2012  International

Top physicists gather at UCSC to honor Michael Dine and Howard Haber

UCSC physicists Michael Dine and Howard Haber are being honored for their contributions to theoretical high-energy physics.

ARPA-E grant supports UCSC research on high-power solar energy

UCSC leads research on the development of an innovative optical device for harvesting concentrated sunlight into an optical fiber.

UCSC alumna wins 2012 HBO/NALIP Documentary Filmmaker Award

Kimberly Bautista--a 2009 graduate of the Social Documentation Program at UC Santa Cruz--has been named the winner of the 2012 HBO and National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) Documentary Film Award.

Insect-eating bat outperforms nectar specialist as pollinator of cactus flowers

Surprising study of bats that pollinate cactus flowers sheds light on coevolution of plants and pollinators.

UCSC sanitation activist speaks at World Toilet Summit in South Africa

A UC Santa Cruz Ph.D candidate in sociology and public toilet activist is scheduled to deliver a plenary session Thursday at the 12th World Toilet Summit in Durban, South Africa.

New literary magazine inspired by UCSC past and present

Beautifully and elegantly designed with an impressive array of fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry and art, Catamaran is a new literary magazine headquartered in downtown Santa Cruz.

Emerging vector-borne diseases create new public health challenges

Land-use change, globalization of trade and travel, and social upheaval are driving the emergence of diseases in many regions.

UC Santa Cruz receives Energy Efficiency Best Practice award for lighting design and retrofit

Campus wins best practice honors for a second year in a row.

Three environmental studies grad students win sustainable ag awards

Three UC Santa Cruz environmental studies graduate students are among 16 students nationwide awarded sustainable agriculture scholarships from Annie's Homegrown Inc., a natural foods manufacturer and distributor.

History grad student to study in Japan on Fulbright-Hays fellowship

Dustin Wright, a Ph.D. student in the UCSC History Department, has received a $43,800 Fulbright-Hays doctoral fellowship to pursue research in Japan.

UCSC event to reflect on cultural tolerance in wake of tragic shooting at Sikh Temple

Last August, a lone gunman opened fire at a Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, killing six people and wounding four others. On November 15, UCSC will present a panel discussion and dinner to explore what can be learned from the Wisconsin tragedy.

UCSC celebrates launch of new Ph.D. program in Feminist Studies

The UC Santa Cruz Feminist Studies Department officially celebrated the launch of its long-awaited Ph.D.program with a kick-off reception at the Chancellor’s house.

UCSC grad students launch cancer genomics company in Santa Cruz

The cofounders of Five3 Genomics, a new biotech company based in Santa Cruz, are former graduate students in the Baskin School of Engineering. Five3 Genomics offers genomics software and services for personalized cancer therapy

UCSC professor premieres explosive documentary at Pacific Rim Festival

“The very first day of shooting the film there was a huge explosion,” said Gustavo Vazquez, UCSC professor of Film and Digital Media. Vazquez was high up in the Peruvian Andes filming "Playing with Fire," a kaleidoscopic portrait of the small town of Celendín...

Professor Richard “Ed” Green will be featured on PBS science show

Season premiere of NOVA scienceNOW featuring UCSC professor will air at 10 p.m. October 10 on PBS station KQED Channel 9.

Award-winning UCSC alumna celebrates publication of new memoir

After two acclaimed novels about the Mexican immigrant experience, UCSC alumna Reyna Grande is now celebrating the release of her new memoir--"The Distance Between Us"--with a reading at Bookshop Santa Cruz on Oct. 14.

UCSC ranked second for research influence in world university rankings

In a new analysis of the world's top universities, UC Santa Cruz is ranked second in research influence.

Virtual anthropology uses digital copies to increase access for students

The trouble with working with bone fragments in an anthropology lab is they're often fragile and always one of a kind. What if you could create identical copies, enough for each student?

UCSC awarded $4.5 million NSF grant for renewable energy research and education

UCSC leads a cooperative research and education program on renewable energy involving universities in the United States and Denmark.

UCSC students pilot sustainability project to eliminate the use of paper towels at Stevenson College

Initiative encourages the use of washable and reusable “PeopleTowels” on campus.

Shakespeare performance to benefit education and intern programs, Oct. 14

How does a 24 year-old fisherman with a thick New York accent become a Shakespearean actor? You can find out at Shakespeare Santa Cruz’s third annual fall benefit show--supporting the company’s education and internship programs—on Sunday, October 14.

