Celebrating the Intersection of Art and Discovery: Winners of the 2025 Art of Science Competition Announced
The Schuller Lab, the Center for Science and Engineering Partnerships (CSEP), and the UCSB Library are proud to announce the winners of the 12th annual Art of Science competition. This beloved campus tradition invites UCSB undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars to explore the aesthetics of scientific discovery through visual media—from microscopy and modeling to fieldwork and digital rendering.
In science, as in art, moments of revelation emerge when disparate observations coalesce into insight. The Art of Science competition honors this synergy, encouraging researchers to share the beauty and narrative of their work with the wider community.
This year’s winning pieces, selected from a diverse range of submissions, will be on display at the UCSB Library starting September 22, 2025 and featured in upcoming community exhibitions, including one at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (dates forthcoming). The works reflect a broad spectrum of disciplines, techniques, and creative storytelling:
First Place & Best Caption
Anna Jellema-Butler, Graduate Student, Rothman Lab
“The Germline: A Biological Phoenix”
A poetic, machine learning-aided visualization of embryonic cell development in C. elegans, revealing a phoenix-shaped map of biological rejuvenation.
Second Place
Daniel Van Dalsem, Graduate Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering
“Dancing Plasma”
A long-exposure photograph capturing musical arcs of high-voltage plasma, choreographed in real time by electronic input and illuminating core principles of ionized gases.
Third Place
Adelaide Dahl, Graduate Student, Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology
“Dive Buddy”
A vibrant underwater photograph showcasing the skeletal structure and living tissue of Agaricia agaricites, a Caribbean coral species central to studies of marine resilience.
Best Data Visualization
Joseph Rufo, Postdoctoral Scholar, Wilson Lab
“Cellestial Bodies”
Fluorescent cell imaging meets generative AI and Van Gogh in this visual metaphor for reading biological age and searching for anti-aging interventions.
People’s Choice
Andrea Gomes, Undergraduate Student, Anthropology
“Placental Power”
A multimedia piece inspired by research on using placental tissue for regenerative medicine, emphasizing the placenta's potential as a biomedical resource.
Honorable Mentions also go to:
- Sarah Caulder, “Becoming” – A triptych exploring the neural and experiential transformations of pregnancy.
- Andrew Christison, “Memento Extendere” – A microscopic visualization of nitinol’s shape memory behavior.
- Dexter Davis, “Under the Ice and into the Sediment” – A hand-drawn depiction of Antarctic seafloor life at a methane seep.
- Jazer Sibley-Schwartz, “Coupled Janus Oscillator Network” – A simulated portrait of emergent synchrony in complex systems.
- Daniella Walter, “Mechanics Guide Tissue Shape and Patterns” – Imaging breast epithelial cell behavior in soft environments.
The Art of Science initiative continues to inspire cross-disciplinary creativity and deepen public engagement with scientific research. This year’s entries not only reveal scientific truths but also challenge the boundaries between data and emotion, analysis and imagination.
Explore the full gallery and learn more: https://art.csep.ucsb.edu/
Upcoming Exhibit Info: UCSB Library September 22nd, 2025 to March 17th, 2026
Contacts:
Wendy Ibsen – wendyibsen@ucsb.edu
Arica Lubin – alubin@ucsb.edu
Jon Schuller – jonschuller@ece.ucsb.edu
