🎪 OSPO UC Santa Cruz Events | UCSC OSPO

UC Open Source Summit 2026

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

As open source reshapes research, infrastructure, and how academia connects with industry, the UC Open Source Summit 2026 brings together two days of collaboration and partnership. Researchers, developers, students, and industry leaders from across the University of California system will explore what’s next—from AI’s impact on academia to building sustainable research infrastructure.

Discover emerging UC projects before they reach the mainstream, build partnerships on production-ready technologies, and connect with the next generation of contributors. Whether you’re looking for research partners, hiring talent, solving technical problems, or contributing expertise back to the academic open source community, UC Open 2026 connects university innovation with real-world application.

United Nation's Reboot The Earth Hackathon Comes to UC Santa Cruz

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Registration

The United Nations and UC Santa Cruz’s Baskin School of Engineering are partnering to host the West Coast’s first “Reboot the Earth” hackathon on November 7-8, 2025, at the UC Santa Cruz Silicon Valley Center. The event will bring together developers to create technological solutions addressing the climate crisis, specifically focusing on wildfire detection, response, and impact — challenges particularly relevant to California. Participants will work with open source tools, artificial intelligence, and open data sets to build solutions that can serve as digital public goods for local communities, with winning teams receiving six months of coaching from UN and Salesforce partners to scale their innovations.

See full story here! If you are interested in participating as a judge or mentor please contact Stephanie Lieggi.

Many more details available in this Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document 💫

Draft Agenda

Friday, November 7

Time		Session/Activity
9:00am		Attendee Check-in & Coffee/Light Refreshments
10:00am		Opening & Welcome
11:00am		Morning Working Session Begins
		(Workshops and Mentor Sessions)
12:15pm		Lunch & Networking
12:45pm		Afternoon Working Session Begins
		(Workshops and Mentor Sessions)
2:30pm		Coffee Break
5:30pm		Day 1 Concludes

Saturday, November 8

Time		Session/Activity
9:00am		Attendee Check-in & Coffee/Light Refreshments
9:30am		Morning Working Session Begins
		(Workshops and Mentor Sessions)
12:15pm		Lunch & Networking
12:45pm		Afternoon Working Session Begins
2:00pm		Project Submission Deadline / Preliminary Round Judging Begins
3:15pm		Finalists Announced
3:30pm		Pitches by Finalists
4:00pm		Social Hour & Project Showcase for ALL Participating Projects
5:00pm		Hackathon Winners Announced!
5:30pm		Event Concludes

Open Source SlugFest 2025

Tue, 27 May 2025 17:00:00 -0700

Come to hear about … and talk about … the amazing Open Source activities happening at UCSC!

Registration is free

All are welcome to join! The event begins with food and ends with a raffle.

WHEN & WHERE: Tuesday May 27 - starting at 5pm in the Baskin Courtyard; moving into E-180

Fun and informal event to celebrate Open Source at UCSC

5:00 – Event Starts / Food & socializing

5:50 – Welcome by the UCSC Open Source Program Office

6:00 - Lightning Talks & Discussions

7:00 - Raffle! (You must register to be included in the raffle and be present to claim the prize)

7:10 - Official Event closes (Sticking around to network is encouraged)

Who should come

Anyone from the UCSC community excited about working in Open Source. This includes:

Students interested and new to Open Source but wanting to learn more about how to get involved and build important skills
Students and researchers already working on projects and wanting to know more about on-campus support
Researchers interested in how to grow their OS communities and build sustainable ecosysystems

See you all there!

UC Open Source Summit 2025

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

REGISTRATION & FULL AGENDA

The University of California Open Summit (UC Open) 2025 will highlight the value open source has to the UC system and how UC contributions are a benefit to open source communities. This event welcomes UC faculty, technical staff, and students, as well as the industry and open source community interested in collaborating with UC researchers. The UC Open aims to leverage participants’ experience, knowledge, and expertise in order to increase the impact of the research and education on UC campuses. Our keynotes, panels, directed discussions and technical sessions will cover a wide range of issue relevant to open source communities inside and outside academia.

Special attention will be given to common challenges facing open source communities in the UC-system, and ways that collaborating across sectors can help meet these challenges.

Hacktoberfest @ UCSC!

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 18:00:00 -0700

Join us on campus Thursday, October 10 from 6-8pm, for a Hacktoberfest celebration, co-hosted by the UCSC Open Source Program Office and UCSC Girls Who Code! 👻

Come learn why we think open source is a great way to build your technical portfolio, meet cool people, and have an impact on the world – all at the same time. Plus, we’ll talk about how you can make your first contribution, or find new projects to work on if you’re a seasoned contributor.

