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2022 Community News

December 20, 2022
UC Santa Cruz earns a top three spot at national codebreaker challenge
More than 440 universities competed in the 2022 National Security Agency (NSA) Codebreaker Challenge, where students are challenged to expand their reverse engineering and other skills necessary for careers in cybersecurity.
December 17, 2022
UCSC researcher explores drug use, harm reduction in San Francisco’s Latino/x community
It’s no secret that the opioid epidemic has devastated our country, especially within communities of color. Latino/xs have seen some of the highest drug addiction rates, which have only increased due to the rise of synthetic opioids like fentanyl and the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, San Francisco was the county with the third-highest opioid-related death rate among Latinos in California.
December 16, 2022
New study presents vision of machine learning leveraged for precision medicine
In a new perspective published in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science, Associate Professor of Applied Mathematics Marcella Gomez details a vision for how the field can move beyond static data to create systems that measure and monitor the real-time responses of the body to a variety of factors and use a machine learning algorithm to produce, and even in some instances carry out, a treatment plan.
December 15, 2022
UCSC Genome Browser selected to first-ever Global Core Biodata Resource List
The UCSC Genome Browser is now part of the first list of Global Core Biodata Resources—a collection of 37 resources whose long-term funding and sustainability is critical to life science and biomedical research worldwide.
December 13, 2022
UC Santa Cruz scholar receives major new grant to support inclusive community development throughout California
As state and federal agencies are investing increasing funding in pandemic recovery, infrastructure development and initiatives to address climate change, a collaboration of renowned scholars led by UC Santa Cruz are working with community groups to ensure equity and inclusion are at the heart of these efforts.
December 09, 2022
Social Sciences dean wins prestigious research award, visiting fellowship in Germany
Social Sciences dean Katharyne Mitchell will be busy packing her bags for the holidays, but not for the reason you may think. She’s heading to Göttingen, Germany, as a visiting scholar for the next six months at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Economic Diversity.
December 08, 2022
J.J. Garcia-Luna-Aceves elected to the 2022 National Academy of Inventors
J.J. Garcia-Luna-Aceves, distinguished professor and chair of the computer science and engineering department, has been named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.
December 07, 2022
Colombia, a global biodiversity hotspot, faces rising threats to bird species from expanding human footprint
A new study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters used satellite mapping data to analyze how changes in human footprint on the landscape between 1970 and 2018 overlapped with distributions of 1,469 Colombian bird species. The study is the first of its kind to expand focus from forested regions, like the Amazon and Chocó, to all of Colombia’s terrestrial habitats.
December 06, 2022
UC Santa Cruz innovators among Santa Cruz Works 2022 Titans of Tech
Aviv Elor, alumnus and co-founder of Immergo Labs, and Nada Miljkovic, alumna, entrepreneur, and UCSC educator, are among the 11 Santa Cruz Works Titans of Tech finalists.
December 06, 2022
Computer engineer embarks on bold project for a new vision of distributed shared memory
With the support of a new NSF grant, Professor of Computer Science and Engineering Peter Alvaro is embarking on a project, called Memory at Scale On Networks (MaSON), to achieve a bold vision for a novel operating system and network that support a new overall model for programming big data systems.
December 06, 2022
Undergraduates in UC Santa Cruz’s Human Rights Investigations Lab fight for migrant rights
UC Santa Cruz’s Human Rights Investigations Lab, housed in the Dolores Huerta Research Center for the Americas, has been assisting those seeking asylum in the United States and fighting back against the controversial Title 42 immigration policy.
December 06, 2022
Central Coast K-16 Education Collaborative secures planning grant for six-county region
Spurred by California’s Regional K-16 Education Collaborative Grant Program, educational leaders from Santa Cruz to Ventura formed the Central Coast K-16 Education Collaborative to address the urgent, systemic educational inequities and economic needs in the region.
November 30, 2022
New online orientation strengthens sense of belonging among new students
The survey reported significant increases in self-efficacy in students in areas of academic literacy including abilities to find campus resources, selecting courses, time management, and ability to interact with peers, instructors, and staff.
November 29, 2022
Long-standing genomic mystery about the origins of introns explained in new study
A new study led by scientists at UC Santa Cruz and published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) points to introners, one of several proposed mechanisms for the creation of introns, as an explanation for the origins of most introns across species.
November 28, 2022
Braingeneers develop novel method to automate the growth of brain tissue organoids on a chip
A team of engineers and scientists at UC Santa Cruz has developed a new method for remote automation of the growth of cerebral organoids – miniature, three-dimensional models of brain tissue grown from stem cells.
November 22, 2022
Film by Arts Division Dean continues to gain recognition and spark conversation
Since its premiere in May, 80 YEARS LATER, a feature film by Dr. Celine Parreñas Shimizu, UC Santa Cruz’s Dean of the Division of the Arts, continues to garner praise during the 80th anniversary year of the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans in World War II.
November 22, 2022
Search begins for Chief Campus Counsel
UC Santa Cruz has launched the first phase of a national search for Chief Campus Counsel, with stakeholder meetings held last week.
November 22, 2022
Growing Our Own - From research opportunities to the professoriate
Solidifying its commitment to increasing the diversity of its faculty, both underrepresented minorities and female faculty, last year, the University of California launched the Growing Our Own initiative.
November 22, 2022
Batalha testifies at Congressional hearing on the initial scientific findings of the JWST
The James Webb Space Telescope is the largest and most powerful telescope humans have sent to space and, Batalha asserts, it is ushering in a new era of exoplanet science.
November 21, 2022
Kresge College renewal to nearly triple amount of student housing
With a mix of new construction and renovation, UC Santa Cruz is building more housing, constructing new classroom space, and ultimately strengthening the student experience.
November 18, 2022
UCSC's 2022 iGEM team brings home gold medal, earns nomination for best therapeutics project
This year's UCSC iGEM team engineered a yeast-based Type 2 diabetes therapeutic.
November 17, 2022
Science & Engineering Library renovation honors leaders, aims to build community among students in STEM
With newly remodeled floors named in dedication to two trailblazing women in STEM and a new makerspace, the Science & Engineering Library is positioned to build and support community among STEM students at UC Santa Cruz.
November 16, 2022
Remote-controlled microscopes bring complex biology education to students worldwide
As detailed in new research, UC Santa Cruz researchers have developed a method for using remote-controlled, internet-connected microscopes to enable students anywhere in the world to participate in designing and carrying out biology experiments.
November 16, 2022
UC Santa Cruz earns Agricultural Experiment Station designation
The designation marks more than 50 years of industry-leading research in organic agriculture and sustainable farming practices at the campus and opens doors to expand community impact.
November 15, 2022
List of most highly cited researchers features 19 UCSC scientists and engineers
A new list of the world's most highly cited researchers includes 19 scientists and engineers at UC Santa Cruz.
November 14, 2022
UCSC marine sciences professor to lead new Center for Coastal Climate Resilience
Longtime UC Santa Cruz marine sciences professor Michael W. Beck is adding a new role to his resume: director of the campus’ recently announced Center for Coastal Climate Resilience.
November 14, 2022
Engineer deploys research on 'mud batteries' for powering sustainable agriculture
UC Santa Cruz Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Colleen Josephson published new research on the current state and future potential of microbial fuel cells for powering sustainable agriculture systems.
