Issue: Winter 2024-25
From the Chancellor: Celebrating 25 years of The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz
This academic year, we celebrate a remarkable milestone — 25 years of The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz. For a quarter of a century, THI has fostered bold ideas, championed groundbreaking research, and helped bridge the university with the...
By Chancellor Cynthia Larive, February 2025
Film forward
UC Santa Cruz’s Film & Digital Media Department has opened a groundbreaking new facility, the Social Documentation Laboratory, with state-of-the-art technology designed to help students elevate socially engaged filmmaking
By Gaby Messino, February 2025
Bending toward social good
The innovative UC-wide course Bending the Curve: Climate Education for All empowers students to take positive action in the face of climate change
By Kristen Garabedian, February 2025
Wrapping up with a Big Bang
Rob Irion, longtime UC Santa Cruz senior lecturer and former Science Communication Program director, wrapped up 25 years of teaching this past fall, capping a career that helped create the leading science journalism training program in the world
By Kristen Garabedian, February 2025
A quarter-century of creating new perspectives
The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz, now celebrating its 25th anniversary, has transformed the way we view society, ourselves, and one another—enriching both the local community and the academic world
By Dan White, February 2025
Kate Compton: Serious play
Alumna Kate Compton is a coder—but more importantly, she’s a creator who reached the top of her field by being curious, caring, and collaborative
By Rachel Raiyani (John R. Lewis ’23, human biology), February 2025
David and Melca Belanger: Supporting education, expanding opportunity
David Belanger, a dedicated UCSC physics professor for over 40 years, and his wife, Melca, made a transformative $1.5 million gift to expand opportunities for students and foster a more inclusive and sustainable scientific community
By Haneen Zain (Rachel Carson ’21, politics), February 2025
