CCS hosts a record-breaking RACA-CON 2024

Research and creative activities conference showcases 47 talks and 64 poster presentations across all nine CCS majors

The UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) College of Creative Studies (CCS) hosted the eighth annual Research and Creative Activities Conference (RACA-CON) on November 2, 2024, breaking records for participation. Held in the innovative Interactive Learning Pavilion (ILP), the interdisciplinary event showcased 47 talks and 64 poster presentations across all nine CCS majors, drawing more than 230 attendees, including family, friends, alumni, students, donors, and faculty.

The conference kicked-off with a welcome address by CCS Dean Timothy Sherwood (then Interim). “RACA-CON is one of my favorite days of the whole year,” said Dean Sherwood. “I am always blown away by the creativity, expertise, care, and dedication that go into all of these projects. Celebrating their ongoing research and creative work fills me with such pride and joy.”

Following welcome remarks, 47 student talks were held across four ILP lecture halls, showcasing a wide range of topics across all CCS majors. One guest remarked, “I especially enjoyed hearing the talks about V-pop music and the Vietnamese language, as well as the [presentation] about ceramics and the Chinese language. They were both terrific examples of interdisciplinary scholarship and creative work, which is one of the special aspects of CCS.” Each presentation lasted seven minutes, followed by a brief Q&A session.

One attendee praised the quality of the talks, noting, “Talks were outstanding, very well organized and presented, designed at just the right level of detail for the audience.”

After the talks, guests and presenters gathered in the courtyard for two half-hour poster sessions. Guests enjoyed refreshments while engaging with students in one-on-one discussions, allowing for deeper exploration of their work and ideas.

Spectrum Literary Journal, a student-run publication and the longest-standing literary magazine in the UC system, added an interactive touch with a “poem store,” where Spectrum members crafted free, personalized poems for attendees.

Upon later reflection, Sherwood highlighted the increased diversity of student involvement this year. “We had more participation from all of our majors than ever before! Thank you to the students who took time out of their busy schedules to share their work, to the faculty mentors for their guidance, and to those who have generously supported these activities in so many ways,” he said.

About RACA-CON

All CCS students that have completed a creative or research project are eligible to apply, including the CCS Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF), who present the culmination of their summer projects at the RACA-CON poster session. SURF, established in 1985 by Professor Emeritus Don Aue, supports students in pursuing research and creative projects under faculty mentorship during the summer.

Since its inception as part of the College’s 50th Anniversary celebration, RACA-CON has grown into a signature event for the CCS community. The event, launched in the fall of 2017 under the leadership of former CCS Interim Dean Kathleen “Kathy” Foltz, serves as an opportunity for the CCS and broader UCSB community to learn about the creative work of students across all nine (then eight) CCS majors. Students are able to present short talks, poster presentations, and visual displays of original works in a professional setting, with the goal of making their research accessible to a general audience. 

Learn more about RACA-CON’s history.

View the CCS RACA-CON 2024 program.

Photography credit: Jeffrey Liang

RACA-CON 2024 Student Testimonials: 

“I presented a talk at RACA-CON 2024 about my research experience as a senior high school student studying the New Zealand Greenshell mussel, which is cultivated in aquaculture farms, and exported throughout the world. My research focused on methods to investigate bacterial infections, which currently pose a threat to the industry, especially under climate warming. 

As a first year UCSB student, I was initially intimidated by the number of people, and the large size and formal environment of the presentation rooms. However, over the course of the day, I realized how supportive the audience was, and how incredibly brave the other presenters were, which gave me courage to stand up and give the last presentation of the day. 

Some of my favorite moments from the event were seeing all of the posters, and getting to meet and talk to such creative students. During the breaks I was also able to speak to many of the presenters, and ask further questions about their research. It was truly inspirational to see the wide range and depth of topics that were presented. I had never been to a conference where I could learn so much about so many fields, from the mathematics of knots to the properties of clay, the pitch of Vietnamese songs to the language of numerical equations. I was particularly impressed by the way the presenters were able to explain complex aspects of their research area in simple ways for everyone to understand. 

I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to develop my public speaking skills, and to have met so many kind and intelligent peers. I can't wait for RACA-CON 2025!”

—Ella Alfaro Campbell ‘28 (CCS Marine Science)

 

“My RACA-CON experience was rewarding, informative, and exciting! I loved learning about what my peers are experts on through their talks and posters. It was amazing to have people interested and asking questions about my research, and made me feel proud of myself for all of my hard work on my project. My presentation was about my project on mapping global locations that are optimal for both large scale seaweed farming and sequestering carbon on the seafloor.”

— Eva Bradman’25 (CCS Biology)

 

“I did both the poster and the talk, titled — From the Earth: Language and Ceramics. It was about my experience in Taiwan for 3 months studying Mandarin and working with local clay. It was an incredible learning experience that challenged me to consolidate my research to share and embrace speaking to an audience about my work. My favorite moment of RACA-CON was getting to talk to so many new faces that were interested in clay but come from diverse backgrounds. In particular, hearing what people took interest in from the process of my work was truly special. I really enjoyed watching my peers Amanda, Izlin and Sammy — It was great to familiarize myself with their ways of research”.

—Meiya Sidney ‘25 (CCS Art) Fang Fellow

 

2024 CCS RACA-CON Presenters

Talks

Poster Presentations