Arts & Culture
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Damming the Nile and the devastating cost of human progress
In her upcoming Nauenberg History of Science Lecture, World Wounds: The Damming of the Nile River and the Transformation of Medicine, Associate Professor of History Jennifer Derr will explore how massive infrastructure projects contributed to widespread illness, and offer insights into the global history of medicine.
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$2 million grant to propel UC Santa Cruz humanities careers
Since launching in 2023, the Employing Humanities initiative has provided hundreds of undergraduates with real-world work experience—as resource development coordinators, editorial writers, digital marketing interns, and archivists—that helps prepare them for impactful careers after they graduate. Underscoring the initiative’s impact, UCSC was just awarded a $2 million grant from the Mellon Foundation.
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Humanities EXPLORE Fellows bridge history, culture, and community
This year’s Humanities EXPLORE Program fellows are adventurous and ambitious, transcribing 300-year–old texts, helping to revitalize forgotten languages, exploring archives, and learning from faculty mentors. This winter, two fellows were given film cameras to preserve and share their experiences of connection, creativity, and purpose.
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Engineered imagination
UC Santa Cruz alumna Lisa Winter (Porter ’09, art) brings an artist’s eye to the arena of combat robotics—evolving from childhood Robot Wars competitor to BattleBots judge and robotics entrepreneur.
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Humanities skills are transferable skills
UC Santa Cruz humanities students graduate with a toolkit of transferable skills in high demand across fields ranging from academia to the entertainment industry and high-tech startups. Here are the stories of UC Santa Cruz humanities graduates thriving in a wide range of jobs.
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Questions that Matter: Lessons on the good life from a Star Trek opera-in-progress
For the past decade, an eclectic group of professors, staff members, and show-business professionals has been working hard to bring a Star Trek opera to vibrant life. Now, they are inviting the public to delve more deeply into the philosophical heart of their interstellar project. Their talk, “How to Live Long and Prosper: Lessons from a…
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California Arts Council grant expands student access to cultural opportunities
New funding for Sesnon Gallery program will allow undergraduates to attend high-quality exhibitions in local and regional arts venues and mentor high school students.
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Dreaming big: AATAT to debut Dreamgirls
The African American Theater Arts Troupe will present Dreamgirls for its winter show.
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For 35 years, UCSC Adventure Rec has brought the Banff Mountain Film Festival to Santa Cruz — and opened the outdoors to students.
For 35 years, UCSC Adventure Recreation has hosted the Banff Mountain Film Festival in Santa Cruz, turning world-class adventure films into direct support for students. Ticket sales help reduce trip costs by up to 50%, expanding access to outdoor leadership and recreation. Join the community February 27, 28 and March 1, 2026 at the Rio…
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Humanities graduates apply human-centered thinking in impactful careers
Across disciplines, they point to critical thinking, ethical reasoning, adaptability, and empathy as core strengths developed through humanities coursework.
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In Memoriam: Norvid Jenkins Roos, Professor Emeritus, Theatre Arts
Norvid Roos taught at UCSC from 1975-2003, helping establish the then new Theatre Arts Program which melded dance, drama and design.
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Distinguished Professor of Literature Carla Freccero dies at 69
Carla Freccero, distinguished professor and chair of the Literature Department and a beloved mentor to hundreds of graduate students, died this week at Stanford Hospital, surrounded by loved ones. She was 69.