→ Event details and registration (free): https://events.mlh.io/events/11767-hacktoberfest-ucsc

You’ll get a hands-on introduction to open source contribution, including:

Making a GitHub account (if you don’t already have one)
Fast-tracked verification for student developer benefits (including free Codespaces and Copilot hours)
Making a simple PR (pull request)

We’ll then talk about how you can keep this momentum going through contribution to Hacktoberfest projects throughout the month, even if you’ve never contributed to an open source project before.

Already have open source experience? Then come help mentor new contributors and meet other open source community members from across campus!

We’ll also have fall-themed snacks, plus some very cool swag from our friends at GitHub and raffle prizes chosen by students, for students 🏆

2024 UCSC Open Source Symposium

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Creating new communities, partnerships, and collaborations to amplify research impact with open source ✨

In-person registration is closed. You can still register to participate as a remote participant.

Overview

The Open Source Symposium is organized by the UC Santa Cruz Open Source Program Office (OSPO) and attendees must adhere to our event code of conduct.

The symposium is a hybrid event, hosted at the UC Santa Cruz Hay Barn on October 1. (In-person attendance is highly encouraged, but online participation is also welcome.) The schedule features keynotes, panels, and workshops with experts from industry, academia, and open source communities.

Our 14th Annual Oktoberfest reception will follow the main program.

This year’s event is free for all attendees! However, we welcome voluntary donations and sponsorship to support event costs; please see the end of this page for more details.

Agenda

Time		Session/Activity
09:00	-	Registration Open
		Light refreshments/coffee

09:30	-	Welcoming Remarks
		Presentation by UCSC OSPO Team

09:45	-	Panel on Open Source and AI
		Moderator: Karsten Wade; Panelists: Leilani Gilpin (UCSC); Alexy Khrabrov (Neo4j), Toby Morning (Musa Capital)

10:45	-	Break

11:00	-	Panel on Open Source for Agrifood
		Moderator: Rob Trice; Panelists: Brendan Dowdle, (farm-ng), Colleen Josephson (UCSC),Colin Rinta Stewart (Market.Organic), Drew Zabrocki (Totem / Purdue Open Ag Technology Center/International Fresh Produce Association)

12:15	-	Lunch

13:30	-	Keynote: From Code Education to Code Contribution
		Kate Hollenbach (Gray Area) and Xin Xin (Processing Foundation)

14:00	-	Panel on Open Source in Industry
		Moderator: James Davis (UCSC OSPO), Panelists: Arun Gupta (Intel), Neha Ojha (IBM/Ceph/UCSC Alumna), Tom Callaway (AWS), VM (Vicky) Brasseur (Semios)

15:00	-	Break

15:15	-	Keynote: The XZ Security Breach and Open Source Security - Lessons Learned
		Jarrod Millman (UC Berkeley) and Juanita Gomez (UCSC)

15:45	-	Open Source Ecosystems and Innovation at UCSC
		Moderator: Stephanie Lieggi, UCSC OSPO; Panelists: Jose Renau, (CSE Chair, Baskin Engineering); Giordon Stark (SCIPP), Emily Lovell (UCSC Open Source Incubator Fellow); Ben Legum (IBE Hub); Eric Vin (PhD Candidate/Scenic Project)

16:45	-	Meeting Wrap Up

17:00		Oktoberfest - must be 21+ to attend

19:00	-	Event ends

Logistics

Parking

Link to UCSC Campus and Parking Map

Parking permits are available for purchase through the TAPS website and can be done ahead of time or when you arrive at the event venue. Parking spaces are located near the Hay Barn (Lot 170), with overflow parking nearby in Lot 116.

Hotels in Santa Cruz

Dream Inn
175 West Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Call 831-426-4330 and ask for the UCSC rate (rates not available online)
The Hotel Paradox
611 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz, 95060
Use code UC0 online for the UCSC rate
Fairfield Inn and Suites
2956 Mission Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Use code UC0 online for the UCSC rate

Sponsorship

Do you or your organization want to support and promote open source innovation in academia? Do you want to foster collaboration between industry, academia and open source communities? Why not be a sponsor for the 2024 Open Source Research Symposium? Sponsors will be provided acknowledgement on the symposium website and agenda, plus designated space in our sponsor table area. If you might be interested in sponsoring, please contact Stephanie Lieggi (slieggi@ucsc.edu) or check out our How to Give page.

