SOCIAL SOFTWARE

SOCIAL SOFTWARE

PROJECTS

EVENTS

DOCS

PEOPLE

INFO

Social Software is a bridge between creative practice inside and outside of UCLA. We bring together UCLA faculty and students with visiting artists to collaborate on research and creating artworks.

Team

A Chinese-American woman with short, dark hair stands with arms crossed, wearing a sheer white top. Behind her are curved, brightly lit neon green shelves displaying small transparent vials, on a dark background.

Lauren McCarthy

Co-Director

A light-skinned man with short gray hair sits on a red couch, hands clasped, wearing a blue jacket. Behind them, wooden bookshelves filled with colorful books line the wall.

Casey Reas

Co-Director

Black and white portrait of a twenty-five year old man wearing glasses looking slightly up to the left.

Wylie Kasai

Visiting Scholar

A light-skinned woman with brown hair, blue eyes, and a neutral expression, wearing a white t-shirt, silver earrings, and a silver necklace against a light grey background.

Aurora Mititelu

Summer Institute Director

Current Collaborators

https://candacethatcher.com

Candace Thatcher

Cycle 1 Cohort

The passport photo of a twenty-something year old African-American male wearing a neutral expression and a shirt with a geometric pattern and dark collar, against a plain, softly lit background that looks like every DMV wall in America.

David Latimore II

Cycle 1 Cohort

Portrait of Dhriti Goyal wearing a colorful dress, head tilted slightly to the left, looking upward with a subtle smile.

Dhriti Goyal

Cycle 1 Cohort

Student researcher Elise Chee

Elise Chee

Cycle 1 Cohort

A young man with dark wavy hair and facial stubble smiles broadly at the camera. He appears to be of Latino heritage and is wearing a bright coral-red button-up shirt over a cream-colored ribbed sweater or top. The background shows lush green foliage with dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves, creating a natural outdoor setting. His expression is warm and genuinely happy, and the lighting creates a soft, golden hour effect on his face.

Esteban Arellano

Cycle 1 Cohort

Portrait of Kidus Hailesilassie, of Ethiopian lineage. He stands before a swirling wave of indigo light, partially illuminated by projected patterns that ripple across his face and clothing. He is wearing a dark collared jacket, with arms folded at his chest. The photo dissolves the boundary between his presence and oceanic current, a luminous cosmic backdrop of shifting textures.

Kidus Hailesilassie

Cycle 1 Cohort

Close-up portrait of Melody with short orange hair, she was a very happy girl before she started making art.

Mou Peijing

Cycle 1 Cohort

Past Collaborators

A person with medium skin tone, long dark hair, looks at the camera with a soft smile. They are wearing a light pink blazer and small earrings, set against a neutral background.

Tania Cortez

Intern

A light-skinned person with wavy brown hair and bangs, wearing clear-framed glasses and a bright orange t-shirt, smiling. They are standing in front of a textured blue surface.

Alison O’Daniel

Artist in Residence

A black-and-white portrait of a light-skinned person with short, two-toned hair (dark and light) and a septum piercing. They have a neutral expression and wear a plain top against a white background.

Stalgia Grigg

Software Developer

A person with medium skin tone and closely cropped blonde hair looks directly at the camera with a neutral expression. Warm sunlight casts soft shadows on their face and a plain background.

Daniel Soto

Creative Producer

A light-skinned person with a shaved head and short beard looks directly at the camera with a neutral expression. They are wearing a black t-shirt, and the background is a warm gradient of orange and pink tones.

Carlos Sanchez

Identity Designer

A person with medium skin tone, dark shoulder-length hair, and freckles smiles softly. They are wearing a sleeveless black top with white abstract patterns, set in front of a bright grey background.

Chelly Jin

Research Assistant, Summer Institute Instructor

A person with medium skin tone and shoulder-length curly hair looks at the camera with a confident expression. They are wearing a dark blazer over a navy top, standing in a sunlit corridor with arched brick architecture in the background.

Alani Hendriks

Student Assistant

A person with long dark hair smiles softly while turning to the side. They wear a white, short-sleeved top with a blue floral pattern. Iridescent soap bubbles float around them against a plain, light background.

Joanna Chen

Student Assistant

A dark silhouette of a person with straight, shoulder-length hair facing away from the camera. She is pictured in an aquarium, surrounded by bright orange jellyfish against a blue background.

Isabella Lee

Student Assistant

A person with light skin and dark brown hair looking into the camera with her arms outstretched. She wears a brown and white striped tank top, a silver star-shaped necklace, and silver hoop earrings. She is pictured against the background of a New York City subway station.

Maya Man

Research Assistant

SOCIAL SOFTWARE

SOCIAL SOFTWARE

PROJECTS

EVENTS

DOCS

PEOPLE

INFO

Social Software is a bridge between creative practice inside and outside of UCLA. We bring together UCLA faculty and students with visiting artists to collaborate on research and creating artworks.

Team

A Chinese-American woman with short, dark hair stands with arms crossed, wearing a sheer white top. Behind her are curved, brightly lit neon green shelves displaying small transparent vials, on a dark background.

Lauren McCarthy

Co-Director

A light-skinned man with short gray hair sits on a red couch, hands clasped, wearing a blue jacket. Behind them, wooden bookshelves filled with colorful books line the wall.

