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Awards and Honors

UCSC faculty, staff, and students receive many distinguished awards, honors, and accolades. See below for a listing of such awards, or visit our compilation of additional distinctions.

December 21, 2012
UCSC astronomer Sandra Faber to receive the National Medal of Science
The White House announced Friday, December 21, that UC Santa Cruz faculty member Sandra Faber is one of a dozen eminent researchers selected to receive the National Medal of Science.
December 17, 2012
Top physicists gather at UCSC to honor Michael Dine and Howard Haber
UCSC physicists Michael Dine and Howard Haber are being honored for their contributions to theoretical high-energy physics.
December 07, 2012
Physicist Tesla Jeltema honored by Silicon Valley Business Journal
Physicist Tesla Jeltema is among 40 accomplished people under the age of 40 recognized this year by the Silicon Valley Business Journal.
December 06, 2012
UCSC alumna wins 2012 HBO/NALIP Documentary Filmmaker Award
Kimberly Bautista--a 2009 graduate of the Social Documentation Program at UC Santa Cruz--has been named the winner of the 2012 HBO and National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) Documentary Film Award.
November 29, 2012
Two UCSC professors elected 2012 AAAS Fellows
Chemistry professor Ilan Benjamin and linguistics professor Sandra Chung were elected AAAS Fellows.
November 29, 2012
Physicist Robert Johnson elected Fellow of American Physical Society
Robert Johnson, professor of physics, has been elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS).
November 27, 2012
Emerita professor wins prestigious educational anthropology award
Margaret A. "Greta" Gibson, professor emerita of education and anthropology at UC Santa Cruz, has won the 2012 George and Louise Spindler Award in Educational Anthropology.
November 21, 2012
Science educator Doris Ash wins University of Stockholm lecture award
Doris Ash, associate professor of education at UC Santa Cruz, has been awarded the Svend Pedersen Lecture Award from the University of Stockholm.
November 16, 2012
Biologist Pete Raimondi receives Outstanding Faculty Award
Biologist Pete Raimondi has received the 2011-12 Outstanding Faculty Award from the Division of Physical and Biological Sciences.
November 15, 2012
Three environmental studies grad students win sustainable ag awards
Three UC Santa Cruz environmental studies graduate students are among 16 students nationwide awarded sustainable agriculture scholarships from Annie's Homegrown Inc., a natural foods manufacturer and distributor.
November 15, 2012
History grad student to study in Japan on Fulbright-Hays fellowship
Dustin Wright, a Ph.D. student in the UCSC History Department, has received a $43,800 Fulbright-Hays doctoral fellowship to pursue research in Japan.
November 09, 2012
Science writers honor Science Communication Program director Robert Irion
The National Association of Science Writers (NASW) has honored Robert Irion, director of the UCSC Science Communication Program, with a service award.
November 02, 2012
American Mathematical Society honors three UCSC professors
Three UCSC professors have been named Fellows of the American Mathematical Society.
October 26, 2012
UCSC physicist inducted into American Academy of Arts and Sciences
UCSC faculty member Peter Young was among 180 influential artists, scientists, scholars, authors, and institutional leaders who were inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences at a ceremony earlier in October at the academy's headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
October 25, 2012
Switzer Environmental Fellowship awarded to UCSC grad student
Priya Ganguli, a Ph.D. candidate in the Earth and Planetary Sciences Department, has received a Switzer Environmental Fellowship.
October 19, 2012
Social Sciences division honors teaching, staff, and scholarship
Social Science faculty, staff, and students honored for outstanding achievement, teaching excellence, and scholarship.
October 10, 2012
Triloki Pandey wins Gandhi medal for non-resident Indians
Triloki N. Pandey, a professor of anthropology at UC Santa Cruz, has been awarded the Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Medal by the NRI Welfare Society of India.
October 05, 2012
UCSC ranked second for research influence in world university rankings
In a new analysis of the world's top universities, UC Santa Cruz is ranked second in research influence.
September 27, 2012
Education graduate student wins prestigious internship
Saúl I. Maldonado, a third-year doctoral student in the education department at UC Santa Cruz, has been awarded an internship with the American Evaluation Association's Graduate Education Diversity Internship program.
September 19, 2012
UC Santa Cruz receives Best Practice award for water efficiency and site water quality
UC Santa Cruz earned high honors at the tenth annual California Higher Education Sustainability Conference hosted by UC Davis on June 19, recognizing eco-friendly best practices across the UC system.
September 04, 2012
Friedland named Distinguished Rural Sociologist
William H. Friedland, professor emeritus of community studies and sociology at UC Santa Cruz, had been named Distinguished Rural Sociologist by the Rural Sociological Society.
September 04, 2012
Biologist Harry Noller to receive honorary degree
The University of Geneva will award an honorary doctorate degree to UCSC biologist Harry Noller.
