Experiential Learning

UC Santa Cruz receives funding to continue undergraduate STEM diversity program

UC Santa Cruz has secured funding to support 100 students in completing bachelor's degrees in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) through the California Alliance for Minority Participation (CAMP)—a program that has helped more than 300 students from historically underrepresented backgrounds earn undergraduate STEM degrees from the university over the past two decades.

National Academy of Education awarded Josephine H. Pham the Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship

Josephine H. Pham, Assistant Professor of Critical Studies in Education at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has been awarded the prestigious National Academy of Education Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship.

A special look into art exhibition Seeing through Stone

For First Friday this September 6, Director and Chief Curator, Dr. Rachel Nelson will give a special curator-led walk-through of the major Visualizing Abolition exhibition, Seeing through Stone, at the UC Santa Cruz Institute of the Arts and Sciences Gallery on the Westside of Santa Cruz.

New internship program gives high school students a hands-on education in art

A first for high school students in Santa Cruz County, the Institute for Arts & Sciences just wrapped up its inaugural youth program, Art For All. Funded by the Monterey Peninsula Foundation,The program brings together high school juniors and seniors from around the Santa Cruz area to give them a hands-on, behind-the scenes look at cultural spaces and exhibition curation.

Fall 2024 exhibition highlights at UCSC’s Institute of the Arts and Sciences

The Institute of the Arts and Sciences (IAS) is pleased to announce exhibitions and events for Fall 2024, including the multi-sited exhibition Seeing through Stone, performances by sound artists, along with many other events.

UC Santa Cruz alumnus named semi-finalist in Student Academy Awards

Despite having only graduated last June, John Ortiz (M.F.A. ‘24, Social Documentation) is already finding success in the film industry. His documentary, Jerhy, is in the running for a Student Academy Award. He and his film currently rank as semi-finalists in the documentary category.

Genomics Institute’s Research Mentoring Internship recognized with ‘Inspiring Programs in STEM’ award

The UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute’s Research Mentoring Internship program was recognized with the ‘Inspiring Programs in STEM’ award from Insight Into Diversity magazine.

U.S. ATLAS collaboration names UC Santa Cruz alum ‘Outstanding Graduate Student’

The organization representing the U.S. contingent of the international ATLAS experiment conducted with the world's most powerful particle accelerator has presented its 2024 Outstanding Graduate Student Award to Yuzhan Zhao, who graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a Ph.D. in physics this year.

Gaining professional experience and helping fellow Slugs through Chancellor’s Undergraduate Internship Program

In her last year at UC Santa Cruz, Jane Grantham tackled numerous challenges, but one project stands out: developing a resource to assist fellow students in preparing for their careers.

Students across the region invited to help shape the future of semiconductors

As AI weaves itself into more areas of life, scientists and engineers at UC Santa Cruz have come together to develop a better component that serves as the "neuron" in brain-inspired computing. The imperative to make such processing much more energy efficient, and faster, means that those who can design and build these next-generation devices will be in high demand on the job market.

Artist-led walk-through offers rare opportunity to hear a creator discuss their own work in relationship to peers'

Seeing Through Stone opened in April, but is now hosting a unique opportunity to walk through the exhibition with one of the artists.

UCSC students discover, help patch cybersecurity flaw for free laundry

UCSC students worked with the company that provides the app and the machines, called CSC Serviceworks, to help patch the cybersecurity flaws that could let millions of customers run loads of laundry for free.

Iconic concert film ‘Stop Making Sense’ playing at the Quarry Amphitheater

Of the many iconic figures who’ve come to Kresge Hall, none seem to be remembered as widely or as fondly as Talking Heads. Their 1977 performance and its history is what, in-part, led Jose Reyes-Olivas, the events and facilities general manager of the Quarry Amphitheater, to host a showing of the bands 1984 concert film Stop Making Sense.

EmpowHer Sound: A seminar to help pave the way for women in music

UC Santa Cruz will be hosting EmpowHer Sound, a three hour exploration of a music production for women. The July 11 event is free for everyone. As an introductory course audience members will learn basic skills and tools to help that on their career journey in music.

UC Santa Cruz alumna receives prestigious Sundance Fellowship

Brenda Avila-Hanna, who finished her MFA in Social Documentary in 2013, has won a prestigious fellowship at Sundance as part of their Producer Program. Her new film which combines fiction and documentary is her second ever feature film.

