2021  Community News

Impacts of rainy weather on coronavirus outbreaks reveal economic benefits from earlier social distancing

Economists at UC Santa Cruz used rainy weather as a natural experiment to understand how communities across the U.S. that started some form of social distancing slightly earlier may have experienced significant economic benefits.

Hollywood trailblazer: Ally Walker

Oakes College alumna Ally Walker's career went from sequencing genomes to solving crimes on television

Tyler Stovall, renowned history professor and former humanities dean, dies at 67

Stovall was a faculty member of the UC Santa Cruz Humanities Division for 13 years, including three years serving as the chair of the History Department and provost of Stevenson College.

Alumna bell hooks—celebrated feminist theorist, cultural critic, artist, and writer—dies at 69

bell hooks was the author of over two dozen books that ranged from the groundbreaking text 'Ain’t I a Woman? Black Women and Feminism' to her deeply felt memoir 'Bone Black: Memories of Girlhood'.

In Memoriam: Paul Niebanck (1934-2021)

Paul Niebanck, professor emeritus of environmental studies and founding provost of Rachel Carson College, passed away on November 26, 2021.

New study shows plants struggle to keep pace with climate change in human-dominated landscapes

A new global-scale analysis found a mismatch between plant phenology and rising temperatures that was more pronounced in the most human-dominated landscapes, especially crop lands.

Stepping up to fight food insecurity

UC Santa Cruz has expanded its annual Second Harvest Holiday Food and Fund Drive to help boost donations—needed now more than ever in the wake of the pandemic, wildfires, and economic turmoil.

Holiday gifts that challenge gender stereotypes can support children’s development

Distinguished Professor of Psychology Campbell Leaper explains the issues with gender stereotypes in children’s toys and shares gift-giving tips that may help counteract the effects.

John D. Pine to serve as Assistant Vice Chancellor for Alumni Engagement

John D. Pine will lead a team that will build the strategic direction, organizational design, and long-term goals for alumni engagement, collaborating with the Alumni Association, colleagues in University Relations, and partners throughout the campus.

Priya Mehta to serve as Associate Vice Chancellor for Development

The Associate Vice Chancellor for Development is a pivotal leadership role on campus, and involves working at the highest levels internally and externally to generate philanthropic support for the university.

UC Santa Cruz ranked No. 3 green college 

Princeton Review evaluates schools based on institutional data as well as a 10-question student survey.

Reviving deep-rooted knowledge

The Amah Mutsun Relearning Program at the Arboretum & Botanic Garden aims to assist the tribe's efforts in cultural revitalization, recuperation and relearning of dormant cultural knowledge, and environmental justice.

Uncovering the politics behind a pandemic

The latest paper from Politics Professor and Global & Community Health Executive Director Matt Sparke argues that the coronavirus pandemic has exposed, exploited, and exacerbated the vulnerabilities of neoliberal societies around the world.

Tony Cobb brings lessons from the hardscrabble to key leadership role

At an early age, Tony Cobb learned to pay attention to details and give his all—skills he's brought to UC Santa Cruz as the new associate vice chancellor for Physical Planning, Development and Operations.

New grant to support Dickens Project programming in year ahead

The programming in 2022 is focused on questions of race and social justice in the 19th century and today, with the summer's Dickens Universe event broadening its purview by pairing a British novel with an African-American novel.

UC Santa Cruz campus voting skyrocketed in 2020

A nationwide study shows student voting at UC Santa Cruz increased dramatically in last year’s presidential election, and these gains came at roughly double the average rate of increase across more than 1,000 college campuses around the country.

Statement on not guilty verdict in Rittenhouse trial

We are disheartened and dismayed by this morning's not guilty verdict on all charges in the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse. We join in solidarity with all who are outraged by this failure of accountability.

New program helps to increase number of Latinx teachers

The Latinx Initiative for Future Teachers (LIFT) program enables students to finish a master’s in education and earn credentials for teaching in 12 months.

Widening the spectrum of gratitude with IndigeThanx

IndigeThanx, an annual event sponsored by UC Santa Cruz’s American Indian Resource Center and Cowell Coffee Shop, offers an alternative to Thanksgiving.

Jazz virtuoso Charles Tolliver to reimagine Coltrane’s iconic ‘Africa/Brass’ on 60th anniversary

UC Santa Cruz will celebrate the 60th anniversary of John Coltrane’s iconic 'Africa/Brass' with jazz virtuoso Charles Tolliver joining the UC Santa Cruz Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Choir in a reimagining of the work.

$8.8 million federal grant to help teens succeed in college

GEAR UP is designed to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education.

Exhibit showcases remarkable lives of everyday Santa Cruz residents

Sponsored by The Humanities Institute and curated by THI’s Summer Public Fellow Morgan Gates, 'Do You Know My Name?' highlights the stories of everyday Santa Cruzans throughout the region’s history who were neither rich nor famous but whose lives are remarkable.

National award recognizes economics professor’s research for revealing outsized pandemic impacts on minority-owned businesses

Economics Professor Robert Fairlie recently received the Bradford-Osborne Research Award for a paper he released in August 2020 that showed minority-owned businesses were affected by pandemic-related closures at higher rates.

