Author: UCSC Extension Blog

UCSC Silicon Valley Extension is building the Silicon Valley workforce and supporting individuals by helping them get the skills they need to succeed in their career goals. Practical • Professional • Performance
people walking up a spiral staircase looking out at the future

Laid off. Crisis or Opportunity?

We’ve seen thousands of layoffs in the San Francisco Bay area alone and if you’ve experienced this kind of sudden change, it can be an emotional roller coaster. Here’s some advice from UCSC Silicon Valley Dean P.K. Agarwal about how to set yourself for a better opportunity.

UC Santa Cruz teams with TiE Global to help entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life

By Abby Butler UC Santa Cruz and TiE Global are establishing the Destination Silicon Valley program to leverage the Silicon Valley … More

Data Privacy: Tools to Navigate the Regulatory Landscape

Silicon Valley researcher Tom Rico Pamukcu who teaches Data Privacy and Security for Healthcare and Biosciences at UCSC Silicon Valley Extension helps students sort through the incredible complexity of clinical trial data.

Instructor Earns Roddenberry Fellowship

Researcher Tom Rico Pamukcu, a UCSC Silicon Valley clinical trials instructor, has received the Roddenberry Fellowship for his work launching HealthWallet.app, a startup that gives more people the opportunity to participate in the clinical trials they need.

Flexibility: Reinventing the classroom

As the pandemic moderates and we welcome students back to campus, UCSC Silicon Valley has been  rethinking the classroom. Introducing the flex classroom, a blend of in-person and remote live learning so students can choose on any given day, where they want to attend class. 

Transfer up to 6 semester units. Earn a Business Certificate with UCSC Extension.

UCSC SV Business Students Gain New Path to NDNU MBA

Business Administration students at UCSC Silicon Valley Professional Education have an expanded opportunity to grow their career, thanks to a new partnership agreement that invites them to transfer credits toward a Master of Business Administration degree at Notre Dame de Namur University.

graphic of woman sitting on a flying plane held up in the sky by a robot hand.

Digital Competency is a Survival Issue

From the Dean’s Desk:
Digital Competency is a Survival Issue—The most prominent characteristic of the novice can be the fear of looking and feeling incompetent, but the people who excel are the ones who maintain their basic digital competencies. Those are the ones who help their organizations transform and succeed. 

Man at the beach with the ocean behind him.

Veteran imagines UX design job pipeline

A career in UX design is a long way from working as a Navy photographer and plunging 91 feet to the ocean floor to document explosive ordinance cleanups off the coast of Africa.

overhead view of person's hands typing on a laptop and a lot of data streaming beside it.

Is online learning working for you?

In the post-pandemic world, an open Silicon Valley campus will mean various channels of online learning for professionals who are upskilling for a brighter future. UCSC SIlicon Valley is heading there now.

Career wisdom from the rink

So much of our career success is determined by where we set our gaze, the goals we set for ourselves, the relationships we build and the risks we take. When I was growing up, I was fascinated by computer technologies. I dove passionately into the world of technology and it has been quite a journey. 

a multi-ethnic group of people in a crowd.

Diversity in Leadership

Much has been said in recent years about diversity and inequity in the workplace. Here in Silicon Valley, corporate leaders have promised to increase diversity for years. Many past efforts, however, have only been marginally effective, at best. The historic legacy has been difficult to shift.

The Exciting Growth of IoT

Just about every sector of consumer products and industry will be influenced by the IoT revolution creating many jobs in diverse industries. Learn more about the new UCSC Silicon Valley IoT specialization.

Putting Agile to Work

Neville Mistry, a project management consultant at Kairos Power, juggled multi-million-dollar project management responsibilities for several years before returning to school to boost his career.

The Recipe for Career Success: Technical Skills + Soft, Interpersonal Skills

What are the top 10 soft skills you need to be job ready and grow your career? Learn about them in the new UCSC Silicon Valley online Soft Skills course. It’s free!

Staff Highlight: Connecting our LGBTQ+ youth

Sara Osheim, a UCSC Silicon Valley Extension Student Services representative, is making a difference with “Queer Youth Updates,” a creative monthly newsletter for the Santa Cruz community.

Reinventing education—A historic retrospective of UCSC

The very first days of UC Santa Cruz come alive in striking black and white photographs by Ansel Adams in a newly released two-volume collection of oral histories depicting the 50-year history of the experimental campus.

Expanding your procurement skills

Want to rise to the top for your organization? Build your soft skills and knowledge of other disciplines, says the founder of the UCSC Extension Procurement and Supply Chain Management program.