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2013 Research

December 15, 2013
Deep-sea corals record dramatic long-term shift in Pacific Ocean ecosystem
Long-lived deep-sea corals preserve evidence of a major shift in the open Pacific Ocean ecosystem since around 1850.
December 10, 2013
Astrophysicists launch ambitious assessment of galaxy formation simulations
UCSC leads international collaboration to compare computer simulations of galaxy formation and evolution
December 09, 2013
Hawaiian monk seal toy raises funds to save endangered species
A UCSC marine biologist offers cuddly "Real Seal" toys, one for each of the 1,100 Hawaiian monk seals left in the world.
December 06, 2013
UCSC computer scientists turn software verification into gameplay
The puzzle game 'Xylem' is a crowd-sourced solution for improving the security of software code.
December 05, 2013
Slippery fault unleashed destructive Tohoku-Oki earthquake and tsunami
The first measurement of friction during an earthquake yielded a surprisingly low value for the devastating 2011 Tohoku earthquake.
November 19, 2013
Nathaniel Deutsch wins book award from Association for Jewish Studies
Nathaniel Deutsch, professor of history and co-director of UCSC’s Center for Jewish Studies, has received the 2013 Jordan Schnitzer Book Award from the Association for Jewish Studies
November 14, 2013
Hidden workshop turns out complex equipment for UCSC scientists
Born tinkerers, two 'old-school' UCSC machinists take rough sketches and turn them into 'works of art.'
November 08, 2013
UCSC team wins cancer genomics competition
A team of bioinformatics experts made the most accurate predictions in a challenge to identify signaling networks in breast cancer cells.
November 08, 2013
State ban on lead ammunition supported by years of research at UCSC
Environmental toxicologists documented the effects of lead from bullets on wildlife and testified before legislative committees
November 05, 2013
Celebration of two new Jewish Studies books Nov. 13
UCSC’s Center for Jewish Studies and University Library will present a celebration of two new books on Jewish Studies--featuring professors Peter Kenez and Murray Baumgarten, and librarian Lee Jaffe, Nov. 13 at Stevenson College.
November 05, 2013
Marine scientists track spread of sea star wasting disease
A mysterious disease that causes sea stars to decay and fall apart within a few days has become widespread along the U.S. west coast.
November 04, 2013
Hitachi sponsors UCSC research in cancer genomics and data storage
Two areas of expertise at UCSC, genomics and data storage, are brought together under a new research agreement sponsored by Hitachi.
November 01, 2013
Surgical robot built at UCSC featured in 'Ender's Game' movie
The Raven II surgical robot developed in Jacob Rosen's Bionics Lab makes a cameo appearance in the new movie "Ender's Game."
October 31, 2013
Biologist Manuel Ares receives Outstanding Faculty Award
Biology professor Manuel Ares has received the 2012-13 Outstanding Faculty Award from the Division of Physical and Biological Sciences.
October 28, 2013
Social Sciences Research Frontiers Day spotlights 21st century challenges
Twelve professors from eight disciplines in the Social Sciences presented their research on contemporary issues at the division’s first Research Frontiers Day, held on campus at Colleges Nine and Ten.
October 28, 2013
Study maps human impacts on top ocean predators along U.S. west coast
Research shows where human impacts are highest on marine predators such as whales, seals, seabirds, and turtles.
October 21, 2013
Research Review Day talks: From big data to brain development
Attendees heard talks from industry leaders and UCSC faculty at the Baskin School of Engineering's Research Review Day.
October 18, 2013
UCSC’s first ‘Ed Talks' draws crowd in downtown Santa Cruz
An enthusiastic audience of 250 community members gathered at the “Top of the Ritt” in downtown Santa Cruz last night to celebrate UCSC’s very first evening of “Ed Talks”—three TED-style talks by acclaimed UC Santa Cruz faculty.
October 17, 2013
UCSC astrophysicist Charlie Conroy wins prestigious Packard Fellowship
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation has awarded a Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering to astrophysicist Charlie Conroy.
