Fighting a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis prompted UC Santa Barbara alumna Ashley Ratcliff to inspire others and publish her first book, a memoir titled “Jesus Year.”
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Alumni All-Stars
Just three years after graduating from UC Santa Barbara, Molly Forster is an award-winning investigative producer who says doing an undergraduate Minor in Professional Writing helped her succeed when she entered in the media world after college.
Helen Murdoch, who received her master’s degree from UC Santa Barbara’s History Department, has spent more than two decades forging ties between the university and the Santa Barbara community, where she has taught history to high school students.
Jake Lazich, a recent UC Santa Barbara Linguistics alumnus, is now serving in the US Army as an infantry officer, aspiring to make a difference in the world by using his knowledge of linguistics to help him serve his country.
In the midst of a pandemic, UC Santa Barbara alumnus Marco Pinter has opened a new museum in Santa Barbara — the Museum of Sensory and Movement Experiences —which features work from other digital media artists affiliated with the university’s MAT graduate program. Pinter recently sat down for an interview with the HFA to discuss his work and the museum’s creation.
Since earning her Ph.D. in History at UC Santa Barbara in 2015, Jefferson has set out to uncover erased moments of African American history. Currently a scholar in residence at Occidental College, she has collaborated with artists, scholars, and institutions to produce educational programming, exhibits, and publications that are dedicated to sharing the African American experience with a wide audience.
Brad Silberling, director and executive producer of Netflix’s holiday series “Dash & Lily,” joined UC Santa Barbara’s Carsey-Wolf Center to talk about the inspiration behind the show and the New York Christmas spirit viewers can enjoy from their own television screens.
UC Santa Barbara alumnus and Pride of Place researcher, Justin Bengry gave a lecture on LGBTQ representation within the United Kingdom. He presented his groundbreaking research project “Pride of Place” along with a slide show presentation showcasing the various components that highlight the project including a map and locations.
The art of five UC Santa Barbara students will be featured in a UC Santa Cruz’s online exhibition and webinar called “What Makes Us Human: An Art + Genomics Convergence.”
In a recent interview, UC Santa Barbara alumna Tracy Kong discussed her current role at the Getty Research Institute, her passions as a fine artist, and experience as an art major at UCSB.
The HFA sat down with UCSB alumi Sing Hang Tam to discuss his artistic practice and exploration of identity and belonging. Since graduating UCSB in 2016 with a degree in art, Tam became the first ever Hong Kong person to graduate from the Royal College of Art in London with an MRes in Arts and Humanities and an MA in sculpture. He currently lives in London and teaches art as an associate lecturer at the London College of Fashion, and is a visiting lecturer at the University of Westminster.
UC Santa Barbara alumna Alex Hoffman is a New York-based costume designer who graduated as a history and theater double major. She combines her knowledge in history and theater to design characters for Broadway, television, and film.
Indiana University, Bloomington professor and UC Santa Barbara alumnus Bret Rothstein delivered a recent presentation titled “The Cheat, the Spoilsport, and the Virtuoso” to UCSB history of art & architecture students and faculty, describing the role of games in 16th century European artwork.
UC Santa Barbara alum Brian Yaeger is the author of Red, White, and Brew: An American Beer Odyssey and Oregon Breweries. But before he became a published author, he graduated from UCSB in 1996 with a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies. He has now returned to his alma mater to teach a course about beer through UCSB’s Department of Recreation.
Garrett Gerstenberger, who graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2011, began his printing business in a garage near campus almost a decade ago as a Film and Media student. Today he runs Isla Vista Screen Printing and Embroidery a nine-person firm that produces dozens of unique UCSB and Isla Vista custom-designs. Gerstenberger matched his passion for business with his interest in the arts.
Recent UC Santa Barbara alum Kian McHugh graduated from Film and Media Studies already with a solid foothold in the music industry, as one of the principals of The Kollection, a website devoted to alternative music. “You get a taste of that life and it’s just something you’re kind of addicted to,” he recalls. “Then you realize that it could be a job someday, and that’s when it gets really exciting.” Read an interview with him here.
This series of videos, produced by UC Santa Barbara students, showcases the creative talent of students, faculty, and alumni from Humanities and Fine Arts.
At the height of the civil rights movement, women in the black Muslim organization Nation of Islam were faced with a paradox: they had to sacrifice their rights as women as part of the larger struggle against systemic racism.
Author and UC Santa Barbara alum Ula Taylor describes this gender inequality in her book The Promise of Patriarchy: Women and The Nation of Islam, which she spoke about earlier this month at Embarcadero Hall.
HFA Writing student Mika Kaczmer covered the event.
Commencement 2018 speaker Katy Tur of MSNBC tells UC Santa Barbara graduates in Humanities and Fine Arts and Social Sciences how studying philosophy helped her navigate the world of broadcast journalism.
“Do what you like. Do it for a cause that is bigger than you. And you will have fun,” Tur said at the Sunday, June 17, graduation ceremony. “Sometimes what makes a job fun is that it matters.”
Tur graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2005, majoring in philosophy. She is author of the 2017 bestseller Unbelievable: My Front-Row Seat to the Craziest Campaign in American History.
For many undergraduate students nearing the end of their fourth year, graduating college and entering the real world feels daunting and uncertain. For others, the future after college is clear. UC Santa Barbara alumna Julia Marsh is one of those grads who was ready to forge her way to professional success after building the necessary skills while completing her undergraduate degree. Today, she is a successful graphic designer and graduate student in New York, preparing for a future in a field she loves.
Marsh is a 24-year-old from Carmel, a small town on the coast of Northern California. Her college journey started in 2011. While she loved art, she thought it was too impractical a field to pursue as a career so she chose to study writing. In her freshman year, Marsh decided to apply for a job at The Daily Nexus, the student run newspaper on campus. She became fast friends with the design director at the paper, who convinced her to take an available position working in layout. Within a few short months, she took over the role of design director.