graddiv.ucsb.edu
Community & Collaboration Graduate Student Research at UC Santa Barbara
THE PROJECTS & PROGRAMS ISSUE 2019-2020 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Community & Collaboration
4 In Gratitude for Your Support
6 Legacy Circle
7 Graduate Division Giving & Benefit Levels
8 Answers in the Ash
12 Building Bridges
14 Philanthropy in Action: Inspiring Mentorship
16 The Mock Marriage
20 Artists in Schools
22 Philanthropy in Action: Fellowship Support
24 The Next Generation
28 LEAFY Learning
30 Philanthropy in Action: Accelerating Research
32 Archives for the Ages
36 Communication in Action
38 Philanthropy in Action: Professional Development
40 A Progressive Model
44 UCSB Crossroads
46 Support UC Santa Barbara’s Most Precious Asset
2 A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN Dr. Carol Genetti
At UC Santa Barbara, we often say that collaborative and interdisciplinary inquiry are in our DNA. The stories in this magazine show you why.
Each is an inspiring tale of how partnership and teamwork allow our researchers to go big—to create big projects, make big discoveries, and have big impact. As our prime research workforce, graduate students are essential drivers of this work. Led by faculty, they teach and mentor undergraduates, work in interdisciplinary teams, bring their insights and work to fruition, and take our university mission far beyond the borders of our campus.
We are so grateful to our many partners that create the network of our community. From local organizations to national foundations, public scholars to public schools, our partners provide invaluable support for our students, who in turn give back by improving society. We are especially grateful to our philanthropic donors whose generous gifts make stories like these possible. Their donations provide direct financial aid, enable Graduate Division programs, celebrate accomplishments, and take UC Santa Barbara to new levels of excellence.
Thank you for being part of our community, part of our legacy, and essential partners in our success.
Warm wishes,
Carol Genetti
Anne and Michael Towbes Graduate Dean UC Santa Barbara Graduate Division
3 In Gratitude for Your Support Recognizing giving to the Graduate Division between July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019
$1,000+ Lane Albanese and Barbara Benigni Albanese
Mark and Susan Bertelsen ‘66/’67
Corning Incorporated Foundation
The Connie Frank Foundation
Drs. Frank and Amanda Clark Frost ‘55/’64,’66,’75
Dr. Terrance and Carolyn Gannon ’68,’69,’80/’67,’75
Dr. Helen Greenwood Hansma
Dr. Kisoo and Jennifer Kim ‘86
Dr. Sarah Kriz and Dr. Ricardo F. Vivancos-Perez ‘03,’06/’06
Dr. Lynne P. Hall ‘63
HRL Laboratories, LLC
Lopker Family Foundation
SAGE Publications, Inc.
Michael and Anne Smith Towbes H’11
Yardi Systems, Inc.
4 $1-999 Anonymous Dr. Dana Halverson ‘90,’98 Ronald Rieber ‘87
Dr. Munther Alsabagh ‘11,’18 Dr. Gregory and Steven Rosenberg ‘11 Barbara Helwig ‘76 Catharine Arnold Sister Judith Royer ‘83 Michael ‘66 and Brian and Antonie Heren ’70 Dr. Anna B. Sandoval Giron Cindy Avenell ‘88/’86 ‘99,’05 Dr. Surendar Jeyadev and Joseph Bellacera ‘87 Dr. Maia Gupta ‘91,’94 Richard Scott ‘75
David Best and Dr. Umeshwar Joshi ‘84 Dr. Steven and Esther Wellington Best ‘89 Elaine Smith ‘10 Richard and Steven and Lorna Kemmerer Dr. Susan Speers ‘82 Sue Ann Bullock ‘70 Dr. Jeonghee Kim ‘09,’11,’15 Dr. Adrian Stanger ‘01 David and Claudia Chapman Dr. Adam Klein ‘15,’18 Tommie Stewart ‘70 Dr. Yueyun Chen ‘92,’97 Robert Lamb ‘06 John and Carol Stimson Jim and Missy Cherry ‘73 ‘65,’68 Dr. Daniel and Fred Coito, Jr. ‘81,’83 Marion Larson ‘87 Ronald Szoc ‘74
Hui Dai ‘02,’13 Zhou Lin ‘03 Dr. Zach Tane ‘18
D.E. Shaw & Co. Dr. Regina Loehr ‘12,’17 Dr. Emily Wilson ‘17
Catherine Dean-Dodge ‘99 Dr. Felicia Lopez ‘16 Joanna Pyper and Richard Wormsbecher ‘79, Linda DeOreo Dr. Christel Manning ‘91,’95 ’79
Frederick DiCarlo ‘72 Stephen and Dr. Yonggang Xu ‘02,’06 Karen Maskel ‘76 and Dr. Xiaoling Huang Candido Domingo ‘72 ’06,’07,’09 Mark Mertens ‘91 Dr. Patricia English ‘83 Dr. Mike Yao and Dr. Eugene Moutoux ‘77,’81 Ms. Deborah Hom ‘01, ‘03,’06 Dr. Russell Feller ‘08 Marc and Dr. Cixiang Zhan ‘81,’86 Dr. Mary Fidler ‘17 Jane Nathanson ‘69 Drs. Jian and Dr. Laura Furlong ‘95,’99 Dr. Clifton Perry ‘74,’76 Yanting Zhao ‘04,’04/’03,’06 Dr. Michael Georgescu ‘09, Felton Perry ‘03 Dr. Catherine Zusky ‘07,’15 ‘14 Trendala Persley ‘85 Dr. Stuart and Sierra Gray, Jr. ‘07,’12 Michael Peterson ‘67
Dr. Anamarie Guichard ‘07 Dr. Sandra Piercy ‘73,’75,’82 Dr. Christopher Hall Dr. Richard and ‘09,’16,’17 Brenda Reilly ‘73
5 Legacy Circle
Listed below are the generous and thoughtful members of UCSB’s Legacy Circle who have included the Graduate Division and/or graduate student support in their estate plans. A planned gift in the form of a trust, real estate, charitable gift annuity, or bequest strengthens the heart of this great institution.
Anonymous
Dr. Guenter and June Ahlers
Pat and Bill Altman ‘57
Stuart R. Atkins
Dr. Richard A. Baum ‘74
Richard L. and Kathryn Gee Breaux ‘67/’68
Cynthia L. Brinkmann ‘68,’76
Dr. William and Patricia Bullough
Dr. Judith L. Green
Jeff and Judy Henley ‘66/H’09
George W. Holbrook, Jr.
Dr. Richard M. and Penny J. Martin
Dr. Thomas L Payne and Alice Lewis Payne ‘65/’65
Samuel Tokuyama ‘69
Please contact John Lofthus for information on joining the
Graduate Legacy Circle at [email protected]
6
Graduate Division Giving & Benefit Levels
Each tier includes all benefits listed above it
Scholars $500+ Recognition in the annual Graduate Division Impact Report
Invitation to regional Graduate Division events
Fellows $1,000+ Invitation to the UCSB Grad Slam Finals and Reception
Invitation to the annual Beyond Academia Conference
Gifts qualify donors as members of UC Santa Barbara’s Chancellor’s Council inclusive of Chancellor’s Council benefits
Ambassadors $2,500+ Invitation to attend a “Lunch and Learn” on campus
Partners $10,000+ Invitation to an annual lunch with the Graduate Division Dean
For giving options or to make a gift online, visit
www.graddiv.ucsb.edu/giving
7 On a chilly night in and every time you move your the Santa Barbara Channel. December 2017, hand you can see it kind of glitter Their goal was to investigate a group of UCSB out from around you,” said changes in physical, chemical, and graduate students Sasha Kramer, who served on biological water properties over peered over the edge the graduate student researcher the course of each full day of the of the research vessel crew. “We were all out on the six-day trip, applying theoretical (R/V) Sally Ride as an bow looking over the ocean and concepts from the classroom to opalescent light danced suddenly see these glowing tracks real-life samples taken straight on the water. start streaming toward us -- there from one of the world’s greatest were dolphins swimming through natural laboratories. A bioluminescent phytoplankton the bioluminescence. In my lifetime, bloom had overtaken the channel, I don’t know I’ve ever experienced They would routinely measure offering a rare glimpse into the anything as magical as that.” water column optics and observe magic of life beneath the surface of microorganisms, adding fine-scale the ocean. For over a year, Kramer and fellow resolution to data collected by graduate students James Allen, the ongoing Plumes and Blooms “It was like in the Disney animation Kelsey Bisson, and Nicholas Baetge project, which is limited to monthly Moana when the water’s glowing had planned a research cruise in snapshots of the Channel.