October 17, 2013
Astronomers find most distant gravitational lens
Discovery of the most distant gravitational lens allows direct measurement of the mass of a distant galaxy, but also poses a mystery
October 10, 2013
UCSC to present symposium on Arab film and visual culture
Artists and scholars from Lebanon, Morocco, Egypt, Syria, Canada, Europe, and the U.S. will converge at the UCSC campus on October 25-26 for "Unfixed Itineraries," a two-day symposium on film and visual culture from Arab worlds.
October 10, 2013
New device harnesses sun and sewage to produce hydrogen fuel
A device that uses sunlight and wastewater to produce hydrogen gas could provide sustainable energy and treat wastewater.
October 08, 2013
UCSC scientists applaud Nobel Prize for Higgs discovery
UCSC physicists played a significant role in advancing and confirming the theory that earned this year's Nobel Prize in physics.
October 08, 2013
Baskin School of Engineering showcases research advances on October 17
Data science, mobile and pervasive computing, and regenerative medicine are featured topics at BSOE's annual Research Review Day.
October 03, 2013
Genetic study of river herring populations identifies conservation priorities
Analysis of river herring populations along the U.S. east coast has identified distinct genetic stocks, providing crucial guidance for management and conservation.
October 02, 2013
Astronomers observe distant galaxy powered by primordial cosmic fuel
Astronomers have detected cold streams of primordial hydrogen gas left over from the big bang fueling a distant star-forming galaxy.
September 30, 2013
Astronomers find patchy clouds on exotic world
Astronomers have created the first cloud map of a planet beyond our solar system, a sizzling, Jupiter-like world known as Kepler-7b.
September 26, 2013
Pan-Cancer studies find common patterns shared by different tumor types
The Pan-Cancer Initiative, a major effort to analyze the molecular aberrations in cancer cells across a range of tumor types, has yielded an abundance of new findings.
September 19, 2013
Seismologists puzzle over largest deep earthquake ever recorded
A magnitude 8.3 earthquake that struck deep beneath the Sea of Okhotsk on May 24 was the largest deep earthquake ever recorded.
September 18, 2013
UCSC research funding tops $130 million for 2012-13
UCSC researchers attracted $132.5 million in external grants and contracts to the campus in the 2012-13 fiscal year.
September 12, 2013
California's sea otter numbers continue slow climb
California sea otter numbers are up, according to the latest population survey led by federal, state, and UCSC scientists.
September 11, 2013
CrowdGrader brings crowdsourcing to the task of grading homework
A new crowdsourcing tool developed at UCSC gets students involved in grading homework assignments.
August 28, 2013
New Cassini data from Titan indicate a rigid, weathered ice shell
An analysis of gravity and topography data from Saturn's largest moon, Titan, has revealed unexpected features of the moon's outer ice shell.
August 26, 2013
Sea otters promote recovery of seagrass beds
Recolonization of Elkhorn Slough by sea otters led to recovery and expansion of seagrass beds due to cascading effects on the food web.
August 21, 2013
SCIPP director Steve Ritz helped ensure Fermi mission's scientific bounty
UCSC physicist Steve Ritz was project scientist for NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope
August 13, 2013
Film grad promoting documentary that won chancellor’s award
Last May, UCSC graduate student Sadia Halima received the Chancellor’s Research Award for her thesis film Laal Pari/The Red Fairy, a documentary addressing women’s participation in politics at the grassroots level in rural India. Her documentary has now been accepted for screening at several international film festivials
July 31, 2013
UCSC awarded three NEH grants for Humanities projects
UC Santa Cruz has received three grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to support humanities projects in the Literature Department.
July 31, 2013
UCSC acquires powerful new astrophysics supercomputer system
State-of-the-art computer systems have been instrumental in making UCSC one of the world's leading centers for computational astrophysics and planetary science.
July 30, 2013
Physicist Hitoshi Murayama to speak on 'The Quantum Universe' August 14
Renowned physicist Hitoshi Murayama will give a public lecture on "The Quantum Universe" on Wednesday, August 14, at the Rio Theater.
July 29, 2013
Scientific authorities sign TMT master agreement
The scientific authorities of the Thiry Meter Telescope partners have signed a master agreement defining the project goals and establishing a governance structure.
July 25, 2013
UCSC dance research published in prestigious Psychology Science journal
A new study by a research group from UC Santa Cruz in dance has been published in Psychological Science, the highest ranked empirical journal in psychology.