Casey Reas

Co-Director

Black and white portrait of a twenty-five year old man wearing glasses looking slightly up to the left.

Wylie Kasai

Visiting Scholar

A light-skinned woman with brown hair, blue eyes, and a neutral expression, wearing a white t-shirt, silver earrings, and a silver necklace against a light grey background.

Aurora Mititelu

Summer Institute Director

Current Collaborators

https://candacethatcher.com

Candace Thatcher

Cycle 1 Cohort

The passport photo of a twenty-something year old African-American male wearing a neutral expression and a shirt with a geometric pattern and dark collar, against a plain, softly lit background that looks like every DMV wall in America.

David Latimore II

Cycle 1 Cohort

Portrait of Dhriti Goyal wearing a colorful dress, head tilted slightly to the left, looking upward with a subtle smile.

Dhriti Goyal

Cycle 1 Cohort

Student researcher Elise Chee

Elise Chee

Cycle 1 Cohort

A young man with dark wavy hair and facial stubble smiles broadly at the camera. He appears to be of Latino heritage and is wearing a bright coral-red button-up shirt over a cream-colored ribbed sweater or top. The background shows lush green foliage with dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves, creating a natural outdoor setting. His expression is warm and genuinely happy, and the lighting creates a soft, golden hour effect on his face.

Esteban Arellano

Cycle 1 Cohort

Portrait of Kidus Hailesilassie, of Ethiopian lineage. He stands before a swirling wave of indigo light, partially illuminated by projected patterns that ripple across his face and clothing. He is wearing a dark collared jacket, with arms folded at his chest. The photo dissolves the boundary between his presence and oceanic current, a luminous cosmic backdrop of shifting textures.

Kidus Hailesilassie

Cycle 1 Cohort

Close-up portrait of Melody with short orange hair, she was a very happy girl before she started making art.

Mou Peijing

Cycle 1 Cohort

Past Collaborators

A person with medium skin tone, long dark hair, looks at the camera with a soft smile. They are wearing a light pink blazer and small earrings, set against a neutral background.

Tania Cortez

Intern

A light-skinned person with wavy brown hair and bangs, wearing clear-framed glasses and a bright orange t-shirt, smiling. They are standing in front of a textured blue surface.

Alison O’Daniel

Artist in Residence

A black-and-white portrait of a light-skinned person with short, two-toned hair (dark and light) and a septum piercing. They have a neutral expression and wear a plain top against a white background.

Stalgia Grigg

Software Developer

A person with medium skin tone and closely cropped blonde hair looks directly at the camera with a neutral expression. Warm sunlight casts soft shadows on their face and a plain background.

Daniel Soto

Creative Producer

A light-skinned person with a shaved head and short beard looks directly at the camera with a neutral expression. They are wearing a black t-shirt, and the background is a warm gradient of orange and pink tones.

Carlos Sanchez

Identity Designer

A person with medium skin tone, dark shoulder-length hair, and freckles smiles softly. They are wearing a sleeveless black top with white abstract patterns, set in front of a bright grey background.

Chelly Jin

Research Assistant, Summer Institute Instructor

A person with medium skin tone and shoulder-length curly hair looks at the camera with a confident expression. They are wearing a dark blazer over a navy top, standing in a sunlit corridor with arched brick architecture in the background.

Alani Hendriks

Student Assistant

A person with long dark hair smiles softly while turning to the side. They wear a white, short-sleeved top with a blue floral pattern. Iridescent soap bubbles float around them against a plain, light background.

Joanna Chen

Student Assistant

A dark silhouette of a person with straight, shoulder-length hair facing away from the camera. She is pictured in an aquarium, surrounded by bright orange jellyfish against a blue background.

Isabella Lee

Student Assistant

A person with light skin and dark brown hair looking into the camera with her arms outstretched. She wears a brown and white striped tank top, a silver star-shaped necklace, and silver hoop earrings. She is pictured against the background of a New York City subway station.

Maya Man

Research Assistant

A person with light skin, a short beard, and a serious expression stands in front of blooming cherry blossoms. They are wearing a black cap and a dark sweatshirt over a light-colored shirt, looking at the camera. The image has a grainy, film-like texture.

Ariel Uzal

Research Assistant

A light-skinned person with dark, shoulder-length hair sits on a chair, wearing a colorful, abstract-patterned turtleneck under a loose light-blue shirt. They hold a decorative cane with a butterfly pattern design. The background is a warm neutral grey.

Nat Decker

Research Assistant

A light-skinned person with shoulder-length brown hair rests their chin on their hand, gazing to the side. They are wearing a denim jacket, seated against a vibrant blue background.

Joanne McNeil

Mirror Issue Editor

A person with medium skin tone and dark, straight hair styled with bangs looks off-camera. They are wearing bold glasses, a black dress with a white collar, and long white earrings. The background is dimly lit, featuring blurred, warm-toned imagery.

Mashinka Firunts Hakopian

Mirror Issue Editor

A light-skinned person with long, dark wavy hair smiles warmly at the camera. They are wearing a dark top and a green beaded necklace. The background shows blurred greenery and part of a white building.

Meldia Yesayan

Mirror Issue Editor