Open Source SlugFest 2024

Thu, 23 May 2024 17:00:00 -0700

Come to hear about … and talk about … the amazing Open Source activities happening on campus.

Registration is free (no-cost)

All are welcome to join!

~WHEN & WHERE: Thursday May 23 starting at 5pm in the Baskin Courtyard~

Due to on-going UAW Strike this event will be held remotely

Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 981 6785 1576
Passcode: 330167

Fun and informal event to celebrate Open Source at UCSC

5:00 – Event Starts

5:05 – Welcome by the UCSC Open Source Program Office

5:10 – Lightning talks with breaks for Q&A

6:15 – Wrap up and Raffle*

6:30- Event closes (zoom room will remain open for additional discussions/breakout sessions as needed)

We will use the registration list for the raffle entries. You will need to be present to claim prize

Who should come

Anyone from the UCSC community excited about working in Open Source. This includes:

Students interested and new to Open Source but wanting to learn more about how to get involved and build important skills
Students and researchers already working on projects and wanting to know more about on-campus support
Researchers interested in how to grow their OS communities and build sustainable ecosysystems

See you all there!

2023 UC Open Source Symposium

Wed, 27 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Join us in creating new communities, partnerships, and collaborations in amplifying research impact with open source.

Preliminary Agenda →

Registration Now Open

Three-day hybrid event (in-person attendance highly encouraged, online participation welcome) that includes keynote speakers, expert panels, and technical workshops, as well as poster presentations and lightening talks highlighting the work of our Open Source Research Experience students.
Wed 9/27, Day 1 (hybrid): single-track program with keynotes and panels, Oktoberfest reception in the evening, all at the UC Santa Cruz Cowell Hay Barn, breakfast, lunch, dinner provided.
Thu 9/28, Day 2 (hybrid): two-track program of workshops at the UC Santa Cruz Engineering 2 building, breakfast, lunch
Fri 9/29, Day 3 (online-only): single-track program with workshops.

The event is organized by the UC Santa Cruz Open Source Program Office (OSPO). This year we are offering four levels of sponsorships to help make this event possible. The event follows this code of conduct.

Free for UC affiliated and remote participants
Cost for non-UC affiliated participants: $299

Interested in sponsoring this event? Sponsors get complimentary registration, recognition and other benefits (see below)

Sponsorship Level	Amount	Benefits
Silver Sponsors	$500	Acknowledgements + 1 free registration
Silver Sponsors	$1,000	Acknowledgements + 2 free registration
Gold Sponsors	$2,000	Acknowledgements + 4 free registrations
Platinum Sponsors	$4,000	Acknowledgements + 8 free registrations

Logistics

Parking

Link to UCSC Campus and Parking Map

Day 1 at Hay Barn: Parking permits will be available near the Hay Barn (lot 170) with overflow parking nearby in lot 116. Parking permits will be available from attendants upon arrival at the Hay Barn. For late arrivals come to the reception desk in the Hay Barn.
Day 2 at Baskin Engineering: Parking permits provided upon arrival at CORE WEST Parking. When you arrive, drive to the third floor of CORE WEST and request a free permit from the attendants. If you arrive after 10am, please go to the parking kiosk at the main entrance to pick up your permit.

Hotels in Santa Cruz

Dream Inn
175 West Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Call 831-426-4330 and ask for the UCSC rate (rates not available online)
The Hotel Paradox
611 Ocean St., Santa Cruz, 95060
Use code UC0 online for the UCSC rate
Fairfield Inn and Suites
2956 Mission Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Use code UC0 online for the UCSC rate

Adam Kennedy (Voltron Data): Polygraph

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 14:00:00 -0700

This is an expanded version of Adam Kennedy’s presentation at the 2nd International Workshop on Composable Data Management Systems 2023 (CDMS) (agenda). The following abstract is copied from there.

The maturity and substantial investment in Apache Calcite establish it as the open source standard for query planning and optimization across numerous data tools. Nevertheless, utilizing Apache Calcite for dynamic query planning in a diverse tool stack with multiple languages has proven challenging. Through the integration of Apache Arrow, we introduce Polygraph: a language-independent, parse-free, and efficient format for query plans. Its purpose is to enhance plan interoperability, diminish latency and overheads, and facilitate dynamic query optimization. This experimental format allows for the efficient exchange of query plans between tools in diverse languages with minimal serialization overhead.

