UCSB Interdisciplinary Humanities Center

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.

🚨 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

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/

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.

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.

The Interdisciplinary Humanities Center welcomes Dr. Peichi (Paige) Waite as its new Associate Director. In this role, she manages a portfolio of IHC awards and programs. Prior to this role, she spent two decades in higher education as an advisor, instructor, researcher, and administrator. At Rutgers University – New Brunswick, she launched a campus-wide program that taught students to draw upon diverse arts practices to maintain and enrich their social and emotional well-being.

Thank you to Josephine Metcalf, Ben Olguín, Luis J. Rodríguez, Ralph Armbruster-Sandoval, and everyone who joined us to hear about Metcalf and Olguín's new co-edited volume, The Life, Literature and Legacy of Luis J. Rodríguez: In the Long Run!

🚨 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

Thank you to Alicia Boswell, Heather Blurton, Howard Chiang, and everyone who joined our 2025–26 Faculty Fellows for a great conversation about their works-in-progress!