Features | Fall/Winter 2022

Funny things, boundaries. Are they constraints, meant to limit forward motion and progress? Or are they gateways to discovery - about the world, about life, about ourselves - only in place to be kicked down? Depends on your perspective. And for us, for this issue, we're leaning in on the latter. It seems only fitting in this environment, on this campus, where pushing boundaries - and knocking them clean over - is a way of life. In art and scholarship, in science and sport, in outlook and approach, at UC Santa Barbara and for our community around the world, no challenge is too great to confront, and no darkness absolutely immune to light.

You're about to meet some extraordinary individuals: scientists, artists, activists, students, faculty members, alumni. They are all innovators, and all are inspiring. The people you'll see in this issue are not just moving barriers, they're running straight through them, expanding our view of what can be achieved - by our minds and our bodies alike - when we embrace the possibility of living beyond the edge.

Standard Candle by Sarah Rosalena

The Art of Stars

Sarah Rosalena merges Huichol traditions with computer science in stunning computational crafts

Annotated brain image

Women First

Neuroscientist Emily Jacobs uncovers the overlooked intricacies of the female brain

Tarantula Nebula

Outer Limits

The latest imagery of the farthest objects in our night sky

Quantum Research Steven Gomez

Quantum Quest

Invisible to the naked eye and highly counterintuitive, the atomic-scale quantum world is a bizarre place

Dawn Wright in the sub

The Weight of Water

Dawn Wright makes history 35,000ft under the sea

Circle of legos

Circular Thinking

Humans are great at building things but not so great at taking them apart

Evann Smith, Jessica Goerke, and Emma Connelly

Strength in Numbers

Women rise across athletics, from the playing field to the front office

Researcher holding a piece of custom made material for quantum research

Research Highlights

Snapshots of recent work by scholars across campus