November 14, 2022
Susana Ruiz receives Hewlett 50 Arts Commission for a new media work focused on Santa Cruz's lost Chinatowns
Susana Ruiz, UC Santa Cruz Assistant Professor of Film and Digital Media, together with Emmy Award nominated director of photography and media artist Huy Truong have been selected as one of ten recipients of this year's Hewlett 50 Arts Commissions in Media Arts.
November 10, 2022
Scholars, students, and community working together for transformation at UCSC's All-In Conference
More than 400 university scholars, students, community organizers, foundation representatives, artists, and activists came together in late October for a one-of-a-kind event to build collaborative partnerships for community-engaged research and meaningful social change at the UC Santa Cruz conference: All-In: Co-creating Knowledge for Justice.
November 10, 2022
Scholarship offers transformative support to UCSC military veteran students
The UCSC Retirees Association Bruce Lane Memorial Scholarship for military veteran students was established in memory of World War II Veteran Bruce Lane, who worked at UC Santa Cruz for 27 years.
November 08, 2022
UC researchers use grant funding to investigate environmental crimes in Latin America
Thanks to a $180,000 grant from the Public Interest Technology University Network (PIT-UN), UC Santa Cruz will be able to further its focus on “using tech for social good” in collaboration with two other University of California institutions.
November 01, 2022
Federal grant to advance transfer student success at UC Santa Cruz
Advancing campus-wide efforts to achieve educational equity, UC Santa Cruz has earned a $3 million grant that will support Latinx community college students in transferring to campus and, while they’re here, contributing to research projects and preparing for graduate school.
October 28, 2022
Domhoff’s new book discusses developmental dimension of dreaming
UC Santa Cruz professor emeritus Bill Domhoff's new book, The Neurocognitive Theory of Dreaming: The Where, How, When, What, and Why of Dreams, takes a comprehensive look at the full use of neuroimaging findings in relation to spontaneous thought and dream content.
October 25, 2022
Social Documentation MFAs to share thesis documentaries at live screening event November 9
UC Santa Cruz’s annual Social Documentation (SocDoc) exhibition returns live and in person for the first time since 2019, free to the public this November 9th from 7-10pm at the Del Mar Theatre in downtown Santa Cruz.
October 21, 2022
The Dolores Huerta Research Center for the Americas celebrates legacy, community at 30th anniversary naming event
UC Santa Cruz’s Research Center for the Americas celebrated 30 years of groundbreaking work with an official renaming for social justice icon Dolores Huerta on Thursday evening.
October 20, 2022
Food system researcher unpacks the narratives driving a race for new protein sources
UC Santa Cruz professor and food system expert Julie Guthman's latest paper explores the cultural mythologies around protein that are being spread through marketing and fundraising efforts for novel protein products.
October 19, 2022
Electrical engineer will develop next-generation x-ray technology for accessible preventative healthcare
Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Shiva Abbaszadeh will develop advanced x-ray technology for coronary artery calcification.
October 17, 2022
micha cárdenas wins prestigious Gloria E. Anzaldúa Book Prize from National Women's Studies Association
UC Santa Cruz Associate Professor and Associate Chair of Performance, Play and Design, and Associate Professor of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies Dr. micha cárdenas has been awarded the National Women's Studies Association’s Gloria E. Anzaldúa Book Prize for her book Poetic Operations: Trans of Color Art in Digital Media.
October 17, 2022
National Science Foundation grant will help establish ethics and equity best practices for emerging forms of science and technology
Sociology Professor Jenny Reardon, founding director of the Science & Justice Research Center at UC Santa Cruz, won a nearly $400,000 grant to study ethics and equity in the design of science and engineering projects.
October 14, 2022
Investigating bias in technology through Baskin Engineering’s anti-racism research fellowship
The UC Santa Cruz Baskin School of Engineering Fellowship for Anti-Racism Research funds engineering students challenging bias and racism in the fields of engineering and technology.
October 12, 2022
Biomolecular engineering professor wins American Cancer Society award to develop technology for cancer early detection
Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Engineering Daniel Kim won a four-year, $792,000 Research Scholar award from the American Cancer Society to support his work in developing RNA liquid biopsy technology to diagnose cancer early on.
October 11, 2022
Marking 23 years of service at UCSC - Meet Olivia Silva
For the first time in almost two years the residence halls are full of students and that means work has gone back to normal for Olivia Silva. Along with up to 140 Custodial Services staff and some Dining staff, Silva was one of many on-site workers who played a critical role in the campus response to COVID-19.
October 11, 2022
Arts convocation celebrates the courage to create and the audacity to imagine new worlds
UC Santa Cruz alumnus Rick Carter, a two-time Academy Award winning film production designer and art director, returned to his alma mater on September 28th to receive the Distinguished Banana Slug Award at the second annual Arts Convocation.
October 11, 2022
UC Santa Cruz named 2022 Fulbright HSI Leader
UC Santa Cruz has been named a Fulbright HSI Leader for the second year in a row by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA).
October 10, 2022
UCSC engineer played crucial role in 2022 Nobel Prize-winning research
UC Santa Cruz Baskin School of Engineering Professor Richard (Ed) Green was a major contributor to the Neanderthal Genome Project , the leader of which, Svante Pääbo, received the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
October 06, 2022
Applications now available for the 2023 UCSC CIDER Pilot Training Program
The UCSC CITRIS Initiative for Drone Education and Research has opened applications for the 2023 Drone Pilot Training and Mentoring Program.
October 05, 2022
NSF report led by UCSC computer engineer offers guidance for the future of chip design and manufacturing
A new report from a National Science Foundation (NSF) steering committee led by UC Santa Cruz Professor of Computer Science and Engineering Matthew Guthaus offers guidance on revitalizing the hardware workforce by increasing access to education.
October 04, 2022
UC Santa Cruz launches campuswide conversation that will chart university’s next decade
Seeking to develop an intentional and impactful course for the future, the UC Santa Cruz community will work together this academic year to develop a shared vision that will culminate in Leading the Change: The UC Santa Cruz Strategic Plan, the university’s top leaders announced Monday.
October 03, 2022
UCSC’s Center for South Asian Studies positioned for exponential growth
Anuradha Luther Maitra and Thomas Kailath, longtime supporters and champions of the Center for South Asian Studies (CSAS) and the broader UCSC campus, have established the Anuradha Luther Maitra and Thomas Kailath Endowed Professorship in South Asian Studies.
September 29, 2022
Why do you donate to UC Santa Cruz?
UCSC supporters MR Macgill and Ho Nam made a gift to the Institute for Social Transformation in Spring 2022. Their generosity fully funded Transforming Futures— a pilot program which awarded seven first generation, underrepresented, and/or low-income UCSC students scholarships to pursue unpaid internships over the summer.
September 28, 2022
Collaboration between engineering and astrophysics will develop cutting-edge spectrometers-on-a-chip
Two researchers have won an NSF grant that will allow them to pursue the emerging technology of spectrometers on a chip – tiny devices for separating and measuring light at ultraviolet, visible, and infrared wavelengths which can enable advances in astronomy when used as part of telescope instrumentation.
September 27, 2022
Frontier Fellows: Peter Nguyen
The Earth Futures Institute’s Frontier Fellows program offers undergraduate research opportunities and funding at UC Santa Cruz. UCSC student Peter Nguyen studies a federally listed endangered flowering plant—Lupinus nipomensis.
September 27, 2022
Downtown Day to welcome UCSC students back to downtown
UC Santa Cruz, the Downtown Association, the City of Santa Cruz, and the Museum of Arts & History (MAH) are partnering to bring students to see the vibrant downtown area Friday, October 7th from 4-7pm.