8 Answers in the Ash
Grad students steered research on the R/V Sally Ride during the Thomas Fire
Story by Mallarie Stevens | Photos courtesy of Project Across the Ocean Investigating Dual Dynamics
We do science, but it’s not the stereotypical scientist in a lab room mixing beakers of colorful liquids together.
James G. Allen, Ph.D. `19, Geography Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Marine Science Researcher, Earth Research Institute
But when the Thomas Fire erupted You had to be opportunistic in that experience for other people to in the hills behind Ventura and order to gather what you wanted inspire more studies.” Santa Barbara less than two weeks and answer questions.” before the Sally Ride’s scheduled Sally Ride researchers scrambled departure, the cruise quickly The effect of the ash on the to prepare, collecting ash from became anything but ordinary. water, and the organisms within, the roofs of cars, revising research became a new focus of the crew’s plans, and contacting colleagues Despite being pre-occupied proposed research questions. “I with expertise in the area of with concern for their homes think measuring the impact of a fire wildfires. and community, members of the on the ocean is a really valuable uniquely graduate student-led crew activity because we haven’t “We took on really unique roles in thought almost immediately of the been able to do that in a really this cruise as graduate students, potential impact of the ash that was quantifiable way,” said Bisson, who being the ones to call the shots raining down on the ocean. served as Co-Chief Scientist on and make the science plan and the cruise along with Baetge. “But carry out the daily operations and “As a human, it’s scary,” Allen said. then once we are able to assess have to make those last-minute “But as a scientist, it’s ‘How does how it happened on our specific, decisions,” Kramer said. “It felt this work? Can we learn from it?’ very unique situation, it might color really inspiring.”
9 We took on really unique roles in this cruise as graduate students, being the ones to call the shots and make the science plan and carry out the daily operations and have to make those last-minute decisions.
Sasha Kramer, Ph.D. Student, Marine Science National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellow Researcher, Dave Siegel Lab
The result of their efforts is an lab room mixing beakers of colorful Cathartic (available on the group’s unprecedented set of data that will liquids together,” he said. “We’re web site), the art team created be packaged for NASA and made actually going out, getting our a series of postcards that were publicly available in conjunction hands dirty, getting into the mud; distributed to hundreds of K-12 with existing satellite imagery [we’re] taking these samples and children in the United States and of one of the largest recorded bringing them back and trying to France. The postcards offered wildfires in California history. “From create a story from them.” students an invitation to draw, tell some of the experiments we have stories, and ask questions of the done [we know that] microbes from Allen, Bisson, Baetge, and crew, which ranged from the simple phytoplankton to bacteria respond Kramer – all students in the (“Did you see a shark or dolphin?”) to the input of new material,” Interdepartmental Graduate to the complex and philosophical said Baetge. “But now we have Program in Marine Science (IPGMS) (“How was water created?”). some new questions: are those – spearheaded interdisciplinary responders always there? How long outreach efforts as well, with Bisson “It was really refreshing to be do they persist?” securing a $50k grant from the able to answer these questions National Academies Keck Futures from kids,” Allen said. “There’s Additional expeditions in the future Initiative. The grant supported something to be said for the will allow researchers like Baetge three additional crew members: curiosity. I feel like having the and the rest of the Sally Ride crew a videographer, an illustrator, curiosity pushes you to explore to delve deeper into the long-term and a singer/songwriter, making these boundaries of what is going impacts of events like the Thomas the expedition the first of its to happen in the future.” Fire. “With new questions, it’s kind to foster direct, hands-on always a great thing to collect new collaborations between artists and This same curiosity continues to data,” said Baetge, “and to have scientists. drive graduate student explorations new research opportunities to go of marine science available to our out and collect data.” Each of the three artists offered scholars right at the water’s edge a different creative channel for of our seaside campus. “I’ve been Allen, who spent much of his communicating to a broader really lucky to be able to have that childhood in a television newsroom, audience, allowing people to opportunity many times here at studied meteorology, and worked connect to the material in a way UCSB,” Allen said. “I’d really like in emergency management as an that isn’t possible through scientific to see that happen to as many undergrad, aims to make science papers and data. people as possible. It’s really great accessible to a wide range of to see all of these different grad people. “We do science, but it’s In addition to a musical album and students come together and make not the stereotypical scientist in a a documentary entitled Aquatic something great.”
10 The Sally Ride is an American research vessel operated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Graduate student researchers crewed the vessel’s December 2017 voyage that recorded data from the impact of the Thomas Fire on the ocean.
11 As an undergraduate has found that the relationships first company to deliver gallium student at UC Santa he has built with fellow graduate nitride (GaN) transistor products Cruz, Emmanuel Kayede students have carried him through for high efficiency power spent a summer at UC some of the most challenging conversion technologies. Santa Barbara conducting aspects of his first year in graduate research in the UC school. Kayede’s research at the Mishra Leadership Excellence Lab, like many graduate education through Advanced Degrees “To actually be a graduate student, research projects and innovations, (UC LEADS) program. to engage with the full schedule depends heavily on collaborations of a graduate student, it’s a lot with other academic departments. The UC-wide program stewarded tougher than I imagined it to be. His group works specifically with the at UC Santa Barbara prepares As an undergraduate intern, I UCSB Materials Department. He says promising students for advanced came in the morning and did my working with students from different education in science, technology, side research, and then called it departments is an exciting and mathematics and engineering a day. But for a graduate student necessary aspect of research. careers by fostering undergraduate that’s not the end of the day. You research experiences, mentoring have more to do. It is also more It’s this same collaborative and professional development. involved, hands-on work — you emphasis and mentoring that drew have to take control and steer your Kayede’s research lab partner Athith At the beginning of the 2018-2019 research well.” Krishna, a second-year ECE grad school year, Kayede returned to student, to UCSB. UCSB as a first-year graduate Currently, Kayede is working on student and National Science research that focuses on gallium When looking into graduate Foundation Bridges to the nitride and polar gallium nitride. schools, Krishna wanted Doctorate Fellow in the Electrical His mentor is Dr. Umesh Mishra, a collaborative research and Computer Engineering (ECE) who also serves as the chief environment where he could Department. As he pursues his technology officer, co-founder, and engage with professors and individual research focus, Kayede board member of Transphorm, the industry professionals.
12 IMPACT OF PEER MENTORING SPOTLIGHT
BUILDING BRIDGES Collegial relationships and collaborations allow STEM researchers to thrive at UCSB
Story by Verenise Valentin `19 | Illustration by Marge Perko
We cannot exist without each other. It’s the nature of the research we do here at UCSB.
Emmanuel Kayede, Ph.D. Student, Electrical & Computer Engineering
“Everyone in my group is if you choose to reach out. Mentors Center, a resource center funded extremely helpful in trying to find and colleagues remind you why by a Department of Education something new and they are always you chose to go to graduate school Title V Hispanic Serving Institution ready to discuss any questions or and also what you forget because (HSI) grant supporting first-year doubts I have,” said Krishna. “Dr. you’re too focused.” Beyond his experiences. “Everybody has a Mishra makes sure we have a say in department and research group, huge wealth of experience here whatever research we do, and he Kayede has also worked closely at UCSB,” he said. “I tell my takes our input into consideration. with Nate Palmquist, a first-year students that you have to take He helps us think in a way that will materials graduate student he met advantage of the breadth of these be applicable to the industry, as while studying in the library. different perspectives.” well as research.” Though Palmquist is not involved Forming bonds in and outside of Krishna has become a mentor to directly with Dr. Mishra’s lab, he their laboratories has empowered students like Kayede who are new is conducting collaborative work young researchers like Kayede, to campus and graduate student with the ECE department through Krishna, and Palmquist to explore life. “I have the opportunity to help his research under his graduate new possibilities and insights in first-years in their research and advisor Dr. Shuji Nakamura, the 2014 their chosen fields. courses. I love mentoring because it Nobel Prize Recipient for Physics. creates a sense of unity that allows Palmquist is focused on developing “We cannot exist without each for the entire research group to new lighting technology by working other,” said Kayede. “We need bounce back from tougher days.” with two different wave lengths in to collaborate amongst students order to transmit data through light. and professors from various As a first-generation college departments. It’s the nature of student, Kayede credits his faculty He also serves as a science, the research we do here and what and graduate scholar mentors, and technology, engineering, and makes UCSB great.” his colleagues for helping him on mathematics (STEM) mentor for his academic journey. “There’s a UCSB’s Opening New Doors to sense of support available for you Accelerating Success (ONDAS)
13 Philanthropy In Action Inspiring Mentorship
Graduate students play a crucial role at top-tier research institutions, mentoring undergraduate students as they undertake complex research projects.
