Kathryn Sullivan (Cowell ’73, Earth sciences) has gone places that most humans will never see in their lifetime. Sullivan was the first American woman to walk in space, the first woman to reach the ...

Leo Merle (Rachel Carson ’20, molecular, cell, and developmental biology) represented Team USA at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, competing in the T38 mid-distance race.

Sharhonda Bossier (Oakes ’05 politics and legal studies) (MA ‘06, education) is the CEO of nonprofit organization, Education Leaders of Color, committed to multi-racial solidarity, and using their ...

Abigail Lopez-Byrd (Porter ’13, fine studio arts and sociology) is the founder of nonprofit arts organizations Color Compton and the Compton Art and History Museum.

Kauchani Bratt (Cowell ’23, philosophy) made his acting debut in the Netflix movie Rez Ball, which started streaming September 2024. The film centers around a high school basketball team rich in ...

For Artemis Patrick (Oakes ’93, economics), leading the innovative beauty retailer Sephora North America has meaning that goes far beyond skin-deep.

As a member of UCSC’s pioneering class in 1965, Bill Dickinson (Cowell ’68, philosophy) is considered to be the first former foster youth to attend the university. Over three decades later, he founded ...

Gillian Welch’s (Porter ’90, art) career as a singer-musician has been an odyssey of sorts. She learned to play the guitar, drums, piano, and ukulele, and listened to everything from her parents’ ...

Bonnie Garmus (Rachel Carson ’79, aesthetic studies/creative writing), author of the smash-hit novel Lessons in Chemistry, drew on many lessons learned at UC Santa Cruz on her way to finding the ...

UC Santa Cruz has been an integral part of the Santa Cruz community for more than half a century. Our campus reflects the strong diversity of California, and we are proud of our mission to educate the ...

The first in his family to go to college, Abel Pineda (Oakes ’14, sociology) became the youngest person ever elected to the San Pablo City Council, and in 2022 became the youngest ever elected as the ...

The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Union (AFSCME)–which represents University of California employees who work in patient care, dining, custodial, transportation and ...