Talk to focus on subpar treatment of Native women with tuberculosis

Caitlin Keliiaa, a historian and assistant professor, will be presenting her talk, “Settler Colonialism is a Sickness: How Federal Indian Health Failed Native Women,” a discussion on the young Native women who contracted TB, but received subpar treatment—or no help at all—due to their ethnicity.

UC Santa Cruz advances commitment to social justice with College 10 naming in honor of John R. Lewis

College Ten—an undergraduate residential learning community founded on principles of social justice and community—will be named in honor of the late congressman and civil rights icon John R. Lewis.

UCSC to continue in-house childcare services

Providing affordable, stable, and robust child care is critical for our campus community. In order to focus on our work—whether studying, teaching, research, or the business of UC Santa Cruz—we must feel confident that our children are in a good environment with people who will support their development and education.

Reclaiming Coast Miwok history through Indigenous interpretations of archaeology

Assistant Professor of Anthropology Tsim Schneider's latest book gathers and interprets archival and archaeological evidence in new ways that combat the erasure of Indigenous peoples from historical narratives.

In memory: Yolanda Dybdahl

The community leader served as a UC Santa Cruz Foundation trustee during a period of significant change

CASFS will become the UC Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology

The Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS) will get a new name, logo, and look and feel through a rebranding project that affirms the center’s commitment to advancing agroecology and equitable food systems.

Library invited to join prestigious Association of Research Libraries

The ARL is a nonprofit membership organization of more than 120 libraries and archives at major public and private universities, federal government agencies, and large public institutions in the United States and Canada.

Reimagining our economy for the benefit of all

Faculty members at UC Santa Cruz and the University of Southern California released a new book that offers a road map and conceptual framework for equity-driven economic reform in the United States.

Ensuring student success in both the short and long term

This wide-ranging effort will increase financial support for our undergraduate and graduate students, and advance their access to the guidance and experiences fundamental to their education and ultimately future success.

Mellon Foundation award to support UC Santa Cruz’s ‘Visualizing Abolition’ initiative

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded a $1,977,000 grant to support 'Visualizing Abolition,' the nation’s most ambitious and sustained art and prison abolition initiative.

Professor’s TED talk on body ideals warns against ‘conflation of appearance with health’

UC Santa Cruz professor and medical anthropologist Nancy Chen gave a popular TED Salon talk that has been viewed more than 780,000 times online.

Graduate student studying New Orleans' Latin American connections

Rafael Delgadillo, a UC Santa Cruz doctoral student in Latin American and Latino Studies, is looking at how New Orleans' colonial foundations set a tone for its distinctiveness within the United States.

Wild, wild life

Alumnus Sebastian Kennerknecht cares so deeply about animals that he built a career in wildlife conservation photography to help fight for their survival.

Slugs converge on Santa Cruz business district for Downtown Day

Returning and beginning students explore local businesses, take part in boisterous scavenger hunt in event created in partnership with Downtown Association

New BBQueer Fest dance and arts festival co-produced by UCSC dance professor Gerald Casel

Beginning on September 30, Santa Cruz will host the first annual BBQueer Fest—a four-day dance and arts festival organized by and for QTBIPOC artists and community members.

Mellon Foundation grant will support national initiative in Latinx studies

Through a three-year, $5 million grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, UC Santa Cruz will be part of a national initiative in Latinx studies called “Crossing Latinidades: Emerging Scholars and New Comparative Directions.”

In Memoriam: David Kaun

Professor Emeritus of Economics David Kaun, a pioneer faculty member, passed away on Sept. 9. He served in the Economics Department for about 50 years and was also a generous donor to many causes, both at UC Santa Cruz and in the broader community.

Seymour Marine Discovery Center will reopen in October

Beginning in October, guests will once again be welcomed back inside to visit the Seymour Center’s interactive exhibits and enjoy a brand new display featuring stunning photographs of marine life taken by UCSC scientists in the field.

Stellar new faculty strengthen campus research, teaching

To build on existing research strength and branch into new areas of inquiry, UC Santa Cruz has recruited 40 new tenure-track faculty members for the academic year that starts this week.

Move-in 2021: Relief and excitement as students return to campus

A campus kept quiet for 18 months because of the COVID-19 pandemic came back to life as students moved in before the start of the fall quarter.

UCSC’s Colligan Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory honored by Community Health Trust of Pajaro Valley

The Colligan Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory at UC Santa Cruz has been honored by the Community Health Trust of Pajaro Valley with the 2021 Phil Rather Award for Leadership in Healthcare.

With AAU, HSI distinctions, UC Santa Cruz to join in discussion on serving, supporting Latinx students

UC Santa Cruz—one of only four universities that is both a Hispanic-Serving Institution and a member of the Association of American Universities—will be represented in a panel discussion, “A Critical Dialogue on Leading Innovation, Scholarship, and Solutions Centered on Servingness.”

Felicity Schaeffer named Baskin Foundation Presidential Chair for Feminist Studies

Felicity Amaya Schaeffer, the new Peggy and Jack Baskin Foundation Presidential Chair for Feminist Studies, plans to address the most pressing issues of the department’s focus on social justice.

