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Feature Stories

lavender grey higley

Having recently graduated in June, 2023, lavender grey higley, who majored in anthropology and minored in dance, is ready for whatever lies ahead as they start exploring various graduate school programs.

Ruth Solomon

The UC Santa Cruz Arts Division community is so sorry to hear of the passing of Ruth Solomon, one of the legendary professors and original founders of the UC Santa Cruz Theater Arts Department... [more]

Esthela Bañuelos

Growing up in Southeast Los Angeles as the daughter of immigrant parents, Esthela Bañuelos, the Arts Division’s newly appointed Assistant Dean for Student Success/Chief of Staff, found herself at UC Santa Cruz more than 20 years ago when, as a first gen student, she earned her M.A.

As a history and education major with a minor in theater arts, senior Sara Sotelo is looking forward to taking time to decompress after graduation before taking the next big step of applying to graduate school for an MFA in dramaturgy or possibly an MA in history.

Bene't Benton

Now in their senior year at UC Santa Cruz, Bene’t Benton is looking forward to pursuing a career in theater with the goal of getting leadership experience and also writing and developing a solo theatrical piece that they can use towards ultimately being admitted to graduate school.

Lucas Elmer Gasperik

As a child, Lucas Elmer Gasperik thought that pursuing an honorable profession such as being a fireman or a chef was what... [more]

Matthew Prescott

Matthew Prescott’s career as a film editor developed progressively over time and now he’s working on one of the most watched shows on the CW network, All American, which has been renewed for its sixth season.

Matthew Kim

Originally, Matthew Kim intended on attending UC Santa Cruz to continue his volleyball career while also enjoying the sunny surf that Santa Cruz has to offer.  But injuries changed his best laid plans and his priorities took a steep turn along the way.

Elaine Yokoyama Roos

Design artist and Theater Arts professor Elaine Yokoyama Roos, born September 27, 1945, died on August 4, 2022.

Meredith Dyer

From Lima, Peru, Rio de Janeiro, and Mexico City to Florida and Washington, DC, Meredith Dyer, the department manager for the History of Art and Visual Culture (HAVC) department at UC Santa Cruz, has lived a culturally rich and fascinating life.

Alice Szeto Gallup

The child of parents that immigrated from Hong Kong, Alice Szeto Gallup said figuring out her career path has come with unique challenges.

Dean Celine and Rick Carter

UC Santa Cruz alumnus Rick Carter, a two-time Academy Award winning film production designer and art director, returned to his alma mater on September 28th to receive the Distinguished Banana Slug Award at the second annual Arts Convocation, a ceremony established by Arts Dean Celine Parreñas... [more]

Eric Mack

When Eric Mack was in 5th grade, his desire to avoid acting in a school play led him to try out working the lights. 

Becky Diaz

Becky Diaz is a transfer student from Los Angeles County and moved to UC Santa Cruz to pursue her B.A. in Art.

Claudio Bueno

Cláudio Bueno, a new Acting Professor of Art who recently arrived from Brazil, sees the university as a place where can collaborate on a world-changing level. 

Grant Whipple

It’s been six years since Grant Whipple, with his partner and six-month-old twins “stuffed under each arm,” arrived in Santa Cruz, excited at the prospect of living in a magical place between the redwood mountains and the sea. 

James Gordon Williams

For James Gordon Williams, music is a calling, not a choice. It’s a sonic art that can close distances between people in a divisive world. 

Patrick Michael Ballard

Patrick Michael Ballard, a “fool magician” with a poet’s sensibility, pursued creative endeavors spanning visual arts to performance before landing at UC Santa Cruz this year as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Performance, Play and Design. 

Rebecca Wear

A performance director who has directed new plays all around the country, Rebecca Wear is inspired by the new, open-minded pedagogical approaches of her colleagues at UC Santa Cruz.

Joseph Erb

The son of a Cherokee mother and a white father, Joseph Erb gained an appreciation for his rich indigenous heritage from family, friends and community people.

Lindsey Tavares-Sabido

As a first-generation American, first-generation college graduate, and an adult child of a formerly incarcerated parent, Lindsey Tavares-Sabido has met more than her share of challenges. But every step of the way she has managed to succeed beyond the norm.

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