2009  Prospective Student News

Archaeology course unlocks "silent history" of the slave trade in West Africa

Anthropologist J. Cameron Monroe led UCSC's first undergraduate archaeological expedition to Benin this past summer.

Loik leads international collaboration on precipitation research

Michael Loik of environmental studies is the lead scientist on an international study of precipitation that's part of Biosphere 2.

UC Santa Cruz to offer new Ph.D program in Film and Digital Media

UCSC announces a new graduate program leading to a Ph.D. in Film and Digital Media.

Job fair helps students consider graduate school

Popular Science taps UCSC anthropologist Nathaniel Dominy for "Brilliant 10" issue

<i>Popular Science</i> names Nathaniel J. Dominy one of this year's "Brilliant 10" young scientists and researchers.

UC Santa Cruz welcomes 11 Pister Scholarship students to campus as 2009-10 school year begins

Eleven dedicated community college transfer students will attend UC Santa Cruz this fall as recipients of Karl S. Pister Leadership Opportunity Awards.

Chancellor Blumenthal addresses UC Board of Regents

UC Santa Cruz prepares to open for 45th new class

The University of California, Santa Cruz will welcome its 45th class of new students this week, ushering in the 2009-10 academic year. An estimated 4,150 new undergraduate students are expected, most of whom will move into university housing during the fo

UCSC lecturer wins award for innovation in teaching Spanish

Spanish Language lecturer María Victoria González Paganihas has been awarded the IV Cristóbal de Villalón Award for "Innovation in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language."

Parents are nervous, proud, sad, elated all at once at summer orientation

Part balm for nervous souls, part information service, part the first step in letting go, the annual freshman orientation drew 3,000 proud and anxious parents to campus this summer.

Newsweek's annual colleges issue prominently features UCSC

UC Santa Cruz is one of 25 campuses profiled in the cover story of <i>Newsweek</i> magazine's fall 2009 special issue on colleges. The cover story features UCSC as a campus for "Overachievers Who Need to Stop and Look Around."

UCSC in Sierra magazine's top 10 list of nation's greenest colleges

UC Santa Cruz has placed seventh in Sierra magazine's third annual "honor roll" of the top 10 greenest colleges in the nation.

Twenty-seven youngsters graduate from Girls in Engineering summer program

Twenty-seven local youngsters recently graduated from the Girls in Engineering summer program, which encourages girls to imagine a future in a traditionally male-dominated field.

UCSC among top five universities in study abroad awards

Last year, UC Santa Cruz became one of the top five universities in the country in awarding students for the Gilman Scholarship, which offers grants to undergraduate students of limited financial means to pursue academic studies abroad.

New major in physics education approved

UCSC has approved a new major in physics education to prepare students for California teaching credentials and teaching careers in science and mathematics at the high school level.

A summary of summery things to do at UCSC

With its long, sunny days, the summer season is a good time of year to explore UCSC and its off-campus facilities.

UCSC receives 'intent to register' statements from more than 3,500 students

More than 3,500 prospective freshmen have made formal commitments to attend UC Santa Cruz this fall, based on systemwide data released June 16 by the University of California.

Accomplishment, jubilation, leis at commencement ceremonies

An atmosphere of jubilation and accomplishment hung over this weekend's commencement ceremonies, which kicked off Friday with the Graduate Division and continued through Sunday.

UCSC Gmail for students coming soon

UCSC is partnering with Google to offer undergraduate and graduate students Gmail for their campus email service.

'Pledge' commits College Eight grads to environmental, social responsibility

UC online college prep courses will be accessible via K-12 high-speed network

Millions of California students and teachers will gain free access to UC quality online college prep courses and online lessons through a new partnership between UC College Prep and the K-12 High Speed Network.

Students experience the power of the written word

This spring, students in Sarah Rabkin's <i>Environmental Action Through Writing</i> class tried their hand at producing works powerful enough to change hearts and minds.