September 27, 2022
Campus comes to life as a new academic year begins
After more than two years of virtual and hybrid learning, the beginning of the fall quarter last Thursday marked the welcome return to in-person instruction at UC Santa Cruz. The energy and enthusiasm for the year ahead are evident in the many happenings already occurring across campus.
September 23, 2022
Three UC Santa Cruz alums are revolutionizing telehealth with their virtual reality physical therapy platform
Immergo Labs, founded in 2020, provides an affordable, accessible, and immersive telehealth physical therapy care platform.
September 23, 2022
Partnership across UC campuses will prepare the next generation of leaders in organic agriculture
A USDA grant of more than $700,000 will support a collaboration led by UC Santa Cruz to improve and expand undergraduate education in organic agriculture, with an emphasis on supporting underrepresented students.
September 22, 2022
NSF funding will strengthen infrastructure for open source ecosystems at UCSC
Co-principal investigator Stephanie Lieggi and PI Carlos Maltzahn will develop a plan to recruit research software engineering staff who can establish and maintain the support infrastructure necessary for open source projects to thrive within the university context.
September 21, 2022
UC Santa Cruz’s Research Center for the Americas to be named in honor of Dolores Huerta
UC Santa Cruz will rename the Research Center for the Americas, which is celebrating 30 years of groundbreaking research, in honor of social justice icon Dolores Huerta, whose legacy has influenced the center’s work and values.
September 20, 2022
Karen Miga discusses the future of equitable genomics research with Clinton, Bono
UC Santa Cruz Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Engineering and Associate Director for Human Pangenomics at the UCSC Genomics Institute Karen Miga joined former President Bill Clinton, U2 lead singer Bono, and Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Ghebreyesus to talk about the greatest health challenges and opportunities the world is currently facing.
September 16, 2022
Karen Miga to speak with former president and other visionaries at the Clinton Global Initiative Meeting
This Tuesday, September 20 at 1:30 PST, Karen Miga will speak during the conference’s closing plenary session, joining Bill Clinton, Lin Manuel Miranda, Dolores Huerta, and more.
September 15, 2022
New program will mentor and train students underrepresented in genomics research
The UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute will partner with California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) and the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus to mentor and provide genomics research experience for students from these two hispanic-serving institutions.
September 13, 2022
Welcoming our new Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
I am happy to announce that Anju Reejhsinghani, our first-ever Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer, has officially joined us in Santa Cruz. Her first day was Monday.
September 13, 2022
UCSC celebrates National Hispanic-Serving Institutions week
In celebration of National Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) week, the HSI Initiatives and El Centro teams invite the campus community to participate in a number of special events. These events will highlight what it means to be an HSI and the many resources available to students because UC Santa Cruz is an HSI.
September 12, 2022
UC Santa Cruz recognized for longstanding commitment to undergraduate teaching in latest rankings
UC Santa Cruz is ranked among the top 10 public universities for excellence in undergraduate teaching, according to the latest rankings from U.S. News and World Report. UCSC also ranked as a leading university for social mobility and among top public universities.
September 08, 2022
Innovative climate resilience projects supported by 2022 CITRIS Campus Seed Funding awards
Four winning projects have been funded through the The Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) and the Banatao Institute at UC Santa Cruz’s Campus Seed Funding program to pursue research relating to climate resilience.
September 08, 2022
UCSC researchers win big at American Sociological Association annual meeting
Professor emeritus Craig Reinarman was honored with the 2022 Senior Scholar Award by the ASA’s Drugs and Society Section, and Ph.D. student Michelle Gomez Parra received the Sociology of Sexualities Section's Martin P. Levine Memorial Dissertation Fellowship. Politics Professors Eleonora Pasotti and Mark Massoud were celebrated for book awards.
September 06, 2022
HSI Team invites campus community to celebrate Hispanic-Serving Institution Week
Next week, UC Santa Cruz will join universities across the country in celebrating Hispanic-Serving Institution week. Read this letter from the HSI team about all the ways you can join the celebration!
September 06, 2022
Remembering Frank Drake, Professor Emeritus of astronomy and astrophysics - pioneer in search for extraterrestrial intelligence
I write today with sadness to share news of the passing of Frank Drake, UC Santa Cruz professor emeritus of astronomy and astrophysics and an eminent radio astronomer. Drake was known for pioneering work in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). He died at his home in Aptos on Sept. 2. He was 92.
August 31, 2022
Applied mathematician wins DOE grant to improve the safety of particle accelerators
UCSC Professor of Applied Mathematics Dongwook Lee has won a three-year, $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, which will fund his research on improving computer models for safety mechanisms within particle accelerators.
August 31, 2022
New book explores citizenship rights and Black anti-racist politics in Italy
Associate Professor of Sociology Camilla Hawthorne’s latest book, Contesting Race and Citizenship, explores how Black Italians are fighting for change against the country’s restrictive citizenship laws.
August 30, 2022
UCSC selects Anju Reejhsinghani as Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Anju Reejhsinghani has deep professional experience in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) work, both in the college classroom as an educator and as a senior administrator.
August 26, 2022
NSF award will support project to promote reproducibility in computer science
With the support of a three-year, $900,000 grant from the NSF, Carlos Maltzahn will participate in collaborative research to increase the reproducibility of computer science research.
August 26, 2022
Full circle community
As an Alumni Association Scholarship recipient now in her fourth year studying computer engineering, Katia Avila Pinedo (Merrill ’24, computer engineering) has not only benefited from UCSC’s strong community—she’s helped build and sustain it.
August 25, 2022
Political parties use gerrymandering to counteract shifting voter preferences in key battleground states
Research that focused on battleground states suggests that whichever party controls the redistricting process in the state legislature engineers an 11 percentage point increase in its probability of winning a U.S. House race in the next election. And these advantages often run counter to the will of voters.
August 24, 2022
UCSC’s Ricardo Sanfelice appointed inaugural director of CITRIS Aviation
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Ricardo Sanfelice was appointed the as the inaugural director of the CITRIS Aviation initiative.
August 23, 2022
From concept to commercialization: how UCSC researchers revolutionized DNA sequencing
More than a quarter century since the first patents were filed, the UCSC researchers who pioneered nanopore sequencing reflect on the impact of their invention
August 23, 2022
A lifetime of connection starts today
Incoming students and alumni share in the thrill of being Banana Slugs with new summer send-off series
August 22, 2022
‘Water’s Extreme Journey,’ a new exhibit at the Seymour Center, opens in September
A new exhibit opening in September at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center features a maze and interactive activities highlighting the challenges of keeping our water clean.
August 19, 2022
Economics Professor Robert Fairlie takes home the Bradford-Osborne Research Award for the second year in a row
The annual award recognizes the best peer-reviewed paper on diversity and entrepreneurship, and Fairlie was honored for his years-long research on the lack of access to capital for Black-owned startups compared to white-owned startups.
August 18, 2022
Biomolecular engineering professor awarded $1.9M grant to understand and engineer pluripotent stem cells
UC Santa Cruz Assistant Professor Ali Shariati and his lab will investigate the molecular feedback mechanisms responsible for the coordination of embryonic stem cell division and differentiation to develop novel strategies for their use in regenerative medicine.