Graduate students play a crucial role at top-tier research institutions, mentoring undergraduate students as they undertake complex research projects. The University of California, Santa Barbara rewards the hard work and dedication of the most outstanding graduate student mentors by recognizing six each year with a mentorship award. Three students each year in STEM and the Bren School receive an award through the Fiona and Michael Goodchild endowment.
The Graduate Dean has chosen to confer three awards each year for students in the Humanities and Fine Arts, Social Sciences, and the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education. Recipients of the mentoring awards are recognized for distinguishing themselves through their excellence in and contributions to undergraduate research supervision and for encouraging others to become involved in research efforts.
Due to their support and encouragement, the undergraduate students they mentor have a premier research experience and may in turn be inspired to apply for graduate school. Each award recipient receives $1,000 and recognition on the UCSB Grad Post website.
The Graduate Division is seeking to create an endowment to perpetually fund the awards for HFA, Social Science and GGSE graduate students, to ensure that they too will always receive mentorship awards, regardless of changes in the Dean’s discretionary budget. An endowment of $100,000 will provide annual awards in perpetuity for these outstanding graduate student mentors. The endowed awards will be named for the donor or someone they wish to honor. The donor may have an opportunity to meet and receive reports each year about the most recent recipients of their awards.
For additional information about the Graduate Mentoring Awards Endowment and Naming Opportunity, please contact our Graduate Division Development team.
14 Story by Mallarie Stevens | Photos courtesy of Project Across the Ocean Investigating Dual Dynamics
I’ve always felt a great responsibility to inspire students to get more involved in research – not only so they can become educated citizens, but so they can plan their own research projects and become scholars in their own right. Winning the award makes me feel like the time and energy I’ve invested in inspiring undergraduates is not only something that I find meaningful, but is also explicitly encouraged and valued by the University.
Aubrie Adams, Ph.D. Candidate, Communication 2018 Dean’s Mentorship Award
15 For UCSB Department of Award-winning mezzo-soprano “My colleagues here at UCSB Music graduate students, Kelly Newberry Guerra is a doctoral inspire me every day,” she productions are a means student in the department. said. “What I love about my to honing their craft and department is not only do I work expanding their insights A graduate of the San Francisco with performance majors, but I as scholars on and off Conservatory, Guerra won first also get to work with people in the the stage. place in the 2018 Performing ethnomusicology and musicology Arts Scholarship Foundation programs. Their research often Faculty and students work together competition, and was a featured introduces me to subjects and to create authentic roles and sets performer at the Lucerne and Bard music I have never heard of -- which through research and discussion. Music festivals. only extends my repertoire and experience.” From hitting the books to the final She hopes to continue to build her bow on stage, production teams experience as a vocal artist and Doing collaborative lecture recitals at UCSB work together to create a performer and looks forward to to are a great way to enhance research seamless storytelling experience for joining academia as a professor at presentations, and I look forward to the audience. a major conservatory or a university a few of those performances in the with a reputable opera program. near future.”
16 The Mock Marriage
Collaboration takes center stage at the UC Santa Barbara Department of Music
Story by Briana Muñoz-Flores | Photos courtesy of the UCSB Library and David Bazemore
I appreciate the focus on research at UCSB. I believe that this will make me a balanced performer and professor in the future.
Kelly Newberry Guerra, Ph.D. Student, Music Mezzo-Soprano, Juliane von Reckenburg in The Mock Marriage
Off stage, Guerra says her Marriage (Die Juxheirat) at the about the operetta’s production, professors and colleagues from Lobero Theatre in downtown Santa historical details about the other music programs have Barbara. UCSB Opera Theatre and women’s suffrage movement at the expanded her perspectives on her the UCSB Library partnered to beginning of the 20th century, and own chosen field. “The musicology present the English performance of various scholarly write-ups about program here is top tier, and I feel Lehár’s suffrage-themed work set at opera. so lucky to be taking seminars from the turn of the last century in Rhode established academics such as Island. In the months leading to The operetta’s story touches on Stefanie Tcharos and Derek Katz,” the performance, UCSB Librarians themes about universal suffrage she said. “Their passion for the Kyra Folk-Farber and David Seubert and women’s rights – a timely subjects that they teach is infectious curated the exhibition “Viennese production for the #MeToo and I am a better informed Operetta and the World of Franz generation. The central character performer thanks to them.” Lehár” on display in the Library’s is Selma, the recently-widowed Mountain Gallery through Summer daughter of an American billionaire This past spring, Guerra sang the 2019. who vows to never marry again and role of Juliane von Reckenburg in establishes a feminist organization the North American premiere of The exhibition included pictures of called “Get away from all men” with Franz Lehár’s operetta The Mock original sheet music, information her friends Edith, Phoebe, and
17 Euphrasia. Her father attempts learning experiences from the in the West Coast premiere of Joel to arrange a marriage between UCSB Library. Feigin’s setting of Shakespeare’s Selma and his business associate Twelfth Night, and the leading Harold von Reckenburg, which The graduate students who helped role of Papageno in Mozart’s Die Selma promptly refuses. The plot make The Mock Marriage a success Zauberflöte at the Amalfi Coast delves into cross-dressing capers on stage credit the collaborative Music Festival in Italy. He has won instigated by Harold’s sister Juliane, nature of their discipline and the numerous awards through the with an unexpected gender- incredible dedication of their National Association for Teachers bending twist and a happy ending. faculty mentors. This operetta of Singing, and won the Gwendolyn cast was mentored by some of the Roberts Young Artist of the Year. He This particular production answered biggest names in American opera. also is a mentor for the Graduate requirements on a bequest to Division’s Graduate Scholars the UCSB Library of over 175,000 Baritone Tyler Reece, who recently Program and serves as a teaching scores of operas, operettas, and graduated with a doctorate assistant in the department. other musical-theater works from in musical arts from UC Santa dedicated opera patrons Mike and Barbara, played the role of Harold Guerra’s music department mentor is Nan Miller. in the operetta. the legendary soprano and recording artist Dr. Isabel Bayrakdarian, who “This is most assuredly the world’s During his undergraduate years worked with a team of faculty best collection of materials related at Luther College, he performed members who provided direction to operettas,” said UCSB Deputy the roles of Guglielmo in Mozart’s and training for the performers Librarian Alan Grosenheider. One Così fan tutte and John Styx of The Mock Marriage. “Dr. of the guidelines for the Millers’ in Offenbach’s comic operetta Bayrakdarian has helped me polish gift was that they wanted the UCSB Orpheus in The Underworld. He my technique and performance skills, community to bring the scores and worked under the tutelage of Di all while being a warm and caring libretti to life. The production from Fiore at the University of North presence,” she said. the UCSB performance community Texas before he chose to pursue his made up of graduate students, doctorate at UCSB. Researching the operetta’s their renowned faculty mentors, historical and social significance for and undergraduate performers “When Dr. Di Fiore announced her performance role on stage is in more than answered the donor her retirement and relocation to tune with her research goals. stipulations. Santa Barbara, I knew that I had to follow her to California,” he said. “My goals as a graduate student Grosenheider says the unique “She has been such a blessing. at UCSB are to create classical partnerships between the campus She taught me how to sing, musical programs that focus on departments, the Library, and mentored me in my own teaching, current issues and contemporary the local community on The and continues to provide valuable composers in an accessible and Mock Marriage was an enriching insights into the career. I enjoy enjoyable manner,” she said. experience for everyone involved being a part of such a tight-knit “My master’s program at the in the exhibit and production. community of singers at this Bard College Conservatory was “Collaboration for me means that the school, which has not been my an excellent, performance-based partners -- however many there are experience at other universities. program, so I appreciate the focus -- are able to do something, create In many ways, my colleagues in on research at UCSB. I believe something, discover something, that the graduate voice program have that this will make me a balanced no individual component of that been the second greatest group performer and professor in the group would have been able to do of mentors.” future.” alone,” he said. Reece’s previous operatic He notes that one result of this performances include the role of successful collaboration was an Count Almaviva in Le nozze di increase in requests from other Figaro, Pasatieri in the one-act departments to curate and build comedy Signor Deluso, Malvolio
18 Austro-Hungarian composor Franz Lehár (1870-1948) was best known for writing operettas, such as The Merry Widow (Die Lustige Witwe) and The Mock Marriage (Die Juxheirat). The UCSB Department of Music, the Library, and Opera Theatre collaborated to produce the North American premiere of Lehár’s operetta The Mock Marriage (Die Juxheira) in Fall 2018.
