We’re now in the home stretch of the Spring term, with finals next week and kick-off celebrations beginning June 9. To our students, I wish you good luck in preparing for the final exams. Remember that the whole campus is behind you and supporting your success. You have this!

For those of you who have graduated, congratulations! We are excited to see what you will accomplish as alumni and hope you will remain engaged with UC Santa Cruz as you progress through the next stages of your life.

It has been a remarkable academic year, from returning to largely in-person teaching to many historic moments, including the naming and dedication of John R. Lewis College and leading the effort to produce the first truly comprehensive sequence of a human genome. The strength, energy and determination of our community continue to amaze me.

The strong points

• Getting ready to start
• Celebrate Pride Month
• Professor among Time magazine’s 100 most influential people
• Double the Pell
• Register for the summer session

Getting ready to start

Graduation is such an exciting time at UC Santa Cruz. Family, friends and our campus community will come together next week to celebrate all the Class of 2022 has accomplished.

Beginning 2022 will be a combination of virtual and in-person experiences. The virtual launch will launch on June 9 at 4 p.m. on the launch website and will be available until that time next year. Slug Crossing, our in-person launch ceremonies, will take place June 9-12 on the East Field. The schedule is online.

Faculty and staff can support this year’s beginning activities in two ways. The first is to assist and encourage our graduates who participate in Slug Crossing. Employees can also volunteer to help Slug Crossing run smoothly.

We also celebrate our graduates by asking friends, family, faculty and staff to submit brief notes of congratulations. Our Class of 2022 website launched today with stories about some of our graduates and congratulations notes will be shared on this site next week.

Celebrate Pride Month

June marks the start of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month. It’s time to celebrate the success of the LGBTQIA+ community in creating a more inclusive and equitable world. However, we must all recognize that this progress is under attack, with some states passing discriminatory legislation that targets members of the LGBTQIA+ community. The management of UC Santa Cruz opposes these efforts and we must all speak out against these efforts.

One opportunity to learn more and show your support is to attend Santa Cruz Pride 2022. Founded 47 years ago, our city is home to California’s third-oldest pride parade and festival. Santa Cruz Pride 2022 begins Friday with a film screening and continues through the weekend with additional events.

I am proud to join a group of members of the UC Santa Cruz community who will participate in the 47th Annual Santa Cruz Pride Parade, and I encourage our community to head downtown and cheer on all in attendance. The parade begins at 11 a.m. on Sunday, June 5 on Pacific Avenue between Cathcart and Church streets.

Professor among Time magazine’s 100 most influential people

I was thrilled to see Karen Miga, Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Engineering, named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2022.

Professor Miga and three colleagues from other institutions led an international team of scientists – known as the Telomere-to-Telomer Consortium (or T2T) – which on April 1 published the first truly complete sequence of a human genome. , spanning each chromosome end to end. without gaps and with unprecedented accuracy. This scientific achievement opens up new territories for scientists, with the promise of practical applications in the field of personalized medicine and advances our understanding of human diversity and evolution.

This is a wonderful achievement for Karen, and highlights the transformational biomolecular science taking place at UC Santa Cruz. Our campus is proud of our long history of pioneering research advances in this area. The first working draft of a human genome was assembled at UCSC in 2000, leading to enormous advances in our collective understanding of human biology and disease.

Double the Pell

UC Santa Cruz is an engine of social mobility, providing a world-class education to a diverse student body that includes low-income and first-generation students. This broad access to higher education is largely driven by the Pell Grant, the federal financial aid program that helps low-income students afford higher education. The program was established in 1972 and opens the doors of higher education to millions of students every year.

Nearly one-third of UC Santa Cruz undergraduate students are supported by Pell Grants, providing essential financial support. For more than a year, the University of California and many other higher education champions have called on Congress to double the maximum Pell Grant award to $13,000.

Doubling the Pell would directly support our students – and millions of others – by reducing the need for loans, meeting basic needs and ultimately helping students graduate from college.

June 23 marks the 50th anniversary of the Pell program, and the University of California and the UC Student Association are celebrating the milestone by asking people to sign an online birthday card that will be given to Congress. I signed—and I encourage you to do so as well.

Register for the summer session

Although summer can be a time for internships and jobs, vacations and breaks, it also offers students the opportunity to progress towards their educational goals. The summer session continues to expand its offerings to meet student needs and is growing in popularity. There is still time to add courses and significant grants are available for students who qualify for financial aid.

A wide range of courses are available online and in person to meet major or general education requirements. Summer Session classes are open to everyone, so faculty, staff, alumni, community members, and even high school students can learn from our excellent instructors.

In conclusion

This will be my last monthly update until we approach the start of the Fall term, although we will continue to share important updates on Tuesday Newsday and in our Press Center. As we wrap up the spring term, I hope that all members of our University community can take some time out this summer to participate in activities that delight them.