Ecology of Presence: Pathways to the Natural World
2026-01-16 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-01-17 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-01-19 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-01-20 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-01-21 12:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery, 11 Cowell Service Rd, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Norris Center Art + Science Graduate Fellowship Exhibition
Ecology of Presence: Pathways to the Natural World brings together the work of ten graduate students supported by the Kenneth S. Norris Center for Natural History Art + Science Fellowship, a program dedicated to creative research connecting art with the natural world. Across media – including sound, moving image, music, performance, installation, comics, social practice, photography, and storytelling – the artists in Ecology of Presence emphasize relationality and careful attention to place as essential to building relationships with environs. As accelerating environmental change and technological dependency threaten ways of belonging, the works in this exhibition maintain a steadfast commitment to interdisciplinary approaches that propose kinship with the natural world. By coming together, Art + Science Fellows artworks and social practices suggest ways of imagining human life in relation to the more-than-human world.

How to Find a Job On Campus
2026-01-16 14:00 - 14:45
Do you need a job? Learn how to find jobs on campus and how Career Success can help you through the process! All students are welcome. The presentation will last 30 minutes, followed by a 15-minute Q&A.
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.

Summer Courses Listed for 2026
2026-01-17 00:00 - 23:59, 2026-01-18 00:00 - 23:59, 2026-01-19 00:00 - 23:59, 2026-01-20 00:00 - 23:59, 2026-01-21 00:00 - 23:59 | CA
Summer 2026 classes are now posted at summer.ucsc.edu. Explore courses and start planning your summer schedule over winter closure! Days and times will be in the schedule of classes on March 15. Email summer@ucsc.edu with questions.

Intro to Fruit Trees
2026-01-17 10:00 - 12:30 | Hay Barn, 94 Ranch View Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, United States
This workshop will focus on fruit tree care and management, especially for those who are looking to establish and/or care for their fruit trees using organic methods. Although we will be demonstrating on a home garden scale, the techniques and methods are applicable at multiple scales—the basics are the same.
This hands-on workshop will cover:

The run up to planting (site, sun, soil)
Assessing and improving your soil
Sourcing quality trees for your area
Planting bare root trees
Post plant care
A Q&A session

REGISTER
Photo by Jim Clark

Seymour Marine Discovery Center Day Trip
2026-01-17 10:00 - 16:00 | Seymour Marine Discovery Center, 100 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060
Join us for a full-day trip to the Seymour Marine Discovery Center on January 17
This FREE event is open to all UCSC students and includes a day by the bay exploring marine science and exhibits. No RSVP or deadline required — just show up!
Meet at Quarry Plaza by 9:00 a.m. to catch the bus with other students, or arrive on your own by 10:00 a.m. at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center.
The event runs from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Catch Metro back to campus after the event!
We hope to see you there!

Day of Service at the UCSC Arboretum in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
2026-01-19 09:00 - 12:00 | Arboretum, 122 Arboretum Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, please join us for a National Day of Service that encourages all Americans to volunteer and connect to improve their communities.
The UCSC Arboretum is hosting a one-day volunteer opportunity in our beautiful California Conservation Garden. By volunteering, you become part of a community that directly supports the Arboretum’s mission to conserve native plants. We will be weeding areas around our native shrubs to give them more space to grow and thrive.
If interested in this service, please fill out the required registration form on our website under “Events”. Please note, at the event you will also need to complete a simple worker’s compensation form (may not apply if already an active Arboretum volunteer).

Volunteers must be 18 years or older.

Each volunteer must fill out this form separately.

Access to the CCG requires walking on a gravel road for approximately 1/3 mile.

Plan on bringing a water bottle, and wearing long pants and long sleeves to protect from sun and possible biting insects. Please also bring garden gloves and weeding tools if you have them, otherwise they will be provided. Thank you and we look forward to meeting and working together with you!
Register
Learn more

OLLI at UCSC Sunday Speaker Meeting
2026-01-19 10:00 - 12:00 | Colleges Nine and John R. Lewis College Multi-purpose Room, 615 College Nine Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
OLLI at UCSC Hosts Chris Murphy, President of the Santa Cruz Warriors
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UCSC invites the public to an in-person presentation on Sunday, January 18th, at Colleges Nine/ John R. Lewis Multipurpose Room on the UCSC campus. Join us for a social hour and presentation titled, “A Local Success Story: Inside the Santa Cruz Warriors.” Chris Murphy, President of the Santa Cruz Warriors and an active participant in several local organizations, will talk about the inner workings of the basketball and business operations of our local team. This event is free and open to the public. Bring a friend. Coffee and nibbles will be served. OLLI at UCSC is a community of adults from diverse educational, occupational and geographic backgrounds who are devoted to the pursuit of learning. For directions and free parking information visit https://olli.ucsc.edu/monthly-gatherings/location-directions-and-parking/

