CCS Seventh Annual Research and Creative Activities Conference (RACA-CON) on November 4, 2023

Creative endeavors and original work shine through in CCS student presentations and poster sessions

The College of Creative Studies (CCS) hosted its seventh annual Research and Creative Activities Conference (RACA-CON) on November 4, 2023 during UC Santa Barbara Parents & Family Weekend. The event unfolded at the newly minted Interactive Learning Pavilion (ILP) where 64 CCS students were able to showcase their research and creative projects through informative talks and poster presentations to over 250 attendees—family, alumni, friends, fellow students, and faculty. 

"RACA-CON is right at the heart of the College at UCSB. It celebrates the transformative journey of experiential learning we all engage in through our time together at CCS and the creativity, ingenuity, and kindness of our students always blow me away. The conversations, learning, and sharing that happens here across students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and community members invigorates us all!”

—Timothy Sherwood, CCS Interim Dean

CCS Interim Dean Timothy Sherwood kicked off RACA-CON with a welcome address, highlighting student creativity, community collaboration, and sharing of knowledge. “I cannot express my gratitude enough to those who help make it happen––from the students working so hard on their talks and posters; to the community that generously supports so many of these research and creative activities; to the staff and faculty who help us seamlessly realize this wonderful day––it is always a highlight of my entire year," voiced Sherwood.

Since its founding as part of the College’s 50th Anniversary in 2017-2018, RACA-CON has evolved into one of the College’s signature student events. RACA-CON is open to students in all 9 majors with the goal to provide these student scholars and creators an opportunity to present their original work in a professional setting. RACA-CON is the brainchild of former CCS Interim Dean Kathleen “Kathy” Foltz––a huge advocate of student scholars and mentoring at CCS and UCSB––who along with CCS faculty shared the impetus to provide additional opportunities for CCS students to experience professional with an audience. In addition to providing an opportunity for professional development and to bridge CCS students with the internal and external community, RACA-CON seeks to provide interdisciplinary collaboration among its students. 

Prior to RACA-CON, CCS already had a rich tradition of providing students with experiential learning opportunities, including its Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program, established in 1985 by Professor Emeritus of Chemistry Don Aue. SURF supports students in their research and creative endeavors by providing them with the means to focus on their work over the summer with dedicated faculty mentorship whether in a lab, a studio, or other arrangement. Foltz and the CCS faculty envisioned expanding the SURF program into something more––taking it a step forward for these student scholars and creators to present in a professional peer-like setting.  SURF student recipients are asked to participate in RACA-CON in the fall following their summer fellowships. All CCS students are encouraged to participate in RACA-CON.

A Chronicle of Student Experiences at RACA-CON

“I felt that RACA-CON was the place where we could all show that no matter how niche our topics were, they were just as meaningful and important. At the end of the day, we are all trying to make sense of our universe. I want to encourage more Writing & Literature, Art, and Music students to present their work at RACA-CON. Our research will be uniquely different, but still worth sharing to others. It is important for us to be examples to the first-years coming in that this is an opportunity they all can have! My research was about Nicaraguan poetry used as a catalyst for political change, but my presentation focused on why it’s important that , as a society, we should recognize the power of literature.”

––Lakshmi Garcia ‘26 (CCS Writing & Literature)

My talk was the highlight of my RACA-CON experience. The summer before freshman year I wrote the first thing I was proud of. I spent the entire summer thinking about it, and it came together fantastically. With a good piece of writing like that, participating in RACA-CON was a natural decision. My presentation was about a well-known theoretical approach for making quantum computers that might work, called topological quantum computation. I’ve spent the last year or so thinking about topological quantum computing in various contexts, so this was a natural choice. I think that I was able to convey my central message relatively well - physical systems governed by the mathematics of topology can be useful for quantum computation. The purpose is twofold. For math, physics, and computer science majors, this might be a topic of actual importance which they can latch onto as they form their conceptions of the world. For people less familiar with STEM, this presentation could have served as an introduction quantum computation, as well an introduction to mathematical physics as a whole."