August 28, 2012
Humanities professors awarded UC Presidential Chair
Feminist Studies professor Bettina Aptheker and Literature professor Karen Yamashita have been appointed to a UC Presidential Chair in Feminist Critical Race and Ethnic Studies on the UCSC campus.
August 28, 2012
UC Santa Cruz ranked 12th for Outside readers
UC Santa Cruz has made Outside Magazine’s list of 25 colleges known for their adventurous students and outdoor enthusiasts.
August 27, 2012
Peabody Award recognizes video work of SciCom alumna Solana Pyne
A video series by GlobalPost featuring productions by Science Communication Program graduate Solana Pyne received a Peabody Award for distinguished achievement in electronic media.
August 24, 2012
Schlanger Fellowship supports research on Arctic climate change
Ocean sciences graduate student Karla Knudson has been awarded a 2012-2013 Schlanger Ocean Drilling Fellowship.
July 11, 2012
Coastal ecosystems research project wins NASA Honor Award
The Coastal and Ocean Airborne Sensor Testbed project, involving UCSC and NASA scientists, has received a NASA Honor Award.
July 09, 2012
Biologist James Estes honored by American Society of Mammalogists
Biology professor James Estes will receive the 2012 C. Hart Merriam Award from the American Society of Mammalogists.
June 27, 2012
Health sciences grad awarded Sutter scholarship for medical school
Health sciences grad Kaitlin Russon has won the Primary Care Physician Award from Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center and the Central California Alliance for Health.
June 26, 2012
UCSC engineer wins R&D 100 Award for work on nanotechnology project
Electrical engineer Nobuhiko Kobayashi has received a 2012 R&D 100 Award for his role in developing a new system for producing high-tech materials.
June 18, 2012
UCSC is recognized for exemplary environmental practices
UC Santa Cruz has received a prestigious Acterra 2012 Business Environmental Award for the sustainability of the recently expanded and redesigned Student Health Center.
June 15, 2012
UCSC's Psychology Department wins national award for public service
The Psychology Department at UC Santa Cruz has won a prestigious national award from the American Psychological Association (APA) for service in the psychological sciences.
June 14, 2012
Physicist Alexander Sher named Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences
Alexander Sher, assistant professor of physics, will receive $240,000 to support his research on how the retina heals itself after laser surgery.
June 13, 2012
UCSC film prof to receive Frameline Award at SF LGBT Film Festival
UC Santa Cruz professor of Film and Digital Media B. Ruby Rich, will be awarded the 2012 Frameline Award at the 36th annual San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival, running June 14 to 24.
June 13, 2012
Astronomer Jerry Nelson receives Franklin Medal in campus ceremony
Astronomer Jerry Nelson was awarded the Franklin Institute's 2012 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Electrical Engineering on Friday, June 8.
June 08, 2012
Spotlight on outstanding work: Student Achievement Week recognizes accomplishment
Computer programmers, actors, robotics students, apprentice astronomers and fine artists showed off their skills during this year’s Student Achievement Week celebration.
June 06, 2012
Guthman's examination of obesity crisis wins a second book award
UC Santa Cruz professor Julie Guthman's latest book, Weighing In, Obesity, Food Justice, and the Limits of Capitalism (2011, University of California Press) has been selected by the Association for the Study of Food and Society (ASFS) for its annual book award.
June 01, 2012
Astronomer Sandra Faber receives prestigious Bruce Gold Medal
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific has awarded the 2012 Catherine Wolfe Bruce Gold Medal to UCSC astronomer Sandra Faber.
May 30, 2012
Student Achievement Week includes many activities June 2-8
UCSC students will be recognized for their achievements in research and other scholarly activities during the campus's annual Student Achievement Week, scheduled to take place June 2 through 8 this year.
May 23, 2012
Humanities lecturer named one of ‘Best 300 Professors’ by Princeton Review
German Studies lecturer Walter Campbell has been named one of The Best 300 Professors by the Princeton Review.
May 15, 2012
Anthropology Ph.D. student wins Newcombe Fellowship
Adding to the awards for her innovative research into religious minorities, UC Santa Cruz anthropology Ph.D. candidate Sarah Bakker is one of 21 national winners of a coveted fellowship for scholars working on dissertations that involve religious themes.
May 15, 2012
Medical robotics expert Jacob Rosen named Health Care Hero
The Silicon Valley Business Journal honored robotics expert Jacob Rosen with a 2012 Health Care Heroes award.
May 07, 2012
Santa Cruz Arts Commission names Humanities lecturer Artist of the Year
UC Santa Cruz humanities lecturer Gary Young has been named 2012 Artist of the Year by the Santa Cruz County Arts Commission
April 26, 2012
Women of Influence awards recognize six with UCSC connections
Faculty, staff, and alumni of UCSC accounted for six of the 100 women recognized by the Silicon Valley Business Journal as 2012 Women of Influence.