Study reveals complex rupture process in surprising 2012 Sumatra quake

The April 2012 great earthquake near Sumatra involved a complicated faulting process unlike anything seen before.

Hubble produces deepest ever view of the universe

UCSC astronomer Garth Illingworth's team assembled the "eXtreme Deep Field" image of distant galaxies.

Unusual symbiosis discovered in marine microorganisms

Tiny single-celled algae and nitrogen-fixing bacteria exchange carbon and nitrogen in a mutually beneficial relationship that helps fertilize the oceans.

UC Santa Cruz receives Best Practice award for water efficiency and site water quality

UC Santa Cruz earned high honors at the tenth annual California Higher Education Sustainability Conference hosted by UC Davis on June 19, recognizing eco-friendly best practices across the UC system.

UCSC hosts 'Genomics Gets Personal: Property, Persons, Privacy' Sept. 27

UC Santa Cruz will convene a world-class panel of medical and legal experts September 27 at the UC San Francisco Mission Bay campus to discuss the fundamental ethical, social, and legal issues surrounding personal genomic research.

Linguistics grad off to Germany on Fulbright Scholarship

2012 UCSC Linguistics graduate Kelsey Kraus will spend the next year living and working in Germany as the recipient of a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship.

UCSC provides access to encyclopedia of the human genome

The ENCODE project is giving biomedical researchers a solid genetic foundation for understanding how the body works in health and disease.

Biologist Harry Noller to receive honorary degree

The University of Geneva will award an honorary doctorate degree to UCSC biologist Harry Noller.

Study suggests large methane reservoirs beneath Antarctic ice sheet

The Antarctic Ice Sheet could be an overlooked but important source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

UC Santa Cruz ranked 12th for Outside readers

UC Santa Cruz has made Outside Magazine’s list of 25 colleges known for their adventurous students and outdoor enthusiasts.

Peabody Award recognizes video work of SciCom alumna Solana Pyne

A video series by GlobalPost featuring productions by Science Communication Program graduate Solana Pyne received a Peabody Award for distinguished achievement in electronic media.

UC Santa Cruz in top 3% of Princeton Review's 2013 'Green Honor Roll'

UC Santa Cruz is one of 21 colleges receiving the Princeton Review's highest score (99) in its fifth annual "Green Ratings."

'Science Notes 2012' now available online

Science Notes 2012, published by UCSC's Science Communication Program, is now online.

New observatory installed beneath seafloor at site of Tohoku earthquake

UCSC seismologist Emily Brodsky was part of an international team that installed an observatory on the Tohoku earthquake fault.

Past climate change linked to ancient alteration of seawater chemistry

A new study by scientists at the University of Toronto and the University of California, Santa Cruz suggests that changes in world ocean chemistry is one potential cause of the cooling trend of the past 45 million years.

Undergrad finds clue to scientific mystery in ancient text

UCSC undergrad Jonathon Allen found a clue in historical archives that may explain unusual isotope levels in growth rings of Japanese cedars.

New book by UCSC biologist highlights efforts to save Hawaiian monk seals

Marine biologist Terrie Williams recounts how an abandoned pup named KP2 is helping efforts to save the most endangered marine mammal in U.S. waters.

Search for Higgs boson reveals new particle

Physicists involved in experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) have presented evidence of a new particle that may prove to be the long-sought Higgs boson.

Michael Bolte to step down as director of UC Observatories

Michael Bolte has announced his decision to resign as director of UC Observatories at the end of July and will return to full-time teaching and research at UC Santa Cruz.

UC Santa Cruz launches the Grateful Dead Archive Online

The UCSC Library announced today that the public can now access the Grateful Dead Archive Online through the GDAO website at www.gdao.org.

California sea level projected to rise at higher rate than global average

The sea level off most of California is expected to rise about 36 inches over the next century, an amount slightly higher than projected for global sea levels, according to a new report.

UCSC's Psychology Department wins national award for public service

The Psychology Department at UC Santa Cruz has won a prestigious national award from the American Psychological Association (APA) for service in the psychological sciences.

Daniel Press named executive director of CASFS

Environmental studies professor Daniel Press has been named executive director of the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS) at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Astronomer Jerry Nelson receives Franklin Medal in campus ceremony

Astronomer Jerry Nelson was awarded the Franklin Institute's 2012 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Electrical Engineering on Friday, June 8.

