In October 2016 UC Santa Cruz hosted a visit by the Consul General of Brazil in San Francisco, Pedro Lopez Borio. Senior Economist Márcio V. Vecci accompanied the Consul General on the visit. The delegation toured the campus, met with students from Brazil, visited several research laboratories and faculty, and toured the Seymour Discovery Center. The purpose of the visit was to raise awareness of UC Santa Cruz with the Brazilian government and to learn of potential initiatives in Brazil regarding opportunities in higher education.