Alumni
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Life Beyond the Redwoods: Maddison Brodeur at Girl Scouts Heart of Central California and Maddison’s Communitea
One year after graduating, Maddison Brodeur (Stevenson ’25, community studies and sociology) is a Regional Coordinator at Girl Scouts Heart of Central California, running her own business, Maddison’s Communitea, and currently serving as Miss Black Sacramento through Nov. 2026.
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Life Beyond the Redwoods: Samiyah Shaikh at Carnegie Mellon University
One year after graduating from UC Santa Cruz, Samiyah Shaikh (John R. Lewis ’25, computer science) is pursuing a Master’s degree in software engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.
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UC Santa Cruz Alumni Association announces 2026 Alumni Award recipients
John Torigoe, Melinda Aldrich, James Hein, Peter Coha, Jim Gunderson, and Stephanie Barron Lu are the recipients of the 2026 UC Santa Cruz Alumni Awards.
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Jessica Lum to serve as UC Santa Cruz’s sixth alumni regent
Since graduating from UC Santa Cruz, Jessica Lum (Rachel Carson ’09, environmental studies and economics) has built a career in external affairs, serving mission-driven organizations, non-profit trade associations, and government. She began her two-year term as an alumni regent earlier this month.
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Ethan van Thillo: From student film festival to a cultural institution
Ethan van Thillo (Merrill ’92, Latin American and Latino studies) founded the first-ever Chicano Film Festival at UC Santa Cruz, the first San Diego Latino Film Festival, and San Diego-based nonprofit Media Arts Center San Diego.
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Alumnus and Pixar editor Kevin Nolting empowers next-gen filmmakers at UCSC
Kevin Nolting (Porter ’79, aesthetic studies) founded Slug 48 within UC Santa Cruz’s Arts Division in 2024. The 48-hour filmmaking event empowers UC Santa Cruz students to push past creative boundaries.
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Alumna María Ramos Bracamontes champions indigenous farmworker health and justice
María Ascención Ramos Bracamontes (Merrill ’02, language studies and Latino American and Latino studies) is a certified midwife, community activist, and founder of mutual aid organization Campesina Womb Justice, advocating and supporting farmworker women’s health.
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CEJA at UC Santa Cruz: Preparing alumni for academic and community impact
Alumni Desiree Ryan (Ph.D. ’24, psychology), David Amaral (Ph.D. ’22, politics), Melina Singh (Ph.D. ‘23, psychology), and Rosalie Lansing (Rachel Carson ’24, sociology) share their experiences with the Center for Economic Justice and Action and how it prepared them to be successful in their careers.
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Thirty years of investing in communities: Alumna Shannon Lawder on language, philanthropy, and following your passion
UC Santa Cruz alumna Shannon Lawder (Kresge ’91, Russian studies) is the director of the Civil Society Program at the Mott Foundation. The Mott Foundation has supported communities worldwide for 100 years, and Lawder has been part of that mission for 31 years.
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From student, to alumna, to staff member: Tracy Murray reflects on the impact of giving
Tracy Murray (Porter ’94, feminist studies) is the corporate development and alumni career programs manager at UC Santa Cruz. Her giving directly reflects the programs she sees making an impact every day.
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The 2026 Science Division Distinguished Alumni Award recipients
Gregory Reyes (Kresge ’76, biology), Larry de Ghetaldi (Merrill ’76, biology and chemistry), and Nicholas Suntzeff (Ph.D. ’80, astronomy) are recognized for careers of exceptional distinction in biomedical research, healthcare policy, and observational cosmology.
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A 25-year commitment
UC Santa Cruz alumnus and Director of the Año Nuevo Reserve Patrick Robinson shares what philanthropy makes possible for the reserve and why he gives.