19 At 3 p.m. on a weekday Winter is among a group of intellectual, emotional, mental, afternoon, UCSB graduate students bringing scholarly, and scholastic environment graduate student their art, art history, theater, in which they meet their students.” Rachel Winter leads a and drama expertise to local group of elementary elementary school students Doctoral candidate Alesha Claveria school children through through the Interdisciplinary was initially drawn to graduate a set of jumping jacks Humanities Center’s (IHC) Artists studies in UCSB’s theater studies and stretches. in Schools Program. program for the opportunities it presented to connect with a No, it’s not time for recess or PE, but Lead by IHC Director and UCSB diverse range of people, to freely it is the end of a long school day and Professor Susan Derwin, the program explore a variety of academic the kids are restless after hours of is a collaborative partnership, avenues, and to conduct sitting at their desks. helping to put arts education back interdisciplinary research. in K-12 schools while diversifying The short bout of exercise helps the and strengthening UCSB’s graduate Through the IHC, she has been young would-be artists settle in for training through teaching. able to connect not only with one more lesson with Winter and faculty mentors and fellow grad fellow grad student instructors. “They “We knew that our graduate students, but also with the kids are so loud and energetic! But we students would become better she now teaches in the Artists in have adapted together,” Winter said, teachers wherever they taught if Schools program. of the somewhat unconventional they had the opportunity to work approach. “Then we try to teach with different populations, such as “It’s really an amazing them themes in art history. They get younger children,” Derwin said. “This experience for me,” she said, to doodle while they listen. They is a learning experience for graduate “because I get to look at how learn and actually really digest the students. They learn how to also what I’m learning is connecting material, a lot more than you realize.” understand the kind of educational, to students at this 2nd
20 BUILDING COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS SPOTLIGHT
Artists in Schools
The Interdisciplinary Humanities Center brings the arts to local elementary schools
Story by Mallarie Stevens | Illustration by Marge Perko
We knew that our graduate students would become better teachers wherever they taught if they had the opportunity to work with different populations, such as younger children.
Dr. Susan Derwin Director, Interdisciplinary Humanities Center
to 6th grade age level. How do we of the way that different people drama class. On their second visit, communicate what we are doing thought at different times.” students introduce a parent or and the importance of what we are guardian to what they’ve learned, doing in a tangible way to benefit For Claveria, theater provides excitedly stepping into the role these young scholars?” a lens for new ways of seeing, of teacher themselves. “For these communicating, and building an young community members, we Claveria’s dissertation research inclusive community. “I want the are literally giving them a sense of focuses on contemporary native kids who participate in the IHC what the path is to this university or North American theater while program to feel confidence,” she another,” Derwin said. “They feel Winter studies contemporary art said, “in their own ability to create themselves in this space.” of the Middle East. Both trace and feel artistic. [The program] their passion for the arts to their expands on that first encounter Building on the success of the high school experiences and hope with the arts and gives students last few years, Artists in Schools to inspire even earlier creative the opportunity to feel like, ‘The will launch its fourth year of explorations in their students. arts are for me. I’ve been here programming in 2019-20. before and this is a world I can be “I want them to be curious and I confident stepping into.’” “I think it’s a great way to show how want them to travel and go see the humanities – language, arts, things,” Winter said. Her students In addition to the lessons that writing, theater – are tools that make range from kindergarten to fifth grad students bring to local K-6 community life, social life, possible,” grade while her class is taught classrooms, elementary students in Derwin said. “Self-empowerment, according to a “Think Global, Think the program have the opportunity self-representation. The humanities Local” theme. “I also want them to visit the UCSB campus twice, are the way we live in the world. to know what art history is and [to] first to tour the Department of They make our worlds possible.” understand how art acts as this Art, meet artists on campus, and really important historical record actively take part in an art or
21 Philanthropy In Action Fellowship Support
The UC Santa Barbara Graduate Division and recipients of the Satomi Family Fellowship are grateful to the Satomi family for support of UCSB staff members who are working toward advanced degrees.
Chryss Yost, who received a Ph.D. Education in 2018, was the 2013-15 Santa Barbara Poet Laureate. She is the co-editor of Gunpowder Press and the founder of Shoreline Voices Project. Chryss is with the office of International Students and Scholars, where she works with Cultural Programs and Marketing.
“I am forever grateful for the gift and inspired by the vote of confidence to bring my work back to benefit the students I serve at UCSB.”
Keri Bradford is working on a Ph.D. in Education at UC Santa Barbara. Keri works in Student Affairs Information Systems as the Communication Coordinator. She is also the UCSB American Indian Student Services Coordinator.
“I most want them to know that I am working hard to stretch the benefits of their gift by focusing on my studies (Native American education) and giving back to my community.”
Dennis Adderton is pursuing a Ph.D. in Media Arts and Technology. Dennis has 20 years of experience in the design of scientific instruments and is currently employed as Technical Director for the Allosphere Research Facility, in the California NanoSystems Institute at UCSB.
“I would like to express great thanks to the Satomi Family in supporting my pursuit of graduate studies and supporting the University of California. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.”
22 Story by Mallarie Stevens | Photos courtesy of Project Across the Ocean Investigating Dual Dynamics
We’re a UCSB family through and through. Both Dorothy and I graduated from UCSB and now work on campus. My sister graduated from UCSB, and Dorothy’s sister was here at UCSB for grad school.
We knew we wanted to find a way to support UCSB staff, and we thought this would be one good
way to help ease some of the financial burden of graduate school. Managing a career and going to
grad school at the same time can be stressful enough, so we hoped that these fellowships
would allow recipients to feel a little relief from the financial pressures.
Andy Satomi Director, UCSB Space Planning and Management for Academic Affairs Director, UCSB Academic Affairs Information Technology
Dorothy Satomi Assistant Dean Mathematical, Life and Physical Sciences, College of Letters & Science
Photo Liz Fourie Photography 23 .
Vernon, who earned his Ph.D. in to families and society, versus a Two years ago, Ty Vernon Counseling, Clinical and School project that might live and die in a took over the leadership Psychology (CCSP) from UCSB research lab.” role from Robert and in 2010, had worked with the Lynn Koegel, the Koegels as a graduate student Vernon’s goals as director of the founding directors of the before serving for six years as next generation of autism Koegel Autism Center at director of the center’s autism researchers and clinicians at the UC Santa Barbara. assessment clinic. Center are driven by community needs for strength-based The Koegels had decided to move “I obviously had very big shoes to interventions across the lifespan of to Stanford to continue their fill when I became the center’s an individual on the spectrum. research and clinical work on director in 2017,” he said. “The Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT), applied intervention model at the “For every age group -- toddlers, a play-based, child-led behavioral center really spoke to me when I school-age children, adolescents, treatment for individuals diagnosed was a graduate student at UCSB. and adults -- there are different with autism spectrum disorder I was motivated by the idea that challenges,” he said. “We want to (ASD) that they had developed I could conduct a research study create programs and strategies that for over two decades during their at the Autism Center that had empower families. We also want to UCSB tenure. an immediate practical benefit make sure that what works in a
24 The Next Generation
The Koegel Autism Center and the new wave of researchers at UCSB
Story by Marge Perko | Photos courtesy of the Koegel Autism Research Center
. We want to create programs and strategies that empower families. We also want to make sure that what works in a research setting gets disseminated into the community.
