Humanities EXPLORE Program
Humanities EXPLORE Fellows are paid undergraduate researchers on faculty-led projects, earning $20/hour for at least 10 hours/week. The program fosters engagement with support networks and encourages transfer student participation, providing an opportunity to apply existing skills and gain hands-on research experience at UCSC.
EXPLORE Program Goals:
- You will practice reflecting on the research process and its impact on personal, academic, and career goals.
- You will nurture transferable career-ready skills that prepare them to be socially just leaders in academic, professional, and community-engaged settings.
- You will cultivate a research support network, including faculty mentors, staff, peers, and resources.
Learning Outcomes:
- You will identify two career-ready skills to focus on throughout your research experience. You will be able to self-assess your abilities within these two skills.
- You will be able to produce an effective resume and cover letter that capture your research experience.
Currently Open Applications
Check back in Fall 2025 for new EXPLORE jobs!
Get Involved - Minimum Eligibility Requirements
- You must be a currently enrolled UCSC student with a declared major or minor in the Humanities Division. Or, you are a proposed major or minor in the declaration process, are in progress with coursework, and you plan to declare by the end of the current academic year, (see the list below).
- You are in good academic standing (GPA 2.0 or higher).
- You are enrolled throughout the entire length of the experiential learning opportunity.
Humanities Majors:
Humanities Minors:
Browse Past Research Opportunities
Critical Race & Ethnic Studies
History
- EXPLORE Undergraduate Research Fellowship with Professor Alice Yang, 2024-2025
- Humanities EXPLORE Research Fellowship with History Professor Grace Peña Delgado and Filmmaker Joseph Mathew – 2025-2026
- EXPLORE Undergraduate Research Fellowship with Professor Jasmine Alinder, 2024-2025
- Humanities EXPLORE Research Fellowship with Professor Kathleen Gutierrez – 2025-2026
- Humanities EXPLORE Research Fellowship with Okinawa Memories Initiative, Archival Team Lead – 2025-2026
- Humanities EXPLORE Research Fellowship with Okinawa Memories Initiative, Communications Lead – 2025-2026
- Humanities EXPLORE Research Fellowship with Okinawa Memories Initiative, Exhibits Team Lead – 2025-2026
- Humanities EXPLORE Research Fellowship with Okinawa Memories Initiative, Media Production Team Lead – 2025-2026
- Humanities EXPLORE Research Fellowship with Okinawa Memories Initiative, Oral History Team Lead – 2025-2026
- EXPLORE Undergraduate Research Fellowship with Professor Thiago Mota, 2024-2025
- Humanities EXPLORE Research Fellowship with Dr. Thiago Mota – 2025-2026
- EXPLORE Undergraduate Research Fellowship with Watsonville is in the Heart, Research Assistant, 2024-2025
- EXPLORE Undergraduate Researcher with Dr. Elaine Sullivan (History) – Fall 2024
- Undergraduate Researcher, "Multimodal AI as a Tool to Augment Historical Research" with Professor Ben Breen (History) – Spring/Summer 2024
- Undergraduate Researcher, K-12 Institute on Curriculum Development with Dean Alinder (History) – Spring & Summer 2024
History of Consciousness
- EXCEL Undergraduate Researcher, “Visual Constructions of the Pajaro and Salinas Valleys ” with Professor Dimitrios Papadapolous (HISCON) Fall 2024-Winter 2025
- Humanities EXPLORE Research Fellowship with Professor Dimitris Papadopoulos – 2025-2026
Literature
- EXPLORE Undergraduate Research Fellowship with Professor Camilo Gómez-Rivas, 2024-2025
- EXPLORE Undergraduate Fellowship with Professor Carla Freccero and the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History, 2024-2025
- EXPLORE Undergraduate Research Fellowship with Literature Professor Sean Keilen, 2024-2025
- Humanities EXPLORE Research Fellowship with Professor Sean Keilen – 2025-2026
- EXPLORE Undergraduate Research Fellowship with Professor Zac Zimmer, 2024-2025
- Humanities EXPLORE Research Fellowship with Professor Zac Zimmer – 2025-2026
- EXPLORE Undergraduate Researcher, Biblioteca Amazonica with Professor Amanda Smith (LIT) 2024-2025
- EXPLORE Fellowship with Shakespeare Workshop with Professor Sean Keilen (LIT) 2024-2025
- EXPLORE Undergraduate Researcher Creative Writing (LIT) Fall 2024-Winter 2025
- Undergraduate Research with Shakespeare Workshop & Santa Cruz Shakespeare , with Professor Sean Keilen (LIT) Spring 2024
Linguistics, Languages & Applied Linguistics
- Undergraduate Researcher, Discourse-Based Project (LAAL) Spring 2024
- Humanities EXPLORE Research Fellowship with Professor Christian Ruvalcaba – 2025-2026
- EXPLORE Fellowship with Professor Josefina Bittar, 2024-2025
- EXPLORE Undergraduate Research Fellowship with Josefina Bittar Prieto, 2024-2025
- EXPLORE Undergraduate Research Fellowship with Professor Jaye Padgett, Research Assistant, 2024-2025
- EXPLORE Undergraduate Research Fellowship with Professor Mark Amendgual, 2024-2025
- Humanities EXPLORE Research Fellowship with Professor Mark Amengual – 2025-2026
- Humanities EXPLORE Research Fellowship with Professor Maziar Toosarvandani – 2025-2026
- EXPLORE Undergraduate Research Fellowship with Professor Rachel Walker, 2024-2025
Writing Program
- Humanities EXPLORE Research Fellowship with Professor Jamila Kareem – 2025-2026
- EXPLORE Undergraduate Research Fellowship with Dr. Kimberly Adilia Helmer, 2024-2025
- Undergraduate Researcher, Discourse Analysis with Professor Helmer (Writing Program), Winter-Spring 2024
The Mellon Foundation, The Helen and Will Webster Foundation, The Humanities Institute, and the UCSC Humanities Division generously support the Humanities EXCEL and EXPLORE Program.