Fort Ord reserve inspires youth to consider careers in natural science, conservation

As the only full-time staff member at UC Santa Cruz's Fort Ord Natural Reserve, Director Joe Miller doesn't need to create more work for himself. And yet, he's managed to do just that by successfully partnering with a nearby charter high school that brings students onto the 610-acre property to teach them about local natural history and introduce them to career pathways in natural science and conservation.

The Harrisons' 'Survival Piece #5: Portable Orchard' on display at the Whitney

Survival Piece #5: Portable Orchard conceived and designed in 1972 by leading pioneers of the eco-art movement and UC Santa Cruz emeriti professors Helen Mayer Harrison (1927–2018) and Newton Harrison (1932–2022) will be exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York starting on June 29, 2024.

The UC Santa Cruz Film and Digital Media Department celebrates 25 years

The Film and Digital Media Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz proudly marks 25 years, celebrating a legacy of success and innovation.

The print sale celebrates its 50th anniversary

The Art Department is celebrating the 50th anniversary of UC Santa Cruz’s annual print sale. The widely beloved event features unique, handmade works and it is open to the public.

The UC Santa Cruz Film and Digital Media Department presents: 'Echoes of Home'

To celebrate their achievements over the past two years the graduate film students are showcasing their works. The presentation at the Del Mar Theatre marks years of progress and the end of their time at University of California, Santa Cruz.

The UCSC Arts Division & Mary Porter Sesnon Art Gallery present 'Material Matters'

Once a year the art department hands out its most prestigious award, the William Hyde Irwin and Susan Benteen Irwin Scholarship. Every year twelve students receive this merit scholarship to help them create work that will be presented in the Mary Porter Sesnon Gallery. This year the 38th annual Irwan Exhibition runs from May 29 through June 15.

The UCSC Arts Division presents Los Mejicas annual Spring show ‘Grupo Folklorico’

As one of the oldest organizations on campus, Los Mejicas has over half a century of bringing people together to celebrate their Mexican heritage. Their upcoming annual spring show, which marks the 52nd anniversary of the groups existence, celebrates traditional dance forms from six different regions in Mexico.

UC Santa Cruz Arts Division presents "Iolanthe"

Iolanthe may not be Gilbert & Sullivan’s best known work but according to music lecturer Sheila Willey “I actually think the music is more interesting and a little bit more sophisticated, but not less accessible,” than their other productions. The upcoming performance of the operetta at UC Santa Cruz marks the first time in five years the music department has put on a Gilbert & Sullivan show since they did Pirates of Penzance in 2019.

UC Santa Cruz Arts Division Presents 'Find Your Path!'

Find Your Path! is a two-day experience that guides students through potential career pathways through both in person and online events.

California State Board of Food and Agriculture visits campus

On April 30, California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Secretary Karen Ross and members of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture held their April Board meeting at the Hay Barn on the University of California, Santa Cruz campus.

UC Santa Cruz Arts Division presents "An Iliad"

Professor Patty Gallagher, in collaboration with other UCSC faculty, arranged an upcoming of 'An Iliad,' a retelling of Homer's classic. The show represents years of work, and has been showing around the world since 2022.

UC Santa Cruz Arts Division presents Prahlad Singh Tipanya

University of California, Santa Cruz is happy to welcome Prahlad Singh Tipanya and his ensemble for a rare performance of Indian folk music featuring the poetry of singer-saint Kabir. The Sunday performance will include music that is rarely heard in the United States.

UC Santa Cruz ‘Shadow the Scientists’ program honored for astronomical DEI efforts

A science-inclusion program based at UC Santa Cruz that has allowed thousands of school-age children, educators, and inquisitive individuals to look through world-class telescopes alongside trained astronomers has been honored for opening up scientific exploration to those from underrepresented backgrounds around the world.

Slug 48: The new 48 hour film challenge for students

The Department of Film and Digital Media is introducing the first event of its kind, Slug 48. Participating undergraduates will have 48 hours to create a film from start to finish including script writing, filming, and post production. Students can participate in groups or sign up alone, it all starts this Friday April 19.

Humanities program provides rewarding research experience—and also crucial career prep

Employing Humanities–funded undergraduate students have begun working with faculty in paid research opportunities that connect their classroom curriculum with hands-on training.

