Events

Calendar#

Tip

Please note: if you add an event from the embedded calendar above, it will default to “Does not repeat”. If you’d like to add all instances of a recurring event, please use the .ics file or the “Add to your Google calendar” button for the event below.

Upcoming Events#

Coworking/Office Hours (ongoing)#

We’d love to see you at our coworking sessions! These are casual, drop-in-if-feel-like it sessions where you can:

Ask questions relating to OSS, your campus OSPO, or the OSPO network
Get help finding a project to work on, or getting more contributors for your own project
Or just have a dedicated time to work on your projects or to tackle those important-but-often-postponed admin tasks
Tuesdays at 10am Pacific
- Direct Zoom link
- Add to your calendar: .ics file or
Thursdays at 1pm Pacific
- Direct Zoom link
- Add to your calendar: .ics file or

October#

UC Berkeley Monthly Meetup#

When: Thursday, October 16 2025 3:30-5:00pm
Where: 2120 University Ave, 7th Floor, Berkeley, CA 94704
Who: Anyone (including students and staff!)

Join us in shaping the future of open source at UC Berkeley, building on its rich legacy of leadership in open source software development. There will be a fireside chat, a Q&A session, and community gathering time!

Facilitator: Jarrod Millman, Executive Director, Berkeley OSPO
Facilitator: Kirstie Whitaker, Executive Director, Berkeley Institute for Data Science (BIDS)

→ Attend in person: Register here for Berkeley’s October meetup. Drinks and snacks provided.
→ Attend online: Sign up here to receive a Zoom link.

Contact: Lilli Wessling Hart

Getting Started with Better Research Software (all-campus)#

When: Tuesday, October 21 2025 12:00-2:00pm
Where: Zoom
Who: This workshop is designed for researchers, graduate students, and early-career Research Software Engineers (RSEs) who already have some experience with Python, Git, and the shell

Topics covered:

Why open and reproducible practices matter
Hands-on with Git version control and Python environments

Writing Clearer, Better-Structured Code (all-campus)#

When: Wednesday, Oct 22 12:00–2:00 PM
Where: Zoom
Who: This workshop is designed for researchers, graduate students, and early-career Research Software Engineers (RSEs) who already have some experience with Python, Git, and the shell

Topics covered:

Improve readability and documentation in your projects
Organize code, data, and results with common patterns

UC Davis Open Source Symposium#

When: Friday, October 24 2025 8:45am-4:30pm
Where: Peter J. Shields Library Room 167, 100 N Quad, Davis, CA 95616, USA
Who: Anyone (including students and staff!)

Open Source Symposium, a free, one-day event at UC Davis focused on advancing open source software development for research, is happening on October 24 in Shields Library, Room 167.

Held during Open Access Week, this event is sponsored by the UC Davis Open Source Program Office (OSPO) with support from the UC Davis Library and DataLab to broaden participation in open source.

This event is an opportunity for all members of the university community—including graduate students, postdocs, faculty, researchers, and undergraduates—to connect and build practical skills. Whether you are new to open source or looking to expand your contributions, this symposium will provide actionable ways to engage.

The day-long program features:

A panel of UC Davis faculty speaking on Establishing and Growing Open Source Ecosystems
A dedicated networking lunch to foster collaboration and community.
Hands-on workshops:
- Discovering OS Projects and How to get Involved
- Introduction to Git for Collaborative Coding and Software Development

Join us to learn how to leverage and contribute to open source software, and to attract contributors to your OS research projects.

November#

UC Berkeley OSPO Monthly Knowledge exchange#

When: Thursday, November 6 2025 10:00-11:00am
Where: Zoom
Who: Anyone (including students and staff!)

Join us in shaping the future of open source at UC Berkeley, building on its rich legacy of leadership in open source software development!

At our monthly live online discussion and knowledge exchanges, we can harness the collective intelligence and creativity of our community to meaningfully transform how research is conducted, produced, and disseminated.

Facilitator: Jarrod Millman, Executive Director, Berkeley OSPO
Facilitator: Kirstie Whitaker, Executive Director, Berkeley Institute for Data Science (BIDS)

Contact: Lilli Wessling Hart

UC Berkeley Monthly Meetup#

When: Thursday, November 20 2025 3:30-5:00pm
Where: 2120 University Ave, 7th Floor, Berkeley, CA 94704
Who: Anyone (including students and staff!)

Facilitator: Jarrod Millman, Executive Director, Berkeley OSPO
Facilitator: Kirstie Whitaker, Executive Director, Berkeley Institute for Data Science (BIDS)

→ Attend in person: Register here for Berkeley’s October meetup. Drinks and snacks provided.
→ Attend online: Sign up here to receive a Zoom link.