August 15, 2022
Lenses and Mirrors-Shadow the Scientists receives Heising-Simons Foundation grant
Kickstarted by UC Santa Cruz Astronomy and Astrophysics Professor Raja GuhaThakurta, Lenses and Mirrors–Shadow the Scientists brings cutting-edge scientific research to anybody’s computer screen.
August 11, 2022
New study shows COVID-19 genomic recombination is uncommon but disproportionately occurs in spike protein region
An analysis of millions of SARS-CoV-2 genomes finds that recombination of the virus is uncommon, but when it occurs, it is most often in the spike protein region, the area which allows the virus to attach to and infect host cells.
August 11, 2022
Mythologizing for a purpose
After years working across industries from filmmaking to horse-wrangling, alumnus Justin DiPego channels both his vast career experience and his UCSC creative education into his latest novel—"Wrong Side of a Workingman."
August 11, 2022
Turning awareness into action
After years of working to bring feminist history and thought to a young audience through her popular Rad Women series, author Kate Schatz (Stevenson ’03, literature and creative writing) moves to turn teaching history into teaching practice and show adults what they can do to combat racism.
August 11, 2022
Envisioning food systems change with new Center for Agroecology Executive Director Darryl Wong
The UC Santa Cruz news team interviewed the Center for Agroecology's new executive director, Darryl Wong, to learn more about the center’s goals for the future and the perspective he’ll bring to the role.
August 10, 2022
Incoming UC Santa Cruz class exemplifies academic excellence and diversity
UC Santa Cruz anticipates welcoming approximately 5,100 new Banana Slugs this fall, concluding an admissions cycle that reflected increased interest in the campus. Campus leaders are carefully managing student enrollment and working to provide more on-campus housing for students because of a statewide housing crisis that is particularly difficult in Santa Cruz.
August 08, 2022
Locally supportive climates may do little to aid mental health for LGBTQ+ youth amidst broader societal stigma
New research shows little difference in mental health outcomes for LGBTQ+ youth between some of California's most and least supportive communities for sexual and gender diversity. The findings also indicate factors that may contribute to this trend.
August 08, 2022
Application period opens for Vice Chancellor for Finance, Operations and Administration
The application period for Vice Chancellor for Finance, Operations and Administration is now open.
August 08, 2022
Celebration of Life for Audrey Stanley, 1927-2022
A memorial celebration will be held at 2p on August 19, 2022, at Audrey Stanley Grove, 501 Upper Park Rd., Santa Cruz.
August 05, 2022
With a focus on student success and research impact, UC President Michael V. Drake visits UC Santa Cruz
The daylong visit included meetings with faculty, staff, and students to learn more about research, teaching, and learning at UC Santa Cruz—and the important work that supports the university’s mission as a Hispanic-Serving research university centered on student success.
August 02, 2022
UCSC student named one of 50 top hackers of 2022
Rising second-year computer science: computer game design student Mansi Saini has been recognized by Major League Hacking for outstanding contributions to the hackathon community.
July 29, 2022
As alumni regent, Art Torres advocated for access, diversity in higher education
Art Torres (Stevenson, ’68, government) worked to support the University of California in advancing the diversity of its student body while serving a two-year term as the alumni representative on the UC Board of Regents.
July 29, 2022
New book traces the scientific and technological development of militarized border
In her new book, Professor of Feminist Studies and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies Felicity Amaya Schaeffer draws stunning connections between indigenous ways of life and relationships to the land with modern-day, militaristic border surveillance technologies.
July 28, 2022
UC Santa Cruz teams with TiE Global to help entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life
UC Santa Cruz and TiE Global are establishing the Destination Silicon Valley program to leverage the Silicon Valley presence of both organizations and create new learning opportunities for university-based entrepreneurs from across the world, including University of California students and innovators, and others from TiE’s 59 chapters.
July 26, 2022
Center for Reimagining Leadership
Center for Reimagining Leadership has been established, effective July 1, 2022. Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz, professor of astronomy and astrophysics, will be the faculty director of the center.
July 25, 2022
Steve Kang celebrates a career of seizing challenges
As the first in his family to graduate college and in taking on positions as the second dean of the Baskin School of Engineering and chancellor of UC Merced, Sung-Mo “Steve” Kang has always been someone ready and willing to take on challenges.
July 22, 2022
Chancellor earns CUCSA award for staff-supportive leadership
The 2021-22 Outstanding Senior Leadership Award recognizes high-level leaders throughout the system who are supportive and inclusive of UC staff, and encourage equity, diversity and community.
July 21, 2022
Rare corpse flower is about to bloom at the UCSC Arboretum
Visitors to the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum will have the opportunity to witness one of the most extraordinary phenomena in the plant world when a rare corpse flower opens its enormous, foul-smelling inflorescence sometime in the next few days.
July 19, 2022
UCSC alum creates transformational opportunities in the Arts
Best known for producing the U.S.'s longest running daytime soap opera, “Days of Our Lives,” UCSC alumnus Ken Corday is a nine-time daytime Emmy nominated producer. Corday has ushered in new opportunities for the film department at UCSC, and has now expanded his generosity to the music department.
July 19, 2022
Hallmark cancer gene regulates RNA ‘dark matter’
A new study finds that a key genetic mutation that occurs early on in cancer alters RNA “dark matter” and causes the release of previously unknown RNA biomarkers for cancer early detection.
July 18, 2022
UCSC iGEM developing yeast-based type 2 diabetes medication for 2022 international competition
14 UCSC undergraduates are addressing access and cost of Type 2 diabetes medications by creating an alternative, yeast-based treatment that will be presented at the 2022 iGEM Jamboree in Paris.
July 17, 2022
UC Santa Cruz’s new Department of Performance, Play & Design redefines the art of storytelling for the modern era
Earlier this year, the Department of Theater Arts and the Art & Design: Games + Playable Media Program (AGPM) within UC Santa Cruz's Division of the Arts fused to become the the Department of Performance, Play & Design (PPD). It is the only university department in the world to break the traditional silos of theater, dance, and games.
July 14, 2022
Leaders in health, banking elected to join UC Santa Cruz Foundation Board of Trustees
The UC Santa Cruz Foundation Board of Trustees has elected as new members pharmaceutical and biotherapeutic entrepreneur Greg Reyes, of San Diego, (Kresge ’76, biology) and business banking leader Janet Buck, of Laguna Niguel.
July 13, 2022
ASPIRE program launches to aid conservation in a changing climate
A new program out of the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute involves students in an effort to measure changes in biodiversity and ultimately prevent them.
July 12, 2022
Alternate reality game launching Fall ‘22 will measure resilience of first-year students
“LUX,” a non-traditional research project to measure the resilience of its players, will officially launch this fall, recruiting participants from the incoming first-year class..
July 12, 2022
California budget supports UCSC in building additional housing for hundreds of students
California lawmakers have awarded $89 million to UC Santa Cruz in the 2022-23 state budget, funding that will help to significantly increase student housing at Kresge College.
July 12, 2022
State budget passage good news for our campus
The 2022-23 state budget that Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law just two weeks ago is a boon for the University of California system as a whole and for our campus specifically.
July 12, 2022
New study dives deep into the sustainability of an alternative aquaculture feed ingredient
Researchers at UC Santa Cruz developed a new life cycle sustainability assessment documenting the environmental benefits and impacts of using the marine microalga Schizochytrium sp. to replace fish oil as an ingredient in aquaculture feed.
July 06, 2022
UCSC scholars join researchers statewide on a massive genomic study of California’s biodiversity
The California Conservation Genomics Project (CCGP) is a state-funded initiative with a single goal: to produce the most comprehensive, multispecies genomic dataset ever assembled to help manage regional biodiversity.
