The Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) at UC Santa Cruz has selected five student projects for funding through the 2024-25 CITRIS Tech for Social Good Program. This program supports cross-disciplinary student projects and events aiming to address significant social challenges with technology-based solutions. The program kicked off with initial meetings with the project teams in January. Moving forward, the teams will have monthly check-ins and will present their progress during a project showcase at the end of May.
All undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students across all campus disciplines and divisions are eligible to participate. Student teams can receive up to $5,000 for research projects and up to $1,000 for events. Tech for Social Good is co-sponsored by the Institute for Social Transformation. This year, the program supports the following five student teams:
AI-Supported Virtual Reality Tools to Support Grief Counseling Through Gamified Therapy
The project introduces an immersive, gamified experience using virtual reality (VR) and generative AI to support individuals dealing with grief. By combining AI-driven storytelling and interactive VR environments, the platform offers a tailored experience, guiding users through a personal and empathetic journey to process and manage grief. The project includes three primary technological innovations: generative AI, spatial audio for emotional immersion, and human-AI collaboration in grief support. The team partners with Jacob’s Heart Cancer Support Services, a nonprofit in Santa Cruz supporting families dealing with terminal illness and loss.
Environmental NeTwork Sensors (ENTS): Low-Cost Scalable Hardware for Studying Agricultural Field Sensors
The project develops a low-power, customizable platform that empowers farmers and researchers with a user-friendly solution for large-scale environmental monitoring. The ENTS hardware is designed to capture a variety of sensor signals, creating an affordable, energy-efficient alternative to proprietary technologies. The collected data are transmitted to a software platform, allowing users to visualize trends and analyze key metrics such as soil moisture and temperature in real-time. By seamlessly integrating robust hardware with an intuitive software dashboard, the ENTS platform provides a comprehensive solution that empowers sustainable agricultural practices and enhances environmental research.
Gateways Digital Literacy Jail Classes
The project provides digital literacy skills to incarcerated individuals, enhancing their opportunities for successful reintegration into society and aiming to reduce recidivism. The project also increases community engagement among those currently incarcerated. Classes are held at the Rountree Men’s facility in Watsonville, CA, and over the past three years, they have covered topics ranging from basic computer skills to introductory coding skills and web page creation. Additionally, Gateways has partnered with three formerly incarcerated filmmakers, enabling students to gain experience in video editing, filming, and developing impactful storytelling media through collaboration with these partners.
The jail classes consist of a 3-course computer literacy series, six weeks each. The project team is working towards expanding their classes to Soledad prison. They are committed to making existing classes as accessible and fun as possible. This year, they are switching from using Adobe platforms to open-source software programs like Blendr and Krita, which are digital art animation platforms. The curriculum also integrates personal and professional development activities, such as portfolio development and interview preparation, allowing students to practice skills they can apply to new workplace environments post-release.
Project Blueprint
The project addresses a critical gap in career exploration for K-12 students in Santa Cruz County through their partnership with Your Future is Our Business (YFIOB). Despite many career opportunities in the region, students, especially from underserved communities, often lack access to career guidance and industry connections. The UCSC Blueprint team has developed an assessment platform with YFIOB that shows promise but needs further enhancement. The project will expand on their initial implementation in three key ways:
- Enhanced Assessment System: The team will refine the career matching algorithm to offer more detailed, localized recommendations based on student interests, skills, and regional industry demands.
- Data-Driven Insights: By introducing advanced analytics, they will help YFIOB understand career trends across Santa Cruz County’s diverse demographics, enabling more targeted support.
- Local Industry Integration: The team is building a system to connect students directly with local career opportunities, internships, and mentorship programs, making career exploration more practical.
The project leverages the team’s previous platform experience while adding features tailored for YFIOB’s needs.
Wildfire Management with UAV Systems
The project aims to revolutionize wildfire detection through the use of multi-UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) systems. The team plans to equip the UAVs with advanced sensors capable of capturing critical environmental data, including temperature, humidity, wind speed, atmospheric pressure, and particulate levels. The UAVs can provide real-time data in targeted high-risk and remote areas where traditional ground-based or crewed aerial units face significant limitations. The drones will be designed with modular components for easy upgrades and replacements, as well as fail-safe mechanisms and energy-efficient designs to maximize reliability and flight endurance even under challenging conditions.
The data collected by these UAVs will feed into predictive algorithms that model wildfire behavior with enhanced accuracy. These algorithms will forecast key factors such as fire spread direction, speed, resource needs, proximity to critical infrastructure, and the effectiveness of ongoing suppression efforts. By incorporating machine learning techniques, the algorithms will continuously improve over time, providing increasingly accurate predictions. The outputs will be visualized in user-friendly formats, ensuring seamless integration with existing emergency management systems used by firefighting agencies like Cal Fire, ultimately enabling more informed and timely decision-making during wildfire events.
For students in search of funding opportunities for their research projects, the application for the 2025-26 Tech for Social Good program will open in mid-November 2025.
The Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) and the Banatao Institute create information technology solutions for society’s most pressing challenges. Established in 2001, the center leverages the interdisciplinary research strengths of multiple Campuses – Berkeley, Davis, Merced, and Santa Cruz – along with public and private partners to advance the University of California’s mission and the innovative spirit of California. The institute was created to shorten the pipeline between world-class laboratory research and the development of cutting-edge applications, platforms, companies, and even new industries. Find out more at CITRIS.sites.UCSC.edu and CITRIS-UC.org.