Baskin School of Engineering Projects

AI Explainability and Accountability (AIEA) Lab: Support the Science of Safer AI

The AI Explainability and Accountability (AIEA) Lab is dedicated to making artificial intelligence systems more transparent, trustworthy, and aligned with human values. Our team of 9 PhDs and postdocs, 20+ Master's students and 50+ undergraduate students develops tools and frameworks that help people understand how AI makes decisions and when it fails. By supporting the AIEA Lab, you're empowering a new generation of scientists to build safe, responsible, explainable AI for all.

Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)

Your support for the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) helps create engaging experiences for members and advance the mission of ACM. The organization empowers students through:
- Community events and professional development workshops
- Cutting-edge projects, including Slug Loop, SWE developments, and the Undergraduate AI Research Lab
- Industry connections through company tours and conferences
- Hosting impactful hackathons and much more!

Association for Computing Machinery for Women (ACM-W)

ACM-W at UC Santa Cruz is a club that supports women in computing through community and resources. We’re currently raising funds to provide scholarships for students to attend the Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC), the world’s largest gathering of women technologists. GHC offers valuable networking, educational talks, and career opportunities for women in tech. Last year, thanks to Giving Day and Spring Give, we funded four students to attend GHC 2025. With your support, we hope to send even more in 2026—help us make this life-changing opportunity accessible to more women in computer science.

Autoslug: Funding for AI, ML, and CV research

Autoslug focuses on research and development in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and computer vision. It's first project is an innovative computer vision model that translates real-time American Sign Language (ASL) into human-readable English, fostering communication between the deaf and hearing communities. The second project, ModBot, is an autonomous modular machine with a custom swerve drivetrain, enabling it to navigate through crowded environments and varied terrains while adapting its components for optimal performance in different scenarios. The third project is a collaboration with Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Steve McGuire's lab to simulate a Unitree B1 robot dog.

Baskin Day

Baskin Day is an annual student-organized event celebrating achievements and community within Baskin Engineering at the Baskin Courtyard. Each year, the event features a variety of activities: BE-affiliated clubs host tables to recruit new members and highlight their achievements; attendees enjoy free snacks and swag; several faculty give research talks throughout the day to showcase UCSC research; and local industry professionals participate in a panel to discuss diversity in careers.

Bioinformatics Club at UC Santa Cruz

UCSC Bioinformatics Club facilitates a space for students interested in Bioinformatics. They provide an engaging and uplifting environment for members to build connections with like-minded peers. Through hackathons, speaker events and technical workshops we help students gain insight into the industry and research opportunities available on campus.

Blueprint at UC Santa Cruz

UCSC Blueprint is a student-run organization that helps build websites and mobile apps for local nonprofits at no cost, bridging the gap between innovation and social impact at UC Santa Cruz. Donations would help UCSC Blueprint upgrade tools and resources for more robust project development, host workshops and events to enhance skills and strengthen the Blueprint community, cover costs for essential services that keep projects running smoothly, and continue hosting our annual Blueprint for Change Summit. The summit showcases yearly projects, highlight local nonprofits, and gives community members a chance to connect with speakers.

CruzHacks: UC Santa Cruz's Premier Hackathon

CruzHacks is UC Santa Cruz’s largest student-run hackathon, bringing together a diverse community of students to build real-world tech solutions for challenges in education, health, sustainability, and justice. Open to all skill levels, the event provides free access to mentorship, hands-on workshops, meals, and tools that support learning and collaboration. With your support, CruzHacks 2026 will grow equity-centered programming, expand industry mentorship, and remain free and accessible for every student. Contributions directly fund technology, venue costs, and meals that keep participants energized and engaged throughout the weekend.

Dean's Opportunity Fund: Baskin Engineering

By investing in the Dean’s Opportunity Fund, you enable us to use unrestricted funds to meet compelling needs and help promising projects and programs come to fruition. Gifts to this fund help achieve significant dividends for Baskin Engineering: our faculty and students accomplish dynamic, ground-breaking research, and our graduates leave the campus with skills that prepare them to make a difference in the world. The Dean’s Opportunity Fund plays a key role in this. We encourage you to help us build on 25 years of excellence and innovation.