Pairing research excellence and status as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, UC Santa Cruz launching new programs to advance educational equity

Committed to creating educational equity that will help lead to real, transformative change, UC Santa Cruz will launch an array of new programs to support the success of Latinx, low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented students and prepare them for rewarding careers once they graduate.

The writing on the wall: exploring the cultural value of graffiti and street art

Doctoral candidate’s research interprets graffiti’s deeper meaning among Latinx and Black urban subcultures in Los Angeles.

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

September provides our campus with two platforms to recognize the achievements and contributions of Hispanic and Latinx Americans and share with the public the important role UC Santa Cruz and other universities play in creating educational equity.

Karen Tei Yamashita to receive 2021 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters

UC Santa Cruz emerita professor of literature Karen Tei Yamashita will be awarded the 2021 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters from The National Book Foundation, presenter of the National Book Awards.

Breaking barriers, helping others up

UC Santa Cruz chemistry associate professor Laura Sanchez reflects on what helped her succeed and how she has tried to help others do the same.

Downtown Day to welcome UCSC students back to downtown

The celebration, scheduled for Sept. 24, is a chance for new and returning students and the community to connect with downtown Santa Cruz.

UC Santa Cruz course tutorial wins national online learning award

Three UC Santa Cruz staff members have been honored for creating an online instruction tutorial last year after the campus shut down and suspended in-person teaching because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Help us prepare for future campus emergencies

Psychologist shares tips for studying smarter this school year

Assistant Professor of Psychology Hannah Hausman and colleagues translated findings from more than 100 research papers to offer students and teachers a guiding framework and practical tips for making the most of study time.

Fundraising push seeks to bring Afghan thought leaders to safety on UCSC campus

UC Santa Cruz has launched an Afghanistan Visiting Scholars Emergency Support Fund, which aims to raise $100,000 before midnight, Sept. 3. as part of an effort place at least two at-risk Afghans into visiting scholar appointments.

Humanities Institute and Bookshop Santa Cruz offer evening with bestselling author Sandra Cisneros

UCSC’s Humanities Institute is co-sponsoring a special online event with Bookshop Santa Cruz, featuring Sandra Cisneros, in conversation with Emmy Award-winning journalist Rubén Martínez, to celebrate her new book, "Martita, I Remember You / Martita, te recuerdo."

Experts weigh in on the future of drought management

UC Santa Cruz experts share insights on how technological innovations and long-term policy vision could help protect water supply.

The legacy is in the soil

Acclaimed chef/farmer and CASFS apprenticeship graduate Matthew Raiford will share his heritage-based approach to food and farming during an August 25 event on campus.

UCSC theater arts alumna nominated for Emmy Award in television writing

UC Santa Cruz theater arts alumna Ashley Nicole Black is on a roll. The 36-year-old comedian has the distinction of being nominated twice in the same category of television writing for the upcoming 2021 Primetime Emmy Awards.

In Memoriam: Hardy Frye

Professor Emeritus of Sociology Hardy T. Frye passed away in June. He was a lifelong proponent for diversity in education, a steadfast civil rights advocate, and a renowned scholar of political organizing.

Preserving the caring, compassion that helped us through the CZU wildfire

Watching the wildfires now burning throughout California takes me back to the anxious, uncertain days one year ago when the CZU Lightning Complex wildfire was burning through our county.

Doctoral candidate’s award-winning research documents experiences of Latina girls growing up in rural California

UC Santa Cruz graduate student Roxanna Villalobos recently won a national dissertation scholarship award from Sociologists for Women in Society that will support her research with Latina girls in rural California.

Switzer Fellowship will help graduate student engage communities in climate planning

Coastal Science and Policy Program master’s student Diana Fu won a Switzer Foundation fellowship to support her work advancing environmental justice through climate change adaptation.

UC retirees embrace an active, engaged lifestyle

Climate change poses threat to ‘tuna dependent’ Pacific Islands economies

Shifting distributions of key tuna species could have serious economic impacts for island nations in the Western and Central Pacific, according to a new paper coauthored by Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Katherine Seto.

Oakes Founding Provost J. Herman Blake receives lifetime achievement award

Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Founding Provost of Oakes College J. Herman Blake is being recognized by the American Sociology Association for his distinguished career spent advancing access and equity in education.

Dickens Universe celebrates 40th anniversary with ‘A Christmas Carol’

This summer, the Dickens Project at UC Santa Cruz—the largest multi-campus consortium on Victorian studies in the world—will present the 40th year of the Dickens Universe, a week of intense study and festivities.

Racial and colonial histories offer insights on refugee crisis in ‘The Black Mediterranean’

Assistant Professor of Sociology and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies Camilla Hawthorne coedited a first-of-its-kind new book called "The Black Mediterranean," which examines the African diaspora within the region.

Susana Ruiz awarded ACLS digital grant to develop VR documentary of 2011 Egyptian Uprising

UC Santa Cruz assistant film and digital media professor Susana Ruiz has received a 2021 Digital Extension Grant of $150,000 from The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) for her project, Arab Data Bodies: Social Media in Mixed Reality.