Arts Division alumnus and artist, Fritz Chesnut, teaches art workshop for students

Recently, the University of California, Santa Cruz Arts Division hosted a workshop with alumnus and noted artist Fritz Chesnut. For three days Chesnut worked with a group of Art students teaching them a technique for applying paint distinctively to canvas using unexpected tools and materials as a new mode of creating abstract art.

April in Santa Cruz Creative Music and Arts Festival 2024: "A Time For Change"

The annual month-long celebration of the arts is back at UC Santa Cruz. There will be a dozen performances by talented professionals in art forms including dance, animation and much more.

The Hindustani music concert featuring Uday Bhawalker accompanied by Sukhad Manik Munde

As a part of the (unofficially titled) Indian Music Series, University of California, Santa Cruz is welcoming Uday Bhawalkar to campus for a concert on Friday, April 12. The renowned vocalist will be performing Dhrupad music, one of the oldest musical genres in the Hindustani tradition.

The Center for Creative Ecologies presents "Nuclear Nows: Contemporary Art, Radiation, and Militarized Ecologies”

This two-part symposium is the work of Zoe Weldon-Yochim, a Ph.D. Candidate in Visual Studies, in collaboration with T.J. Demos, Professor in the Department of the History of Art and Visual Culture and Director of the Center for Creative Ecologies, and will discuss the intersection of contemporary art, militarized ecologies, and nuclear nationalism.

The UCSC Music Department presents "The World Making Aura of Sonic Blackness" with Moor Mother & James Gordon Williams

On Wednesday, March 6, 2024, the University of California, Santa Cruz Music Department presents a very special performance by guest artist Moor Mother (Camae Ayewa) and James Gordon Williams, assistant professor of music composition at UC Santa Cruz in the Recital Hall of the Music Center.

Closer water monitoring needed as wildfires increase

UC Santa Cruz researchers warn that wildfires can change the chemistry of nearby streams that people and wildlife depend on for drinking water. But they found that the baseline water-chemistry data needed to detect such changes aren’t always available.

Two UC Santa Cruz scientists named 2024 Sloan Research Fellows

Assistant Professors Roxanne Beltran and Jacqueline Kimmey have been awarded Sloan Research Fellowships, one of the most prestigious honors bestowed on early-career scientists, each receiving $75,000 to delve into new areas of research in their respective fields of marine ecology and microbiology.

Legal Studies major Lauren Elscott found her passion with music and events on campus

Lauren Elscott is senior in the legal studies program whose true passion lies in music and events. At UC Santa Cruz she discovered the electronic music minor and how to be involved on campus.

Student Gabriella Goss wins $500 Alumni Leadership Award from Ecology Project International

Her project draws inspiration from her Ecology Project International (EPI) course experience in the Galapagos Islands, where she witnessed the thriving wildlife in an ecosystem largely spared from human interference. This prompted her to explore the negative impact of human activities on animal habitats, specifically focusing on the millions of animals killed annually by vehicles.

After Man: Alterhuman Ethics and Poetics at the Climate Change Tipping Point

Join associate professor micha cárdenas for her talk about the meeting point between the end of humanity and contemporary art.

UCSC Central Asian Ensemble honors traditional Uzbek music with special guest master dutarist Rozibi Khodjaeva

UC Santa Cruz is home to the only Western dutar ensemble. They will be playing along with Rozibi Khodjaeva, a master dutar player who is visiting from her home in Uzbekistan. Under the instruction of associate music professor Tanya Merchant, the show will be a culmination of what her students have learned so far.

Undergraduate Public Fellows Program connects humanities studies with real-world impact

The Humanities Institute's Public Fellows Program offers a mutually enriching opportunity for students to bring the humanities skills and knowledge they acquire in their university courses to diverse roles at non-profit organizations, museums, cultural institutions, and publishing venues.

The Department of Performance, Play, and Design depends on crucial funds from Measure 11

Many are hoping for an adjustment to Measure 11, which dictates the quarterly ticket price for all shows. If the measure makes it onto the ballot and passes it will bring in hundreds or thousands of dollars in revenue.

Renowned Sitarist Nishat Khan playing at UC Santa Cruz

The classical Indian musician will play at Music Center Recital Hall along with tabla player Nitin Mitta. The two are internationally recognized musicians. We will be welcoming Khan back after he last played in 2015.

Institute of the Arts & Sciences announces inaugural artists in the Coha Nowark Art + Science Residency Program