July 23, 2013
Bees ‘betray’ their flowers when pollinator species decline, study shows
Remove even one bumblebee species from an ecosystem and the impact is swift and clear: Their floral “sweethearts” produce significantly fewer seeds, a new study finds.
July 12, 2013
UCSC researchers develop 3D display with no ghosting for viewers without glasses
3D+2D TV allows viewers with stereo glasses to see 3D images, while viewers without the glasses see a normal 2D image.
July 11, 2013
Geothermal power facility induces earthquakes, study finds
Seismologists found a strong correlation between seismic activity and operations for production of geothermal power.
July 10, 2013
Seafloor research expedition features live online video feed
Hydrogeologist Andrew Fisher is leading an expedition to explore fluid flow and microbial habitats deep within the ocean crust.
July 03, 2013
Military sonar can alter blue whale behavior
Blue whales off the coast of California changed their behavior when exposed to underwater sounds like those used in U.S. military exercises.
June 27, 2013
Study reveals key step in protein synthesis
Scientists show how the protein-building ribosome translates genetic code into proteins without making mistakes.
June 26, 2013
Scientists sequence genome of 700,000-year-old horse
An international team of scientists has sequenced the genome of an ancient horse that lived 700,000 years ago.
June 25, 2013
New 3-acre Hay Barn and 2-acre lower quarry fields added to UCSC Farm
A public tour is set for Saturday, June 29, of new fields added to the UCSC Farm. The tour, from 10 a.m. to noon, will include a visit to the soon-to-be restored historic Cowell Ranch Hay Barn.
June 25, 2013
Astronomers detect three planets in habitable zone of nearby star
A new study reveals a record-breaking three super-Earths orbiting in the "habitable zone" of a nearby star.
June 24, 2013
UC Santa Cruz ranks tops in research influence, 11th overall among universities under 50
UC Santa Cruz ranks at the very top – 99.9th percentile – in research influence, and 11th overall among the 100 top universities in the world less than 50 years old, according to an annual analysis by Times Higher Education.
June 24, 2013
Ocean sciences grad student Meghan Powers featured in UC research profile
Graduate student Meghan Powers dives into her work to study bioluminescent marine life.
June 21, 2013
High school student's work in UCSC lab earns Intel Science Fair prize
Eesha Khare, a student at Lynbrook High School in San Jose, won a $50,000 science fair prize for work carried out in Yat Li's chemistry lab.
June 17, 2013
Submarine springs reveal how coral reefs respond to ocean acidification
Ocean acidification due to rising carbon dioxide levels will reduce the density of coral skeletons, making coral reefs more vulnerable to disruption and erosion.
June 17, 2013
Major grant funds UCSC researchers using big data to predict cancer outcomes
UCSC bioinformatics experts received a $3.5 million NIH grant to develop tools to analyze cancer genomics data.
June 05, 2013
Major study assesses sea level changes due to ice sheet losses
Improved satellite measurements and computer simulations of ice sheets are creating a more accurate picture of the current and future rise in global sea level.
June 05, 2013
Genomics pioneers look to future, form global alliance for data sharing
UCSC bioinformatics expert David Haussler is on organizing committee for global alliance to enable secure sharing of genomic and clinical data.
June 04, 2013
7th annual screening of Soc Doc graduate films at Del Mar Theatre
UCSC presents the 7th annual exhibition of thesis films from the Film and Digital Media Department’s masters program in Social Documentation, June 12, at the Del Mar Theater.
May 31, 2013
Congressman Farr honors Sandy Faber at Senate meeting
U.S. Congressman Sam Farr paid a surprise visit to the May 29 meeting of UCSC's Academic Senate in order to pay tribute to astronomer Sandra Faber.
May 28, 2013
Carbon capture technique produces hydrogen fuel, offsets ocean acidification
Scientists have discovered and demonstrated a new technique to remove and store atmospheric carbon dioxide.
May 17, 2013
Puma capture demonstrates success of non-lethal intervention
The capture in downtown Santa Cruz and resettlement of a young male mountain lion is one of the first tests of a new state policy that calls for using non-lethal methods when mountain lions are discovered in populated areas.