Blazing a Slug trail to the Olympics

Rhythmic gymnast Izzy Connor will be the first UC Santa Cruz student to compete in the Olympics—the result of years of both personal struggle and success.

History professor wins prize for article on post-Civil War incarceration of African American children

Associate professor of history Catherine Jones has been honored with the 2021 Richards Prize for the best article published in The Journal of the Civil War Era in 2020. The journal explores how knowledge of the Civil War era informs our understanding of 21st-century politics and society.

Statistical analysis quantifies how chemistry undergraduates benefit from graduate student diversity

A study of chemistry lab courses at UC Santa Cruz suggests that diversity among graduate student teaching assistants may be among the most essential factors in retaining underrepresented minority undergraduates in STEM courses.

‘Precarity & Belonging’ captures insights from global discussion of citizenship, migration, socioeconomic mobility

A new book from an interdisciplinary group of UC Santa Cruz scholars culminates more than five years of collaborative research and discussion that positioned the university as a convener of global thought leaders.

Seymour Center welcomes new executive director

After an extensive search, the UC Santa Cruz Seymour Marine Discovery Center has chosen Jonathan Andres Hicken to be its new executive director.

Library’s new Community Archiving Program to broaden scope of Regional History Project

The University Library has announced the establishment of a new Community Archiving Program that will build on the foundation of its decades-old Regional History Project. 

Unusual currents explain mysterious red crab strandings

New findings suggest that abnormal ocean currents cause the occasional appearance of pelagic red crabs outside their native range.

Quantitative ecologist Kai Zhu wins NSF funding for climate change research and education

Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Kai Zhu won an NSF CAREER award to support research and education focused on the interconnections between climate change and plant phenology.

New research on aquaculture feed will test alternative ingredients to help minimize water pollution

A new grant will support UC Santa Cruz’s ecological aquaculture lab in their efforts to increase the variety and quality of low-polluting aquaculture feed options available to fish farmers.

Tracking data show how the quiet of pandemic-era lockdowns allowed pumas to venture closer to urban areas

During regional shelter-in-place orders, declining levels of human mobility emboldened local pumas to use habitats they would normally avoid out of fear of humans.

Nathaniel Deutsch’s ‘A Fortress in Brooklyn’ reveals provocative counter-history of American Jewry

A new book by UC Santa Cruz history professor Nathaniel Deutsch details how a group of determined Holocaust survivors survived in one of the roughest parts of New York City—reshaping the urban landscape of postwar Brooklyn.

New study shows how loss of drought-sensitive species could affect health of California grasslands

At a grassland site near San Jose, scientists studied experimental research plots to determine what might happen if the plants that ecologists expect to be hit hardest by drought actually disappeared.

Hydrologist Margaret Zimmer wins NSF CAREER Award

Margaret Zimmer, assistant professor of Earth and planetary sciences, has received an award from the National Science Foundation to support her research on the role of Earth’s subsurface in regulating the water cycle.

Dialogues, collaborations, and the success of 'slow science'

With funding from the Henry Luce Foundation, the new Southeast Asian Coastal Interactions Initiative takes a methodical approach to worldwide social and environmental challenges

Pulitzer Prize-winning UCSC alumnus Jeffrey Stewart gives keynote address at Humanities Spring Awards

UC Santa Cruz alumnus Jeffrey Stewart (Cowell College ’71, philosophy) delivered the keynote address at the annual event celebrating the achievements of students, faculty, and alumni of the Humanities Division.

Doctoral student wins Ford Foundation fellowship for work on gender, race, and policing

Uriel Serrano recently won a Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship to support his research on how gender ideologies are formed in relation to carceral violence.

Research partnership will highlight STEM learning in local community garden

A grant from the Spencer Foundation will help UC Santa Cruz researchers document the many types of STEM learning taking place in a Latinx immigrant-led community garden in Watsonville.

Snowflake morays can feed on land, swallow prey without water

While most fish need water to feed, the unique anatomy of moray eels gives snowflake morays the ability to grab and swallow prey on land.

Social Sciences Division celebrates outstanding students

The Social Sciences Division is recognizing 21 students for excellence in scholarship and research.

Celebrating Pride Month

With the start of June, which is Pride Month, we reaffirm our support of UC Santa Cruz’s LGBTQIA+ community, and the push to build an inclusive, and more equitable world, where all are respected, treated equally, and provided equal opportunities regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

Professor Karen Holl wins MacArthur Foundation endowed chair to support work on natural climate solutions

Environmental Studies Professor Karen Holl has been awarded the MacArthur Foundation Chair at UC Santa Cruz for her work to increase the effectiveness of forest restoration efforts in combating climate change.

Exhibition explores the art of creating comfort in a year of unexpected hardship and isolation

Twelve of UCSC's most promising artists will have their work on display in the 35th annual Irwin Scholarship exhibition, beginning June 3, at The Mary Porter Sesnon Gallery.

Visualizing global representation for Indigenous nations

A new book by Professor of Sociology and Legal Studies Hiroshi Fukurai shows how Indigenous “original nations” around the world are fighting for sovereignty and the ecological preservation of their ancestral homelands.

