Fabrizio Pregadio, an affiliate member of the Center for Advanced Studies at Friedrich-Alexander University in Erlangen, Germany, will explore various approaches to decoding and understanding the multifaceted language of Daoist Internal Alchemy (Neidan), which often presents a significant challenge for those studying this tradition. The East Asia Center sponsors this event.

Dr. Ebenezer Larnyo, a postdoctoral scholar at the CBSR with a Ph.D. in Management Science and Engineering, will facilitate a workshop that equips participants to build and apply a healthcare utilization framework using hands-on exercises. This workshop is ideal for those interested in learning various strategies to improve patient outcomes and resource optimization. Registration is required, and it is recommended that attendees bring a laptop.

Leach Bleich, an alumnus of UCSB's Film and Media Studies program, returns to discuss her directorial debut, The Moon and Back. The film follows high school senior Lydia Gilbert as she attempts to transform her late father’s screenplay into a full-fledged movie despite having no experience, no budget, and only a VHS camera. UCSB Film and Media Studies professor Ross Melnick will moderate the discussion.

The Threepenny Opera, based on John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera, is a darkly-humored play by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill with Elisabeth Hauptmann. Directed by Annie Torsiglieri, it explores the dark underbelly of Victorian London, exposing the struggles within a capitalist society. The story follows Mack the Knife, a charming but ruthless anti-hero, as he navigates crime, love rivalries, and his aspirations to climb the social ladder.

Dio Chrysostom’s Olympian Oration (Or. 12) is often studied for its theological themes but rarely for its connections between sight, speech, and the truth of art. UCLA Classics professor Bryant Kirkland will offer a holistic reading of the text, focusing on its structure, Dio’s vision of artistic coherence, as well as the work’s layered references, sensory intersections, and historical values.

UCSB students Leo Harjanto, Junrui Liu, Julia Ong, Pratyush Rallapally, Aiden Urschel, and Julia Wallace, representing various majors, will present a carillon recital in front of the Storke Tower. Guests are encouraged to bring a blanket or lawn chair for the performance.