It's all in the family when children of alumni choose UCSC

Last spring, when their daughter was deciding where to go to college, UCSC graduates Moira and Dency Nelson tried to play it cool and hide their Banana Slug pride. They wanted their daughter, Charlie, to make her own decision.

Fifth annual Graduate Research Symposium presents impressive student work

Hands-on research inspires freshman biology students

In the Phage Genomics Lab, a select group of freshmen dive straight into research, while also taking the usual introductory biology lectures.

Career fair peaceful, productive

Days after UCSC received a $100,000 grant in support of its veterans' programs, the annual career fair proceeded peacefully and without demonstration.

30 Grads in 30 Days: Christopher Gauk-Roger

B.A., Film and Digital Media

30 Grads in 30 Days: Sara Stickler

B.A., Anthropology

30 Grads in 30 Days: Daniel Zarchy

B.A., global economics

UC Santa Cruz veterans' programs get $100,000 funding boost

UCSC's veterans' programs are among the best in the country, say funders.

30 Grads in 30 Days: Maggie Sheldon

B.A., Film and digital media, critical studies concentration in feminist studies

30 Grads in 30 Days: Shelly Chan

Ph.D., History

30 Grads in 30 Days: Scott Rohlf

B.S., Earth sciences

Student Brittany Guest is a special kind of coach

Brittany Guest, a fifth-year health sciences student, directs the Special Olympics program for the Santa Cruz area.

UC Santa Cruz's fall 2009 'admit rate' reflects increasing competitiveness for freshman spaces

The percentage of freshman applicants who have been admitted to UC Santa Cruz for this coming fall declined by more than 10 percent in just one year, reflecting the increasingly competitive nature of undergraduate admission to the campus.

Dedicated marine mammal volunteers save oiled otter

When a young sea otter was found on the beach covered with tar balls and slick oil, volunteers with the Marine Mammal Physiology Project sprang into action.

The eagle has landed

This golden eagle was captured on film last week making a meal of an unlucky ground squirrel.

Transfer students to benefit from physics and astronomy scholarships

UCSC has received a five-year, $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to support talented but financially needy students pursuing bachelor's degrees in physics or astrophysics.

New general education requirements emphasize bold interdisciplinary themes, global engagement

A new forward-looking approach to education will prepare undergraduates for life in the complex, information-rich environment of the 21st century.

Alum Michael Scherer covers the White House for Time magazine

UCSC grad Michael Scherer is covering the White House for <i>Time</i> magazine.

Earth Summit celebrates progress, cultivates ideas

Thursday's eighth annual Earth Summit advanced a dialogue among students, faculty, staff, administration, and the Santa Cruz community regarding the campus's commitment to sustainability.

New requirement ensures students acquire discipline-based writing experience

A new high-level writing requirement will prepare undergraduates for the demands of the 21st-century workforce.

TOPP program gets 'seal' of approval from comedian Stephen Colbert

UCSC elephant seal researchers caught the attention of Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert, making the February 5 episode of his show, the Colbert Report.

I am elephant seals (and so can you!)

Want to know the truthiness about northern elephant seals? Become a Facebook friend of Stelephant Colbert.

UCSC's housing practices lauded with cover story

UC Santa Cruz is featured on the cover of the January/February issue of <i>Talking Stick</i>; the cover article is on housing assignment best practices.

UCSC alumnus wins 2009 Sundance directing award for first feature film

First-time director and UC Santa Cruz alumnus Cary Joji Fukunaga received the award for "Best Director, U.S. Drama," at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival for his film Sin Nombre.

For second consecutive year, undergraduate applications to UC Santa Cruz exceed 30,000

For the second year in a row, more than 30,000 prospective undergraduates have applied to the University of California, Santa Cruz for admission in the upcoming fall quarter.

Jared Rosen: Making politics funny

With a voice that drips with wit and friendly sarcasm, it's apparent from the start that humor is, perhaps, Jared Rosen's most obvious calling--but politics is his passion.