––Milo Moses '26 (CCS Mathematics)

“RACA-CON is an incredible experience that helps to connect with people from very different backgrounds of study. As a presenter, I wanted to participate to engage with the CCS community and also improve my scientific communication skills to a general audience. I love the idea of sharing knowledge and being part of a larger conversation. The opportunity to contribute to that exchange, to bring something valuable to the table, and to connect with others who share similar interests is truly appealing. It's a chance to be part of a dynamic community and, hopefully, inspire and be inspired.  I feel like I accomplished creating an engaging and informative presentation that not only conveyed the key points effectively but also managed to connect with the audience. The ultimate goal was not just to deliver content but to leave the audience with a deeper understanding and perhaps a spark of curiosity! Meeting people who were genuinely interested in the topics discussed, sharing insights, and learning from the experiences of others made the whole experience rich and rewarding.  it was important to frame the information in a way that would resonate with a diverse audience. This meant finding common ground and bridging the gap between my field and others, emphasizing the broader implications and applications of the topic. While listening to poster presentations from different fields, interdisciplinary thinking allowed me to draw connections between seemingly disparate ideas. It opened up new perspectives and insights, enriching my understanding of the subject matter. It also encouraged me to ask questions that considered the broader implications of the research or ideas presented.” 

–– Kevin Ogbonna ‘24 (CCS Biology)

“There were more research topics which were interdisciplinary than I expected, including my own. I think this shows that the interesting projects are often at the border between disciplines, and thinking in an interdisciplinary way can allow one to make great contributions My presentation was about constructing and analyzing a theoretical model which could explain how cells in the organism “hydra” sense that they are in a topological defect in the muscle fibers of said organism, and differentiate. I feel accomplished in my presentation because I feel I was able to concisely and clearly explain my research to a wider audience. Milo Moses’ presentation was right after mine, and he also talked about topological defects in the case of a quantum computer. Milo is a math major, and so it was interesting to see another perspective on topological defects. Nico Simmons-Golassi’s presentation was on synthesizing certain molecules, and I was impressed at his explanation of his research because it took a very complicated topic and made it clear to understand.” 

––Myles O'Leary '24 (CCS Physics) (CCS SURF Roig Fellow)

 “RACA-CON was an amazing opportunity to explore new ideas within the CCS community. The conference fostered an environment of support every step of the way that will be a vital testing ground as we move through our careers. I really appreciated the opportunity to share my work in a setting so unusual for my field. My presentation was on my coastal soundscape ecology research over the summer and the resulting recorded album based on it. It was tricky to figure out how to convey all that went into the project in a condensed presentation medium. I was really happy that the brief talk was able to explain the concept, dive into the process, and showcase specific pieces. I feel like it captured a reflective glimpse of the project and resonated resoundingly with the audience. I was really inspired seeing all the different projects and types of research being pursued by my peers. It made me proud to be a part of this academic community. I felt totally supported and excited by what other student researchers were doing. It was also pretty validating to see such interest in my poster, after the talk, from people that weren’t familiar with the field or ideas relating to my project.”

––Lucian Parisi '24 (CCS Music Composition) (CCS SURF Kelly Fellow)

2023 CCS RACA-CON Student Presenters

CCS congratulates all the students who presented at 2023 CCS RACA-CON and to the dedicated faculty who guided their creative projects and research endeavors.

Pariya Akhiani ‘24 (CCS Mathematics) (CCS SURF Dean's Mathematics Fellow)

Jesus Balandrano Ramirez ‘24 (CCS Art) 

Emily Beckett ‘25 (CCS Biology)

Cole Bentley ‘24 (CCS Physics)

Simon Blanch ‘25 (CCS Physics) (CCS SURF Dean’s Physics Fellow)

Sophia Campion ‘24 (CCS Writing & Literature) (CCS SURF Fang Fellow)

Kara Chatterton ‘24 (CCS Biology) (CCS SURF Proctor Fellow)

Sogol Cyrusian ‘24 (CCS Mathematics) 

Tommy Dan ‘25 (CCS Physics) (CCS SURF Dean’s Physics Fellow)

Rachel Davis ‘24 (CCS Biology) (CCS SURF Dean’s Biology Fellow)

Aurora de Tagyos ‘24 (CCS Chemistry & Biochemistry)

Zachary de Tagyos ‘24 (CCS Mathematics) (CCS SURF Dean’s Mathematics Fellow)

Moxie Evan ‘24 (CCS Art) (CCS SURF Dean’s Art Fellow)

Andrew Fee ‘24 (CCS Physics) (CCS SURF Dean’s Physics Fellow)

