UC Santa Cruz

We asked Banana Slugs what they will miss most about UC Santa Cruz. The most common answer? Their friends and the campus. 🌲 Commencement is one last chance to be on campus with your friends. One last chance to sit with them side-by-side among the redwood trees with the ocean breeze flowing through your hair. One last hoorah. Registration closes on Monday, May 11, at 11:59 p.m. PST. Link in bio. 🎥 Video description: Several students share what they will miss about UC Santa Cruz while sitting outside McHenry Library, surrounded by trees. Their answers vary from friends, the redwoods, campus, clubs, classes, and more.

POV: Beach AND forestmaxxing... Sorry @ucsantabarbara , we had to mog 🤷‍♀️🫶 Video description: Montage of the beach, the redwoods, and other beautiful sights around UC Santa Cruz.

Reminder that the UC application for Fall 2026 is open! 🍁💫 Start your application today and become a banana slug at one of the top public universities! Link is in our bio. #ucsc #yes2ucsc #ucsantacruz #universityofcalifornia #collegecampus

💧 🧬 We’re measuring the health of a waterways by looking at DNA! Wait, why is there DNA in water? Environmental DNA, or eDNA, is shed by organisms into their environment, and can be found in simple water and soil samples. Looking at these samples allows researchers to see what species and pathogens are there, and how healthy the environment is. Now UC Santa Cruz is strengthening California’s efforts to protect its waterways and wildlife for generations to come—with a new $2.2M grant from the @californiadfw to create an eDNA-based "health index" for California’s streams. From the Mojave to the Redwoods, this technology helps us spot ecological declines before they become severe. The future of conservation is here, and it’s written in the DNA of our waters. 🧬 Read more at the link in bio. 📸 Image descriptions: 1 - CALeDNA technician, Ajith Seresinghe, samples Pauley Creek, monitored by the Sierra Streams Institute, in Tahoe National Forest. Photo by Emma Walker 2 - Technician crouching creekside and testing water with equipment. 3 - CALeDNA technicians leading the eDNA stream-health index fieldwork creekside in the Mojave Desert. 4 - Technician using research equipment in a stream of water. 5 - Sample collection in the Los Angeles River for a CALeDNA project. Photo courtesy of Miroslava Munguia Ramos 6 - Technicians using equipment in a stream between lush green trees.

You're officially closer to the end of the quarter than to the beginning. Enjoy the rest of spring at UCSC, Slugs! 🌸 🌊 🏀 🌲 💕 📸 Image descriptions: 1- Waves breaking on the shore near coastal campus. 2- Student walking over Oakes bridge. 3- Student studying in window in the redwoods. 4- Two students playing basketball at Oakes. 5- Student playing soccer at Porter. 6- Student working on laptop at the Cantú Queer Center cabin.

Sorry to bother you, but director @bootsriley was on campus and we can’t stop talking about it. Boots spent the day with @fdm.ucsc undergrads discussing his career, creative resistance, radical storytelling, and his upcoming film starring @Keke Palmer @iloveboostersmovie . This was an incredible opportunity for film students to connect with a modern auteur and true visionary. We can’t wait to see the art Banana Slugs create after this inspiring conversation. 🎥🕺 📸 Image descriptions: 1- Boots Riley enthusiastically posing with several smiling UCSC students. 2- Boots sitting on a chair, holding a microphone while being interviewed. 3- Boots talking with two students. 4- Boots smiling while a student interviews him before an audience. 5- Faculty, staff, and students pose for a photo with Boots. 6- Large audience of students listening to Boots.

Meet Jamie Wojtowicz, a third-year Ecology & Evolutionary Biology major at UC Santa Cruz 🍌🐌👋 After transferring to UCSC this fall, Jamie participated in the Transfer Field Welcome. This overnight field research experience at Blue Oak Ranch Reserve is part of the Degree-Defining Experience Program. There, they designed their own rapid research project, connected with grad students and faculty, and got a real feel for field research. More importantly, Jamie found a sense of belonging. Now, they’re already making moves in their pursuit of a career in research. Jamie recently landed an internship and started a project with a mentor. 🎉 Thanks for sharing your experience with us, Jamie. We can’t wait to see where you go next! 💫 💡The Degree-Defining Experiences Program offers transformational learning opportunities for UC Santa Cruz undergraduates in the form of experiential field courses and other activities outside the classroom. Learn more or support the program! Visit science.ucsc.edu/ddep or email [email protected] 🎥 Video description: Student Jamie reflects on UCSC's Degree-Defining Experience Program. They share finding out they love field research and having the opportunity to work alongside professors and grad students in a casual setting.

Have you heard!? An @nvidia hackathon is coming to UC Santa Cruz! We bumped into Preet Karia @preet_karia37 , a Baskin Engineering undergraduate who is helping bring an NVIDIA hackathon to campus May 15-16. After winning the 2026 NVIDIA Agents for Impact Hackathon, he's now channeling that momentum into hosting another one right here in the redwoods—sponsored by Baskin Engineering and @asususa ! 🌲 Students will have the chance to solve real-world challenges using cutting-edge technology—all within 24 hours. ✨ We’re excited to bring together student builders from UC Santa Cruz and local universities. Link in @baskinengineering bio to learn more. Applications are due May 13! 🎥 Video description: Videographer taps Baskin Engineering student Preet Karia on the shoulder in the Baskin Engineering Courtyard and asks about his recent win at the NVIDIA Agents for Impact Hackathon. Preet shares details about the upcoming NVIDIA Hackathon at UC Santa Cruz, explains what a hackathon is, and invites students to get involved.