Somalia’s fight for God-given rights

The latest book from Politics and Legal Studies Professor Mark Fathi Massoud challenges Western notions of Islam and secular law-making by revealing how Somali Muslims have embraced Sharia as a force for progress and liberation.

Growing heritage and healing through traditional Asian vegetables

Faculty, staff, and alumni are drawing upon and strengthening their cultural heritage and connection to Asian foodways to cultivate traditional vegetables.

‘We Are What We Eat’: Alice Waters to celebrate new book in live event with Michael Pollan 

Renowned chef and food activist Alice Waters will be in conversation with bestselling author Michael Pollan at a live virtual event presented by Bookshop Santa Cruz and Extended Session, and co-sponsored by UCSC’s Humanities Institute. 

UC collaboration launches first online course in the Punjabi language

The first online Punjabi language course for University of California students that launched earlier this year is a collaboration of several UC campuses, centered on UC Santa Cruz and UC Davis.

A shot in the arm

Six UC Santa Cruz community members tell the tale of getting the COVID-19 vaccine in 2021.

Study shows which North American mammals live most successfully alongside people

Researchers analyzed camera trap data from across the continent to better understand how particular species of mammals respond to different types of human disturbance.

UC Santa Cruz names Celine Parreñas Shimizu new dean of Arts Division

UC Santa Cruz has appointed award-winning filmmaker and film scholar Celine Parreñas Shimizu as dean of the Arts Division, effective July 1.

Climate change sends tropical species racing to higher elevations while temperate counterparts lag behind

A new paper shows that, in mountain habitats, species' responses to rising temperatures vary by latitude, but researchers fear there may be no clear winners among these strategies.

Student-led mentorship program offers holistic support

The Kuya-Ate Mentorship Program is a student-initiated retention project targeted to, but not limited to, Pilipino/x students at UC Santa Cruz. In addition to providing mentorship opportunities, KAMP also offers academic and social and cultural support.

Alumna Reyna Grande wins Latino Spirit Award for Achievement in Literature & Advocacy

UC Santa Cruz alumna Reyna Grande (Kresge '99, B.A. creative writing, film & video) has received a 2021 Latino Spirit Award from the California Latino Legislative Caucus.

Virtual reality warps your sense of time

Psychology research demonstrates the unique "time compression" effect of virtual reality.

The University Library has set July 1, 2021 for building reopening and the resumption of on-site services and collections access

The McHenry Library and Science & Engineering Library buildings will reopen for print collections access and on-site services beginning July 1, 2021 as part of the campus reopening.

Creating a soundtrack and adding a heartbeat to the struggle for prison abolition

UCSC’s Institute of the Arts and Sciences will present ‘Music for Abolition'--an artist panel featuring three-time Grammy-award winning musician Terri Lyne Carrington with a dozen prominent guest musicians.

UCSC achieves fair-trade status through the work of students

UC Santa Cruz passed a fair trade resolution that reflects its commitment to join the efforts of the Fair Trade Colleges & Universities, a division of Fair Trade Campaigns.

Strauss Foundation award recognizes student’s work with families affected by incarceration

Legal studies undergraduate Matt Sioson recently won $15,000 in funding from the Donald A. Strauss Public Service Scholarship Foundation.

Emergency team shows flexibility in dynamic year

From deploying personal protective gear to managing a wildfire response, the staff in the Office of Emergency Services had to be flexible and focused.

Preserving the legacy of Watsonville’s first Filipino immigrants

In partnership with the university, the community-led Tobera Project will develop an oral history archive and digital exhibition to be housed at McHenry Library.

Motorists should expect traffic delays along McLaughlin Drive in May, June

Construction crews are expected to begin road maintenance work sometime in May or June 2021 on McLaughlin Drive between the McLaughlin Drive / Heller Drive intersection to the bridge east of Science Hill.

Fellowship win supports doctoral candidate’s research on national security policy

Cesar Estrella, a Ph.D. candidate in Latin American and Latino studies, won an American Council of Learned Societies fellowship to support his study of the ideologies that drive U.S. national security policy.

2021-22 Dickson Emeritus awards support faculty research in history, literature, and psychology

Karen Yamashita, professor emerita of literature; Dana Frank, research professor in history; and Thomas Pettigrew, research professor in psychology, were each awarded Edward A. Dickson Emeritus Professorships in recognition of their outstanding achievements in scholarship and teaching.

Faculty experts share pandemic-era lessons for the future of K-12 education

UC Santa Cruz researchers who have studied the pandemic’s impact on K-12 education share lessons they hope will be remembered for the future.

Three UCSC professors elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Angela Davis, distinguished professor emerita of history of consciousness and feminist studies; James Estes, professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology; and Barbara Rogoff, distinguished professor of psychology, are among the newly elected fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. 

Professor Anne Kapuscinski will speak at upcoming Nobel Prize Summit

Environmental Studies Professor Anne Kapuscinski, director of the UC Santa Cruz Coastal Science and Policy program, will present recommendations on strengthening sustainability education during the “Our Planet, Our Future” Nobel Prize Summit next week.

