University News & Events

• March 13, 2025

  An interview with Jennifer Finney Boylan: Celebrated trans author and advocate visits UC Santa Cruz during a critical moment for trans rights

  Bestselling author Jennifer Finney Boylan, one of the nation’s most influential and recognizable advocates for trans rights, is currently serving as scholar-in-residence at UC Santa Cruz during a fraught time for both trans rights and the humanities.

• March 12, 2025

  Forum captures urgency to use ecosystems now to keep people safe from looming natural disasters

  The National Practice Forum on Nature-Based Solutions was held in Irvine on February 4 and 5, and sponsored by UC Santa Cruz’s Center for Coastal Climate Resilience (CCCR). The forum drew over 500 attendees from around the country to discuss how our ecosystems can protect us from natural disasters.

• March 12, 2025

  New study shows how microalgae could help advance sustainable trout farming

  Researchers at UC Santa Cruz created a successful experimental aquaculture feed formulation for rainbow trout that fully replaces traditional fishmeal ingredients sourced from wild-caught fish with leftover marine microalgae from the human dietary supplement industry. Their findings support efforts to increase the variety and quality of fish-free feed options, so that aquaculture can expand food production while also taking pressure off of wild fish stocks.

• March 11, 2025

  Supporting early career alums: Finding hope in challenging times

  In a time of uncertainty, where environmental challenges grow more complex and the future feels unpredictable, two UC Santa Cruz alumni share their insights on adapting to professional challenges while staying true to their core values.

• March 11, 2025

  New eye-tracking VR experience, Face Jumping, debuts at SXSW

  The independent art and creative studio Tender Claws, co-led by Assistant Teaching Professor of Computational Media Samantha Gorman, will debut Face Jumping at the 2025 South by Southwest (SXSW) XR Experience Exhibition running March 9-11 in Austin, Texas.

• March 11, 2025

  Whale waste helps health of oceans by funneling nutrients to the tropics, new study shows

  New research shows that whales move nutrients thousands of miles—in their pee and poop—from as far as Alaska to Hawaii, supporting the health of tropical ecosystems and fish. UC Santa Cruz professors Dan Costa and Ari Friedlaender contributed their marine-mammal expertise to the study, which was published on March 10 in the journal Nature Communications.

• March 10, 2025

  Critical Imagination in Crisis Times: A Conference on the power of the Humanities at UC Santa Cruz

  In times of growing inequality, political upheaval, and climate crisis, how do we imagine a different future, one that breaks free from the cycles of crisis and oppression?  This question will be explored in depth at UC Santa Cruz's Critical Imagination in Crisis Times conference at Merrill College on Tuesday, March 11.

• March 10, 2025

  Biologist Erika Zavaleta receives Science Division’s Outstanding Faculty Award

  The Science Division has announced that Erika Zavaleta, a professor in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, has won its 2023-24 Outstanding Faculty Award. The annual prize is the division's highest honor for faculty achievement, recognizing combined excellence in research, teaching, and service.

• March 10, 2025

  Matt O’Hara and Katia Obraczka appointed interim provosts of Cowell and Crown for 2025-26

  The Division of Undergraduate Education is proud to announce the appointment of Professor Matt O’Hara as interim provost of Cowell College and Professor Katia Obraczka as interim provost of Crown College for the 2025-26 academic year.

• March 10, 2025

  Jose Ramirez is helping one UC at a time

  The University of California, Santa Cruz Arts Division is putting its mission into action with Art Matters, an upcoming event in Los Angeles that underscores the transformative power of the arts. The evening will bring together a dynamic mix of alumni, faculty, and supporters, including acclaimed Chicano artist José Ramírez. Ramírez, known for his vibrant and socially engaged work, has contributed a collection of prints for the silent auction and will take the stage as a featured speaker.

• March 6, 2025

  Student-built app slashes weeks off brain mapping to speed up neuroscience research

  UC Santa Cruz neuroscientists aiming to better understand how specific brain connectivity contributes to perception, thoughts, and behavior are leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance their study of brain function. By integrating AI, they are streamlining the process of aligning thin slices of mouse brain tissue with a reference atlas, helping to identify key details such as the brain region of origin more efficiently.

• March 5, 2025

  Explaining how our biological clocks work and how to better regulate our circadian rhythms

  As anticipation builds for the longer days that follow this weekend’s switch to daylight savings time, the moment seemed ideal to turn to one of the nation’s leading circadian-rhythms researchers, UC Santa Cruz’s Carrie Partch.

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