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SUMMARY:Johns\, M. (CMPM) - Playing Together in a Co-Designed Future: Building Resilience Through Community-Centered Gameful Design
DESCRIPTION:Complex societal problems (e.g. wicked problems) such as those brought on by climate change can be addressed through a combination of Research through Design (RtD)\, co-design\, and Serious Games (SG) by inviting affected communities to take part in developing iterative\, experimental solutions and exploring their potential impact. In the course of my research\, I have proposed a framework for design research that engages with wicked problems at the community level through gameful design\, which is based on existing literature in HCI drawing from RtD\, co-design\, and SG. Core elements of the framework include supporting diverse perspectives\, interdisciplinarity\, working with local knowledge\, and aligning different concepts with specific gameful elements to support meaningful interactions and discussion. \nIn a specific case study\, my proposed framework is applied to create a gameful intervention to support wildfire resilience in communities at the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) which face particular risks from natural hazards. Through a community co-design process\, open discussions have identified consistent pain-points and challenges faced by communities who have experienced wildfires or evacuations\, e.g. traffic congestion in areas with one road in and out\, while also pinpointing differences in their approaches based on local conditions\, such as whether or not to encourage people to evacuate on foot. Through an RtD approach\, important ideas have emerged about how serious games can be utilized in this space. For example\, a common approach to serious game design is to align the win condition of a game with specific learning outcomes or desired changes. However\, when working with wicked problems there are often complex social dilemmas and conflicting values without clear right answers. In these cases there is a need to map dilemmas and trade-offs to game mechanics rather than mapping learning outcomes to win conditions. \nThe gameful intervention developed through this dissertation integrates local knowledge from communities alongside expert knowledge from disciplines including fire science\, social science\, engineering\, and design. The resulting artifact leverages a minigame design to map different concepts to specific and approachable game mechanics. Through universal and inclusive design practices\, the games can be accessible to a broad audience including both children and older adults. The cooperative multiplayer aspects of the games encourage discussion and collaborative play between friends\, community members\, and particularly intergenerational play within families. In addition to contributing RtD reflections as a result of the project\, I also measured change in resilience at the individual and community levels after deployment of the games through qualitative and quantitative methods. This dissertation contributes to knowledge about what game design has to offer to addressing wicked problems\, with specific approaches to better serve communities facing complex risks such as those associated with a rapidly changing climate. \nEvent Host: MJ Johns\, Ph.D. Candidate\, Computational Media  \nAdvisor: Katherine Isbister \nZoom: https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/7959349044?pwd=cVYraU9yMUVwVFhYWHp6T05OZm5rZz09
URL:https://events.ucsc.edu/event/johns-m-cmpm-playing-together-in-a-co-designed-future-building-resilience-through-community-centered-gameful-design/
LOCATION:Engineering 2\, Engineering 2 1156 High Street\, Santa Cruz\, CA\, 95064
CATEGORIES:Ph.D. Presentations
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260513T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260513T133000
DTSTAMP:20260502T102829
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SUMMARY:Ehrlich\, D. (CM) - Designing Open Microscopy Tools for Neuroscience Research
DESCRIPTION:Advances in microscopy have transformed our understanding of biological systems\,\nyet the high cost and limited accessibility of commercial imaging platforms continue to re-\nstrict their use in many research settings. This thesis presents the design and development of\nopen hardware microscopy tools for neuroscience research\, with a focus on integrating user-\ncentered design principles into the instrument development process. Two primary methods\nare introduced: augmenting existing microscopes with new imaging capabilities\, and the cre-\nation of modular microscopes that are designed for continuous\, long-term live-cell imaging.