Above: Students in the Slug Gaming club (photo by Carolyn Lagattuta)
Features
Ms. Blue resurfaces
Ms. Blue, an 87-foot-long blue whale skeleton, stood at the Seymour Center for decades—until she had to be taken down recently. Now Ms. Blue may have an encore career: teaching the community about the power of climate-safe innovation.
By Emily Cerf
A dream realized
First-gen student Stephanie Mayo-Burgos is achieving her dreams with the help of the Silver Slug Award, a scholarship that supports the families of UCSC staff.
By Tara Fatemi Walker (Porter ’91)
Advancing advocacy
In his final year at UCSC, Emmanuel Ogundipe is striving to amplify restorative justice.
By Haneen Zain (Rachel Carson ’21, politics)
Alumni news/ profiles
Pushing the boundries of biotech
Alumni Cameron Pye and Joshua Schwochert, founders of Unnatural Products, are at the forefront of cutting-edge biotechnology.
By Christy Tall
Carmen Rojas: Redefining philanthropy
The president and CEO of the Marguerite Casey Foundation is a leader in the fight for racial, economic, and social justice.
By Ann Gibb
Daniel “Nane” Alejandrez: A legacy of hope and healing
Barrios Unidos Founder Daniel “Nane” Alejandrez is a pillar of activism and champion of nonviolence in Santa Cruz County.
By Haneen Zain (Rachel Carson ’21, politics)
Susan True: Building a better Santa Cruz
As the CEO of Community Foundation Santa Cruz County and UCSC Foundation board member, Susan True cultivates transformative change.
By Haneen Zain (Rachel Carson ’21, politics)
Slugs in Love 2025: Celebrating love stories from UCSC alumni
For Valentine’s Day, we celebrated 14 UCSC alumni who found more than just a degree on campus—they found each other.
By Haneen Zain (Rachel Carson ’21, politics)
Music to our ears
UC Santa Cruz alumna Gillian Welch, alongside her musical partner David Rawlings, clinched the Best Folk Album award at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 2 for their album Woodland.
By Christy Tall