July 06, 2022
Two from UC Santa Cruz awarded Fulbright grants
Two PhD candidates at UC Santa Cruz have been offered prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program grants for the 2022-2023 academic year.
July 06, 2022
California approves $5 million to fund diversity in science and technology education
Cal-Bridge Program brings together the three levels of the California higher education system to diversify the California public university faculty and tech workforce.
July 01, 2022
Adapted machine learning models will allow for better understanding of federal surveys
With the support of a three-year, $337,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, Assistant Professor of Statistics Paul Parker will develop statistical and machine learning methods to best suit the analysis of complex surveys produced by federal statistics agencies.
June 29, 2022
~$6M NSF grant for cyber-physical systems project will enable engineers to explore the next generation of transportation systems
With the support of a nearly $6 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), researchers at UC Santa Cruz will lead a five year, multi-institutional project to explore a new vision of engineering cyber-physical systems.
June 29, 2022
Autistic adults have become increasingly visible in media, books, television, and more in the past decade, but challenges with representation persist
Researchers documented a shift toward more numerical representation for adults in popular portrayals of autism, which have historically focused on children.
June 28, 2022
These red flags can let you know when you’re in an online echo chamber
Researchers at UC Santa Cruz have identified specific elements of tone and style in online speech that are linked to hyperpartisan echo chambers. These language markers could also prove useful for flagging spaces where disinformation may be likely to emerge.
June 21, 2022
The team behind a tree of 10 million Covid sequences
10 million sequences of COVID-19’s genomic code have now been organized into a phylogenetic tree in the UC Santa Cruz SARS-CoV-2 Browser, which is the largest tree of genomic sequences of a single species ever assembled.
June 15, 2022
Grant funding will support university-community partnership on inclusive economic development in neighboring city of Salinas
UCSC's Institute for Social Transformation will partner with the Salinas Inclusive Economic Development Initiative in an effort to reduce economic inequality and improve financial stability and quality of life for local families.
June 14, 2022
Ingenious, tech-based solutions pitched at Santa Cruz Launchpad 2022
The annual UC Santa Cruz business pitch competition and job fair drew in 19 student teams, 25 local companies, and nearly 500 attendees.
June 13, 2022
Stories of UCSC rugby: The Women’s Rugby Football Club, 1979–2022
Dating back to 1979, the Women’s Rugby Football Club at UCSC has a history of tenacity and dedication to their sport and peers.
June 13, 2022
Zimmer to develop Responsible AI course
Zimmer will join colleagues from around the U.S. to plan classes that better explore the impact of artificial intelligence on our world.
June 09, 2022
UCSC joins new alliance aimed at boosting Latinx doctoral students, professors
The group, officially launching today and comprising all 20 of the nation’s top research universities that are also classified as Hispanic-Serving Institutions, aims to increase opportunity for those historically underserved by higher education.
June 08, 2022
Prestigious $3.8M NIH grant awarded to biomolecular engineering professor to develop an RSV vaccine
Associate Professor of Biomolecular Engineering Rebecca DuBois will use the five-year grant to develop a vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus, a common and potentially dangerous virus.
June 08, 2022
Graduate student’s research helps environmental organizations better serve coastal communities of color
Coastal Science and Policy Program graduate student Kalina Browne led development of a new research report on behalf of Green 2.0, a national watchdog organization focused on diversity and equity in the environmental sector.
June 07, 2022
UC Santa Cruz Distinguished Professor of the Arts Isaac Julien knighted by Queen Elizabeth
UC Santa Cruz Distinguished Professor of the Arts Isaac Julien was granted knighthood by Queen Elizabeth on the occasion of her Platinum Jubilee
June 06, 2022
CIDER Pilot Training Program helps students reach new heights in drone research and industry
18 students participated in the CIDER’s first-ever Pilot Training Program, which prepared them for success in research and industry opportunities.
June 06, 2022
UC Santa Cruz named No. 2 public university for ‘making an impact’
Princeton Review has named UC Santa Cruz the No. 2 public university in the nation for students focused on making an impact on the world. The honor underscores the university’s commitment to encouraging positive social impact and is an increase from last year’s No. 3 spot.
June 06, 2022
Construction well underway on new student housing at UC Santa Cruz
Committed to advancing student success, UC Santa Cruz leaders are confronting the ongoing housing crisis by providing immediate support programs for students while building new residential buildings to significantly increase the number of students who can live on campus.
June 03, 2022
‘Crossing Latinidades’ program selects UC Santa Cruz faculty and graduate students for national research and mentoring collaboration
Two UC Santa Cruz faculty were awarded $310,000 grants to lead national research working groups, and two doctoral students have been selected for one-year research fellowships and a summer institute focused on interdisciplinary research methods.
June 01, 2022
Seeking Okinawan rights
UC Santa Cruz doctoral candidate Lex McClellan-Ufugusuku appeared before the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, exploring whether the people of Okinawa could be recognized as Indigenous—meaning they might have the right to block or stop new military bases under guidelines about Indigenous people set up by the U.N.
June 01, 2022
Free public beach tours of Younger Lagoon Reserve have resumed
Tours of the reserve, which were suspended due to COVID-19 precautions, are again being offered through UCSC’s Seymour Marine Discovery Center.
May 31, 2022
Capstone to console: UC Santa Cruz student-developed game releasing to Nintendo Switch
The soon to be released, interactive, fast-paced game Squish was developed by UCSC engineering and arts, games, & playable media students.
May 27, 2022
Year-end exhibition highlights the work of UC Santa Cruz’s 2022 Irwin Scholars
Throughout the month of June, visitors to the Mary Porter Sesnon Art Gallery at UC Santa Cruz will have the chance to see the work of twelve undergraduate artists selected as this year’s Irwin Scholars.
May 26, 2022
Marcella Gomez appointed as the Baskin School of Engineering’s inaugural Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Marcella Gomez has been appointed as the Baskin School of Engineering’s inaugural Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and will focus on student success and recruitment and retention of historically underrepresented groups in STEM.
May 25, 2022
Sociology doctoral candidate wins national fellowship for research on travel programs that teach youth about the African diaspora
Theresa Hice-Fromille was one of five top scholars selected nationwide for the American Sociological Association’s 2022-2023 Minority Fellowship program. Funding from this and other recent awards will support her dissertation research on travel abroad programs led by Black women that teach youth about the African diaspora.
May 24, 2022
Fellowships support graduate students studying queer movies, Mau Mau Uprising
Raed El Rafaei is examining queer movies made by artists from Lebanon and the diaspora, and Christian David Alvarado is investigating how the Mau Mau Uprising, which ran through the 1950s in Kenya, fits in with the larger processes of decolonization in Africa.
May 23, 2022
Karen Miga named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People of 2022
Karen Miga, assistant professor of biomolecular engineering at UC Santa Cruz, was named one of the 100 most influential people of 2022 by TIME. The honor was announced on May 23.
May 23, 2022
A special outdoor production of The Fairy Queen celebrates the return of fully-staged, live opera at UC Santa Cruz
The UC Santa Cruz Music Department presents Henry Purcell’s The Fairy Queen in a very special outdoor production to celebrate the return of fully-staged, live opera at UCSC on May 27 and 28, 2022.
