June 2021 News Archive
- June 30, 2021
Vice Chancellor for Research Scott Brandt returning to the faculty
We write to share news that Vice Chancellor for Research Scott Brandt has announced he will return to the faculty, effective July 16.
- June 29, 2021
Jonathan Fortney garners Simons Investigator in Astrophysics award
The $500,000 award from the Simons Foundation will support Fortney’s research on planetary
- June 29, 2021
Martian south polar cap composition focus of new study
A team of scientists have determined that Mars’ south polar ice sheet may be made of clays, metal-bearing minerals, or saline ice.
- June 25, 2021
Graduate student organizing community workshops on the queer Black experience
Mia Boykin is expanding her Black.Queer.Alive. project to include four community workshops that will explore fitness, creativity, politics and
- June 25, 2021
COVID-19 protocol changes for campus employees, spaces and program
As state and other agency COVID-19 restrictions have evolved, we have adjusted several campus protocols.
- June 24, 2021
Cosmic dawn occurred 250 to 350 million years after Big Bang
Cosmic dawn, when stars formed for the first time, occurred 250 million to 350 million years after the beginning of the universe, according to a new
- June 24, 2021
Annual message about the California Whistleblower Protection Act
The California Government Code requires every state agency, including the University of California, to annually distribute to its employees a message from the California State Auditor that provides an explanation of the California Whistleblower Protection Act.
- June 24, 2021
News about Professor of History Maya Peterson
We write today with heartbreaking news. Maya K. Peterson, associate professor of history known by so many in our campus community, died in childbirth on June 16.
- June 23, 2021
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
- June 22, 2021
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
- June 21, 2021
Graduate student explores gay literature's contributions to social movements, canon
Eric Sneathen explores how gay men, beginning in the 1960s, formed a literary community, wrote or curated poems and other literary works about their experiences, and how this
- June 21, 2021
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
- June 18, 2021
Searching for answers in the cosmos
Alumna Olivia Ross, winner of this year's prestigious Steck Award, took on the daunting quest of trying to find primordial black holes. Her faculty mentor calls this young,
- June 18, 2021
Work in social justice pushes recent grad toward career in medicine
Isabella Bullock realized she wanted to be a physician assistant after UC Santa Cruz courses began to reveal how socioeconomic status and race factor into one’s
- June 18, 2021
Juneteenth: A day to celebrate creativity, community and resilience
The campus commemoration of Juneteenth is set for Friday, June 25, and this year’s event is especially meaningful, as it follows the news that federal leaders are making Juneteenth a national holiday.
- June 18, 2021
President Drake announces Juneteenth a new UC holiday
Yesterday President Biden declared a federal holiday for Juneteenth, the day that celebrates and commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. This is an historic moment for our nation — 156 years in the making.
- June 16, 2021
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
- June 15, 2021
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
- June 15, 2021
Crossing and Zooming: A joyful 2021 commencement
This year’s UC Santa Cruz commencement festivities blended online ceremonies with jovial, in-person gatherings, including “Slug Crossings,” a chance for graduates to cross a stage on campus with
- June 15, 2021
Office of Research appoints new director of Research Development
It is my pleasure to let you know that we have completed our recent recruitment for the Director of Research Development (RD) and Dr. Heather Bell has accepted the position. Heather has been filling the role of Interim Director since February 2021 and has made significant contributions to both the strength of the RD team and its service to the campus community.
- June 11, 2021
Office of the President finalizing COVID-19 vaccine policy
The University of California Office of the President has notified campus leaders that it is finalizing a policy to make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for all faculty, staff, academic appointees, and students accessing facilities at any UC campus this fall.
- June 11, 2021
Updated operational considerations for post-June 15 operations
On June 15 use of the color tiered system that has framed our state’s COVID-19 response and recovery will cease. Guidelines will move away from industry-based requirements to a general set of protocols.
- June 10, 2021
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
- June 10, 2021
UC Santa Cruz names Peter F. Biehl as new vice provost, dean of the Graduate Division
UC Santa Cruz has appointed Peter F. Biehl, professor of anthropology at the University of Buffalo, State University of New York (SUNY), as vice provost and dean of
- June 10, 2021
Peter F. Biehl Named Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Peter F. Biehl as vice provost and dean of the Division of Graduate Studies. Biehl will take up the post on July 1.
- June 10, 2021
Perseverance and the pursuit of excellence
Today marks the final day of the spring quarter, and in the coming days and weeks, our faculty, staff and students will begin a well-deserved slide into summer, hopefully having an opportunity to recharge after an academic year like none other.
- June 9, 2021
Claire Max to retire as director of UC Observatories
Claire Max, director of the University of California Observatories (UCO) and the Bachmann professor of astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz, will retire at the end of
- June 9, 2021
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.
- June 9, 2021
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
- June 9, 2021
First days of instruction, fall '21
With the recent University of California announcement of the proposed vaccine mandate for students, staff, faculty and academic appointees, the widespread availability of vaccines, and steadily improving local conditions, we have made the decision to begin in-person instruction at the start of the fall quarter.
- June 8, 2021
Adrian Brasoveanu appointed associate campus provost
In this half-time role, Adrian will work with campus leadership on critical projects including institutional research and assessment, interdisciplinary research initiatives, space and resource management, strategic enrollment planning, and other campus initiatives.