How Long is Long Enough: Screening and Conversation
2026-01-19 17:30 - 19:30 | Santa Cruz Barrios Unidos, 1817 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz, 95062, United States
Join us for a screening of How Long is Long Enough: The Excessive Sentencing of Quntos & Layla, a short documentary created by Natalie Decena, Sarina Bozorgnia, Veler Brown, and Aiden Olivier from UC Santa Cruz with support from Michael Ademaro from Georgetown Law School as part of the Making an Exoneree initiative.
Quntos Wilson and Layla Roberts were sentenced to life without parole in 1995 at the ages of 18 and 19 for a robbery in which no one was physically harmed and a mere $301 was stolen. Now approaching 50, they have each become remarkable artists and mentors behind the prison bars of Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola).
In addition to the documentary screening, the event will include a conversation with Quntos Wilson and Layla Roberts, letter-writing, and collaborative art making.

Coffee with Provost Aims McGuinness
2026-01-20 09:00 - 11:00 | Merrill College Office, 641 Merrill Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
FREE fresh hot coffee, tea, cocoa and snacks. Featuring Alta Organic Fair Trade coffee; locally & woman owned.

Coffee & More with Merrill Provost Aims McGuinness
2026-01-20 09:00 - 11:00 | Merrill College Office, 641 Merrill Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Grab a cup to go or stay and join the conversation. Provost Aims McGuinness is here to answer your questions, provide support . . . and hand out FREE coffee, cocoa, tea, and breakfast snacks.

Campus Elections Orientation (Zoom)
2026-01-20 10:00 - 11:00 | https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/93207076397?pwd=[REDACTED]
2026 Campus Elections Orientation (Mandatory for Referenda Authors)
Date & Time:
Tuesday, January 20 | 10–11 a.m.
Location:
Zoom
Description:
Interested in proposing a referendum for the 2026 UCSC Campus Elections? At least one representative from each author group must attend a mandatory Campus Elections Orientation in order to initiate a referendum.
This session provides an overview of the Campus Elections process, timeline, and relevant policies, and includes guidance and examples from prior election cycles on how to author a referendum, opinion poll, or amendment.
Sessions will be recorded and posted on the Campus Elections website.
All potential referenda authors must submit a completed 2026 Campus Elections Application. Proposals involving a new student fee or an amendment to an existing fee measure also require a Supplemental Fee Measure Referenda Form and draft language.
Application deadline: Monday, January 26, 2026, by 12:00 noon.
For questions or to request accommodations, contact Campus Elections Commissioner and Associate Dean of Students for Leadership and Engagement Travis S. Becker at trbecker@ucsc.edu.

Info Session: Global Seminar Eco-Entrepreneurship in the Netherlands
2026-01-20 12:00 - 13:00 | CA
Learn more at our upcoming Information Session: Tuesday, January 20th, 2026 at 12:00-1:00 pm via Zoom.
Register Here
Earn 10 units on a summer program on the Global Seminar Eco-Entrepreneurship in the Netherlands in Amsterdam this summer. This program is taught by Nada Miljkovic, Entrepreneurship Instructor and Program Manager for UCSC’s Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurial Development.
Quick Facts:

Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Courses: Crown 92G: Social and Creative Entrepreneurship, GE: PE-H (5 units) and Crown 194: Eco Entrepreneurship, GE: PR-S (5 units)
Led by: Crown Lecturer, Nada Miljkovic
Eligibility: Open to students from any major who have completed 90 units by time of departure and have a minimum of a 2.3 GPA
Dates: Summer Session 2 (Exact dates to be announced)
Finances: Financial aid applies, and scholarships are available! Budget will be posted on the website when it is available.
How to apply: Visit here for instructions. Applications open on December 1 and close on March 2.
Get in touch: Email your questions to globallearning@ucsc.edu.

Program Description:
Discover how entrepreneurship can bridge the gap between the Netherlands’ thriving economy and its commitment to environmental sustainability! Based in Amsterdam, this immersive program includes exciting site visits to Rotterdam, Utrecht, and beyond. You will collaborate with local sustainability-focused entrepreneurs, exploring how innovative business models can tackle the challenges of conservation and development. Through hands-on experience and seminars in entrepreneurship and sustainability, you will gain valuable insights into creating businesses that prioritize environmental well-being. Join us to reimagine what it means to value and protect life in a modern, holistic way. Discover more here.

Successful Slug Workshop: Goal Setting (Zoom)
2026-01-20 12:00 - 13:00 | https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/7372922776?pwd=[REDACTED]
Goal Setting
Tuesday, January 20, 12:00-12:45 p.m.
Location: Zoom
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/
______________________________________________________________
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.