May 19, 2022
Politics doctoral candidate wins Newcombe Fellowship for research on women’s testimony against sexual violence
Natali Levin-Schwartz is one of 22 winners of a national fellowship award for scholars working on ethical or religious issues. Her dissertation research focuses on how women resist and organize against sexual violence and the role that testimony plays in that process.
May 17, 2022
DSAS welcomes Ebonée Williams as new associate vice chancellor for student success and equity
Ebonée Williams joins the Division of Student Affairs and Success as the new associate vice chancellor for student success and equity.
May 17, 2022
Welcoming our new Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Success
I am happy to announce that Akirah J. Bradley-Armstrong, our new Vice Chancellor for the Division of Student Affairs and Success, has officially joined us.
May 16, 2022
Grant funding will augment calculus courses to support engineering students’ success
A seed grant from the state-funded California Learning Lab will be used to help address the equity gap in calculus courses and increase retention for engineering students at UC Santa Cruz.
May 10, 2022
A public dedication in the name of civil rights
Hundreds of campus and regional community members gathered beneath the redwoods encircling Quarry Amphitheater to watch the former College Ten make history, rededicating itself as John R. Lewis College in memory of the legendary civil rights leader.
May 06, 2022
May concerts of new work by UC Santa Cruz composers the result of residencies with leading new music artists
UC Santa Cruz doctoral students in composition will premiere several new works this May developed during two unprecedented residencies with top names in the experimental music world.
May 05, 2022
UC Santa Cruz Dean of the Arts Division Celine Parreñas Shimizu will debut her latest film at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival on May 12
Filmmaker and film scholar Celine Parreñas Shimizu, UCSC’s Dean of the Division of Arts, debuts her new documentary at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival on May 12. The feature film 80 YEARS LATER explores the racial inheritance of Japanese American family incarceration during World War II through multigenerational conversations with survivors and their descendants.
May 05, 2022
UC Santa Cruz alumna and thought leader Roshawnna Novellus to deliver Baskin Engineering 2022 commencement address
Roshawnna Novellus—Baskin Engineering computer engineering undergraduate alumna, entrepreneur, and nationally recognized financial inclusion advocate—will deliver the UC Santa Cruz Baskin School of Engineering 2022 commencement address.
May 04, 2022
John Brown Childs earns UC’s highest system-wide award for emeriti
UC Santa Cruz Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Sociology John Brown Childs is a 2021-2022 recipient of the Constantine Panunzio Distinguished Emeriti Award, which recognizes exceptional legacies of research, teaching, and service.
May 03, 2022
Team of researchers win the public benchmark phase of new Alexa Prize competition
UC Santa Cruz’s team of computer science and engineering (CSE) Ph.D. students came out victorious by a generous margin during the public benchmark phase of the first-ever Amazon Alexa Prize SimBot Challenge, far surpassing other teams in the university competition focused on advancing virtual assistant technology.
May 03, 2022
Deep Read welcomes author Yaa Gyasi to UC Santa Cruz
The annual program of The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz has brought together students, faculty, alumni, and other curious minds from across the globe to unpack and discuss Transcendent Kingdom, the most recent novel by Ghanaian-American author Yaa Gyasi.
May 02, 2022
Puzzling it out
Linguistics student David Tuffs started making crossword puzzles to stave off boredom during COVID-19 restrictions. Now he's had his third puzzle published in the New York Times.
April 29, 2022
New global and community health majors available this fall
UC Santa Cruz students who want to build a future with better, more equitable health outcomes will have the option to declare one of two new global and community health majors, starting in fall 2022.
April 28, 2022
New Google-funded research project applies computer science to aid bird conservation
Two faculty members have begun a new collaboration to use machine learning models to create continent-wide maps of bird habitat connectivity for conservation purposes, and they have recently received a $60,000 Google Research Scholar award to fund this work
April 28, 2022
Afrofuturism takes center stage in the Institute of the Arts and Sciences’ Surge series
UC Santa Cruz’s Institute of the Arts and Sciences offers a month-long series of performances and discussions on Afrofuturism, a global artistic and social movement, utilizing the arts, science, and technology to imagine—and create— a world where African-descended peoples and cultures can live and flourish.
April 28, 2022
Unlocking a cure for carbon monoxide poisoning
UCSC researcher Tim Johnstone has designed small molecules that can bind CO, sequester CO that is already bonded to hemoglobin, and rescue red blood cells exposed to CO, all promising signs for a future antidote for carbon monoxide poisoning.
April 28, 2022
Linguist Sandra Chung elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Sandra Chung, Distinguished Professor Emerita of Linguistics, has been elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honorary societies.
April 28, 2022
Summer programs draw visitors to Lick Observatory for music and stargazing
Tickets are on sale now for the observatory's popular summer evening programs.
April 25, 2022
CITRIS drone program lands $1 million grant from James Irvine Foundation
The UC Santa Cruz CITRIS Initiative for Drone Education and Research (CIDER) along with several partners has received a $1 million, 15-month planning grant to support regional drone education and workforce development from The James Irvine Foundation.
April 25, 2022
10 questions all funders should ask before supporting tree-planting campaigns
Environmental Studies Professor Karen Holl is concerned that widespread enthusiasm for tree-planting may be leaving restoration best-practices by the wayside. But a new set of research-based questions can help potential funders determine which reforestation campaigns are poised for success.
April 21, 2022
Alumna’s foreign service success earns her a new post as U.S. Ambassador
Claire Pierangelo (Kresge College, History ’82) will be sworn in as Ambassador to the Republic of Madagascar and the Union of the Comoros on May 2.
April 21, 2022
Institute for the Biology of Stem Cells awarded $1M training grant for postdoctoral researchers
The directors of the Institute for the Biology of Stem Cells brought in a new $1M training grant for postdoctoral researchers, and have been awarded over $12M in grants in just two years.
April 20, 2022
New study examines ethics of community-engaged research from the perspective of community partners
Even the most collaborative research models come with ethical challenges, a new study shows. This highlights the importance of equity-centered approaches.
April 20, 2022
Cruz Foam teams up with DiCaprio, Kutcher as advisors and adds a major industry partner
Cruz Foam, a company that started as a Ph.D. student’s project at the UC Santa Cruz Baskin School of Engineering and makes a compostable alternative to styrofoam packaging, has added actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Ashton Kutcher as advisors and investors.
April 19, 2022
Thought-provoking new works of media art in exhibition by Digital Arts and New Media MFAs
The UC Santa Cruz Digital Arts and New Media (DANM) MFA program presents unforgetting, the culminating exhibition of its 2022 MFA cohort, on view free to the public at the Digital Arts Research Center April 22-May 1 with a special performance May 20-29 at the Experimental Theater.
April 19, 2022
Superheroes, spaceships, and social wearables: An immersive, social STEM camp for middle school girls sparks interest, builds confidence in STEM
The UCSC-developed STEM camp combines the crafting of wearable technology with social experience to pique interest in computation and technology for middle school girls.
April 15, 2022
Coming together to heal
UCSC Arts dean and her family establish scholarship in son’s memory
April 15, 2022
Honoring UC Santa Cruz’s 2022 Distinguished Graduate Student Alumni
Each year, UC Santa Cruz’s five academic divisions select one graduate student alumnus/a/i as their Distinguished Graduate Student Alumni honoree. The awards ceremony for the 2022 cohort will take place on April 23 of Alumni Weekend.