Contact: Lilli Wessling Hart

December#

UCSB Open Source Meetup#

When: Wednesday, December 3 2025 at noon
Where: UCSB Library, Room 1312 (1st Floor Mountain Side, adjacent to the Learning Commons)
Who: Anyone (including students and staff!)
Bring: Your lunch 😋

More details to come!

Add to your calendar:

UC Berkeley OSPO Monthly Knowledge exchange#

When: Thursday, December 4 2025 10:00-11:00am
Where: Zoom
Who: Anyone (including students and staff!)

Join us in shaping the future of open source at UC Berkeley, building on its rich legacy of leadership in open source software development!

Facilitator: Jarrod Millman, Executive Director, Berkeley OSPO
Facilitator: Kirstie Whitaker, Executive Director, Berkeley Institute for Data Science (BIDS)

Contact: Lilli Wessling Hart

Past Events#

Get started contributing to OSS (All-Campus)#

When: Thursday, October 9th 2025 at noon
Where: Zoom (Join the meeting)
Who: Anyone (including students and staff!) who’s interesting in learning how to contribute to OSS

Hacktoberfest is a global October celebration that encourages people to make their first contributions to open source projects—and this session is here to help you jump in with confidence! If you’ve been wanting to contribute to open source but don’t know where to start, join us for a UC-wide supportive workshop where we’ll cover the basics together. We’ll share strategies for identifying beginner-friendly projects, understanding community norms, and navigating the contribution process, then stick around to help you explore potential projects and take your first steps. No experience required; just bring your curiosity and any questions you have about getting involved in the open source community!

UCSD Open Source Meetup#

When: Thursday, October 2nd 2025 at noon
Where: Geisel Meeting Room (Geisel Library, 1st floor East)
Who: Anyone (including students and staff!)
Bring: Your lunch 😋

Are you experienced with open source software or hardware, or just curious about open source? Join us as we discuss the OSPO and what it can do for you.

In partnership with UC’s new Open Source Program Office (OSPO) Network, the UCSD OSPO is hosting a casual meetup on October 2nd. We’ll provide a space where experienced and aspiring open source contributors can learn from one another through casual discussions and talks from guest speakers. This is a lunch-and-learn event, so bring your lunch and we’ll bring cookies!

UC Berkeley OSPO Monthly Knowledge exchange#

When: Thursday, October 2 2025 10:00-11:00am
Where: Zoom
Who: Anyone (including students and staff!)

Join us in shaping the future of open source at UC Berkeley, building on its rich legacy of leadership in open source software development!

Facilitator: Jarrod Millman, Executive Director, Berkeley OSPO
Facilitator: Kirstie Whitaker, Executive Director, Berkeley Institute for Data Science (BIDS)

UCSB Open Source Meetup#

When: Wednesday, October 1 2025 at noon
Where: UCSB Library, Room 1312 (1st Floor Mountain Side, adjacent to the Learning Commons.)
Who: Anyone (including students and staff!)
Bring: Your lunch 😋

This month, we’ll be joined by a panel of special guests: Trissalyn Nelson (Geography), Rich Wolski (Computer Science), and Chrissy Rissmeyer (Library) will tell us about their experiences building healthy, inclusive open source communities.

We’ll be back in room 1312 in the UCSB Library.

UCLA Open Source Meetup#

When: Tuesday, September 30 2025 at noon
Where: Charles E. Young Research Library, West Classroom 23167
Who: Anyone (including students and staff!)
Bring: Your lunch 😋

Are you experienced with open source software or hardware, or just curious about open source?

In partnership with UC’s new Open Source Program Office (OSPO) Network, the UCLA OSPO is hosting a casual meetup on September 30th. We’ll provide a space where experienced and aspiring open source contributors can learn from one another through casual discussions and talks from guest speakers. This is a lunch-and-learn event, so bring your lunch and we’ll bring cookies!

UC Berkeley “What Can Your OSPO Do for You?”#

When: Thursday, September 18 2025 3:30-5:00pm
Where: 2120 University Ave, 7th Floor, Berkeley, CA 94704
Who: Anyone (including students and staff!)

This month, meet the Berkeley OSPO Executive Director Jarrod Millman and BIDS Executive Director Kirstie Whitaker – together, we can harness the collective intelligence and creativity of our community to meaningfully transform how research is conducted, produced, and disseminated. Drinks and snacks provided!

Speaker: Jarrod Millman, Executive Director, Berkeley OSPO
Speaker: Kirstie Whitaker, Executive Director, Berkeley Institute for Data Science (BIDS)

Contact: Lilli Wessling Hart

Hacktoberfest Prep Session (All-Campus)#

When: Thursday, September 11 2025 at noon
Where: Zoom (Join the meeting)
Who: Anyone (including students and staff!) who maintains an open source project

Hacktoberfest is a global October celebration that encourages people to contribute to open source projects, making it a perfect time to welcome new contributors to your project! Join us for a UC-wide coworking session designed specifically for open source maintainers who want to make their projects more contributor-friendly. We’ll provide templates and examples for essential docs like README files, CONTRIBUTING guides, and issue templates, plus we’ll be available to answer questions and review your repositories. Whether you need help crafting welcoming documentation or just want dedicated time to tackle those important-but-often-postponed admin tasks, this session will help you prepare your project to shine during Hacktoberfest and beyond!