Dr. Ty Vernon, Autism Center Director Ph.D. `10, Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology 2018 UCSB Faculty Career Development Award
research setting gets disseminated They also provide critical services at the Center. By their into the community, so that mentorship and training for 30 second or third-year, students step everybody -- across town, across the undergraduate researchers. into program coordinator roles, and state, and across the country-- can are able to lead a whole research benefit from these same strategies.” “We ask a lot of our students,” initiative. said Vernon. “They end up with Graduate students play a big the training and experience to go Daina Tagavi, a CCSP doctoral role in implementing Vernon’s and obtain top autism research student, was focused on working community-focused vision. positions across the country. on early interventions for infants Many of the highly-regarded who exhibit developmental delays Over a dozen graduate students interventions coming out of our when she began working as a and the Center’s clinical director Dr. Center started with a brilliant idea clinical psychology researcher at Anna Krasno (also a CCSP doctoral by one of our graduate students the center. Her first client? An adult program alumna) work on various and ended up making a big impact with autism. research programs, conduct intake in the field.” and assessment services, lead “I was quickly trained up,” she said. community workshops, and serve First-year graduate students “We work to provide intervention nearly a hundred individuals and are rotated through the various services to help adults with autism their families. research programs and clinical transition into college and to
25 prepare for the workforce. It has connects with Vernon’s long-term families locate where they can go to been so incredibly rewarding.” strategy to focus on community support their children’s needs.” Tagavi’s other role on campus outreach. as a Graduate Student Resource The Center’s client coordinators Center Professional Development “I think we need to move away from work with the families to identify Peer also tackles job search skills, the idea that we are the autism a study or service appropriate to interviewing, and best practices experts,” said Vernon, “If we don’t the individual’s age, need, and/ for work interactions. “These are connect with the local families, or specific areas of strength and all social interactions and skills we are missing the opportunity to vulnerability. A comprehensive essential for all adults,” she said. collaborate with the true experts assessment clinic provides one to out there -- the parents whose two day evaluations for children Tagavi also collaborates with fellow lives are heavily influenced by the and adults to determine if the doctoral student Anthony Osuna on experiences they’ve had raising a symptoms and difficulties that the groundbreaking Socialization, child on the spectrum.” they are experiencing are related Education, and Learning for the to an autism diagnosis, and Internet (SELFI) Project, an online In Santa Barbara County, provides referrals. The staff also social communication program pediatricians and other medical conduct multi-day parent training for adults with ASD. Osuna and professionals typically refer intervention programs to equip Tagavi work together on weekly individuals to the Autism Center families with the tools and home one-on-one sessions with project and the Tri-Counties Regional strategies to help their children participants to teach them how to Center for assessments and reach their potential. interact online. services. Beyond referrals, social media has become a crucial tool to Tagavi appreciates the Osuna found few antecedents communicate to prospective client individualistic approach at the within the field of ASD research families about the supports and Center. “There is a phrase that gets into the impact of social media services available at the Center. The thrown around a lot: `If you’ve met socialization on individuals with this staff maintain a page on Facebook one person with autism, you’ve met diagnosis. “Nothing was really out where they post announcements one person with autism,’” she said. there in terms of documentation,” and informational flyers about “Each family and each individual he said. “It made me realize that projects and assessments open have such different needs. It’s we have the opportunity to pioneer to community participants of hard to develop these kinds of a new area of research. We need all ages. “The Autism Center is interventions that are going to to acknowledge that a lot of often the hub for local families to be so prevalent in someone’s life socialization now happens on the reach out for help,” said Osuna. without hearing how it’s going to internet. We need to understand “Our community outreach aims to impact them, and what they think the impact social media has on communicate to the underserved about it. We incorporate that people’s experiences, on their population that doesn’t get a feedback into everything we do.” mental health, and what are the lot of services or involvement in advantages for individuals to research”. Jessica Hai, a doctoral student with maximize the internet’s utility as an an emphasis in special education, avenue for social interaction.” Vernon’s team also works hard disabilities, and developmental to make sure families of all risk studies at the Gevirtz Graduate This past spring, Tagavi and backgrounds have access to help. School of Education, works as one Osuna presented guidelines from “Many of our programs are grant- of the center’s special education their SELFI Project research to funded or graduate research graduate researchers. local families in downtown Santa projects, so we are able to fund a Barbara. Their talk “Raising a Child lot of these sessions for clients so “One of my favorite programs is in the Age of the Internet,” part they don’t have to pay for them,” our parent education program,” of a monthly Autism Seminar & said Tagavi. ”We also are engaged she said. “We bring in parents Discussion (ASD) series launched in a lot of community outreach who have a child with an autism by the UCSB Koegel Autism Center and partnerships, so if we don’t diagnosis, and we provide them and Santa Barbara Public Library, provide a certain service, we help support to help manage stress
26 and to promote self-care. I look events series open to local families forward to hearing their stories and at the Santa Barbara Zoo. watching parents connect about things that other families who don’t “One in every fifty-eight individuals have a kid on the spectrum would will be diagnosed on the autism ever understand.” spectrum,” said Vernon. “I think as public awareness and diagnostic Woven through the services and precision increases, we’re better research programs is a strong able to recognize when an early commitment to providing free challenge might be indicative of community education about autism an autism diagnosis. By connecting interventions with partnership with us, we are able to work with events like the UCSB Human our clients to develop a program Resources-sponsored campus that fits their needs and utilizes workshop “Autism Spectrum their individual strengths. We want Disorders in Adulthood” presented individuals and their families to by Anna Krasno to staff during the know that they don’t have to go 2019 spring quarter, and the newly- through this journey alone.” launched Autism Safari Nights
The Koegel Autism Center is internationally recognized for its innovative autism research and clinical training. The Center led by Dr. Ty Vernon was originally founded by Robert and Lynn Koegel, co-developers of the Pivot Response Treatment autism intervention model. The Center’s primary research goal is to develop and test interventions designed to improve the lives of individuals, parents, and families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
27 Graduate students and leaders in their home communities. their opinion has value — and it’s faculty mentors at UC An average of 15 to 18 children respected and encouraged.” Santa Barbara are working from underserved communities to inspire children to have joined the program every Both graduate student coordinators develop environmental quarter, with 10 to 12 UCSB bring their extensive experience awareness and literacy undergraduate students providing in educational technology and right here on campus support. Program Co-Coordinators after school programs to help through the Literacies in Sos Nazaryan and John Cano steer the experiences for LEAFY Environmental Awareness Barrios, both graduate students, program participants. Cano and Farming for Youth are work under the supervision Barrios and Nazaryan recently (LEAFY) research project of faculty LEAFY principal earned their master’s degrees sponsored by UC LINKS, investigators Diana Arya, Director in Education from UCSB in a network of university of the McEnroe Reading and 2019, and are continuing their and community partners, Language Arts Clinic, and Mary research on campus as doctoral working together to Brenner, Professor at the Gevirtz students in the same program. develop innovative after- Graduate School of Education. Cano Barrios’s research focuses school programs. on how technology can promote “I think we call ourselves an engagement and motivation for Since 2017, educators from the environmental education program learning, as well as on designing UCSB Gevirtz School of Graduate but if you come to LEAFY you will curriculum to foster digital literacy Education and participants of the see that it is much more than that in students Nazaryan, who also Goleta Boys & Girls Club worked — it’s really a community,” said serves as a teaching assistant in together on LEAFY to create natural Nazaryan. “One of the reasons the Department of Education, is and digital spaces on campus for LEAFY has grown into such a working on research and practice to children to discover their roles vibrant community program is help create learning environments as environmental advocates and because everyone knows that that keep students engaged.
28 CAMPUS OUTREACH SPOTLIGHT LEAFY LEARNING
Enriching children’s environmental education right here on the UC Santa Barbara campus
Story and Illustration by Veronica Torres
We are creating leaders who create with each other.