April 14, 2022
Politics professor’s book challenging Western notions of Sharia wins global acclaim
In the past year, Politics and Legal Studies Professor Mark Fathi Massoud's latest book has earned him a series of award recognitions, speaking engagements around the globe, and an invitation to a closed session with resident representatives of the United Nations Development Program.
April 12, 2022
Rock on: summer concert series coming to Quarry Amphitheater
In partnership with Noise Pop Industries, UC Santa Cruz announces summer concert series to be hosted in the Quarry Amphitheater.
April 12, 2022
Watsonville Filipino history digital archive now available for public viewing
The Watsonville is in the Heart Digital Archive is now viewable online and features oral history recordings, original documents, photos, and family artifacts highlighting Filipino history in the Pajaro Valley.
April 12, 2022
Paid fellowship opens doors and opportunities for Humanities students
Unique partnership between The Humanities Institute, a leading national media outlet, and a generous UC Santa Cruz donor amplifies opportunities for UC Santa Cruz students
April 11, 2022
Risa Wechsler named 2022 Physical and Biological Sciences Distinguished Graduate Student Alumna
UC Santa Cruz alumna Risa Wechsler (Ph.D. Physics ’01) has played an instrumental role in groundbreaking research in the cosmology field, with pioneering galaxy structure and cosmic structure surveys, and more than 300 widely cited publications. Wechsler has also been committed to ensuring the growth of diversity and inclusion within the physics and astronomy community.
April 11, 2022
Grazing goats to help reduce wildfire risk
Hundreds of hungry goats will arrive on campus later this week to graze on about 30 acres of vegetation that would otherwise dry into potential wildfire fuel as summer arrives.
April 07, 2022
Sarah Peelo named 2022 Social Sciences Division Distinguished Graduate Student Alumna
Sarah Peelo (Ph.D. Anthropology ’09) looked to UC Santa Cruz as an institution beaming with women in leadership. Now company president and co-owner of cultural resource management firm, Albion, Peelo is at the forefront of cultural preservation in the Bay Area.
April 07, 2022
Harryette Mullen named 2022 Humanities Division Distinguished Graduate Student Alumna
The Humanities Division’s 2022 Distinguished Graduate Student Alumna, Harryette Mullen (M.A. Literature ’86, Ph.D. Literature ’90), published her first poetry book Tree Tall Women in 1981 and has since published dozens of poems, stories, books, and essays that have been published worldwide and reprinted in over one hundred anthologies.
April 05, 2022
Works by some of the country’s most influential contemporary artists on view in Strange Weather
A new group exhibition presented by UC Santa Cruz Institute of the Arts and Sciences (IAS) and the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History (MAH), features contemporary artworks by some of today’s leading artists. On view April 14-August 14, 2022 at the MAH, Strange Weather: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation is co-organized by IAS director Dr. Rachel Nelson and UCSC History of Art and Visual Culture Professor Jennifer González.
April 05, 2022
UCSC selects Aisha Jackson as Vice Chancellor for Information Technology
Aisha Jackson comes to UC Santa Cruz from the University of Colorado Boulder, where she is that university’s first Assistant Vice Provost and Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Technology and Student Success.
April 05, 2022
UC Santa Cruz hosts ‘Universe in Verse’ April 16 in the Quarry Amphitheater
The fifth annual Universe in Verse—a charitable celebration of science and nature through poetry and music, created and hosted by writer Maria Popova (Marginalian)—will be held in person at UC Santa Cruz in the Quarry Amphitheater on Saturday, April 16.
April 04, 2022
Genomics Institute tool becomes primary method to identify lineages of COVID-19 worldwide
As COVID-19 continues to mutate, software developed and maintained at the University of California, Santa Cruz’s Genomics Institute will now be at the core of the primary tool used by health officials worldwide to track the spread of variants in their community. It is now the default software behind the ubiquitously used tool Pangolin, replacing previous software to more accurately assign genomic samples of COVID-19 to a known branch on the virus’s family tree.
April 04, 2022
Ricky Bluthenthal announced as 2022 social sciences distinguished alumni award recipient
The Social Sciences division is proud to announce trailblazing health equity researcher and advocate Ricky Bluthenthal (Merrill ’86, History and Sociology) as the recipient of the 2022 Social Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award.
March 31, 2022
Miriam Ellis, lecturer emerita (1927—2022)
Miriam Ellis an indelible mark on students and colleagues in French, theater, music (especially opera), and administration
March 28, 2022
Seed funding grants for early-stage research, creative projects given to 19 awardees
The UCSC Office of Research has awarded funds this month to 19 projects through its inaugural Seed Funding for Early Stage Initiatives program
March 28, 2022
Local pumas don’t sense danger in places where they’re most often killed by humans
A new study led by UC Santa Cruz researchers suggests that pumas in the Santa Cruz Mountains don’t make accurate assessments of where they are most likely to be killed by humans, especially when it comes to the threat of being killed in retaliation for loss of livestock.
March 28, 2022
Celebrating 50 years of immersive natural history education at UC Santa Cruz
In June, an event will gather UC Santa Cruz alumni, faculty, staff, current students, and community members to honor the legacy of Ken Norris and natural history at UCSC, including the 50th anniversary of Natural History Field Quarter.
March 24, 2022
Annual Confronting Climate Change Conference focuses on local impacts and solutions
UC Santa Cruz offers a weekend of free events at the Seymour Center to spark conversation and inspire action.
March 24, 2022
A remarkable, first-time film course tackles the criminal justice system
UC Santa Cruz Film Professor Sharon Daniel’s two-quarter undergrad course, FILM 171S-02, is not your typical film school fare. This course, titled Reasonable Doubts: Making an Exoneree, aims for nothing less than to free wrongfully convicted persons currently incarcerated in American prisons.
March 22, 2022
Recruitment for Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Now Active
The leadership recruitment for campus’ first Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is now live.
March 21, 2022
Economics Professor Rob Fairlie testifies before committee in U.S. House of Representatives to share research on Paycheck Protection Program
Fairlie testified on his latest research, which showed that changes to the Paycheck Protection Program in 2021 helped to improve racial equity in loan distribution.
March 18, 2022
UC Santa Cruz lecturer and alumna contributes to IPCC’s 2022 report on global climate change
Pam Rittelmeyer, a lecturer in the Department of Environmental Studies and College Nine, is a contributing author on the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
March 10, 2022
UC Santa Cruz Professor Marianne Weems directs new interactive online performance I Agree To The Terms
UC Santa Cruz Professor in Performance, Play & Design Marianne Weems, Artistic Director and Founder of the award-winning performance and media ensemble The Builders Association, debuts a new interactive crossmedia performance, livestreaming online this March 25-April 3.
March 10, 2022
UC Santa Cruz to implement strategic plan for internationalization
UC Santa Cruz is advancing comprehensive internationalization to ensure that the members of the campus community are prepared and encouraged to study, teach, conduct research, and work in a global context, and that institutional policies, programs, and initiatives are aligned to achieve this shared goal.
March 07, 2022
UC Santa Cruz invites alumni, community to Alumni Week
Alumni Week 2022 will have a unique “hybrid” format—combining virtual and in-person gatherings, with activities ranging from a virtual elephant seal tour to an in-person wildflower walk in the Campus Reserve, a drone-flying demonstration, and a “Merrill Moat Day” extravaganza, an interactive art project that goes back to the college’s early times.
March 04, 2022
Institute For Advanced Study selects environmental sociologist Hillary Angelo as a member
UC Santa Cruz Associate Professor of Sociology Hillary Angelo was selected among a group of 25 world-leading researchers and academics who will focus on the theme “Climate Crisis Politics" as 2022-2023 members of the IAS School of Social Science.