\nBoth platforms are built around open hardware principles\, prioritizing low cost\, modularity\, and\nadaptability to the practical needs of working researchers. Alongside the hardware contribu-\ntions\, this thesis presents user experience research methods for examining how neuroscience\nresearchers interact with novel microscopy technologies\, providing a methodological frame-\nwork for human-centered scientific instrument design. These contributions demonstrate that\npairing hardware development with user-centered design methodologies produces microscopy\ntools that are both technically capable and meaningfully accessible to both laboratories and\nindividuals studying neuroscience\, education\, and other fields. \n  \nEvent Host: Drew Ehrlich\, Ph.D. Candidate\, Computational Media  \nAdvisor: Sri Kurniawan \nZoom: https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/2491739056?pwd=UCt3MmZmL1hwdXcvVGNNaGRQM0lDQT09
URL:https://events.ucsc.edu/event/ehrlich-d-cm-designing-open-microscopy-tools-for-neuroscience-research/
CATEGORIES:Ph.D. Presentations
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260515T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260515T160000
DTSTAMP:20260502T102829
CREATED:20260306T005653Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260429T224549Z
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SUMMARY:STEM Culture Festival
DESCRIPTION:The STEM Culture Festival is returning to UC Santa Cruz on Friday\, May 15 from 1-4pm in the Baskin Engineering Courtyard. Join us! \nThis year\, we’re expanding with even more performances\, activities\, and creative ways to celebrate UCSC’s vibrant\, diverse\, and excellent STEM culture!  \nWhat to expect: \n\nCuban Dance Master Susana Arenas and her troupe of Orisha dancers led by Cuban Drum Master Toribio Garcia return for a rousing\, communal dance\n\nStudent performers: Los Mejicas and their traditional baile folklórico followed by an open dance lesson/performance by Slug N’ Boots\n\nSTEM-themed drag performances and spoken word poetry by student creatives \n\nAssociate Vice Chancellor for Student Success and Equity Dr. Ebonee Williams (Chemical Engineering\, University of Washington ‘04) will share an inspirational talk on “Bringing our whole selves to STEM!”\n\nEl Buen Taco and Falafel Santa Cruz will be serving delicious food\, completely FREE for all attendees who engage with the student orgs and their activities\n\nMore than just your standard student organization tabling: Games\, interactive demos\, culturally themed activities\, and opportunities to learn more about clubs from all over campus \n\nRaffle for gift cards to be awarded every hour from 1-4pm – must be present to win! \n\nThis event will take place in the Baskin Engineering Courtyard and will be open to all UCSC students\, staff\, and faculty. \nThe STEM Culture Festival celebrates and elevates the many backgrounds\, cultures\, and identities that intersect with our work as scientists\, engineers\, educators\, and members of the UCSC community. It is a rare opportunity when all of UCSC is invited to meet at the engineering school for a time of joy and togetherness. We enthusiastically invite you to attend and be in community with us – especially now in these tumultuous times of division and disunity.  \nThis event represents a collaboration between Baskin Engineering\, the Women’s Center\, the Lionel Cantú Queer Resource Center\, El Centro Latinx and Chicanx Resource Center\, the Asian American and Pacific Islander Resource Center\, the Physical and Biological Sciences Division\, and the Genomics Institute.
URL:https://events.ucsc.edu/event/stem-culture-festival-2026/
LOCATION:Jack Baskin Engineering\, Baskin Engineering 1156 High Street\, Santa Cruz\, CA\, 95064
CATEGORIES:Concerts,Performances,Social Gathering,Undergraduate
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260515T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260516T180000
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CREATED:20260428T221013Z
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SUMMARY:NemoClaw NVIDIA x ASUS Hackathon @ UC Santa Cruz
DESCRIPTION:Welcome to the premier physical AI hackathon on the West Coast. We are bringing together the top 200 AI\, infrastructure\, and hardware engineers to build autonomous\, agentic applications on the NVIDIA NemoClaw stack. \n​You aren’t just calling APIs\, you are building on enterprise-grade hardware. \n​The Tracks: \n\nThe Edge Track: 40 exclusive teams will be granted physical\, on-site access to an ASUS DGX Spark unit to build and deploy locally.\n​The Cloud Track: Teams will build the exact same stack utilizing fully sponsored cloud compute instances via Brev.dev.\n\n​The Arsenal & Prizes: Every team builds on a unified playing field. The top projects will take home heavy enterprise hardware\, including: \n\n​NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nanos\n​The ASUS Ascent (DGX Spark)\n​Jensen Huang signed NVIDIA hats & premium swag\n​High-value Brev.dev compute credits\n​Monitors\n​Internship Opportunities\n\n​The Details: \n\n​Who: Open to the top engineers at UC Santa Cruz and local feeder universities.\n​Food: Fully catered for 24 hours. Energy\, caffeine\, and meals are on us.\n​Special Guests*: Opening and closing ceremonies featuring VIP industry leaders (to be announced).\n​Title Sponsors: Nvidia\, ASUS\, Baskin School of Engineering\n\nRegister today!  \n​Space is strictly capped at 200 builders. Registration requires application approval. \n*May subject to change \n 