Jane Feng ‘25 (CCS Biology) (CCS SURF Tiffney Fellow)

Coleman Forth ‘25 (CCS Chemistry & Biochemistry) (CCS SURF Dr. Rajendra Singh Fellow)

Abhinav (Montu) Ganesh ‘24 (CCS Physics) 

Lakshmi Garcia ‘26 (CCS Writing & Literature)

Chengsheng Ge ‘24 (CCS Physics) (CCS SURF Dean’s Physics Fellow)

Isabella Gennuso ‘24 (CCS Physics) (CCS SURF Dean’s Physics Fellow)

Joseph Gott ‘24 (CCS Chemistry & Biochemistry)

Sofia Hillman ‘24 (CCS Physics) 

Aaron Huang ‘25 (CCS Physics) (CCS SURF Dean’s Physics Fellow)

Aidan Ireland ‘25 (CCS Physics) (CCS SURF Dean’s Physics Fellow)

Sachi Jauhari ‘26 (CCS Chemistry & Biochemistry) (CCS SURF Dean’s Chemistry & Biochemistry Fellow)

Joowon Jung ‘24 (CCS Physics) 

Chloe Kerr-Stein ‘24 (CCS Writing & Literature) (CCS SURF Fang Fellow)

Griffin Kramer ‘25 (CCS Biology) 

Gabriel Kumar ‘25 (CCS Physics)

Max Laubstein ‘25 (CCS Biology)

Ariel Lee ‘23 (CCS Chemistry & Biochemistry) 

Chongtao Li ‘24 (CCS Chemistry & Biochemistry) (CCS SURF Aue Fellow)

Runze Li ‘24 (CCS Mathematics) 

Yuan Li ‘25 (CCS Physics)

Alex Lim ‘25 (CCS Computing) (CCS SURF Dean’s Computing Fellow)

Kelly Malone ‘24 (CCS Art) (CCS SURF Dean’s Art Fellow)

Aidan Miller Mcshan ‘25 (CCS Chemistry & Biochemistry)

Milo Moses ‘26 (CCS Mathematics)

Myles O’Leary ‘24 (CCS Physics) (CCS SURF Roig Fellow) 

Kevin Ogbonna ‘24 (CCS Biology) 

Morgan Ohana ‘24 (CCS Physics) (CCS SURF Dean’s Physics Fellow)

Ekaterina Osipova ‘25 (CCS Physics) (SURF Dean’s Physics Fellow)

Lucian Parisi ‘24 (CCS Music Composition) (CCS SURF Kelly Fellow)

Conor Pugsley ‘26 (CCS Chemistry & Biochemistry) 

Mai Qi ‘24 (CCS Physics) (CCS SURF Roig Fellow) 

Samyuktha Ramanan ‘25 (CCS Physics) 

Daniel Ravicz ‘25 (CCS Physics) (CCS SURF Ben-Yaacov Fellow)

Eliott Schaffer ‘26 (CCS Physics) 

Jordan Scott Fishburn ‘24 (CCS Chemistry & Biochemistry)

Sasha Senal ‘24 (CCS Writing & Literature) 

Luka Sever-Walter ‘25 (CCS Physics) (CCS SURF Dean’s Physics Fellow)

Maria Shapiro ‘24 (CCS Biology) (CCS SURF Foltz Fellow) 

Janhavi Singhal ‘26 (CCS Physics)

Elaina Smolin ‘24 (CCS Writing & Literature) (CCS SURF Dean’s Writing & Literature Fellow)

Amy Somers ‘26 (CCS Mathematics)

Peiyang Song ‘26 (CCS Computing) 

Nico Symons Galassi’24 (CCS Chemistry & Biochemistry) 

Aidan Tydings ‘25 (CCS Biology) 

Matthew Unger ‘26 (CCS Biology) 

Matthew Verheul ‘24 (CCS Mathematics) (CCS SURF Dean’s Mathematics Fellow)

Guy Wilks ‘24 (CCS Computing) (CCS SURF Dean’s Computing Fellow)

July Wu ‘25 (CCS Biology)

Henry Yuan ‘25 (CCS Physics) (CCS SURF Dean’s Physics Fellow)

Eric Zhu ‘26 (CCS Physics) (CCS SURF Dean’s Physics Fellow)