Moonalice to help UC Santa Cruz open Grateful Dead Archive June 29

UC Santa Cruz will celebrate the public opening of the Grateful Dead Archive at the University Library on Friday, June 29, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

UCSC psychology society holds first undergraduate research conference

The UC Santa Cruz chapter of Psi Chi is highlighting undergraduate research in psychology this week as it hosts the department's first Undergraduate Research Conference.

Guthman's examination of obesity crisis wins a second book award

UC Santa Cruz professor Julie Guthman's latest book, Weighing In, Obesity, Food Justice, and the Limits of Capitalism (2011, University of California Press) has been selected by the Association for the Study of Food and Society (ASFS) for its annual book award.

Sammy Awards showcase top video games from UCSC game design students

The second annual Sammy Awards on Friday, June 15, recognize the best games created by students in UCSC's computer game design program.

Reign of the giant insects ended with the evolution of birds

Giant insects once ruled the prehistoric skies, but the evolution of birds ended their reign.

Astronomer Sandra Faber receives prestigious Bruce Gold Medal

The Astronomical Society of the Pacific has awarded the 2012 Catherine Wolfe Bruce Gold Medal to UCSC astronomer Sandra Faber.

UC Santa Cruz ranked 7th worldwide among younger universities

UC Santa Cruz is ranked seventh in the world among the 100 best universities less than 50 years old and first in research citations, according to an analysis by Times Higher Education (THE).

UCSC History Professor contributes cover story to The Nation magazine

The June 11 issue of The Nation magazine features a cover story by UC Santa Cruz history professor Dana Frank.

Light-induced delivery of nitric oxide eradicates drug-resistant bacteria

UCSC researchers have developed a novel approach for eradicating drug-resistant bacteria from wounds and skin infections, using light to trigger the controlled release of nitric oxide.

Elephant seal tracking reveals hidden lives of deep-diving animals

UCSC researchers use satellite tags to monitor the migrations of elephant seals, revealing their movements and diving behavior at sea in unprecedented detail.

Anthropology Ph.D. student wins Newcombe Fellowship

Adding to the awards for her innovative research into religious minorities, UC Santa Cruz anthropology Ph.D. candidate Sarah Bakker is one of 21 national winners of a coveted fellowship for scholars working on dissertations that involve religious themes.

The man behind the gift to ‘Dead Central’

Dead Central, the long-awaited 1,400-square-foot exhibit space for the Grateful Dead Archive at UC Santa Cruz, is now complete—thanks to Santa Barbara investor and philanthropist Scott Brittingham.

Reporter who revealed undocumented status to speak at Chavez convocation

Jose Antonio Vargas, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist whose article "My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant," last year revealed his immigration status, will be the keynote speaker at the 9th annual César Chávez Convocation at UCSC.

UC Santa Cruz builds national data center for cancer genome research

UCSC has established a large-scale data repository and user portal for the National Cancer Institute's cancer genome research programs.

Environmental studies researchers take studies to new heights

UC Santa Cruz environmental studies associate professor Jeff Bury and Adam French, an environmental studies Ph.D. candidate, were among 31 high-altitude scientists and researchers from around the world who traveled to Nepal last September to study and find solutions for destructive glacial floods.

Exhibition documents anthropology's focus on emerging worlds

Emerging Worlds, a new faculty exhibition now open at Porter Sesnon Gallery on the UC Santa Cruz campus, documents and illustrates the research theme of UCSC's anthropology department.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame exhibit draws from UCSC Grateful Dead Archive

On April 12, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum will launch a major exhibition on the Grateful Dead, featuring a significant number of items on loan from The Grateful Dead Archive at UC Santa Cruz.

Astrophysicist Michael Turner speaks April 16 on what came 'Before the Big Bang'

Eminent cosmologist Michael Turner will discuss the origins of the universe in a free public lecture on Monday, April 16, at the Rio Theater.

International drilling expedition to probe Japanese fault zone

UC Santa Cruz scientists are involved in an ambitious drilling project to measure properties of the fault that caused the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

UCSC forest research site joins Global Earth Observatory, nearly triples in size

The nearly 15-acre Forest Ecology Research Plot located within the UC Santa Cruz Campus Natural Reserve has been accepted into the global network of the Smithsonian Institution's Center for Tropical Forest Science / Global Earth Observatory.