Engineering Teaching Community (ETC): Improving engineering through community

Supporting the Engineering Teaching Community (ETC) at Baskin Engineering is one way to say “yes” — you want to see learning experiences improve for students in engineering. All donations will be used to promote inclusive teaching practices and support all students to learn, regardless of background or prior experience. Gifts help to change the culture of learning in engineering to be welcoming, inclusive, and engaging.

First Generation Engineering Scholarships

The First-Generation Engineering Scholarship fund supports students who will be the first in their families to graduate from college. The undergraduate scholarships help reduce or eliminate loans and the need for non-career-related work to cover housing, meals, and tuition. Reducing outside work obligations allows students to devote more time to studying, participating in engineering clubs or labs, and taking full advantage of Baskin Engineering opportunities while building their professional networks. The more time students dedicate to their major and related programs, the more likely they are to complete their degree and complete it within a realistic timeline. Donations to the scholarship help students focus on academics, graduate with less debt, and gain greater career options and economic mobility. 

Formula Slug

Formula Slug's mission is to empower the next generation of engineers by providing hands-on experience through the design and development of electric vehicles as part of the Formula SAE competition. The team strives to foster innovation, teamwork, and technical excellence, preparing members for successful careers in engineering and beyond. Funding would support the purchase equipment, components, and materials necessary for building the electric vehicle, as well as travel to competitions.

Game Design and Art Collaboration

The Game Design and Art Collaboration (GDA) is a student-led game development community with over 100 active members every year. For the past 10+ years, GDA has promoted the collaborative work of students across creative and technical disciplines, with an emphasis on networking and skill-sharing. Funding helps us run programs like workshops, industry guest speakers, and our annual 20-week game development project!

Genomics Institute Research Mentoring Internship (RMI) program

Support the Research Mentoring Internship program (RMI), which raises funds to promote diversity and excellence in STEM education (STEM = Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). The RMI program is open to all majors interested in genomics. Its goal is to foster an interdisciplinary and diversified approach to both research and data collection and promote inclusive representation in STEM. Donations support scholarships, professional development, research skill development, and conference attendance. This directly benefits first-generation students from under-resourced communities in STEM fields, with an emphasis on genetics and genomics.

Girls in Engineering

Girls in Engineering is an interactive engineering camp for middle school students designed to build confidence and spark a lifelong passion for engineering and problem-solving. The program inspires and demystifies pathways to the study of engineering and careers in STEM. Girls in Engineering is offered at no cost to participants and serves local middle school students from schools with high percentages of students who are low-income, first-generation, or from under-resourced educational backgrounds. To remove barriers to participation, the program provides free daily shuttle transportation to and from camp, lunch, snacks, and all necessary materials. Each year, demand exceeds capacity, and some students are unable to attend because the camp fills up quickly. Your support will help add additional camp sessions to serve more students in summer 2026 and beyond. During the program, students create their own robots, tinker with circuit boards, program their first computer-controlled video game, and envision themselves as engineers.

Girls Who Code: Tech Conference Fund

Girls Who Code at UC Santa Cruz is a student-led organization open to all students, dedicated to supporting under-resourced students in tech through skill-building, mentorship, and community. Donations help our members attend leading conferences such as the Grace Hopper Celebration, WECode, and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) conference. These events provide hands-on learning, career-building opportunities, and exposure to the broader tech community. Contributions go directly toward registration, travel, and lodging costs, removing financial barriers so students can fully engage in these opportunities.

Google Developer Group on Campus: Community Events

Google Developer Group on Campus at UC Santa Cruz is a part of the global GDGC community, offering an inclusive, collaborative space for anyone interested in exploring technology. We host technical workshops, fun socials, and two, quarter-long team project competitions, where members build and present software applications, followed by a presentation to judges and other members of the club. With your support, you can help us continue building a strong community of students with valuable technical and professional skills. Thank you for being so supportive by helping us maintain our community!