UCSB Open Source Meetup#

When: Wednesday, September 3 2025 at noon
Where: Zoom: Join the meeting
Who: Anyone (including students and staff!)
Bring: Your lunch 😋

This month, we’ll be joined by a special guest: Pasquale Ferrari, Senior Licensing Officer at UCSB’s Office of Technology & Industry Alliances (TIA). Pasquale will tell us about how TIA supports open source projects at UCSB, and you can ask questions about licensing and pathways for open source development. Note that this meetup will be held over Zoom.

UCSB Open Source Meetup#

When: Wednesday, August 6 2025 at noon
Where: UCSB Library, Room 1312 (1st Floor Mountain Side, adjacent to the Learning Commons)
Who: Anyone (including students and staff!)
Bring: Your lunch 😋

At this month’s UCSB Open Source Meetup, we’ll be sharing “origin stories” of how we got into open source, and discussing the challenges and successes we’ve encountered along the way. There are plenty of getting started guides online, but there’s nothing like hearing from real colleagues first-hand.

This is a lunch-and-learn event, so bring your lunch and we’ll bring cookies!

All-Campus Virtual Meetup#

When: Thursday, July 10, 2025 at noon
Where: Zoom link
Who: Anyone (including students and staff!)

Join us for the inaugural UC open source contributors & maintainers virtual meetup, bringing together the vibrant open source community across all UC campuses! Whether you’re a seasoned maintainer with years of experience or just thinking about starting your open source journey, this collaborative space is designed for learning, sharing, and connecting with fellow UC community members who are passionate about open source software. We’ll exchange insights, discuss challenges and successes, discover new projects, and build meaningful connections with peers from across the UC system. This is the first of three annual meetups where we’ll celebrate the incredible open source work happening throughout our universities and support each other in growing as contributors and maintainers.

All roles—students, faculty, staff, researchers—and experience levels are welcome, as we believe the best learning happens when diverse perspectives come together.

UCSB Open Source Meetup#

When: Wednesday, Jun 4, 2025 at noon
Where: UCSB Library, Room 1411 (in the Sara Miller McCune Arts library)
Who: Anyone (including students and staff!)
Bring: Your lunch 😋

Are you experienced with open source software or hardware, or just curious about open source?

In partnership with UC’s new Open Source Program Office (OSPO) Network, the UCSB Open Source Programs Team is starting a casual recurring meetup on June 4th. We’ll provide a space where experienced and aspiring open source contributors can learn from one another through casual discussions and talks from guest speakers. This is a lunch-and-learn event, so bring your lunch and we’ll bring cookies!

Collaborate and Grow: Open Source for Research Coders (Davis)#

When: Thursday, May 29 2025 at 3pm
Where: Peter J. Shields Library (room 360) at UC Davis
Who: Anyone who writes code for research!

Are you a researcher or student who writes scripts, handles data, or maintains specialized tools? Without realizing it, you might already be part of the open source community! This casual one-hour gathering is designed specifically for scientists, researchers, and academics who code as part of their work but might not necessarily identify as “programmers.”

Whether you’re a biologist analyzing genomic data, a sociologist processing survey results, or a geologist mapping terrain features, this meetup will show you how your coding skills connect to the broader open source ecosystem. We’ll explore how the tools you already use (and perhaps contribute to) fit into the open source landscape, and discuss simple ways to benefit from and participate in this collaborative community.

Join us for refreshments and conversation with others who, like you, use computation to advance their research. No technical expertise required—just register below and bring your curiosity!

OS SlugFest (Santa Cruz)#

When: Tuesday, May 27 2025 at 5pm
Where: Baskin Courtyard and E2-180 at UCSC
Who: Anyone (including students and staff!)

Calling all UCSC Open Source Software enthusiasts! The Center for Research in Open Source Software (CROSS) and the Open Source Program Office (OSPO) are excited to be holding our second annual Open Source SlugFest (OSSlugFest).

Anyone from the UCSC and Santa Cruz open source community is invited! We ask you to register below so we know how many to expect. Food and beverages will be provided.

Do you want do a lightning talk about what you are working on? We have set aside time to hear from those already working on Open Source projects on campus – let us know if you want a slot when you register.

We will have representatives from the UCSC OSPO (and other offices) to talk with you about how we can support and promote your open source endeavors. We will end the evening with a raffle for those in attendance!

More information and updated event schedule can be found on the UCSC OSPO website.

UC Open Summit 2025