Campus to Career: Job Talk with Chief of Staff Mikaila Kruse
2026-01-20 13:00 - 14:00 | https://events.ucsc.edu/event/campus-to-career-job-talk-with-chief-of-staff-mikaila-kruse/
Are you curious about careers in government, leadership, or public service? Join us for a job talk with UCSC alumna Mikaila Kruse, the Chief of Staff for the Riverside city mayor. Mikaila will tell us her professional story and share how her education has informed her trajectory. You’ll learn about entering the field of politics, what government work looks like, and how to apply your skills for public service.
Attendees will enter raffles for a Humanities tumbler and tote!
Register here
Learn more about Mikaila:
Mikaila Kruse is Chief of Staff to Mayor Lock Dawson of Riverside. Having worked for elected officials at the federal, state, and local level, she has a range of experience in government relations that includes serving on political campaigns, delivering constituent services, and developing legislation in Sacramento. Previously, she worked on voter registration efforts and as a substitute teacher. She graduated from UC Santa Cruz in 2015 with a BA in History and Politics and received a Master of Public Policy degree from UC Riverside in 2020.
Find more Humanities Division career events and other resources at Humanities Career Engagement

Behavioral, Econometrics and Theory Seminar Series Presents: Roberto Corrao
2026-01-20 13:40 - 15:00 | Engineering 2, Engineering 2 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Economics Behavioral, Econometrics, & Theory Seminar
Date: Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Time: 1:40-3:00 p.m.
Location: E2-499

Speaker: Roberto Corrao
Title: Assistant Professor of Economics
Affiliation: Stanford University
Host: Gerelt Tserenjigmid

Seminar title: Contractibility Design

ABSTRACT:
We introduce a model of incentive contracting in which the principal, in addition to
writing contracts, must engage in contractibility design: creating an evidence structure
that allows them to prove when the agent has breached the contract. Designing an
evidence structure entails both (i) front-end costs borne ex ante, such as those of
drafting contracts, and (ii) back-end costs borne ex post, such as those of generating
evidence. We find that, under even small front-end costs, optimal contracts are coarse,
specifying finitely many contingencies out of a continuum of possibilities. In contrast,
under even large back-end costs, optimal contracts are complete. Applied to the design
of procurement contracts, our results rationalize: (i) the discreteness of contracts, (ii)
the presence of similarly vague contracts in low-stakes and high-stakes settings, and
(iii) the discontinuous adjustment of contracts to changes in the economic environment.

Info Session: Global Seminar Agroecology Practicum in Guatemala
2026-01-20 14:00 - 15:00 | CA
Learn more at our upcoming Information Session: Tuesday, January 20, at 2:00-3:00 p.m. via Zoom.
Register Here
Earn 6 units on a summer program on the Global Seminar Agroecology Practicum in Guatemala this summer. This program is taught by Damian Parr, Education Programs Manager and Instructor for the Agroecology Center and Michael Bakal, post-doctoral researcher.
Quick Facts:

Location: Antigua, Guatemala; Lake Atitlán, Guatemala
Course:
ENVS 133 B: Agroecology Practicum (6 units)
Led by: Damian Parr and Michael Bakal
Eligibility: Good academic and disciplinary standing, Min Age: 18, 45 units completed at time of departure, Minimum GPA 2.3 cumulative GPA or higher at the time of application and every quarter prior to departure, Eligible majors: Agroecology, ENVS, additional majors by permission of the instructor.
Dates: June 17-July 2, 2026
Finances: Financial aid applies, and scholarships are available! The budget will be posted on the website when it is available.
How to apply: Visit here for instructions. Applications open on December 1, 2025, and close on March 2, 2026.
Get in touch: Email your questions to globallearning@ucsc.edu.

Program Description:
This program will explore the historical and contemporary strengths and challenges to Guatemala’s food and agricultural system through the lens of Agroecology and indigenous-led agricultural development work. Examples of learning objective topics include developing students’ competencies in biological soil fertility and pest management, tillage and cultivation, crop care, and analysis of diversified farming systems. The course frames these more technical production competencies within learning objectives related to agriculture literacies, analyzing broader societal aspects of food sovereignty, and the development of equitable and ecologically sustainable food systems. By broadening student perspectives and understandings of our diverse global community, students will strengthen their ability to think critically about solutions. Studying and working in an unfamiliar place will support students gaining a clearer sense of who they are as learners, so that they leave the program empowered to tackle the challenges – both academic and non-academic – that inevitably lie ahead.
Check out this student-produced video from a previous program!

Nurturing Difference - Parenting and Disability in a Careless Age
2026-01-20 18:00 | Hay Barn, 94 Ranch View Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, United States
JOIN US as we celebrate two distinguished members of our UCSC community and their new books. We’ll be discussing Danilyn Rutherford’s Beautiful Mystery: Living in a Wordless World (Duke University Press) and Noah Wardrip-Fruin’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons: Can a game take care of us? (University of Chicago Press). Joined by Donna Haraway and Megan Moodie, and moderated by THI Faculty Director, Pranav Anand, the panel will explore questions of caregiving, parenthood, disability, language, meaning, and technology.