Handheld Non-invasive Nanopore Test to Detect Cancer Early: Powered by UCSC Undergrads

Early detection is one of the most powerful tools in the fight against cancer- it can mean the difference between a chance at life and a terminal diagnosis. We are a team of undergraduate researchers in the Daniel Kim Lab at UC Santa Cruz developing a portable, low-cost test that detects cancer-specific RNA in blood using handheld nanopore sequencing. This non-invasive approach has the potential to transform early cancer screening and make it accessible to all. Your support will directly accelerate the development of this life-saving technology- join us in making early detection equitable and possible for everyone.

International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM)

The UC Santa Cruz International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) team participates in a competition that brings together interdisciplinary undergraduate teams from around the world to tackle pressing global challenges through synthetic biology. The team dedicates more than 40 hours a week to designing, building, and presenting a student-led project that combines molecular engineering, bioinformatics, and real-world problem-solving. iGEM provides hands-on experience that goes beyond the classroom, cultivating leadership, collaboration, and innovation. By engaging in every aspect of the project—from lab work to outreach—our students are becoming the next generation of scientists and changemakers.

National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) at UC Santa Cruz    

The UC Santa Cruz chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) is dedicated to increasing the number of culturally responsible Black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally, and positively impact the community. By fostering a supportive environment, NSBE helps Black engineers develop professional skills, create networking opportunities, and maintain academic excellence and confidence. Support can drive significant change, promoting a more inclusive and innovative future in engineering and technology. Contributions help bridge the diversity gap and expand career development opportunities including career fairs, workshops, and conferences, empowering students to succeed in their engineering careers.

Rocket Team at UC Santa Cruz

The UCSC Rocket Team is the first student-run organization at UC Santa Cruz devoted to all things aerospace and rocketry. Each school year, the team participates in the world's largest rocketry competition, the International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC). Students gain valuable experience in practical engineering, aerospace research, and large-scale team projects. By designing and building rockets each year, members develop skills in collaboration and problem-solving related to rocket flight. The team's mission is to design and build high-power model rockets that address current challenges in space exploration and aerospace engineering, positioning UC Santa Cruz as a leader in sustainable and effective rocketry.

Santa Cruz Artificial Intelligence Club

SCAI is the AI club at UCSC. We focus on education and teaching people about, and how to use AI through instructional meetings where we teach about different AI models and algorithms and quarterly competitions to make one's own ML model supported by weekly workshops. These along with more competitions and events help bring people in the space together and help facilitate learning about, and how to create ML.

Santa Cruz Artificial Intelligence Club: Support “SCAI Is No Limit,” AI Competition

Since 2022, UC Santa Cruz has hosted "SCAI Is No Limit," a quarter-long AI competition at UC Santa Cruz, where students develop AI projects based on a theme, supported by weekly workshops and judged presentations for prizes. These workshops are integral as they promote accessibility by covering everything needed to build a Neural Network from scratch, making the competition accessible even to those with little prior knowledge in the field. By equipping participants with comprehensive skills from the ground up, these sessions not only level the playing field but also empower students to effectively utilize this powerful tool in their future endeavors. Most of the winners are new to learning AI, highlighting that this initiative not only addresses the industry relevance of AI but also underscores the importance of accessible education at UCSC, fostering innovation among its diverse student body. Your donation supports prizes, technology, and a collaborative environment, aiming to establish "SCAI Is No Limit" as a premier collegiate competition that champions both learning and practical application in artificial intelligence. Visit Santa Cruz Artificial Intelligence Club for more information.

Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) at UC Santa Cruz

The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) provides an inclusive space that supports and empowers engineering students from under-resourced communities in STEM. In 2025, 13 members attended the SHPE National Convention, and eight of them received job or internship offers after participating in professional workshops hosted with alumni and industry leaders. The organization brings members together through signature study sessions, where students study, share knowledge, and build life-long friendships. Your support will help SHPE send more than 10 students to the 2026 SHPE Convention by covering registration, travel, and lodging, and support community-building events with meals and school supplies. Every dollar you contribute helps members feel seen, supported, and ready to thrive in spaces where they are underrepresented.