Lights. Camera. Slugs. 🎬⭐️ UCSC Slug 48 is an annual film competition that is open to all Banana Slug students! Whether you’re a filmmaker, actor, editor, musician, or just down to create something unforgettable, this is your shot! Want to learn how to get involved or have any questions at all? Check out their website at slug48.ucsc.edu! Video Description: Video clips of a team of students working together to film a short film, overlayed with on-screen graphics of slugs, film equipment, and doodles throughout #ucsc #ucsantacruz

From the possibility of de-extincting the woolly mammoth to using ancient and environmental DNA to save today’s endangered species, the insights shared at the Sequence to Survival Symposium ignited new hope for the future of conservation. 🦣🧬 Huge thank you to keynote speaker and UC Santa Cruz professor Beth Shapiro @bonesandbuggs , and all our panelists, for sharing how genomic tools are becoming our best hope for preventing extinction. The future of biodiversity relies on this crucial DNA research. Professors, faculty, students, and members of the community connected directly with researchers from top labs during live demonstrations and panel discussion. Follow @ucscgenomicsinstitute to learn more about this important work. 📸 Image descriptions: 1 - A person in mid-conversation sits at a table with several large animal skull replicas. 2 - Beth Shapiro addressing an audience with a large screen behind them displaying an image of a vibrant bird. 3 - A student holding event literature and chatting with others. 4 - Students observing table with several large animal skull replicas. 5 - Panelists Rachel Meyer, Katie Jones, and Meaghan Clark field audience questions. 6 - A person is looking through a microscope. 7 - Two smiling individuals tabling for California Salmonscape. 8 - Beth Shapiro smiling while speaking at a lectern. 9 - Attendees smiling at camera. 10 - Members of the non-profit @wiseancestors at their table at the conservation genomics symposium. Left to right: Wendy Bussiere, Katie Jones, Ann Pace.

One of the biggest threats whales face is being hit by the massive cargo ships constantly crisscrossing our oceans. To find out where these unfortunate collisions keep happening and what we can do to stop it, the best place to go online is BlueCorridors.org. The website has won a 2026 Webby Award in the Best Data Visualization category, which has been called the “Internet’s highest honor.” @thewebbyawards will be presented Monday in NYC, when other winners like Amy Poehler, Sabrina Carpenter, Bad Bunny, Google and “Stranger Things” will be celebrated. UC Santa Cruz Ocean Sciences Professor Ari Friedlaender and his team were central to working with the World Wildlife Fund to make whale migration routes and critical habitats visible and publicly accessible—in ways that support science, policy, and ocean conservation. 🐋 “At its heart, this work is about making the invisible visible and building stronger momentum to protect the key ocean areas that whales, and all of us, depend on,” said Chris Johnson, Global Lead for WWF Whale and Dolphin Conservation. Read more at the link in our bio! 📷 Photos of humpback whales in the Monterey Bay by Logan Pallin, postdoctoral researcher in the Bio-Telemetry & Behavioral Ecology Lab. (NMFS Research Permit No. 26602)

Spring Quarter can be especially stressful. But you are not alone. There are resources on campus to help you manage stress. Here are just a few ways to help you prevent burnout this Mental Health Awareness Month. Follow @ucsc.dsas @ucscstudenthealth @shopucsc for more information. 📸 Image descriptions: Various photographs of students on campus. 1- Text header: Mental Health Awareness Month. Text title: Tips for Building Connection and Managing Stress on Campus 2- Text reads: Spring Quarter can be especially demanding.Many students experience changes in sleep, mood, or motivation, or even find themselves feeling isolated or burned out. 3- Text reads: Realistic expectations are key to managing stress before it boils over. Here are just a few ways to help you prevent burnout this quarter. 4- Text reads: Make time for your friendships. Study together. Meet for coffee between classes. Invite them to run errands with you. A little time together goes a long way. 5- Text reads: Reach out to Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). CAPS offers individual and group counseling, 24/7 crisis support, peer education, psychiatry, and drop-in services. 6- Text reads: Participate in a workshop. Mental Health and Money with Slug Cents May 6, 5:30–7:30 p.m.@ Hahn Student Services Stress less with CAPS Peer Educators May 7, 12:00–1:30 p.m. @ Cowell Student Health Center First-Gen Well-being with SHOP May 12, 7–8:30 p.m. @ Porter I Lounge 7- Text reads: Attend a campus event. Yoga for Mind and Body Wellness May 12, 11:30 a.m. @ Cowell Student Health Center Queer Joy Crafting Time (Communi-tea) May 20, 3–5 p.m. @ The Cantú Queer Center Springtime Sip and Social with SHOP May 21, 3–5 p.m. @ Cowell Courtyard 8- Text reads: Take breaks! Slow down. Grab a nutritious snack and hydrate. Take a moment to relax in nature. Schedule uninterrupted rest time. 9- Text reads: Remember: You are not alone. Support is available. caps.ucsc.edu | shop.ucsc.edu/well-being