CruzCon: Open Source for Research & Innovation
CruzCon brings together UC researchers, faculty, students, campus leadership, and industry partners for a day exploring open source in research and innovation — hosted by the UCSC OSPO, Center for Research in Open Source Software (CROSS) and CITRIS and the Banatao Institute at the Seymour Center, UC Santa Cruz.
Registration Open
Registration is required. Please register by Oct 20 to secure a spot
Attendees are also invited to join the CROSS Annual Oktoberfest, held immediately following the conference.
Event Program [draft subject to change]
Thursday, October 22, 2026
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 10:00–10:30 | Opening Session |
| Welcome and housekeeping: CITRIS and CROSS | |
| Opening Remarks: Chancellor Cynthia Larive, UC Santa Cruz | |
| Remarks: Scott Brandt, Chair, Computer Science and Engineering | |
| 10:30–11:40 | Panel 1: Open Source Ecosystems as a Pathway to University Innovation |
| Moderator: Emily Lovell; Panelists: Daniel Fremont, Leilani Gilpin, Katia Obraczka, J. Xavier Prochaska | |
| 11:40–11:55 | Break |
| 11:55–12:35 | Keynote - Research software engineering and research software engineers: Successes and challenges. Daniel S. Katz, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign |
| 12:35–1:45 | Lunch |
| 1:45–3:00 | Panel 2: Campus Infrastructure Supporting Open Source and Impact |
| Moderator: James Davis; Panelists: Stephanie Lieggi, Jason Nielsen, Benedict Paten, Jeff Weekley | |
| 3:00–3:40 | Keynote - Everything old is new again: the deepened importance of humans learning together in the age of AI. Kirstie Whitaker, Berkeley Institute for Data Science (BIDS) |
| 3:40–4:00 | Break |
| 4:00–5:00 | Closing Discussion: Open Source Infrastructure, Institutionalized |
| 5:00-5:15 | Closing Remarks |
| Roberto Manduchi, Baskin Engineering Interim Dean | |
| 5:15-7:30 | CROSS Annual Oktoberfest |
Logistics
Event Venue: Seymour Marine Discovery Center, UC Santa Cruz
Parking and Transport: Paid parking is available via ParkMobile for all participants. UCSC affiliates can use their campus parking permits. From main campus, participants can also use the Westside Connector. Santa Cruz Metro Route 20 also provides regular service directly to McAllister Way/Seymour Center from downtown Santa Cruz and the UCSC area.
Lunch provided for all participants. Please indicate any food issues when registering. The Oktoberfest reception also includes buffet dinner. Note the Oktoberfest is a 21+ event and IDs will be checked
Code of Conduct
All participants are required to follow the UCSC OSPO Events Code of Conduct.