Slug Gaming – UCSC Gaming for All

Slug Gaming is UC Santa Cruz’s student-run gaming & esports organization, building community through casual and competitive gaming by providing a welcoming atmosphere regardless of background or skill level. We are raising funds to support our player's collegiate esports journeys; covering tournament fees, travel, jerseys, and more. With over 300 active members, our club provides opportunities for students to grow socially, competitively, and professionally. Your support helps create inclusive spaces for all students in the UCSC gaming community.

Slug Security: Real-World Cybersecurity Skills at UCSC

Slug Security is UC Santa Cruz's premier cybersecurity club. The club continues to expand its Cyber Range program, providing hands-on learning opportunities where students practice real cybersecurity skills in a safe environment. Students work together on attack and defense exercises, learning from each other while gaining practical experience. This year, the program is focused on creating additional learning scenarios and supporting more students interested in cybersecurity. Your support will help Slug Security grow the program and provide students with the hands-on training needed for careers in cybersecurity.

Slugbotics: UC Santa Cruz's robotics club
Slugbotics is UC Santa Cruz’s robotics club. The team works on projects ranging from combat robotics to underwater robotics, and more. Slugbotics fosters an inclusive space where students can participate in robotics with a motivated community supporting their ideas. The club is an integral part of Baskin Engineering, allowing students to apply classroom knowledge to. a variety of robotics projects and gain hands-on experience. Donations will help purchase necessary tools and equipment, and cover travel stipends for competitions and conferences, including MATE ROV World Championship, Open Sauce, and NorCal Smackdown.

SlugSat

SlugSat at UC Santa Cruz is a student-run engineering club focused on building and launching a small satellite, or cubesat, into low Earth orbit. The project provides hands-on experience across multiple disciplines, including electrical engineering, computer science, robotics, and aerospace engineering. Funding supports a wide range of expenses, including basic components, off-the-shelf hardware, travel to conferences, and launch costs. Your donations help advance UC Santa Cruz's work in satellite engineering and provide students with practical, interdisciplinary experience in aerospace projects.

Slugworks

Slugworks is UC Santa Cruz’s campus-wide creatorspace, open to students of all majors who want to design, build, and explore hands-on projects. Located in the Jack Baskin Engineering Building, Slugworks supports student-led innovation through workshops, experiential learning classes, and collaboration with engineering clubs such as Formula Slug, Slugbotics, and the Rocket Team. Donations help improve access to tools, upgrade materials for workshops, and expand inclusive programs that welcome students of all skill levels. Gifts directly support creative learning experiences that help students turn their ideas into reality.

Tech4Good Student Programs

The Tech4Good Lab conducts research in social computing, exploring the intersection of computational systems and social interaction. The lab's mission is to develop systems that integrate design, modeling, and algorithms to support individual and societal flourishing in work, education, community engagement, and governance.

Treehouse Childhood Cancer Initiative Mentorship Program

Children with cancer need more treatment options. The UCSC Treehouse team has developed an innovative RNA analysis that provides answers that similar DNA tests can miss, and now, with our newly certified clinical lab, we can scale up our analysis to make it available to more kids.

Part of scaling up is training more students in computational biology and our team's specialized approaches—and that's where you come in! This Giving Day, you can support the Treehouse Undergraduate Bioinformatics Immersion (TUBI) program, where we mentor students as they contribute to the search for new cancer treatments, allowing them to make a real impact while they gain invaluable research and career training.

Your gift to TUBI will help prepare a member of the next generation of scientists to join us in our mission of defeating childhood cancer.

Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE)

WiSE at UC Santa Cruz promotes equity and inclusion in STEM. The organization works to advance women and students from educationally disadvantaged or under-resourced backgrounds in STEM fields, helping them overcome barriers to entry and succeed in their studies and careers. Donations support WiSE programs and activities for K-12 students, UCSC undergraduate and graduate students, and the broader Santa Cruz community. These include STEM education, professional development workshops and mentoring, social events, and more. Visit Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) at UC Santa Cruz to learn more and sign up for the weekly newsletter.

The programs and services described here are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiative—whether a student service, faculty program, or community event—is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities.

To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy Statement for University of California Publications Regarding Student-Related Matters.