Dr. Diana Arya Director of the McEnroe Reading and Language Arts Clinic
Through this program, children how her son has been able to show kids know that they have a lot to collaborate on writing and his family how to care for plants at give to us.” expressive projects about the home. “The program has taught natural plant life on campus. him how to plant seeds, measure The students can also suggest They are brought on tours to the amount of water needed, and what activities they would like view campus plant life and work take care of the plants,” she said. to continue doing or what they with both digital and hands-on “He now takes care of the plants hope to gain from LEAFY in the experiences to gain writing and wherever he goes, and shows interest future.“When you feel valued, reading skills to empower their own in the development of a flower or for who you are right now, and self-expression. The program also tree that he likes. I feel that the what you are doing and what you collaborates with campus partners program helped him a lot to be very have to offer, it makes you want like Dr. Rick Benjamin, poet and responsible and careful. The biggest to do more,” said Dr. Diana Arya. College of Creative Studies benefit being, he is responsible and “Through this project, they should Professor, to teach the LEAFY careful with nature.” be able to discover the power students about self-expression. they hold as individuals and “We are creating leaders who One of the biggest impacts continue to recognize their role in create with each other,”said Arya. noted from the program is that the community.” participants feel empowered to Tasks like caring for their own speak up about their own project The program’s many stakeholders plants and tracking the growth ideas. “We are all learning from hope that the student-led principles rates through diaries and QR codes each other,” said Cano Barrios of and experiences provided by the combine science methodology, his experience with the project. program will inspire the children writing strategies, and insights about “That is the main philosophy will view UCSB as part of the the effect of environmental factors of LEAFY. This also means that community long after their time on their projects. Yara Venegas, coordinators, undergrads, and kids with LEAFY. “I want them to the mother of one of the children will collaborate at the same level. understand that they belong at participating in the program, noted We learn a lot from the kids and the the university,” said Nazaryan. 29 Philanthropy In Action Accelerating Research
Every graduate student reaches a point when they must intensely focus on the research that is the foundation for their dissertation or thesis. When they do not have the funds to pay for travel and/or supplies, it can derail their path to graduation.
The Research Accelerator Award amplifies the impact of donor’s gift to support one student and their research project. The donor’s gift of $5,000 is augmented by an additional $3,000 from the Graduate Division, providing a research stipend of $8,000 for the student. Eligible students utilize the funding for research expenses such as travel, housing at their research site, and specialized equipment.
Theater & Dance doctoral student and Latinx performance scholar/artist Jessica Valadez Vasquez received the 2018 Research Accelerator Award. The research accelerator award provided her the opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. and attend the Latino Studies Association’s Third Biennial Conference. There, she presented the preliminary findings for her current project titled “Katherine Dunham: Choreographing Afro-Mestiz@je and Performing AfroLatinid@d (1932-1955).”
“We are intent on supporting students focused on Latina/o and LatinX arts and culture, so that this rising demographic can finally see themselves reflected in art, whatever their chosen medium.”
Alexandra Seros (MA ‘72) and Walter Ulloa, Research Accelerator Award Supporters
30 Story by Mallarie Stevens | Photos courtesy of Project Across the Ocean Investigating Dual Dynamics
Not only did I have the opportunity to travel and present at the conference, but I also visited one of the largest Katherine Dunham archives housed at the Library of Congress. This award allowed me to follow the trail for video footage of a dance piece created by Dunham and based on fieldwork she conducted in 1947 in Veracruz, Mexico. The dance is titled “Veracruzana” and its basis on Mexican folkloric movement and music renders it critical to my research and goal of highlighting the intersections between blackness and brownness evidenced by this figure’s vast bodily archive.
Jessica Valadez Vasquez, Ph.D. Student, Theater & Dance 2018 Research Accelerator Award
31 Stories of murder, sex, undergraduates and the graduates and easily disposed of, turning witchcraft, and feminism are so surprised with what ballads those that survived to the present may not be exactly what talk about -- they talk about day into highly guarded cultural students of early modern anything and everything.” artifacts. literature expect to explore in their studies. When Fumerton first decided in “Broadside ballads are useful 2003 that she wanted to teach because they are showing another But no topic is off-limits in the a graduate course on street side of articulation,” graduate broadside ballads that graduate literature, she quickly discovered student Anita Raychawdhuri, a students are working to transcribe that the broadside ballads she manager at EBBA, said. “They are a and catalogue as part of UCSB’s sought were usually kept locked mass culture and they’re something English Broadside Ballads Archive away in library and university that people from all stretches of (EBBA), a cooperative project first collections, accessible to only a life would have been collaborating imagined by UCSB Professor of few select individuals. Though with; I like that they are not just English Dr. Patricia Fumerton. among the most popular forms expressing courtly life or something of media at the time of their like that.” “This is the literature of the production in the 16th and 17th masses,” Fumerton said. “That centuries, the inexpensive sheets Fumerton had no idea that her is what makes it exciting. The of paper were commonplace initial quest to bring ballads into
32 Archives for the Ages
Honing research, leadership, and mentorship skills at the English Broadside Ballads Archive
Story by Mallarie Stevens | Photos courtesy of English Broadside Ballads Archive (EBBA)
I like getting to participate in something that, in my opinion, democratizes the field of academia.
Anita Raychawdhuri, Ph.D. Candidate, English Literature Manager, English Broadside Ballads Archive
her classroom and research would into a widely used academic The program utilizes an lay the groundwork for one of the resource, employed nearly 400 apprenticeship structure, allowing longest-running and best-funded graduate students, and expanded the graduate student employees projects of its kind. EBBA now to offer unique opportunities for to develop administrative, boasts a record seven grants from further collaboration with singers, leadership, and mentorship skills the National Endowment for the dancers, and researchers from under Fumerton’s guidance. Humanities (NEH) and continues other fields. Students work in teams to to thrive as a hub for collaborative transcribe the ballads’ written studies on campus. “The project has been beneficial to content from its original difficult- me in ways I won’t ever be able to to-read black letter (Gothic font), “I think academia can be really fully articulate,” graduate student digitally combine the original alienting for some people,” and current EBBA Assistant visuals with the newly transcribed Raychawdhuri said. “So I like Director Kristen McCants said. text, research the songs meant that EBBA is putting these “The graduate students work to accompany the words, and documents online. I like getting really well together so instead catalogue the ballads in digital and to participate in something that, of being in a position where we woodcut formats. in my opinion, democratizes the have to compete for resources, field of academia.” Over its fifteen- we really have the opportunity to For McCants, moving from graduate year history, EBBA has developed collaborate with each other.” student researcher to manager to
33 I have the opportunity to treat people as employees, as people that I get to foster towards their own journey.
Kristen McCants, Ph.D. Candidate, English Assistant Director, English Broadside Ballads Archive Graduate Fellow, Early Modern Center
Assistant Director has afforded her a rare broadside ballad and present their work opportunity to work with students one- as part of the Faculty Research Assistance on-one, outside of the classroom, and to Program (FRAP). gain invaluable workplace experience as a supervisor. Most of EBBA’s work takes place in the Early Modern Center, where all “I have the opportunity to treat people as participants can actively converse and employees, as people that I get to foster share information with one another, towards their own journey,” she said. the wide scope of the project has also ”That’s an interesting experience that not stretched to the soundproof basement a lot of PhD students get.” of the Music Department, where musical performers can rehearse. Singers and Undergraduate mentees working as dancers participating in EBBA bring life research assistants at EBBA benefit to the ballads, through musical tunes and from a supportive environment where jigs, helping to re-imagine and ultimately graduate students openly share their recreate a moment from 400 years ago. expertise while also leaving space for students to explore their own ideas. With thousands of ballads now archived, “The graduate students are wonderful,” EBBA is paving the way for future research. said undergraduate research assistant Academics from all over the world are Lauren Jensen. grateful for the opportunity to access, learn from, and teach the very pieces that “They are very helpful and knowledgeable Fumerton first struggled to locate. “The about their topic and they are so grad students are very proud of what they attentive and engaging.” Undergraduate do,” Fumerton said. “Because I give them researchers conclude their projects with so much responsibility, it’s theirs as much a poster made to imitate the look of a as it’s mine.”
This is the literature of the masses.
Dr. Patricia Fumerton Founding Director, English Broadside Ballads Archive UCSB Professor, Author, and Editor
34 EBBA graduate student researchers work under the supervision of founding director Dr. Patricia Fumerton to transcribe and catalogue 16th and 17th century broadside ballads. The graduate students in turn mentor their undergraduate research assistants, who present projects on the ballads under the Faculty Research Assistance Program (FRAP).