April 25, 2012
Huffman Prize winner helps develop better tools for analyzing "big data"
Senior Joshua Rosen, winner of the 2012 Huffman Prize, worked on a project to develop better tools for large-scale data processing.
April 24, 2012
UCSC's Hollenbeck named CVC Coach of the year
Todd Hollenbeck, head coach of the UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs, has been named the Continental Volleyball Conference (CVC) Coach of the Year as voted on by CVC head Coaches.
April 17, 2012
Physicist Peter Young elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Peter Young, distinguished professor of physics, has been elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation's most prestigious honorary societies.
April 16, 2012
UCSC film professor John Jota Leaños wins 2012 Guggenheim Fellowship
UC Santa Cruz assistant professor of film and digital media John Jota Leaños has been awarded a 2012 Guggenheim Fellowship for the creative arts.
April 11, 2012
Aronson, Palca win Social Sciences division awards
The UC Santa Cruz Social Sciences Division has named NPR science correspondent Joe Palca and psychology professor emeritus Elliot Aronson as winners of its distinguished alumni and emeriti faculty awards.
April 11, 2012
White House names College Ten alumna a Pacific Islander champion of change
Terisa Tinei Siagatonu, (College Ten,'11, community studies) is one of nine Asian American and Pacific Islander leaders and organizations named by the White House as Champions of Change.
March 29, 2012
Seven assistant professors win Hellman fellowships to assist their research
Seven assistant professors at UC Santa Cruz have been named winners of the Hellman Fellows Program that supports research projects by promising junior professors who show capacity for great distinction in their research.
March 13, 2012
Biochemist Glenn Millhauser honored for protein structure research
Glenn Millhauser, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, has been chosen to receive the 2012 Silver Medal in Biology/Medicine from the International EPR Society.
March 06, 2012
Carolyn Dean wins Arvey Prize for best book on Latin American art
History of Art and Visual Culture professor Carolyn Dean has been awarded the 2011 Arvey Prize from the Association for Latin American Art for the best book on Latin American Art, from Pre-Hispanic to Modern Periods,
March 06, 2012
Julie Guthman's examination of obesity crisis wins book award
Anew book by Julie Guthman, associate professor of Community Studies at UC Santa Cruz, was named winner of the 2012 James M. Blaut Innovative Publication Award.
February 22, 2012
Education professor's journal article on LGBTQ street youth wins two honors
A journal article by Cindy Cruz, an assistant professor of education at UC Santa Cruz, has been selected as the 2012 article of the year by a subgroup of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the National Association of Chicana and Chicano Studies.
February 15, 2012
UCSC professor named second Poet Laureate of Santa Cruz County
UCSC emeritus professor of education and creative writing David Swanger has been named the second Poet Laureate of Santa Cruz County.
February 15, 2012
Physicist Peter Young receives Humboldt Research Award
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation has elected physicist Peter Young to receive a Humboldt Research Award.
February 13, 2012
Farm apprentice graduate honored in Bronx Black History Month ceremony
Karen Washington, a graduate of the 2008 apprenticeship class at the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems at UC Santa Cruz, was honored at the annual Black History Month Celebration in the Bronx, N.Y.
February 03, 2012
Phillip Hammack receives early career award in psychology
Phillip. L. Hammack, assistant professor of psychology at UC Santa Cruz, has been named recipient of the 2011 Early Career Award of the Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict, and Violence: Division of Peace Psychology, American Psychological Association (APA).
February 01, 2012
Lecturer's book named Outstanding Scholarship in Medical Anthropology
A book co-written by Barbara Rose Johnston, an occasional lecturer at UC Santa Cruz, has been selected for Outstanding Scholarship in Medical Anthropology by the Society for Medical Anthropology, a division of the American Anthropological Association.
January 27, 2012
Catherine Cooper wins 2012 Social Policy Book Award
A book published last year by psychology professor Catherine Cooper has been selected for the 2012 Social Policy Book Award by the Society for Research in Adolescence.
January 26, 2012
Youth advocate and former foster child Deutron Kebebew to receive 2012 Tony Hill Award
Deutron Kebebew (Kresge, ’03, electrical engineering), former foster child and tireless advocate for teens and children, is this year’s winner of the fourth annual Tony Hill Memorial Award. Kebebew will receive the award as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Convocation on Feb. 2.
January 13, 2012
Joel Primack and Nancy Abrams honored by Chopra Foundation
Physicist Joel Primack and his wife Nancy Abrams have been chosen to receive the 2012 Spirit of Rustum Roy Award from the Chopra Foundation.
January 10, 2012
Plant scientist Jean Langenheim honored by Graduate Women in Science
The Graduate Women in Science organization Sigma Delta Epsilon has awarded its highest honor to botanist Jean Langenheim.