UC Santa Cruz and United Way partner to empower youth through research in local communities

A research partnership between UC Santa Cruz and United Way of Santa Cruz County will offer local youth and UCSC undergraduates new leadership platforms and support college-readiness and success.

Enabling women and girls to achieve their potential

Alumna Ann Starrs, director of family planning at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, came to reproductive health work from a steadfast commitment—strengthened by her time at UC Santa Cruz—to feminism, gender equality, and women’s empowerment.

Live reading of The Comedy of Errors to benefit new scholarship for theater students

UCSC’s Arts Division will present a live virtual reading of Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors on Friday, April 23, to honor Theater Arts professor Danny Sheie, who is retiring this year after three decades at the campus. 

Alumna Terri McCullough, chief of staff to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, will make a virtual campus visit for Alumni Week

This year’s Alumni Week will feature a virtual fireside chat with Terri McCullough, an Oakes '91 politics alumna who is now chief of staff to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Two UC Santa Cruz arts professors receive 2021 Guggenheim Fellowships

Film and digital media professor Irene Lusztig and art professor Elizabeth Stephens were among the 184 artists, writers, scholars, and scientists selected this year from nearly 3,000 applicants to receive Guggenheim Fellowships.

Study of U.S. tuna fisheries explores nexus of climate change, sustainable seafood

A new study by researchers at UC Santa Cruz and NOAA examines traditional aspects of seafood sustainability alongside greenhouse gas emissions to better understand the carbon footprint of U.S. tuna fisheries.

Inaugural Hayden White lecture to explore the afterlife of slavery with author Saidiya Hartman

Award-winning literary scholar and cultural historian Saidiya Hartman will be the featured guest at the inaugural Hayden V. White Distinguished Annual Lecture, a virtual event that takes place on April 19.

UC Santa Cruz to launch new support center to advance the university’s innovation, industry engagement

UC Santa Cruz is launching a new support center to advance innovation, entrepreneurship and business engagement that will leverage the campus’s innovative spirit and be guided by its deep commitment to environmental and social justice.

Marco Rolandi appointed faculty director of UCSC Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Development

UC Santa Cruz has appointed Marco Rolandi, professor and chair of the department of electrical and computer engineering, to serve as faculty director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Development (CIED).

Alumni Week 2021: Bringing the festivities to you!

UC Santa Cruz's all-virtual Alumni Week will offer both Slugs and the community a wide menu of smart, interesting, and just-plain-fun events, wherever you may be on the globe.

Event to focus on the case for Black reparations

“Reparations for Black Americans: The Road to Racial Equality in California and Beyond,” hosted on April 15 by the Institute for Social Transformation, will feature a discussion with leading experts and advocates of reparations.

UCSC awarded three 2021 VOICE grants from UC National Center for Free Speech

UC Santa Cruz has received three awards from the UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement's Valuing Open and Inclusive Conversation and Engagement (VOICE) Grant Program.

Seymour Center plans for physical reopening as virtual programs continue to expand their reach

Seymour Center Outdoors!, a new in-person outdoor education program, is scheduled to open to the general public on April 24.

Marking fifth year, Center for Innovations in Teaching and Learning plays vital role in campus mission

The center will celebrate its fifth anniversary April 14 with a convocation featuring Estela Bensimon, professor of higher education at the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education and director of the Center for Urban Education, which she founded in 1999.

Teens describe their gender and sexuality in diverse new ways, but some are being left behind

Psychology Professor Phil Hammack’s latest research shows how regional differences and other social factors can either hinder or support expression of diversity in sexual and gender identity among teens and young adults.

Staff member guides students on path to higher education

Osiris Ortiz has spent nearly two decades helping the regions high school students pursue four-year degrees through her work at the Educational Partnership Center.

UC Santa Cruz faculty recognized for excellence in ecology

The Ecological Society of America announced its 2021 Fellow and Early Career Fellow awards, and UC Santa Cruz’s faculty were the most decorated of any university on this year’s list.

UCSC ecologist Erika Zavaleta appointed to California Fish and Game Commission

Governor Gavin Newsom has appointed Erika Zavaleta, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz, to the California Fish and Game Commission.

Three decades of connections, encouragement, and programs

UCSC's African American Resource and Cultural Center, this year celebrating its 30th anniversary, has created meaningful change for students of color and become a key part of the university community.

Founding UC Santa Cruz professor and revered literary and cultural critic Harry Berger Jr. dies at 96

Harry Berger Jr., professor emeritus of literature and art history at UC Santa Cruz, died on March 12, 2021, at age 96. An internationally recognized scholar and founding UCSC faculty member, Berger was known for a wide-ranging and interdisciplinary approach that goes far beyond traditional academic boundaries. 

UC Santa Cruz joins new consortium to ensure future of SlaveVoyages database

UC Santa Cruz has joined a newly formed consortium of institutions to ensure the preservation, stability, and future development of what has become the single most widely used online resource for anyone interested in slavery across the Atlantic world. 

UCSC professor contributes to new study showing how parts of the US will ‘tropicalize’ as climate changes

Environmental Studies Professor Michael Loik is a coauthor on a new paper describing how warming winters are allowing some tropical plants and animals to replace temperate communities in southern portions of the country.