Danilyn Rutherford is the president of the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research and a professor emerita of anthropology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She is the author of Raiding the Land of the Foreigners: The Limits of the Nation on an Indonesian Frontier (Princeton, 2003), Laughing at Leviathan: Sovereignty and Audience in West Papua (Chicago, 2012), Living in the Stone Age: Reflections on the Origins of a Colonial Fantasy (Chicago, 2018), and, most recently, Beautiful Mystery: Living in a Wordless World (Duke, 2025).
Noah Wardrip-Fruin is a Professor of Computational Media at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He studies and makes video games and electronic literature. Before his most recent book, Noah authored or co-edited six books on games and digital media for the MIT Press, including The New Media Reader (2003). His collaborative art projects have been exhibited by the Whitney Museum of American Art, New Museum of Contemporary Art, Krannert Art Museum, and a wide variety of festivals and conferences. Noah holds both a PhD (2006) and an MFA (2003) from Brown University, an MA (2000) from the Gallatin School at New York University, and a BA (1994) from the Johnston Center at the University of Redlands.
Megan Moodie is a Professor of Anthropology at UC Santa Cruz. She is chair of the Disabled Faculty Networking Group and a core member of the disability studies initiative on campus.

This event is presented by the Abolition Medicine and Disability Justice Project, a UC Multicampus Research Program and Initiative and co-sponsored by The Humanities Institute

AI Business Practices Info Session
2026-01-20 18:00 - 19:00 | CA
Transform your workplace with practical AI skills.
In an era of rapid digital change, non‑technical professionals need to know how to deploy AI tools and strategies efficiently—without needing to code. This specialization shows how you can streamline tasks like document and presentation creation, reporting, and project coordination using generative AI, intelligent agents, and automation.
Speaker
Join Hien Luu, Program Chair and Head of Machine Learning Infrastructure at Zoox, for an inside look at how our courses help you build prompt‑engineering know‑how, ethical AI awareness, and productivity‑boosting workflows—so you can lead AI‑driven change in your organization.
Sponsor
This winter info session is sponsored by the AI Business Practices specialization.
Claim your seat.

Drop-In Figure Drawing
2026-01-20 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).
—
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.
—
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.

CSE Colloquium - Constraining Chaos: Toward Faithful and Semantic Decoding in Language Models
2026-01-21 11:00 - 12:30 | Engineering 2, Engineering 2 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Presenter: Loris D’Antoni, UC San Diego
Abstract:
Language models excel at producing fluent text, but in domains like code and math, fluency isn’t enough — outputs must obey strict syntactic and semantic rules. A new wave of research is rethinking decoding itself: not as a process of sampling words, but as a negotiation between probability, structure, and meaning. In this talk, I’ll explore how grammar and semantics can be embedded into the decoding loop, how we can sample from the true model conditional distribution under constraints, and how programmable abstractions make it possible to enforce properties like type safety or program invariants. The result is a vision of decoding that is faithful to the model yet governed by rules, pointing toward a future where LLMs generate not just plausible text, but reliably correct output.
Bio:
Loris D’Antoni is a Jacobs Faculty Scholar and Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of California San Diego. His research helps people build trustworthy software. His work has introduced new frameworks for verifying and synthesizing programs—ranging from resilient network configurations to robust decision-making systems—and, more recently, methods for aligning language models with user intent.
He is the recipient of an NSF CAREER Award and a Microsoft Research Faculty Fellowship, and was selected as a Vilas Associate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has also received Google, Amazon, and Meta Faculty Awards, and the Morris and Dorothy Rubinoff Dissertation Award. His papers have earned several best paper awards and nominations, including at TACAS, ESOP, ICDCN, and SBES.
Loris received his B.S. and M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Torino, and his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Pennsylvania. Before joining UC San Diego, he was a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
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]

Engineering Teaching Community (Faculty)
2026-01-21 12:00 - 13:00 | Jack Baskin Engineering, Baskin Engineering 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
During the chaos of a quarter, is it hard to find time to reflect and improve as an instructor? Would you like to be a part of an inclusive, supportive group of engineering instructors who do this in community? ETC is for sharing teaching experiences, classroom ideas, research on learning, and methods that support instructors and students. All are welcome, and lunch is provided. Please reach out to Jenny Quynn with questions.

Successful Slug Workshop: Time Management (Zoom)
2026-01-21 14:30 - 15:30 | https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/7372922776?pwd=[REDACTED]
Time Management
Wednesday, January 21, 2:45–3:30 p.m.
Location: Zoom
Learn the ways you can manage your time and avoid procrastination/burnout.
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/
______________________________________________________________
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.
