Category: Public Affairs

  • New GRIT Talks from UCSB

    Get an up-close look at ground-breaking research and innovative technology from UCSB. Geared towards the community, these talks present the best minds from UCSB covering a wide-range of topics in science, medicine, technology and more. Check out these recent programs: The Challenges That Society Brings to Engineering Designs Understand the unique challenges that surface when […]

  • Innovation and Culture at the Border

    Tijuana – San Diego, Ciudad Juarez – El Paso; these regions share economic and cultural linkages in dynamic cross-border regions. The Institute of the Americas and the Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program hosted a fascinating event that highlighted success stories and dynamism in the innovative and creative environment of border regions. Speakers include Regina […]

  • Universities and Cities Working Together to Build Strong Communities

    As the former president of the University of Pennsylvania, Judith Rodin understands first-hand the power of universities to impact surrounding neighborhoods and communities. In this Helen Edison presentation, Rodin explores their transformative potential. “Over the last few decades, a host of anchor institutions have breathed new life into communities and they have forged new pathways […]

  • The Water Wars Have Begun

    The Water Wars are coming – and according to Executive Producer Lynne Kirby, they’re already here. Concerned about what her daughter would drink in the years ahead, Kirby became passionate about water conservation issues. She knew water was going to be a big issue in the decades to come – that water would be the […]

  • Are Robots Going to Hurt or Help? Let’s Talk Driverless Cars with Jennifer Granholm

    Imagine a not-too-distant future where gasoline-powered engines disappear and we all travel in electric, driverless cars that don’t pollute the air. And, a future where the actual number of cars on the road decreases because we’ll all participate in a transportation sharing service rather than owning our own vehicles. That’s the vision presented by former […]

  • Preparing For Life After Incarceration

    “The first 72 hours of freedom, says Nicholas Alexander of the Reentry Success Center are the most fraught with danger. Without a job or a place to live, newly released inmates are at high risk for finding trouble. That’s a situation that Alexander and his colleagues in Richmond, CA are working hard to prevent. They […]

  • Protecting Women from Domestic Violence: In the Living Room with Sudha Shetty

    Smart thinking! That’s the reaction many had when Sudha Shetty told the story of how she reached women in Seattle’s South Asian community who may have been victims of abuse. As the then-head of Chaya, a domestic violence prevention program, Shetty tried to speak at numerous public events in order to raise awareness of the […]

  • Flip the Script with the Career Channel

    53,000. That is the number of young adults ages 16–24 in San Diego County who are NOT in school or working. This is a shocking statistic — and one that must change. The story is not final, but we must act now to flip the script from “disconnection” to “opportunity.” These are opportunity youth. When […]

  • Food Justice: Economics, Ethics, Access

    What a group! You know you’re watching something special when Dolores Huerta, the legendary co-founder of the United Farm Workers and Rose Hayden-Smith, the PhD author who writes the UC Food Observer blog are flanked by passionate leaders in healthcare, social justice, and organic farming – all talking about the policies and politics that lead […]

  • The Politics of Food – Food Choice, Food Production and the Food Movement

    Behind every bite of food, there is a policy that influenced its production. Marion Nestle, NYU Professor and prize-winning author, finds a paradox in today’s global food system in that food insecurity or obesity threaten the health and welfare of half the world’s population yet there is an overabundant and overly competitive food system that […]