March 02, 2022
Danielle Dadiego named recipient of 2022 Society for American Archaeology Dissertation Award
UC Santa Cruz alumna Danielle Dadiego (M.A. Anthropology, ’17; Ph.D. Anthropology, ’20) has worked in the archeology field for nearly two decades. Her dissertation, Beads, Bullets, and Brokerage: Exploring Economic Agency in Eighteenth-Century West Florida, has been nationally recognized by the 2022 Society for American Archaeology Dissertation Award, one of the most prestigious awards in the archeology field.
March 01, 2022
Introducing The 2022 Deep Read: Yaa Gyasi’s Transcendent Kingdom
The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz announces the return of The Deep Read annual program. The group will read Transcendent Kingdom, the acclaimed novel from Brooklyn-based author Yaa Gyasi.
March 01, 2022
Russian invasion of Ukraine - Supporting our community
Over the past week, we have closely followed the news of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and we join the international community in condemning this unprovoked attack.
February 25, 2022
UC Santa Cruz joins Social Science Research Council
The campus is now a member of the Social Science Research Council's College and University Fund for the Social Sciences, which will offer new opportunities for UC Santa Cruz to help shape research priorities across the field.
February 24, 2022
Family-friendly opera returns to Mainstage Theater this March with My Head is Full of Colors
On March 12, Family Opera returns live to the Mainstage Theater with My Head is Full of Colors, a joyful tale of imagination composed by UCSC Lecturer Chris Pratorius Gómez, with a libretto by Nicole Paiement, and directed by Lecturer Sheila Willey.
February 24, 2022
Record applications enable UC Santa Cruz to build strong, diverse fall class
With record-breaking applications from undergraduate students, UC Santa Cruz is looking to admit students who will be ready to contribute to and benefit from a high-impact research university.
February 10, 2022
First nationwide study of scams targeting immigrants shows local social context may help or hinder reporting
Assistant Professor of Sociology Juan Manuel Pedroza's latest research offers insights that may help improve access to justice for vulnerable communities.
February 08, 2022
Computer scientist Lindsey Kuper wins NSF CAREER award
Lindsey Kuper, assistant professor of computer science and engineering at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has won a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to fund her lab’s study of distributed systems.
February 08, 2022
UC Santa Cruz announces ambitious investment to hire 100 additional faculty over decade, part of broader effort to advance student success and research excellence
To advance its place as an international leader at the intersection of innovation and social justice, UC Santa Cruz announced today its intention to prioritize faculty hiring by adding 100 additional faculty over the next decade.
February 08, 2022
UC Santa Cruz Foundation votes to provide additional one-time endowment payout to support student scholarships, fellowships
Hundreds of continuing and incoming UC Santa Cruz students will benefit from additional financial support from scholarships and fellowships after the UC Santa Cruz Foundation Board approved an additional, one-time payout from the university’s endowment.
February 07, 2022
UC Santa Cruz tops ranking of women in leadership at R1 universities
UC Santa Cruz is first in the nation for racial and gender diversity in leadership, according to a new report by the Women’s Power Gap Initiative at the Eos Foundation, in partnership with the American Association of University Women.
February 04, 2022
An advocate for menstrual equity
Student Amanda Safi helped get a new California law passed that requires public schools to stock restrooms with free menstrual products—a move activists say is a first step toward rectifying the discrimination, stigma, and financial, educational, and health consequences faced by those who menstruate.
February 04, 2022
Stories of Black women take center stage in upcoming performance of ''da Kink in My Hair'
The award-winning play "‘da Kink in My Hair" will be presented February 18-27 by the Department of Performance, Play & Design and the African American Theater Arts Troupe.
February 03, 2022
Bridging the educational divide on a global scale
Alumnus Fred Mednick, founder of two-time Peace Prize–winning NGO Teachers Without Borders, has worked to expand worldwide educational access for over two decades.
February 03, 2022
Equity gaps in COVID-19 deaths closed for some racial and ethnic groups, widened for others during vaccine rollout in California
New research from UC Santa Cruz, Stanford University, and UC San Francisco shows how racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 deaths across California changed as the rollout process for vaccines began.
January 31, 2022
Hitting a high note
Music Professor Karlton Hester, named the first associate dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the arts for the Arts Division, believes all ethnicities benefit from inclusion and an increased focus on Black history, Indigenous history, and traditional knowledge.
January 31, 2022
Climate action planning misses equity opportunities in many California cities
A new study led by UC Santa Cruz analyzed 170 climate action plans across California to find out how cities are incorporating equity into their efforts to curb emissions and address climate change impacts.
January 25, 2022
Ten new picnic tables customed designed, handcrafted, and installed on campus
It was a rush order, no question about it. In early September, Chancellor Cynthia Larive asked Physical Plant, Development and Operations to install 10 picnic tables on the main residential campus by the opening of fall quarter. Campus carpenters decided to do-it-themselves.
January 25, 2022
The struggle to protect voting rights must go on. Lessons from the Civil Rights Movement can help
Distinguished professor emeritus John Brown Childs shares his opinion on the U.S. Senate's recent blockage of voting rights legislation and reflects on lessons he learned during the Civil Rights Movement that may help voting rights activists today.
January 20, 2022
UC Santa Cruz receives National Endowment for the Humanities grant to connect studies of humanities, engineering
UC Santa Cruz will create a new Certificate in the Humanities introducing students enrolled in the Baskin School of Engineering to humanities disciplines aimed to help them better understand the social and cultural impacts of technological change.
January 20, 2022
Rebecca Hernandez to serve as campus's first community archivist
Rebecca Hernandez, who previous served as the director of the American Indian Resource Center, will seek out partnerships with community organizations and leaders to support the preservation of community history, with a particular focus on reaching out to traditionally underrepresented communities.
January 20, 2022
National Endowment for the Arts award to support 'Surge,' an afrofuturism festival
Events will take place throughout the academic year, culminating in a month-long festival in May 2022 with live music concerts and dance performances.
January 13, 2022
Merrill College courses offer opportunity to learn about Africa, develop global connections
Merrill is offering two Global Classrooms, courses developed with the support of the Global Engagement Division that involve online collaboration between students from UCSC and the Co-Operative University of Kenya.
January 10, 2022
UCSC selects Akirah J. Bradley-Armstrong as vice chancellor for Student Affairs and Success
Akirah Bradley-Armstrong, who comes to campus from the University of Colorado Boulder, is a dedicated student affairs professional with 17 years of experience in the field.
January 06, 2022
Undergraduate Pearl Ibeanusi wins national scholarship in honor of late U.S. Rep. Patsy Takemoto Mink
UCSC student Pearl Ibeanusi was one of five women selected among nationwide applicants to receive a scholarship award recognizing her outstanding record of community service and educational and career goals.
January 05, 2022
Legal studies major Aissata Ba looks back on the “whirlwind” of meeting Michelle Obama at recent event
Aissata Ba, a 20-year-old Black Muslim first-generation American, was among a group of students brought together to be part of a conversation with Michelle Obama on some of the themes addressed in her best-selling memoir.
January 04, 2022
A cup of kindness
UC Santa Cruz student Tommy Alejandrez was living on the streets when he met former NFL player Zack Follett on a busy corner in Fresno. The meeting—over a cup of coffee—sparked a friendship that would change both of their lives.