking objects in our universe. We will describe these developments and indicate some new insights they have led to in our quest to unify quantum mechanics and the theory of gravity.
About the speaker: Stephen Shenker has been on the faculty of the University of Chicago and Rutgers University, and is currently the Richard Herschel Weiland Professor at Stanford University. He is a theoretical physicist who has worked on problems ranging from the theory of phase transitions to the nonperturbative formulation of quantum gravity. He is a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, the Onsager Prize and the Dirac Medal, and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences. From 1998 to 2009, he was the Director of the Stanford Institute for Theoretical Physics.
Friday, May 29, 2026
The 418 Project, 155 River St S, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM, Refreshments provided prior to talk at 5 PM.
This event is free and open to the public.

Zhu, R. (ECE) - From Neuromorphic Principles to Efficient Neural Language Architectures
2026-05-29 14:00 - 16:00 | Engineering 2, Engineering 2 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
This dissertation investigates how neuromorphic and brain-inspired principles can guide the design of efficient neural language architectures. It addresses two central limitations of modern Transformer-based language models: memory growth with context length and high computational cost from dense matrix multiplication. Through studies of spiking neural networks, linear-recurrent language models, hybrid attention architectures, MatMul-free models, and looped language models, the dissertation develops practical approaches for bounded-memory and bounded-compute language modeling. The central conclusion is that recurrent state, temporal decay, sparse computation, and parameter reuse can provide useful design principles for scalable language models, even when they are abstracted beyond literal biological spiking.
Event Host: Ridger Zhu, Ph.D. Candidate, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Advisor: Jason Eshraghian
Zoom: https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/96672322005?pwd=[REDACTED]

BME80G Seminar – Katherine Bonini, “Rethinking Familial Risk in Genomic Medicine: Ethical Approaches to Cascade Screening”
2026-05-29 13:20 - 14:25 | Jack Baskin Auditorium, 191 Baskin Cir, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Presenter: Katherine Bonini, Senior Genetic Counselor @ Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Description: It has long been argued that families are central to genomic medicine. Genomic risk, diagnosis, and management are rarely confined to a single individual, and separating patients’ interests from those of their relatives is often neither straightforward nor desirable. Despite this, healthcare systems in the United States continue to operationalize care at the level of the individual. This tension is especially evident in cascade screening, the process of identifying, notifying, and offering genetic testing to relatives of a proband with a hereditary condition. Cascade screening can enable earlier diagnosis, guide preventive care, and reduce morbidity and mortality, but its implementation raises important ethical questions.
In this talk, we will examine how current approaches to familial risk communication place responsibility on patients to notify relatives, often resulting in incomplete reach and missed opportunities for prevention. We will then consider alternative approaches, including system-led contact models in which health systems directly notify at-risk relatives with proband consent. Drawing on public health ethics frameworks, we will discuss a proposed framework demonstrating how system-led models may be ethically justified when specific criteria are met, including considerations of public input, opt-out mechanisms, and a focus on actionable conditions. This talk will encourage consideration of how genomic care can be structured to better balance individual rights with broader responsibilities to families and public health.

Bio: Katherine (Kate) Bonini, MS, MA, CGC is a Senior Genetic Counselor and Core Faculty member in the Institute for Genomic Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Her work focuses on the ethical, legal, and social implications of integrating emerging genomic technologies into clinical care, with particular emphasis on implementation science and equitable translation of genomic advances into practice. She has contributed to several major NHGRI-funded initiatives, including the Clinical Sequencing Evidence-Generating Research (CSER) Consortium, the Electronic Medical Records and Genomics (eMERGE) Network, and the Human Pangenome Reference Consortium (HPRC).
Kate is an active leader within the National Society of Genetic Counselors, where she previously served as Chair of the Research Special Interest Group and Chair of the Public Policy Committee. She is also a member of the Mount Sinai Clinical Ethics Committee, where she contributes to institutional discussions on complex ethical issues in patient care and research.
She received her MS in Genetic Counseling and MA in Medical Humanities and Bioethics from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.
Hosted by: Professor Karen Miga, BME Department

Productive Struggle & Study Skills
2026-05-29 13:00 - 13:45 | Academic Resources Center (ARC), 408 McHenry Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
In this workshop, you will: Learn study strategies and why making it hard for yourself supports durable learning.
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.
