PBSci Peer Mentoring Coalition

We are the UCSC PBSci Peer Mentoring Coalition PPMC) and we’re asking for your support.

Earning a graduate degree in science is extremely challenging and many students struggle to complete their studies. PPMC provides graduate students valuable social and community assistance outside of the research lab—in support of their overall success.

Run by a team of graduate students, PPMC provides collaborative peer-mentoring solutions across the Physical and Biological Sciences (PBSci) division for graduate students. The mentoring creates support networks, enhances sense of community among grad students, and is critical for fostering student persistence. The global pandemic, ongoing systemic racism, and worsening financial precarity now necessitates we increase our level of support to insure student success.

Campus surveys demonstrate the need for social and community support: 53% of PBSci graduate students felt they did not belong to their department, with 60% of first-generation students, 59% of students of color, and 55% of women-identifying graduate students reporting that they lacked a sense of belonging in their departments. The climate survey underscored the need for improving mental health services and resources to support graduate students, as 60% of students interviewed experienced depression and anxiety during their time at UCSC.

Your gift today will enable PPMC to expand the peer-mentoring program and provide additional student support including workshops on effective mentoring and mental health, team building luncheons, and social events for mentors and mentees. Funds would also allow compensation of mentors and program organizers, which todate have all been volunteer positions.

The students say it best:

“The peer mentoring program was a real lifeline for me. I moved to Santa Cruz during the pandemic, knowing nobody in town. My mentor was really my only friend when I first got here! I think I would've been lost without her.” ~Ocean Science Mentee

Increasing peer-mentoring and support for the graduate-student community and student well-being is essential for UCSC graduate students to succeed in meeting their personal and professional goals. Your gift today will provide our graduate students with these critical services—please join us in making a difference and helping our graduate students succeed.

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Afternoon Surprise

*Surprise!* Rush in before others find out. The top two teams with the highest number of donors between 3pm and 4pm will receive challenge funds awarded to their projects. Funds were generously sponsored by Molly Sims, Executive Director of Individual Giving. First place: $1,000. Second place: $500.

Rank	Prize	Projects	Donors
1	$1,000	Rocket Team	49
2	$500	STEM Diversity: Plant the Seed for Big Dreamers	44
3		Okinawa Memories Initiative	31
4		Alumni Association Scholarship Fund	17
5		Slugbotics	15
6		GameGO: Launching New Voices in Games (Ludo Lab)	8
7		City on a Hill Press	7
8		Adventure Rec Student Leadership and Development	6
9		Norris Center Art+Science Initiative	4
10		Pacific Art & Visual Studies	4
11		Grupo Folklorico Los Mejicas de UCSC	4
12		Club Men's Rugby	4
13		Support Hands-on Marine Science Learning for Kids	4
14		PBSci Peer Mentoring Coalition	4
15		Tech4Good	4

Ended

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Final Frenzy

The top three teams with the highest number of donors will receive additional funds awarded to their projects. Generously sponsored by the UC Santa Cruz Foundation. First place is $7,500. Second place is $2,500. Third place is $1,000.

Rank	Prize	Projects	Donors
1	$7,500	Physical & Biological Sciences	1,153
2	$2,500	All Giving Day Projects	1,062
3	$1,000	Athletics & Recreation	514
4		Humanities Division	444
5		STEM Diversity: Plant the Seed for Big Dreamers	382
6		Baskin Engineering	355
7		Okinawa Memories Initiative	329
8		Arts Division	258
9		Social Sciences Divison	248
10		Adventure Rec Student Leadership and Development	175
11		City on a Hill Press	140
12		Alumni Association Scholarship Fund	134
13		Smith Society Internships and Research Fellowships	115
14		Tech4Good	106
15		Grupo Folklorico Los Mejicas de UCSC	85

Ended

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Late Night Rush

This is the finish line! Close out this Giving Day strong and help position your favorite team to win the last challenge of the day. The top two teams with the highest number of new gifts between the hours of 10pm and 11:59pm (PST) will receive additional funds awarded to their project. Generously sponsored by Byron and Etsuko Walker First place: $1,000. Second place: $500.

Rank	Prize	Projects	Donors
1	$1,000	STEM Diversity: Plant the Seed for Big Dreamers	79
2	$500	Okinawa Memories Initiative	66
3		Formula Slug	20
4		Pilipino Cultural Celebration	17
5		Women in Physics and Astronomy (WiPA)	14
6		Slugbotics	8
7		Grupo Folklorico Los Mejicas de UCSC	7
8		Cal Teach for Future Math and Science Teachers	6
9		Society of Women Engineers (SWE)	6
10		Science Internship Program (SIP)	6
11		Academic Excellence (ACE) Program in STEM	6
12		CASFS Farm & Garden	6
13		BIPOC and Anti-racisim Educator Initiative	6
14		PBSci Peer Mentoring Coalition	6
15		Adventure Rec Student Leadership and Development	6

Ended

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Mid-Day Motivator

The top three teams with the highest number of gifts between the hours of 12pm and 2 pm (PST) will have challenge funds awarded to their projects. Generously sponsored by UCSC Foundation Trustee, Linda Peterson. First place is $2,500. Second place is $1,500. Third place is $1,000.

