Past Events

Check out previous events sponsored by the Merrill Society:

Noel Q. King Memorial Lecture: Welcome the Stranger

Noel Q. King Memorial Lecture: African Art and Religion

MOTR: The Decline of the USA in the Current Era: How Real? How Far? How Fast?

MOTR: Balancing Social Activism, Work, and Life

The Merrill Society was pleased to hold a discussion led by Mike Rotkin, a five-time Mayor of the City of Santa Cruz, and currently a lecturer at Merrill College where he serves as the engine behind the newly revived Merrill Field Studies Program.

The event was held in Capitola on June 25th, 2016.

Meet the Speaker: Mike Rotkin is a former Field Studies Director and Lecturer in Community Studies at UC Santa Cruz and a former five-time Mayor of the City of Santa Cruz. Mike currently is a Lecturer and the Director of the Merrill Field Studies Program. Mike also works part-time as an organizer and grievance officer for UC-AFT, which represents lecturers and librarians statewide in the UC system and he serves on the board of directors of several local political groups and non-profits. (He is clearly failing retirement.)

MOTR: Cuba Meets the U.S: Now What?

The kick-off event for Merrill on the Road (MOTR), a series of regional educational forums for alumni and students, featured Merrill Professor Emeritus David Sweet who facilitated a discussion on American foreign policy. David Sweet is a Professor of Latin American Studies and World History at UCSC and is a founding faculty member of Merrill College. He has been a long time human rights activist and co-founded Witness for Peace. This event was held in Heritage Park, Sacramento, California in November 2015.

Alumni Weekend 2015

Last year's Alumni Weekend celebrated the 50th anniversary of UC Santa Cruz. Click the graphic below to check out a dynamic storyline of the events hosted by Merrill College in April 2015.

Questions regarding past or current events can be directed to merrills@ucsc.edu.