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MESA Engineering Program (MEP)
Support the success of our future engineers!

The MESA Engineering Program (MEP) mission is to empower a diverse, brave generation of future engineers by fostering their bold talent and boundless ability.  

MEP is an academic enrichment program, which seeks to serve students who are first in their families to attend college, first to enroll in computer science or engineering studies, and are from historically underrepresented groups in STEM. These students arrive at UC Santa Cruz to study engineering equipped with resiliency and ability in the face of obstacles such as inequitable STEM curricula in secondary education and an under-supply of diverse STEM representation. 

Our program:

The MEP program aims to guide students on their path to success by understanding their lived experiences and holding space needed to help them achieve engineering degrees and realize their fullest potential. MEP provides a variety of academic and personal support engagements to encourage the success of these aspiring engineers.

Students in MEP have access to the following:

  • Professional Development Workshops
  • Textbook Lending
  • Funding assistance for conferences
  • 24-hour secured study space
  • Academic Achievement Counselors
  • Mentoring (peer-led and industry)
  • Celebratory events
  • Graduate School workshops
  • Industry-led events
  • Individualized and group tutoring
  • Faculty-led programming


With your help, we will be able to:

  • Provide students with funding to attend conferences that will expand their networks and access to internship and job opportunities
  • Fund research internships during the summer and academic year for students. Experiential learning is vital to post-college outcomes. Providing students with fully paid internships to work in research labs which gives faculty an opportunity to have more undergraduate research opportunities. 

Our program makes a difference. Help us be the change in the life of many!

"MEP Offered me a place where I can study and meet people" 

"MEP helped get me a lot of opportunities in college that range from jobs and research opportunities on campus, as well as internships and jobs in industry. It also helped a lot with mental support in college, and other academic resources and connections. If there is an amenity in MEP that exists, I probably have used it at some point in my college career". 



Success!
Social Butterfly
Congratulations to Society of Physics Students for wining the Social Butterfly competition! They will receive an extra $1,000.
Completed
Leaderboard
Night Owl
The project with the most individual donors between 12 midnight and 1 am will receive $1,000. 2nd place will receive $500. Generously sponsored by an anonymous donor.
Rank Prize Department Donors
1 $1,000 Formula Slug 30
2 $500 Society of Physics Students (SPS) 30
3 Pilipino Cultural Celebration 22
4 Grupo Folklorico Los Mejicas de UCSC 22
5 UCSC Triathlon 19
Ended
Leaderboard
Morning Mania
The project with the most individual donors between 10 and 11 am will receive $1,000. 2nd place will receive $500.
Rank Prize Department Donors
1 $1,000 Formula Slug 42
2 $500 Make Seymour Center free to low-income families 20
3 Adventure Rec 11
4 WiSE (Women in Science and Engineering) 9
5 Grupo Folklorico Los Mejicas de UCSC 8
Ended
Leaderboard
Mad Dash
The project with the most individual donors between 6 and 8 pm will receive $2,500, 2nd place will receive $1,000 and third place will receive $500. Generously sponsored by Assistant Vice Chancellor Meg Corman, Director of Annual Giving Marissa Fullum-Campbell, and a consortium of anonymous donors.
Rank Prize Department Donors
1 $2,500 Rocket Team at UCSC 89
2 $1,000 Alumni Association Scholarship Fund 78
3 $500 "Finding Ma": Uplifting Incarcerated Voices 62
4 Okinawa Memories Initiative (OMI) 61
5 City on a Hill Press 45
Ended
Leaderboard
Indie 100
The project with the most individual donors giving $100 or more will receive $1,000. 2nd place will receive $500. Generously sponsored by Campus Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Lori Kletzer and an anonymous donor.
Rank Prize Department Donors
1 $1,000 Alumni Association Scholarship Fund 67
2 $500 Smith Internships and Research Fellowships 50
3 UCSC Rugby Club 49
4 Okinawa Memories Initiative (OMI) 46
5 Cal Teach Fund for Future Math or Science Teachers 40
Ended
Leaderboard
Happy Hour
The project teams with the most donors between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. will take home extra challenge funds! $1,000 for first place and $500 for second place. Generously sponsored by Mary E. Doyle (Porter ’74) and David E. Greenwood.
Rank Prize Department Donors
1 $1,000 Okinawa Memories Initiative (OMI) 30
2 $500 SlugMUN (Model United Nations) 24
3 PBSci Peer Mentoring Coalition 12
4 Surfing Club 11
5 Adventure Rec 11
Ended
Success!
Best in Show
Congratulations to the Younger Lagoon Reserve Rain Gear Replacement project for winning Best in Show! They will take home an extra $1,000.
Completed
Leaderboard
Early Riser
The project with the most individual donors between 7 and 8 am will receive $1,000. 2nd place will receive $500. Generously sponsored by an anonymous donor.
Rank Prize Department Donors
1 $1,000 NCAA Women's Basketball Team 36
2 $500 Tech4Good Student Programs 28
3 Okinawa Memories Initiative (OMI) 24
4 Center for Agroecology: Chadwick Garden 7
5 KZSC Radio 2022 6
Ended
Leaderboard
Mid-day Motivator
The project with the most individual donors between 12 noon and 2 pm will receive $2,500, 2nd place will receive $1,000 and 3rd will receive $500. Generously sponsored by UC Santa Cruz Foundation Trustee Richard Moss, and a consortium of anonymous donors.
Rank Prize Department Donors
1 $2,500 "Finding Ma": Uplifting Incarcerated Voices 99
2 $1,000 City on a Hill Press 95
3 $500 Okinawa Memories Initiative (OMI) 80
4 Slugbotics 48
5 Adventure Rec 44
Ended
Leaderboard
Final Frenzy
The project with the most individual donors on Giving Day (12am-12am) will receive $10,000, 2nd place will receive $5,000 and 3rd place will receive $2,000.
Rank Prize Department Donors
1 $10,000 "Finding Ma": Uplifting Incarcerated Voices 281
2 $5,000 Okinawa Memories Initiative (OMI) 261
3 $2,000 City on a Hill Press 192
4 Adventure Rec 177
5 Alumni Association Scholarship Fund 167
Ended
Leaderboard
Indie 500
The project with the most individual donors giving $500 or more will receive $2,500. 2nd place will receive $1,000.
Rank Prize Department Donors
1 $2,500 Alumni Association Scholarship Fund 21
2 $1,000 Cal Teach Fund for Future Math or Science Teachers 16
3 Smith Internships and Research Fellowships 14
4 Academic Excellence (ACE) Program 13
5 Treehouse Childhood Cancer Initiative 12
Ended
Leaderboard
Slug Surprise
The project with the most individual donors between 10 and 11 p.m. will receive $1,500, 2nd place will receive $750 and 3rd will receive $500.
Rank Prize Department Donors
1 $1,500 "Finding Ma": Uplifting Incarcerated Voices 34
2 $750 UCSC SACNAS Chapter 26
3 $500 Okinawa Memories Initiative (OMI) 25
4 UCSC Fencing Club 10
5 Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers 9
Ended
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