35 At the UCSB Department students Rachyl Pines and to continue to tell stories of trans of Communication, Stephenson Brooks Whitestone, people overcoming difficulties research projects and works as a volunteer police they face in their everyday lives. mentored by faculty sergeant at the Santa Barbara Beyond campus, they serve as the advisors like Dr. Howard Police Department.“We want to coordinator of Lisa’s Place, a local Giles and Dr. Jennifer guide people (and especially those transgender community center, Kam depend not only on in marginalized groups, such as and was a semi-finalist at the 2018 the emphasis on scholarly transsexuals) in ways that allow UCSB Grad Slam with their talk collaboration between them to avoid aging unsuccessfully, titled “Authenticity in Eternity: students and faculty, but but rather successfully,” said Giles. Transgender Identity After Death.” also on their own close personal connection with Following Giles’ course in Aging Their colleague Rachyl Pines is their focus communities. and Communication, Whitestone working on research to improve began to focus on trans aging, communication between healthcare “The climate at UCSB is helping individuals tell their providers and patients. She works intellectually exciting,” said Giles. stories to the community, and with a team of several researchers “Here mentorship is prized, and promoting physical well-being. in Australia affiliated with Griffith graduate students mostly leave “I’m hoping to help trans people University and the University of us with an extensive portfolio better prepare for their later years,” Queensland using an intergroup of diverse publications and said Whitestone. “I hope to help theoretical framework to assess and experiences. We gain insights and facilities and institutions focused on improve communication quality new vistas are opened to us by our aging or hospice care to become between groups in hospitals. graduate students — it’s a two-way better informed about the trans street.” people who will soon become their “I noticed staff often communicate patients and clients.” with very aggressive and Known for developing sometimes violent patients. It communication accommodation Whitestone’s research strives seemed like such a vital skill for all theory, he currently serves as to see the insecurity of the health staff to have,” she said. “I research advisor to doctoral transgender identity, and hopes saw an opportunity for developing
36 DEPARTMENT RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT
COMMUNICATION IN ACTION
Research that cultivates intergroup connections
Story and Illustration by Veronica Torres
I wanted to do something with my research that actually benefited a community,
Dr. Jennifer Kam Communication Professor and Graduate Advisor
healthcare staff training, based on with better resources. “I felt experiences in her research goals.. communication theory, to improve drawn toward that work because I “I want to to use my research communication between aggressive wanted to do something with my to provide middle schools, patients and healthcare staff.” research that actually benefited a high schools, and colleges with Pines hopes to develop a training community,” said Kam. evidence-based practices for that will assist staff members increasing higher education to communicate effectively to As a member of the Latinx opportunities for undocumented aggressive patients. community, Mendez Murillo draws students.” from personal experiences as she Kam’s research group meanwhile researches language brokering to For her incredible work mentoring examines factors that protect give back and assist families in their the undergraduate researchers immigrant youth against adverse immigration experience. in her department, Cornejo was mental health outcomes, poor nominated by Kam for this year’s academic performance, and This year, she was selected as a Graduate Division Dean’s Graduate alcohol and other substance Fellow for the National Science Mentoring Award. use, particularly when faced with Foundation’s Alliances for Graduate stressors. Education and the Professoriate “Winning this award means that, (AGEP) program. as an academic community, we Beyond her work at UCSB, Kam are placing value in mentoring serves as Vice Chair of the National “Ultimately, I want to contribute students, which I believe is a Communication Association where to literature by working with necessary criterion to ensuring she received the 2016 Early Career marginalized communities,” she the success of our students,” Award from the Interpersonal said. “I want my work to inform said Cornejo when she received Division. these communities of the many the award. “This is especially ways to improve their experience.” meaningful to me given that UCSB Her doctoral students Roselia is a Research-1 university, and Mendez Murrillo and Monica Cornejo, an undocumented first- research is our priority.” Cornejo conduct research focused generation graduate student, is on providing immigrant groups similarly inspired by her personal
37 Philanthropy In Action Professional Development
Grad Slam is an award-winning campus-wide competition that showcases top UCSB graduate students and their research.
Graduate students play a crucial role at top-tier research institutions, Students present their research in action-packed three minute talks to a diverse audience comprised of students, faculty and community members.
Competitors must navigate multiple rounds of competition including preliminaries, semifinals and the much anticipated Finals. The stakes are high with over $15,000 in prize money on the line, including $5,000 for the winner.
The 2019 annual tournament-style competition showcased the best and brightest of the campus’s young researchers. Close to 80 students accepted the challenge of condensing their work into brief, accessible presentations. Nine made it all the way to the finals, with Chemical Engineering doctoral candidate George Degen walked away with the first- place prize.
“We had another fantastic year of the Grad Slam,” said Dr. Carol Genetti, dean of the Graduate Division at UC Santa Barbara. “The presenters never cease to amaze me with the marvelous research that they do and their excellent communication skills.” This year’s slam also provided the opportunity to learn a little more about the participants and their diverse backgrounds and interests, she added.
We thank our Grad Slam sponsors for providing opportunities to connect with top graduate student talent, and ensuring high visibility of their important research efforts to the UCSB campus and greater Santa Barbara communities. Our many community partnerships not only help us reward our presenters for their great work, but also help feed the intellectual curiosity of local business employees through Mini Grad Slams and other customized content.
The 2020 Grad Slam Finals competition will be held April 6 to April 17, with the Final Round on April 17, 2020
38 Story by Mallarie Stevens | Photos courtesy of Project Across the Ocean Investigating Dual Dynamics
The more people are aware of UCSB and the great things that go on here, the better it is for all of us here. I was really proud to represent our school at the UC Grad Slam competition. We do great research here. What Grad Slam does is that it allows you to develop a relatable explanation of your research in a short amount of time.
George Degen, Ph.D. Candidate, Chemical Engineering 2019 UCSB Grad Slam Champion
39 As UC Santa Barbara The Remarkable Antecedent of UC the Santa Barbara community. commemorates its 75th year Santa Barbara” exhibition housed as part of the University of at the UCSB Library during the “This is the time when the Seven California system, scholars winter quarter. Sisters Colleges opened, when are making UCSB’s history many public universities opened come alive for the next UCSB’s story started with the Santa to women, and when women were generation through a visual Barbara Sloyd School founded by hired as teachers in the expanding celebration of our institution’s wealthy Bostonian Anna S.C. Blake school systems because they were progressive roots. in 1891. less expensive and teaching was considered an appropriate job Early in 2019, history scholar and The images of young students for women,” said Case. “Schools author Dr. Sarah Case (Ph.D. `02), working on needlework, carpentry, founded by women were not that a UCSB Department of History and cooking in the exhibit unusual. What is different about Lecturer and the managing editor illustrated the school’s early the Anna Blake School is that it did of The Public Historian, worked years in the 1890s, and explored not evolve into a junior college or with Ph.D. student Nora Kassner how educators addressed the advanced high school. It eventually (MA `17) to build the “The Anna S. intersection of education, the became a major university -- and C. Blake Manual Training School: manual arts, and social mobility in that is very unusual.”
40 A Progressive Model
Exploring UC Santa Barbara’s roots at the Anna S. C. Blake Manual Training School Exhibit
Story by Marge Perko | Photos courtesy of the UCSB Library
The public history emphasis on collaboration, community involvement, communication, and accessibility, make it extremely relevant right now.
Dr. Sarah Case, Ph.D. `02, History Managing Editor of The Public Historian
After Blake died in 1899, the school Pearl Chase convinced the State general,” she said. “It was a time moved to the location on 814 Santa Legislature, Governor Earl Warren, of educational opportunity for Barbara Street (occupied today by and the Regents of the University women both as educators and as the Anacapa School). The school of Californa to absorb the State students.” was renamed the Anna Blake College into the University of Manual Training School in honor California system. Kassner began research for the of its pioneering founder. In 1909, exhibit by searching through the the state took over the Anna Blake As UCSB celebrates its 75th extensive University Archives School, and transformed it into the year as part of the research- photographs collection stewarded Santa Barbara State Normal School, oriented UC system, Case hopes by the UCSB Library—a true with a curriculum that focused on the community does not forget goldmine for any local historian. both home economics and teacher how the institution began as a “Every single image in this education. In 1913, the Normal school with strong roots in female collection comes from the UCSB School moved to the Riviera leadership and educational Special Collections which is Campus, where it evolved into the innovation. “It was not unusual extraordinary,” said Kassner. Santa Barbara State College eight in the late 19th century for “When we began this endeavor, years later. In 1944, a community women to become involved in we knew we wanted to do group led by Thomas Storke and higher education or education in something on the Blake School,