New analysis shows potential for ‘solar canals’ in California

UC Santa Cruz researchers and their partners published a new study that suggests covering California’s water delivery canals with solar panels could be an economically viable means of advancing renewable energy and water conservation.

Statement against Anti-Asian racism and violence

This tragedy highlights an escalating pattern of anti-Asian hate crimes that we have seen in our region and country over the past year.

Campus holds first Sexual Violence Sexual Harassment Research Symposium

UC Santa Cruz will hold its first-ever research symposium — and a first for a UC campus — highlighting research by campus scholars on issues of sexual violence and sexual harassment Friday, April 2.

'Staycation,' all I ever wanted

With travel restricted because of COVID-19, UC Santa Cruz aims to keep on-campus students entertained with a spring break 'staycation' featuring themed dining nights, scavenger hunts, kayak tours, and more during the week of March 20–27.

How to live like Shakespeare

A new series of conversations about Shakespeare that explore different aspects of human experience and the human condition kicks off April 5, co-hosted by Sean Keilen, director of UCSC's Shakespeare Workshop, and Julia Lupton, co-director of the New Swan Shakespeare Center at UC Irvine.

Disrupting harmful food systems to prevent future pandemics

Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Maywa Montenegro de Wit is exploring how lessons from the abolition movement could help agroecology combat the agro-industrial complex to prevent future pandemics.

Second systemwide review of revised policy on UC Native American Cultural Affiliation and Repatriation

The University of California Office of the President invites comments on a proposed Presidential Policy on Native American Cultural Affiliation and Repatriation.

Encouraging Students to Share their Experiences through SETS

The Committee on Teaching (COT) has teamed up with representatives from the Student Union, Online Education, and CITL to encourage students to share their experience in the classroom by filling out the Student Experience of Teaching Surveys (SETS) at the end of each quarter.

Announcing New Undocumented Student Support Initiative

I am pleased to announce the launch of a new initiative, an 18-month campus program to enhance structural supports for undocumented students to thrive on campus and beyond, and to strengthen relationships between undocumented students, staff, and faculty at UC Santa Cruz.

UCSC leads multicampus initiative on coastal resilience and climate adaptation

A UC-funded initiative will bring together researchers at the Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, and San Diego campuses to address pressing issues for California’s coastal communities.

Girl activists are more visible than ever. Is this progress?

In the past decade, there’s been an explosion in media coverage of girl activists. Professor Jessica Taft, a leading expert in youth activism, sees opportunity in this visibility, but her research has also identified many troubling trends in how girl activists are portrayed.

Massive debris flow swamps Big Creek Reserve as heavy rains follow summer wildfire

Boulders the size of vehicles and decades-old redwoods were ripped from the banks of the Big Creek drainage when an atmospheric river inundated the Landels-Hill Big Creek Natural Reserve on the Big Sur coast in late January.

Deep Read to present Tommy Orange in conversation with literature professor Micah Perks

Award-winning novelist Tommy Orange will be featured in conversation with literature professor Micah Perks, director of UCSC’s Creative Writing Program, in a free virtual event on Wednesday, March 3, at 6:30 p.m. 

Forest monitoring efforts contribute to new understanding of climate change impacts

Data collected by student interns at UC Santa Cruz’s Forest Ecology Research Plot recently contributed to a breakthrough in understanding how climate change affects forests.

LASER talk to feature research by UCSC deans of the humanities and social sciences

The event will feature research presentations by Jasmine Alinder, Dean of the Humanities (“Representing Japanese American Incarceration”), and Katharyne Mitchell, Dean of the Social Sciences (“Sanctuary Space and Insurgent Memory”).

Bringing physical engagement into the online teaching and learning environment

A new series of videos is now available to UCSC students, faculty, and staff to help offset the increasingly sedentary lifestyle generated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Annual Jewish Studies Diller Lecture to feature award-winning author Sarah Stein

This year’s Helen Diller Distinguished Lecture in Jewish Studies will feature guest author and scholar Sarah Abrevaya Stein—in conversation with UCSC’s Neufeld-Levin Chair of Holocaust Studies, Alma Heckman—on Wednesday, February 17, at 5 p.m.

Genentech Foundation grants support UCSC STEM diversity programs

Three academic support and mentoring programs at UC Santa Cruz have received funding from Genentech’s 2020 Diverse Future of STEM Fund.

Troupe dynamic

UC Santa Cruz's African American Theater Arts Troupe, which is celebrating its 30-year anniversary, has not only staged plays but also taken up works that deal with issues of race, injustice, and discrimination; brought its performances into the community; and awarded more than $100,000 in scholarships.

Student Affairs and Success launches new podcast

After nearly a full year of operating remotely due to the impacts of Covid-19, it's easy to feel disconnected from our campus culture, as well as from each other.

Three UCSC film alumni recognized by International Documentary Association

Three alumni from UCSC’s Film and Digital Media Department received nominations for this year's prestigious International Documentary Association Awards (IDA).

Rob Fairlie testifies before Congress on inequality in pandemic economic impacts

Rob Fairlie testified before the House Committee on Small Business to share his latest research on the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, including the disproportionate hardships faced by minority-owned businesses.

