UCSB Interdisciplinary Humanities Center

09/04/2026

Public Humanities Graduate Fellows are nearing the completion of their summer internships with local non-profits! Maisnam has been developing public education materials about the lesser-known histories of the Indigenous Chumash people and the Asian American community of the Presidio neighborhood for the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation. He has also been utilizing his academic training to expand public knowledge and place-based public programming through the Asian American Film Series and the Indigenous Film Series.

Learn more about the Public Humanities Graduate Fellows Program: bit.ly/IHC-PHGFP

09/01/2026

Join us for the IHC's Open House on October 1! Meet new faculty and IHC fellows, learn about IHC events, programs, and funding opportunities, and enjoy good food, drink, music, and conversation. We hope to see you there!

Learn more: https://www.ihc.ucsb.edu/event/ihc-open-house-2026/

08/31/2026

Public Humanities Graduate Fellows are nearing the completion of their summer internships with local non-profits! Katya has been developing public messaging and programming for State of Mind Café, Santa Barbara’s first fully accessible non-profit coffee shop, which is set to open on State Street this December. She has been excited to apply her research and communication skills by gathering information about community needs and promoting the café's wide-ranging activities to the public.

Learn more about the Public Humanities Graduate Fellows Program: bit.ly/IHC-PHGFP

08/18/2026

DEADLINE EXTENDED
Submit your artwork for the IHC's Platform gallery by September 4th!

Learn more about the gallery and this year's theme, Bodies Politic: https://www.ihc.ucsb.edu/platformgallery/

08/04/2026

Come see what students found when looking for Fiesta!
 
Junior high and high school students from across Santa Barbara explored the historic roots of Fiesta, including how diverse communities have reshaped the celebration to reflect their own histories and experiences. Their teachers explored the history of Fiesta in local archives to plan lessons that informed the student projects in the Finding Fiesta exhibit.
 
Finding Fiesta is part of Community in Action, a UCSB Interdisciplinary Humanities Center program designed to reinforce in K-12 students a key component of participatory democracy: the right, power, and ability of all citizens– understood in the broadest sense– to shape the stories that represent the shared public history and identity of their local community 
 
This UCSB Interdisciplinary Humanities Center project was made possible through partnerships with the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation, UCSB Library, UCSB graduate students and the teachers who participated; and received support from the UCSB Office of Education Partnerships.

08/03/2026

🚨 REMINDER: CALL FOR ARTISTS 🚨
Submit your artwork for the IHC's Platform gallery by 8/17!

Learn more about the gallery and theme: https://www.ihc.ucsb.edu/platformgallery/

🚨 CALL FOR ARTISTS 🚨
Submit your artwork for the IHC's Platform gallery that engages with the 2026–27 public events series theme, Bodies Politic.

Learn more about the gallery and theme: https://www.ihc.ucsb.edu/platformgallery/
DEADLINE: 8/17

07/30/2026

Are you a graduate student who is interested in preparing for a career as dynamic, socially engaged humanist? Learn more about the Public Humanities Graduate Fellows Program and apply at:
https://www.ihc.ucsb.edu/public-humanities/public-humanities-graduate-fellows-program/

07/28/2026

Last week, LIFTED staff sat down with students at California State Prison, Corcoran to map out their path to UC admissions—from required coursework to preparations for University of California Personal Insight Questions (PIQ). Some students are already UC‑ready, and others now have a clear roadmap. Next up: PIQ writing workshops. We are building their futures together.

07/27/2026

The Interdisciplinary Humanities Center welcomes Jo Cristan as its inaugural LIFTED Program Manager. In this role, she assists incarcerated students at California State Prison, Corcoran through the UC transfer admission process and serves as a liaison between UCSB program administration, faculty, and students. Prior to this role, she spent 26 years as a prison educator, where she served as a GED instructor, a high school diploma unit recovery program coordinator, and a college coordinator.