41 For UCSB, it’s important to see how far we’ve come and also to see the issues that continue to stay with us.
Nora Kassner MA `17 Ph.D. Student, History Researcher and Curator, The Anna S. C. Blake Manual Training School Exhibit
but we didn’t know what was and is based on the idea of era in human history. “The public available and we didn’t know what `shared authority’ as the key to history emphasis on collaboration, the exhibit would actually turn into. expanding conversations not only community involvement, When I was hired to come on as a between historians, but within the communication, and accessibility, researcher, I started coming across community as well.” make it extremely relevant right all these amazing pictures and now,” she said. “I would argue that realized that they were all owned A former community organizer, perhaps at this current moment, and maintained by UCSB already. Kassner’s graduate school research having critical skills, thinking about To me, it really helped strengthen project focuses on LGBTQ the past, present, and future in our story -- that this is where we individuals who were in the United a broad and informed way are come from, and that this collection States foster system between the particularly important.” itself has already been a part of 1970s and 1980s. Researching the UCSB’s legacy for so long.” images for the exhibit allowed This past spring, the UCSB her to dig deep into the history of Library loaned the exhibit to the At UC Santa Barbara, the exhibit’s UC Santa Barbara as a significant Santa Barbara Trust for Historic scope and themes drew significant pipeline of social change in the Preservation for a gallery exhibit support and guidance from campus local community. “I have always that ran from March through May at leaders like Duncan Mellichamp, a been fascinated in the Progressive Casa De La Guerra -- bringing the Founding Faculty Member of the area -- the period of the 1890s images of Anna Blake, her students, Chemical Engineering Department through the 1920s -- because it and her school’s mission back home and Honorary UCSB Alumnus created the modern world that to downtown Santa Barbara where (2009); the UCSB Library team; and we live in,” she said. “Working on it all started. Dr. John Majewski, UCSB’s Michael the origins of UCSB was a way of Douglas Dean of Humanities and exploring where our education “For UCSB, it’s important to see Fine Arts. came from, where our ideas about how far we’ve come and also to women’s rights originate, where our see the issues that continue to Kassner also noted how the ideas about immigration develop stay with us,” said Kassner. “It was project’s community emphasis about ethnicity, and what it means really unique during that time for built on the key strengths of her to live in a neighborhood. This its emphasis on educating Latinx own chosen program at UCSB. exhibit picks up on all of those students, as well as white students. “Public history -- which both Sarah themes.” As we are now a Hispanic-serving and I are interested in -- is much institution, that’s a really important more collaborative,” she said. “It Case feels the public history way to look back and say that we emphasizes teamwork in terms of program’s emphasis on are actually following the same the research, and also includes communicating with communities commitment to community since people from the community, makes it an exciting field of study the beginning.” stakeholders from the community, for our current hyper-connected
42 In 1892, Anna S. C. Blake founded the Santa Barbara Sloyd School, which was renamed the Anna Blake Manual Training School after the founder’s death in 1899. The institution later became a state normal school -- and after World War II, the school absorbed into the University of California System and became UC Santa Barbara. The exhibit curated by Dr. Sarah Case and Ph.D. student Nora Kassner celebrated UCSB’s early history.
43 Since 2013, the graduate student involved in the osmosis, and rare-earth metals Graduate Division’s program. “We then develop an separation.” Crossroads Program interdisciplinary research project to Dr. Peter Alagona, an Associate has enabled doctoral foster collaboration with the support Professor of History, Geography, students and of dedicated research funds.” and Environmental Studies, led faculty members to the Grizzly Project. He said that collaborate on year- By combining faculty’s disciplinary the project’s interdisciplinary long interdisciplinary expertise with grad students’ approach had enriched everyone’s research projects practical drive and creativity, understanding of complex research taught through Crossroads groups have been able to topics — like the possibility of graduate seminars. usefully connect different disciplines’ reintroducing a large bear to the theories, methods, and knowledge- wilds of California. The program then goes on to bases to explore a number of build foundational knowledge for challenging real-world issues. “Here, the hypotheses come from undergraduate students, who are the historical record, the methods taught from curricula developed The 2018 Crossroads groups were for this study come from biology by graduate students from their the California Grizzly Study Group, and chemistry—so in a way, it interdisciplinary research. which focused on possibilities is this idea of triangulation, of involved in the reintroduction of trying to bring together multiple “The program is organized so grizzly bears to California, and the forms of evidence to create a that the fellows take seminars and Green Chemistry group, which more robust way of seeing the a pedagogy course to promote explored “materials, methods, and past, and change over time.” interdisciplinary thinking and environmental impacts associated teaching skills with the support with recycling/processing strategies This year, Crossroads projects like of a stipend,” said Shuying Yu, a such as carbon capture, reverse “The Unconscious Mind” with
44 GRADUATE DIVISION PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT UCSB Crossroads
Interdisciplinary research projects build new opportunities for UCSB doctoral students
Story and Illustration by Veronica Torres
The research focus enables me to look at these big issues from multiple scales.
Lily Cheng, Ph.D. Student, Spatial Neuroscience and Geography Chrastil Lab Graduate Student Researcher and UCSB Crossroads Fellow
the English, Neuroscience, and graduate student from the English ideas and new perspectives on Computer Science Departments, department who studies mind and spatial navigation research.” and the Environmental Science & sexuality in medieval literature. I Management/Computer Science have never thought about studying Fellows are required to enroll in collaboration “Watch them mind and sexuality from a historical a pedagogy course offered in Work: Visualizing Environmental perspective, and it’s definitely given the spring quarter where they are Models” included faculty me a fresh look at my research.” able to share material from their and students across different own disciplines to prepare for fall departments at UCSB. Grad students are able to use quarter teaching. different perspectives and relate “The research focus enables me concepts to real-life examples Each project culminates with to look at these big issues from and experiences. graduate students bringing multiple scales,” said Lily Cheng, their research experiences into a graduate student researcher in “During winter quarter, we took undergraduate classrooms— UCSB’s Spatial Neuroscience Lab a weekly graduate seminar which either as TAs, co-teachers, or who took part in the Unconscious allows us to explore and discuss full-fledged course creators—to Mind Project. “A big attraction interdisciplinary readings that enrich education on campus. “I to the program was being able examine the relationship between enjoyed being able to design to work with 4 professors and 3 sex hormones, spatial navigation, new assignments based on graduate students from different and aging from perspectives interdisciplinary research for departments. I can’t imagine there in psychology, neuroscience, undergraduate courses,” said is another opportunity to enable anthropology, and geography,” Cheng. “I believe this experience me to work with so many experts in said Yu. “It was really fun to bring will help me to think more different fields so closely together. together faculty and students from broadly and thoroughly in my One student in our cohort is a different departments to share own future studies.”
45 Support UC Santa Barbara’s most precious asset —our graduate students!
I am thrilled to introduce myself as the Assistant Dean of Development for the Graduate Division. I owe much to this wonderful university and am thankful that I am able to give back by raising critical support for our graduate students.
Over the years I have learned the secret to what fuels a top research university like UC Santa Barbara. While our fantastic faculty, innovative programs, and supportive staff no doubt play a role, it is our nearly 3,000 graduate student spread across more than 50 graduate programs that make our university special. Graduate students are at the nexus of the research and teaching missions of UC Santa Barbara.
We have an exciting set of new initiatives that we will be rolling out in the coming year aimed at better connecting you, our supporters, with the life of the Graduate Division and our students. These include a monthly communication from Dean Genetti with updates on UCSB and the Graduate Division, the launch of new donor recognition societies, and a number of regional events intended to showcase the excellence of our students.
We are thankful for our many supporters to the Graduate Division and graduate student fellowships. Donors such as Alexandra Seros (MA ‘72) and Walter Ulloa are critical to the success of our students. Last year we raised nearly $3.3 million for graduate students across the campus — but the need is much greater. Many graduate students struggle to make ends meet and must navigate a complex and confusing web of funding sources to continue their studies.
Please call or email me with suggestions or ideas on how we can better connect you with the true stars of our university, our graduate students.
I look forward to working with you.
John Lofthus ‘00, MA `10 Assistant Dean of Development [email protected] 805-893-2190 “You have a family at UCSB for the rest of your life. We celebrate your successes. We are here when you make mistakes. We are here to help you when you ask. We ask you to join us in nurturing the next generation of Gauchos.”
Dr. Niki Sandoval Ph.D.`07, Education
Education Director, Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Board Member, California State Board of Education 2019 Commencement Keynote Speaker
“Anything is possible as long as you have the perseverance. The sky’s not the limit — the stars are. I’m living proof of that.”
José Moreno Hernández MS `86, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Former NASA Astronaut Board of Directors, SpaceUnited 2015 UCSB Distinguished Alumni Award
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