May 14, 2013
Graduate Research Symposium awards recognize top presentations
Outstanding presentations at the Graduate Research Symposium were honored at the Awards Reception.
May 08, 2013
Psychology grad wins research award typically given to graduate students
Lauren Brande, (Porter, '11, psychology) won a best abstract award May 3 at the annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association in Reno.
May 08, 2013
UCSC physicist Michael Nauenberg wins UC distinguished emeriti award
Michael Nauenberg, professor emeritus of physics at UC Santa Cruz, has been honored with the 2013 Constantine Panunzio Distinguished Emeriti Award.
May 08, 2013
Dietary flexibility may have helped large predators survive after last ice age
A study of mammoth steppe predators suggests dietary flexibility gave wolves and bears an edge over saber-toothed cats and cave lions.
May 02, 2013
Graduate students present research in annual symposium May 10
Graduate students from all five academic divisions at UCSC will present their research on Friday, May 10.
May 01, 2013
So You Think When You Dance?
UCSC’s Ted Warburton will give the Arts Division’s 2013 Outstanding Faculty Research Lecture May 16, plus direct a faculty dance concert with guest Bay Area alumni and students, May 24-June 2.
April 30, 2013
UCSC panel looks at the future of online education
UCSC community members had a chance to air out some of their hopes and concerns about online education at a panel discussion Friday at Stevenson College.
April 30, 2013
Scientists retrieve temperature data from Japan Trench observatory
Data recovered in an unprecedented series of operations will reveal frictional heat generated by fault slip during the Tohoku earthquake
April 29, 2013
Astrophysics internships bring community college students to UCSC
The astrophysics program is reaching out to community college students through a new summer internship program.
April 25, 2013
Interactive storytelling symposium on May 10 explores the future of games
The Interactive Storytelling Symposium will bring together experts from academia and the computer game industry to explore the future of games.
April 22, 2013
UCSC hosts symposium on stem cells and aging
Leading stem cell scientists from around the world will gather at UCSC May 30 and 31 for the Stem Cells and Aging Symposium.
April 22, 2013
UCSC highly ranked in worldwide survey of research impact
UC Santa Cruz placed 11th on the annual Leiden Ranking, which measures the scientific performance of 500 major universities worldwide.
April 18, 2013
Distant blazar is a high-energy astrophysics puzzle
New observations of a blazar show that it is the most distant known source of very high-energy gamma rays.
April 18, 2013
New book explores relentless evolution in a constantly changing world
In his new book, biologist John Thompson argues that species must evolve constantly or they will not persist.
April 16, 2013
Digital Arts and New Media grad student exhibition opens April 27
Amplified CB radios, playable wrestling games about nutrition, and buildings that grow in the dark are just a few of the things you’ll encounter at “ground (ctrl)”—opening April 27 at UCSC’s Digital Arts Research Center (DARC building).
April 15, 2013
Ecologist Mark Carr to give Ricketts Memorial Lecture at sanctuary symposium
Marine ecologist Mark Carr will give the Ricketts Memorial Lecture at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary's annual symposium.
April 10, 2013
Arts Division public event to help shape new Institute of Arts and Sciences
The UCSC Arts Division will present a day-long public event to help plan a groundbreaking new interdisciplinary Institute of the Arts and Sciences on Friday, April 26.
April 05, 2013
CO2 at work during last global 'hot spell' but hardly alone
UC Santa Cruz ocean sciences professor Christina Ravelo is part of an international team that is using ocean floor sediment samples to compile data on past periods of global warming in order to understand today's climate changes.
March 27, 2013
Marine scientist Adina Paytan receives prestigious international award
IMS researcher Adina Paytan has been awarded the Excellence Award of the Werner Petersen Foundation.
March 27, 2013
UCSC and industry partners launch center for data storage research
The Center for Research in Storage Systems was established through NSF's Industry/University Cooperative Research Program.
March 21, 2013
Computer History Museum honors UCSC computer scientist Harry Huskey
Harry D. Huskey, professor emeritus of computer science at UCSC, will receive the 2013 Fellow Award from the Computer History Museum.
March 14, 2013
DNA study clarifies relationship between polar bears and brown bears
A new genetic study of polar bears and brown bears upends prevailing ideas about the evolutionary history of the two species.