Biochemist Glenn Millhauser honored for protein structure research

Glenn Millhauser, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, has been chosen to receive the 2012 Silver Medal in Biology/Medicine from the International EPR Society.

Seismologist Thorne Lay reflects on anniversary of Tohoku earthquake

A spate of huge earthquakes in the past seven years has provided humbling lessons for seismologists, according to UCSC prof Thorne Lay.

Two UCSC marine scientists awarded Pew Fellowships in Marine Conservation

Two scientists affiliated with UCSC's Institute of Marine Sciences have been awarded 2012 Pew Fellowships in Marine Conservation.

New DNA sequencer uses nanopore concepts pioneered at UCSC

A British company announced plans to market the first commercial DNA sequencer using nanopore technology pioneered at UCSC.

Winner selected for first Gabe Zimmerman scholarship

Yethzéll Díaz, a senior majoring in Latin American and Latino studies and sociology, is the recipient of the first Gabriel Zimmerman Memorial Scholarship at UC Santa Cruz named for the UCSC alumnus and slain congressional aide.

Physicist Peter Young receives Humboldt Research Award

The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation has elected physicist Peter Young to receive a Humboldt Research Award.

New book traces UCSC’s role in organic and sustainable farm movement

A new book published by the UCSC Library’s Regional History Project offers a window into the 40-year history of how UC Santa Cruz--and California’s Central Coast—became leaders in the organic farming and sustainable agriculture movement.

New images capture 'stealth merger' of dwarf galaxies

Images of a nearby dwarf galaxy show the remains of an even smaller companion galaxy in the process of merging with its host.

Library’s book conservator contributes to project for Japan’s tsunami survivors

The University Library’s Hisako Nakazawa has joined the OKAERI PROJECT, an international effort initiated by the Tokyo Bookbinding Club.

Phillip Hammack receives early career award in psychology

Phillip. L. Hammack, assistant professor of psychology at UC Santa Cruz, has been named recipient of the 2011 Early Career Award of the Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict, and Violence: Division of Peace Psychology, American Psychological Association (APA).

New super-Earth detected within the habitable zone of a nearby star

An international team of scientists has discovered a potentially habitable super-Earth orbiting a nearby star.

UCSC earns spot on Peace Corps list

UCSC history professor contributes latest op-ed on Honduras to NY Times

One of the top academic experts on Honduras in the United States, Dana Frank has spent the past decade researching the area. Her latest op-ed was published in the New York Times on Jan. 26.

NASA's Kepler mission announces 11 planetary systems hosting 26 planets

A UCSC astronomer is involved in the Kepler mission's discovery of 11 new planetary systems hosting 26 confirmed planets.

UCSC grad creates Rock Band-like video game for the blind

UC Santa Cruz graduate Rupa Dhillon hopes to change the face of gaming with Rock Vibe—a Rock Band-style electronic musical video game for people who are both blind and sighted.

UCSC's Paul Lubeck provides analysis on insurgency in Nigeria's north

Bombings Friday (January 20) struck the northern Nigerian city of Kano where UCSC sociology professor Paul Lubeck conducted research last summer and where many UCSC students have worked as interns as part of the Global Information Internship Program (GIIP).

Iraqi-born Israeli bringing Jewish Mid-East music to UCSC

Yair Dalal--who creates music that bridges both Arab and Israeli cultures--is coming to campus for both an academic lecture and a public concert, presented by Jewish Studies in collaboration with the Music Department.

UCSC receives more than 40,000 undergraduate applications for fall 2012

More than 40,000 prospective undergraduates – the most ever – have applied for admission to UC Santa Cruz for the fall 2012 quarter. California residents submitted 90 percent of UCSC's freshman applications for fall 2012 – 29,639 – a 13.4 percent increase over 2011, the highest in the UC system.

'Open-source' robotic surgery platform going to top medical research labs

Robotics experts at UCSC and UW have built seven advanced robotic surgery systems for use by major medical research laboratories.

Remembering Martin Luther King Jr. with acclaimed poet Nikki Giovanni

Nikki Giovanni, renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist, and University Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech, will speak at UC Santa Cruz's 28th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Convocation on February 2.

UCSC receives $247,000 gift to support Sikh and Punjabi Studies program

UC Santa Cruz has received $247,000 to establish an endowed fund in support of the Humanities Division’s Sikh and Punjabi Studies program.