While future query engines are steering away from Java, Calcite remains the solitary mature option for query planning across a broad spectrum of workloads. Few alternatives come close to matching its features. However, Calcite relies on tree-based JSON or XML plan representations that do not readily lend themselves to certain optimizations and necessitate substantial overhead for serialization, I/O, and parsing. The commingling of planners and engines across languages is rare, unusual, and complex. Such approaches typically result in ad hoc, internal formats with limited reusability. Addressing these challenges, Polygraph relocates the query plan to Arrow. Polygraph employs a graph structure encoded with columnar storage techniques. Preliminary experiments indicate an order of magnitude reduction in query plan size compared to JSON encoding, without incurring copying and serialization overheads. Arrow provides zero-copy, shared-memory, and parse-free capabilities, along with fast RPC via Arrow Flight. In this representation, plan consumers only need to load the components and properties of a query plan required for a given computation. These efficiencies substantially reduce the latency between plan generation and query execution. Moreover, we envision significant potential for other advancements, including resource planning, ML preprocessing, and integration into ML training and inference.

Until recently, there was no urgent imperative to represent query plans efficiently. However, the escalating complexity and size of query graphs will persist as data tools become more deeply integrated into intricate ML workloads. Polygraph’s agile and decomposable graph representation empowers data engines to contribute to query optimization and resource management. Enhanced integration with top-tier ML systems becomes more viable, facilitating the incorporation of run-time compute planning and resource management into the query plan, utilizing tools like Apache Acero. The benefits extend beyond improvements in space efficiency and latency. Query sub-plans can be optimized in-situ using real-time hardware metrics. Value relations and broadcast tables can be seamlessly embedded in the plan as Arrow objects, accessed in a zero-copy manner. Large models can be directly incorporated into the query plan, incurring no loading cost until required. Increased investment in query plan representations, exemplified by Polygraph, supports the data community in keeping pace with advancements in new architectures and problem domains, such as AI.

Computational I/O Stack Workshop

Thu, 17 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

👋 Join us for an exciting event featuring IEEE Distinguished Lecturer Yoichiro Tanaka (Tohoku University) discussing technological and institutional innovations to make the computational I/O stack a reality!

Agenda & Media of Past Event

The introduction of computational data management services into the I/O stack, especially in storage and networking devices, requires both technological innovations and new relations between university and industry. This one-day workshop will convene experts from storage systems, open source, and community architecture to discuss technologies and strategies for a computational I/O stack with low market entry barriers.

The workshop will take place on August 17, 2023 from 10am to 5pm, at UC Santa Cruz, Engineering 2 (room to be confirmed) and is jointly organized by the IEEE Magnetics Society’s Distinguished Lecturers Program, the Skyhook Data Management community with funding by the National Science Foundation (TI-2229773), the Center for Research in Open Source Software (cross.ucsc.edu), and the Open Source Program Office, UC Santa Cruz (ospo.ucsc.edu).

Agenda & Media of Past Event

CROSS, Skyhook, and Polyphy

Thu, 27 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0000

We would like to invite you to a day-long hybrid workshop on April 27, 2023, entitled “CROSS, Skyhook, and Polyphy: Institutional support for creating Paths to Open Source Ecosystems for Open Source Products in Research." This hybrid workshop will be held at UC Santa Cruz with remote access for participants unable to attend in-person.

With support from an NSF Pathways to Enable Open Source Ecosystems (POSE) Phase 1 grant, the NSF Institute for Research and Innovation in Software for High-Energy Physics (IRIS-HEP), and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the goal of the workshop is to scope out self-sustaining ecosystems for the Skyhook and Polyphy projects and to create an institutional model within the Center for Research in Open Source Software (CROSS) and the Open Source Program Office (OSPO) UC Santa Cruz to create paths to sustainable open source ecosystems for research products across UC campuses.

A draft agenda for the event ~~will be provided by March 27~~ is available here as well as a white paper that will form the basis for the day’s discussion. The workshop’s interactive sessions will discuss strategies for creating and sustaining institutional support for creating open source ecosystems, using Skyhook and Polyphy as examples. We will also hear updates from our CROSS fellows about their research projects that are already creating open source products that likely will benefit from institutional support for open source ecosystems in the future.

2022 UC Santa Cruz Open Source Symposium

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 08:30:00 +0000

Join us in creating new communities, partnerships, and collaborations in amplifying research impact with open source.

In Case You Missed It, Recordings from The UC Santa Cruz Open Source Symposium are available now!