Robert Bocking Stevens, fifth UCSC chancellor, dies at age 87

Robert Bocking Stevens, a legal scholar in England and the United States who served as the fifth chancellor of UC Santa Cruz, died Jan. 30 in Oxford, England, at age 87.

Honoring Black excellence

Since its inception, Black History Month has been a celebration of excellence and a reclamation of a purposefully distorted and mythologized history. This month, we celebrate our community — students, staff, faculty, alumni, and friends who are resurrecting the past and building a more equitable, anti-racist future together.

Green New Deal architect Rhiana Gunn-Wright will make a virtual campus visit

Gunn-Wright previewed some of the insights she'll share on climate policy and environmental justice during her February 10th event with the Institute for Social Transformation.

In Memoriam: Robert Shepherd (1938-2021)

Robert Shepherd, a teaching professor emeritus from the UC Santa Cruz Economics Department, passed away at 82 years old. Shepherd taught at UC Santa Cruz for more than 30 years and was instrumental in the development of both the accounting path and the business management economics major.

Sociology researcher seeks solutions for Public Safety Power Shutoffs

Sociology researcher Les Guliasi’s most recent paper shows how “microgrid” technologies could reduce the impact of outages, if regulatory challenges can be resolved.

Digital NEST founder to serve as external adviser to chancellor

Jacob Martinez is bringing his insight on economic opportunity, community empowerment and digital innovation to UC Santa Cruz as an external special adviser to Chancellor Cindy Larive.

Energy spent avoiding humans linked to smaller home ranges for male pumas

New research shows that fear of humans causes mountain lions to increase their energy expenditures as they move through the landscape, and this can ultimately limit the size of the home ranges they’re able to maintain.

A year of generosity

In 2020, UCSC donors demonstrated how giving can make a positive difference even in a period of turmoil.

Seymour Marine Discovery Center offers new marine science virtual expeditions

“Scientists Saving the Oceans” program begins with a behind-the-scenes look at how marine mammal researchers are working to protect dolphins and whales from ocean noise.

New book by arts professor takes fresh look at controversial photographer Robert Mapplethorpe

UCSC history of art and visual culture professor Derek Conrad Murray offers the first dedicated book-length critical study of Mapplethorpe's lesser-known still life flower photographs.

Italian newspaper ranks sociology professor among top women of the year

Camilla Hawthorne is being recognized for shedding light on emergent Afro-Italian identities and activism during a time of racial reckoning in Italy and beyond.

UC Santa Cruz economic impact provides foundation for thriving region

When adjusted for the size of the Monterey Bay regional economy, UC Santa Cruz’s economic impact is second only to UC Davis in the Sacramento/Tahoe region and ahead of UC Santa Barbara in what is defined as the Central Coast of California.

Grant funding will advance aquaculture research in UCSC’s new state-of-the-art facility

Researchers won a USDA grant in support of their efforts to develop ocean-friendly feed formulas for farm-raised rainbow trout. This work will take place in the team's new aquaculture facility at the UCSC Farm.

Humanities Institute launches 2021 Deep Read with Tommy Orange’s novel ‘There There’

Following the success of last year’s Deep Read with guest author Margaret Atwood, The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz has announced the second installment of its new program that invites the campus and community to think deeply about literature, art, and the most pressing issues of the day.

UC Santa Cruz offers virtual tours of Younger Lagoon Natural Reserve

Prompted by the temporary suspension of in-person tours due to COVID-19, the new virtual tours are available in English and Spanish.

UCSC’s Living Writers Series a place to shelter in the storm 

“Shelter and Place” is the theme of the 2021 winter installment of the Living Writers Series at UC Santa Cruz. Curated by Micah Perks, professor of literature and director of the Creative Writing Program, the now virtual series will run from January 14 through March 4, on Thursday nights throughout the winter quarter.

Professor recognized among the art world’s top influencers for 2020

Anthropology professor Anna Tsing won international acclaim for an interdisciplinary project that documents drivers of the Anthropocene in creative new ways.

Students, staff, faculty contribute nearly 160,000 meals through Holiday Food and Fund Drive

UC Santa Cruz students, staff, and faculty contributed nearly $40,000 to the 2020 Holiday Food and Fund Drive sponsored by the Staff Advisory Board, enough to provide nearly 160,000 meals to local residents.

UCSC imagines campus 20 years from now, releases roadmap for its future and accompanying environmental review

The draft 2021 Long-Range Development Plan (LRDP) and accompanying draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) released today lays out a framework for the campus’ evolution and reflects years of collaboration with campus and community members.

UC Santa Cruz scholar of Chinese American history Judy Yung dies at 74

Judy Yung, a pioneering author and scholar of Chinese American and women's history, died on December 14, 2020.

Uncovering the social factors lurking within diabetes risk

Assistant professor of sociology James Doucet-Battle's new book challenges assumptions about race within diabetes research and delves into the issue through the lens of African American experience.

Shedding light on one of environmental policy’s most under-the-radar strategies

Associate professor of environmental studies Sikina Jinnah studies the environmental provisions contained within trade agreements and wants to help policymakers better navigate this space.