About the Institute for Social Transformation

Scholars at UC Santa Cruz take an unflinching look at the forces that shape our world. We are known for transformative work that addresses critical social issues. We strive to achieve environmental regeneration, democratic revitalization, and equity, access, and opportunity for all. We share a commitment to social justice. We do this work through rigorous research that is complemented by the hands-on engagement of our students and strong partnerships beyond the academic world. We build intellectual and community collaborations, proposing bold and innovative solutions to urgent social and environmental problems.

The Institute for Social Transformation builds on the campus’s progressive values, while simultaneously serving as an incubator for new ideas and an accelerator for pathbreaking scholarship in the public interest. The institute sharpens our focus, and facilitates faculty collaboration, with a persistent determination to create positive change.

The Institute for Social Transformation was founded in 2018 by Social Sciences Dean Katharyne Mitchell as part of a broader vision of the social sciences at UC Santa Cruz.  It relies on divisional support and the generous contributions of donors, foundations, and grants.