WATCH HERE

This year’s event is organized by the UC Santa Cruz Open Source Program Office (OSPO) and we thank our sponsors to help make this event possible. The event follows this code of conduct. It includes keynote speakers, expert panels, and technical workshops, as well as poster presentations highlighting the work of our Open Source Research Experience students. This year we are excited to host keynotes by Demetris Cheatham (GitHub), Nithya Ruff (Amazon), Karsten Wade (Red Hat), and Stephen Walli (Microsoft).

Free for UC affiliated and remote participants
Cost for non-UC affiliated participants: $299

Interested in sponsoring this event? Sponsors get complimentary registration, recognition and other benefits (see below)

Agenda Overview

Tue 9/27 @ UC Santa Cruz Hay Barn (directions). Plenary (single-track) sessions. In-person participation limited to 50 people; remote participation also available.
Wed 9/28 @ UC Santa Cruz Baskin Engineering 2 (directions). Technical Workshops (two-track). In-person participation limited to 60 people; Remote participation also available.
Thu 9/29, Fully Remote. Technical Workshops (single-track).

Detailed Agenda

(separate page or scroll below)

WATCH HERE

Sponsorship Level	Amount	Benefits
Silver Sponsors	$500	Acknowledgements + 1 free registration
Gold Sponsors	$1,000	Acknowledgements + 2 free registrations
Platinum Sponsors	$2,000	Acknowledgements + 4 free registrations

Logistics

Parking

Link to UCSC Campus and Parking Map

Day 1 at Hay Barn: Parking permits will be available near the Hay Barn (lot 170) with overflow parking nearby in lot 116. Parking permits will be available from attendants upon arrival at the Hay Barn. For late arrivals come to the reception desk in the Hay Barn.
Day 2 at Baskin Engineering: Parking permits provided upon arrival at CORE WEST Parking. When you arrive, drive to the third floor of CORE WEST and request a free permit from the attendants. If you arrive after 10am, please go to the parking kiosk at the main entrance to pick up your permit.

Hotels in Santa Cruz

Dream Inn
175 West Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Call 831-426-4330 and ask for the UCSC rate (rates not available online)
The Hotel Paradox
611 Ocean St., Santa Cruz, 95060
Use code UC0 online for the UCSC rate
Fairfield Inn and Suites
2956 Mission Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Use code UC0 online for the UCSC rate

2021 CROSS Research Symposium

Mon, 11 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Go to Event

2020 CROSS Research Symposium

Tue, 06 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Go to Event

2019 CROSS Research Symposium

Wed, 02 Oct 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Go to Event

2018 CROSS Research Symposium

Wed, 03 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Go to Event

2017 CROSS Research Symposium

Tue, 03 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Go to Event

2016 CROSS Research Symposium

Mon, 24 Oct 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Go to Event

🎪 OSPO UC Santa Cruz Events | UCSC OSPO

UC Open Source Summit 2026

United Nation's Reboot The Earth Hackathon Comes to UC Santa Cruz

Registration

Draft Agenda

Friday, November 7

Saturday, November 8

Open Source SlugFest 2025

Come to hear about … and talk about … the amazing Open Source activities happening at UCSC!

Registration is free

UC Open Source Summit 2025

Hacktoberfest @ UCSC!

Join us on campus Thursday, October 10 from 6-8pm, for a Hacktoberfest celebration, co-hosted by the UCSC Open Source Program Office and UCSC Girls Who Code! 👻

2024 UCSC Open Source Symposium

Creating new communities, partnerships, and collaborations to amplify research impact with open source ✨

Overview

Agenda

Logistics

Parking

Hotels in Santa Cruz

Sponsorship

Open Source SlugFest 2024

Come to hear about … and talk about … the amazing Open Source activities happening on campus.

Registration is free (no-cost)

2023 UC Open Source Symposium

Join us in creating new communities, partnerships, and collaborations in amplifying research impact with open source.

Sponsors

Platinum Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

Sponsor Benefits

Logistics

Parking

Hotels in Santa Cruz

Adam Kennedy (Voltron Data): Polygraph

Computational I/O Stack Workshop

CROSS, Skyhook, and Polyphy

2022 UC Santa Cruz Open Source Symposium

Join us in creating new communities, partnerships, and collaborations in amplifying research impact with open source.

Agenda Overview

Detailed Agenda

Sponsors

Platinum Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Sponsor Benefits

Logistics

Parking

Hotels in Santa Cruz

2021 CROSS Research Symposium

2020 CROSS Research Symposium

2019 CROSS Research Symposium

2018 CROSS Research Symposium

2017 CROSS Research Symposium

2016 CROSS Research Symposium