URL:https://events.ucsc.edu/event/nvidia-hackathon-2026/
LOCATION:Kresge College\, R-3 Suites\, Santa Cruz\, CA\, 95064
CATEGORIES:Competition,Meetings & Conferences
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260520T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260520T100000
DTSTAMP:20260502T102829
CREATED:20260422T160446Z
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SUMMARY:Maram\, S. (CM) - Scripture To Console: The Nexus between Religion and Digital Play
DESCRIPTION:Religion has historically been a profound force for global mobilization\, shaping geopolitics\, economies\, and geography. Similarly\, contemporary interactive media\, with video games at the forefront\, has moved beyond mere entertainment to become a powerful vehicle for communication\, narrative\, and inspiration\, reaching millions worldwide. This dissertation investigates the intersection of these two influential forces: religion and video games\, demonstrating the influence of religion on video games\, the influence of video games on religion\, and finally\, how these two powerful mobilization forces can come together to solve global challenges. \nFirst\, I examine the current landscape of religious representation in commercial video games (e.g.\, Assassin’s Creed\, SMITE). I analyze how key stakeholders i.e. players\, game designers\, and development studios\, interpret and engage with embedded religious elements\, drawing on existing critical reception and player discourse. This analysis identifies common narrative pitfalls and successful strategies for incorporating complex religious themes in digital spaces\, culminating in proposed design frameworks for sensitive and effective representation. \nBuilding on this foundational work\, the thesis culminates in defining and validating a new interaction paradigm where learning meets religion through play. This paradigm focuses on intentionally leveraging religious content i.e. specifically its rituals and narratives as mechanics in serious games to drive motivation and learning toward collective action. I validate this paradigm through a comprehensive case study focused on climate change\, arguably the most pressing issue of the modern era. This involves the design and empirical discussion of a serious game that incorporates specific religious mechanics\, ethics\, and narratives (e.g.\, stewardship\, ritual) to effectively communicate the severity of the climate crisis and motivate stakeholders toward a collective solution. \n  \nEvent Host: Sai Siddartha Maram\, Ph.D. Candidate\, Computational Media \nAdvisor: Magy Seif El-Nasr \nZoom: https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/91946426300?pwd=wxe1x3YCRsXrtcvOSy2kmfC9dZ3inW.1 \nPasscode: 558570
URL:https://events.ucsc.edu/event/maram-s-cm-scripture-to-console-the-nexus-between-religion-and-digital-play/
CATEGORIES:Ph.D. Presentations
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260521T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260521T143000
DTSTAMP:20260502T102829
CREATED:20260326T204610Z
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SUMMARY:Annual BE Student Project Showcase
DESCRIPTION:Join Baskin Engineering for our annual Student Project Showcase to celebrate the innovative work and accomplishments of undergraduate engineers in capstone courses and research pathways. The broader campus community\, parents\, and industry partners are invited to view the culmination of student work. \nThe day begins with oral presentations from nominated “best-in-class” teams and those working on industry-sponsored projects. Following this\, all students will participate in a comprehensive Poster Session featuring project outcomes with some teams including table-top demonstrations of functional hardware. \nEvent Details: \n\nDate: May 21\, 2026\nOral Presentations (Nominated/Industry Teams): 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM\, Engineering 2\, Room 180\nPoster Session (All Student Teams): 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM\, Engineering Courtyard
URL:https://events.ucsc.edu/event/be-student-project-showcase-2026/
CATEGORIES:Lectures & Presentations,Undergraduate
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