Rank	Prize	Project	Donors
1	$2,500	STEM Diversity: Plant the Seed for Big Dreamers	74
2	$1,500	Adventure Rec Student Leadership and Development	62
3	$1,000	City on a Hill Press	55
4		Okinawa Memories Initiative	50
5		Tech4Good	38
6		Slugbotics	30
7		The Everett Program: Technology and Social Change	29
8		Smith Society Internships and Research Fellowships	26
9		Women in Physics and Astronomy (WiPA)	21
10		Alumni Association Scholarship Fund	18
11		Cal Teach for Future Math and Science Teachers	14
12		Norris Center Art+Science Initiative	14
13		GameGO: Launching New Voices in Games (Ludo Lab)	11
14		Grupo Folklorico Los Mejicas de UCSC	11
15		Support Hands-on Marine Science Learning for Kids	10

Ended

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Early Riser

The top two teams with the most new gifts made during the hours of 7am and 9am (PST) will be rewarded with additional challenge funds to their project. Generously sponsored by Professor John MacMillan, Interim Vice Chancellor of Research. First place: $1,000. Second place: $500.

Rank	Prize	Project	Donors
1	$1,000	Okinawa Memories Initiative	40
2	$500	Tech4Good	33
3		Alumni Association Scholarship Fund	17
4		Friends of the Dickens Project	10
5		NCAA Cross Country Track & Field	9
6		Adventure Rec Student Leadership and Development	9
7		Smith Society Internships and Research Fellowships	8
8		STEM Diversity: Plant the Seed for Big Dreamers	8
9		UCSC Fort Ord Natural Reserve	8
10		John Pearse Endowment for Field Courses in EEB	7
11		CASFS Farm & Garden	7
12		Academic Excellence (ACE) Program in STEM	7
13		Rocket Team	6
14		Año Nuevo Reserve—Weighing the Weanlings	6
15		Younger Lagoon Reserve/Binoculars	6

Ended

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Kick Off

Start Giving Day off on the right foot. The top two teams with the highest number of gifts between 12am and 1am (PST) will receive additional challenge dollars awarded to their project. Generously sponsored by an anonymous donor and Meg Corman. First place: $1,000. Second place: $500.

Rank	Prize	Project	Donors
1	$1,000	STEM Diversity: Plant the Seed for Big Dreamers	30
2	$500	Grupo Folklorico Los Mejicas de UCSC	17
3		Okinawa Memories Initiative	15
4		Triathlon Team - Triathletes on Bikes!	11
5		Tech4Good	10
6		Society of Women Engineers (SWE)	3
7		Adventure Rec Student Leadership and Development	2
8		Alumni Association Scholarship Fund	1
9		Friends of the Dickens Project	1
10		Treehouse Undergraduate Bioinformatics Immersion	1
11		Danny Scheie Scholarship Fund	1
12		Gordon Smith Memorial Scholarship	1
13		Archaeological Research Center	1
14		Women in Physics and Astronomy (WiPA)	1
15		Women's Lacrosse Team	1

Ended

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Mad Dash

*Surprise again!* Hurry to make your gifts and secure extra funds before others find out. The top two teams with the highest number of donors made between the hours of 6pm and 8pm will receive additional funds awarded to their project. Generously sponsored by an anonymous donor and Herbie Lee, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. First place: $1,000. Second place: $500.

Rank	Prize	Projects	Donors
1	$1,000	Okinawa Memories Initiative	100
2	$500	STEM Diversity: Plant the Seed for Big Dreamers	74
3		City on a Hill Press	40
4		Alumni Association Scholarship Fund	29
5		Matchbox Magazine	28
6		Smith Society Internships and Research Fellowships	14
7		Grupo Folklorico Los Mejicas de UCSC	12
8		Adventure Rec Student Leadership and Development	12
9		Slug Support Emergency Fund	11
10		Scientific Slug Magazine	11
11		Norris Center Art+Science Initiative	10
12		CASFS Farm & Garden	9
13		NCAA Cross Country Track & Field	9
14		Cal Teach for Future Math and Science Teachers	8
15		Club Men's Rugby	8

Ended

Rank	State	Gifts
1	CA	27
2	NY	2
2	OH	2

Rank	Region	Gifts
1	United States	33
2	Germany	1

Rank	Region	Gifts

Areas of Support

All Giving Day Projects Arts Division Athletics & Recreation Baskin Engineering Humanities Division Physical & Biological Sciences Projects with Matches Social Sciences Divison

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Questions? See our FAQ.

Or you can contact us at giving@ucsc.edu.

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