- June 7, 2021
Registration open for the 40th annual Virtual Dickens Universe featuring ‘A Christmas Carol’
The Dickens Universe is an annual gathering of scholars, teachers, and members of the general public who share a love of Dickens's writings and his era. This summer, the Universe features A Christmas Carol and will take place online.
- June 7, 2021
Desiderio Ascencio
Halfway through Desi Ascencio's undergraduate years, he got work at a research lab, then was accepted as a summer research assistant for the STEM Diversity Programs. Both of
- June 7, 2021
Evanjelin Mahmoodi
Evanjelin Mahmoodi knew she was interested in STEM fields when she arrived at UC Santa Cruz but soon discovered she especially liked mathematics. Now she’s graduating with a
- June 7, 2021
Jeven Zarate-McCoy
In his four years at UCSC, Jeven Zarate-McCoy has served in various lead roles and officer positions with the Game Design and Arts Collaboration student group and is
- June 7, 2021
Jonah Gertz
Jonah Gertz tried to choose between his two academic passions: intensive history and music. But, he said, the choice was impossible since he was surrounded by so many
- June 7, 2021
Joslyn Chu
Joslyn Chu loved psychology before arriving at UCSC and planned to follow that path. But after a couple of classes she soon fell in love with the issues
- June 7, 2021
Katharina Pierini
The qualities of patience, perseverance, focus, hard work, and striving to achieve an elusive goal helped Katharina Pierini hold the course toward a UC Santa Cruz diploma, an
- June 7, 2021
Montserrat Lopez
Montserrat Lopez dedicated her college career to art, outreach, activism, and giving back to the communities that have sustained her. With her far-ranging goals and ambitious course of
- June 7, 2021
Nabeela Ariqat
Nabeela Ariqat, a first-generation college student, hoped for a new beginning at UC Santa Cruz, which she attended in part because “I felt like I could be who
- June 7, 2021
Nicholas Hidy
It’s tough being a performing arts major when all the performing arts spaces are shut down. That’s the predicament Nick Hidy, who plays the French horn and trombone,
- June 7, 2021
Norberto Garcia
As Norberto (Norbit) Garcia interviewed 18 families about their experiences for his senior thesis, he was reminded of why he chose sociology as a major—the realization that he
- June 7, 2021
Sharon Valle Rodriguez
When she started at UCSC, Sharon Valle Rodriguez was unsure about everything. But she learned to be independent and emotionally intelligent. "Now I believe in myself and know
- June 7, 2021
Simayijiang Xirenayi
When Simayijiang "Sherin" Xirenayi left home at age 19, she knew she wanted to study biology. She attended community college and then transferred to UC Santa Cruz, but
- June 7, 2021
Vaishnavi Dornadula
Vaishnavi Dornadula was a leader in creating the first-ever Baskin Day celebration, which launched in February 2020. Since then, it has turned into a popular campus tradition, with
- June 7, 2021
Axions could be the fossil of the universe researchers have been waiting for
A new study suggests finding the hypothetical particles known as axions could mean finding out for the first time what happened in the universe a second after the
- June 7, 2021
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
- June 7, 2021
Recipients of 2021 Excellence in Teaching Awards announced
The Committee on Teaching (COT) is delighted to announce the 10 recipients of this prestigious campus-wide award from all five divisions.
- June 4, 2021
Ray Jara
Ray Jara liked science and was good at it, but he didn’t have college in mind until his freshman year of high school. A trip to Northern California
- June 4, 2021
David Sanchez Godinez
David Sanchez Godinez arrived at UC Santa Cruz with a passion for scientific exploration. Taking a full load of science classes and getting hands-on learning honed his scientific
- June 4, 2021
Campus update: Ready, set, commencement
This entire academic year has been a unique experience. I am both grateful for and proud of the resilience and strength our community has displayed over the past year.
- June 3, 2021
Biologist Roxanne Beltran wins funding from Beckman Young Investigator Program
New project aims to provide the first large-scale recordings of sound in the open ocean, using elephant seals as a platform for a novel acoustic
- June 3, 2021
Feminist studies Ph.D. student receives Institute for Citizens & Scholars fellowship
Claire Urbanski, a Ph.D. candidate in feminist studies, has been named a Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellow by the Institute for Citizens & Scholars (formerly the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation).
- June 2, 2021
Dead zones formed repeatedly in North Pacific during warm climates, study finds
Over the past 1.2 million years, marine life was repeatedly extinguished in low-oxygen ‘dead zones’ in the North Pacific Ocean during warm interglacial
- June 2, 2021
FREE, confidential records pick-up & shred service One Day Only--Friday, July 9, 2021
The Records and Information Management (RIM) office invites your department/unit to participate in Disposition Day on July 9, 2021.
- June 2, 2021
Social Sciences Division celebrates outstanding students
The Social Sciences Division is recognizing 21 students for excellence in scholarship and
- June 2, 2021
Revised approval process for essential research travel
We write today to provide an update on research-related travel. We understand that some graduate students and employees of UC Santa Cruz may need to travel to enable critical research activities.
- June 1, 2021
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.
- June 1, 2021
Last chance to catch exhibit on Santa Cruz County naturalists
The Look-Act-Inspire exhibition, which features UCSC students, faculty, and staff, wraps up in June.
- June 1, 2021
Draft Presidential Campus Safety Plan open for public comment
Attached for your review and comment is a draft Presidential Campus Safety Plan that is intended to lay a foundation for transforming UC’s culture, policies, and practices to achieve a vision of safety in which all members of the community feel equally welcomed, respected, and protected from harm.