March 14, 2013
Works by UCSC music professor to be featured at Smithsonian
Thousand Gates, a concert featuring two new works by UC Santa Cruz professor of music Hi Kyung Kim, is set to be performed at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., on April 7.
March 14, 2013
UCSC Cancer Genomics Hub wins 2013 Innovations in Networking Award
CGHub has been honored by CENIC with the 2013 Innovations in Networking Award for High-Performance Research Applications.
March 13, 2013
International collaboration to investigate disappearing reptiles and amphibians
UCSC biologist Barry Sinervo leads NSF-funded project to study the effects of climate change on plants and animals around the world.
March 12, 2013
Bacteria may protect against disease caused by stomach infection
Stomach microbes influence whether H. pylori infection causes disease, researchers find.
March 06, 2013
Bats not bothered by forest fires, study finds
Scientists found that bats are resilient to high-severity fire, and some species may even benefit from the effects of fire on the landscape.
March 06, 2013
UCSC arts, humanities professors collaborate for ‘New Orleans Suite’
A new book by UCSC professors Lewis Watts (Art) and Eric Porter (History, American Studies) maps the changing cultural scene in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina hit the Crescent City in the summer of 2005.
February 21, 2013
Stellar motions in outer halo shed new light on Milky Way evolution
For the first time, astronomers have measured the sideways motions of stars in the outer halo of the Milky Way, yielding clues to our galaxy's remote past.
February 19, 2013
UCSC Linguistics professors receive $300,000 NSF grant
UCSC humanities professors Sandra Chung and Matthew Wagers have been awarded a $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to investigate language comprehension in the Mariana Islands.
February 19, 2013
Student research project attracts European partners and NSF funding
Research on Mediterranean seagrass leads to international collaboration and a grant to extend students' findings.
February 19, 2013
"Science on Tap" aims to engage public in science
A new "science cafe" is starting up in Santa Cruz, designed to connect the Santa Cruz community to the latest research happening at UCSC.
February 16, 2013
Historic legacy of lead pollution persists despite regulatory efforts
Efforts to reduce lead pollution have paid off in many ways, yet the problem persists and will probably continue to affect the health of people and animals well into the future.
February 14, 2013
UCSC astrophysicist Charlie Conroy wins Sloan Research Fellowship
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship to Charlie Conroy, assistant professor of astronomy and astrophysics.
February 07, 2013
$2.5 million NIH grant supports research on retinal disease
A major grant from the National Eye Institute supports physicist Sasha Sher's research on how the retina heals itself after laser surgery.
February 01, 2013
Astronomer Sandra Faber honored in White House ceremony
President Barack Obama presented astronomer Sandra Faber with the National Medal of Science in a White House ceremony on Friday.
January 28, 2013
Gail Hershatter to deliver 47th annual UCSC Faculty Research Lecture
UC Santa Cruz professor of history Gail Hershatter will deliver the 47th annual UCSC Faculty Research Lecture on Tuesday, February 12, at 7 p.m. at the Music Recital Hall in the UCSC Performing Arts Complex.
January 28, 2013
Scientists collect first intact samples from an Antarctic subglacial lake
A research team including UCSC scientists successfully drilled through the Antarctic ice and sampled a subglacial lake.
January 23, 2013
Astronomer Mark Krumholz awarded AAS Warner Prize
Astronomer Mark Krumholz has been chosen to receive the 2013 Helen B. Warner Prize for Astronomy.
January 17, 2013
Novel technique reveals dynamics of telomere DNA structure
New findings reveal structural properties of chromosome-capping telomeres, a potential target for anti-cancer drugs.
January 16, 2013
U.S. team poised to begin drilling into subglacial lake in Antarctica
UCSC scientists are part of a team in Antarctica to investigate one of the last unexplored aquatic environments on Earth.
January 10, 2013
Monk seal book wins AAAS/Subaru prize for young adult science book
A book about Hawaiian monk seals by marine biologist Terrie Williams has received a prize for excellence in science books.
January 09, 2013
Low extinction rates made California a refuge for diverse plant species
The remarkable diversity of California's plant life is largely the result of low extinction rates over the past 45 million years, scientists say.