
Our Mission
Rooted in the Social Sciences Division at UC Santa Cruz, the institute supports innovative scholarship that changes the world. The institute is a critical intellectual and social hub, connecting scholars across UC Santa Cruz and partners beyond the University, developing research-based solutions to urgent problems in the world.
Events of Interest
JAVIER ZAMORA- SOLITO: A MEMOIR
IN-STORE EVENT: Bookshop Santa Cruz and Research Center for the Americas at UC Santa Cruz welcome poet Javier Zamora for a discussion of his moving, page-turning memoir, Solito—the unforgettable story of …
Find out more »RCA 30th Anniversary Celebration: Sharing Futures, Speaking Truths
A 30th anniversary celebration of the RCA will be an event not to be missed! It will be held at the Cowell Hay Barn on October 20, 2022. Join us …
Find out more »All-In: Co-Creating Knowledge for Justice Conference
Save the date and be a part of this 3-day national conference that focuses on sharing strategies to expand and deepen collaborative approaches for the truly equitable co-production of knowledge. We will explore the dynamic links between campus-community partnerships, hands-on research, and student-community engagement. Together we can build partnerships for change.
Find out more »John R Lewis College presents: Students as Agents of Transformative Change
“Every generation leaves behind a legacy. What that legacy will be is determined by the people of that generation. What legacy do you want to leave behind?” ― John Lewis, Across That Bridge: A Vision for Change and the Future of America
Featuring Xavier Livermon, Ileana Waddy, Ivan Vega,Mak Aruta Konefał, Chris Cuadrado. Watch it here >>
#WeChooseNow: Climate Justice From the Southern Frontlines
On April 4th, Colette Pichon Battle, Executive Director of the Gulf Coast Center for Law & Policy, was in conversation with UC Santa Cruz professor Flora Lu and graduate student Chris Lang. They discussed the urgent need: to stop investing in the same extractive industries that divide and harm us; to demand that corporations pay their fair share on an equitable and transformative recovery; to rebuild our communities better; and to act from a position of love and abundance together.