April 2014 News Archive

Mandatory water rationing begins today

Effective today the city's water rationing program is mandatory and the overall reduction goal has climbed to 25 percent.

Bike to Work Week activities

UCSC's Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) has joined with Ecology Action to host the 27th annual Santa Cruz County Spring Bike Week, May 2 - 9, 2014.

Red Hat to acquire Inktank, a cloud storage company with UCSC roots

Software provider Red Hat will acquire Inktank, a data storage company with origins in a UCSC research project, for $175 million.

In Memoriam: Robert Bickal

Acclaimed game designer coming to UCSC’s Digital Arts Research Center

Award-winnning game designer and producer Robin Hunicke will present a talk titled “Expanding Games” on Tuesday, May 6, at the UCSC Digital Arts Research

Two UCSC professors elected to National Academy of Sciences

Ecologist James Estes and seismologist Thorne Lay have been elected to the National Academy of

2014 Student campus elections

Please take a moment to review this year's undergraduate student ballot.

In Memoriam: Don Frederickson

We are sad to report that ITS staff member, Don Fredrickson, passed away on April 19.

James Estes and Thorne Lay elected to National Academy of Sciences

Chancellor Blumenthal announces the election of two faculty members to the National Academy of Sciences.

Slugs, selfies, and loads of 'likes': well-wishers converge for Alumni Weekend 2014

Old pals reconnected, Sammy the Slug photo-bombed a few 'selfies,' and revelers took classes just for the fun of it during UCSC Alumni Weekend 2014

Leon Panetta touts 'real grit,' blasts congressional gridlock at Launch celebration

Former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta fired up a crowd of 275 with shout-outs for ingenuity and “sheer grit" at Launch! A celebration of the UCSC student experience

Online review of ladder rank faculty actions begins May 1

We are pleased to announce that the first phase of our transition to an online system for reviewing academic advancement files, DivData Review, will launch on May 1, 2014.

UCSC awards first annual Gram Memorial Scholarship to creative writing student

UCSC student James Williams, a former machinist who returned to school to be around “people who talk about books,” is now the first recipient of the Kenneth Andrew

Alumna Kathryn Sullivan on Time's '100 Most Influential People' list

UCSC alumna Kathryn Sullivan is featured on Time magazine's 2014 list of the "100 Most Influential People in the

Mark Massoud's book on law in Sudan wins Law and Society Association award

"Law’s Fragile State: Colonial, Authoritarian, and Humanitarian Legacies in Sudan" has won the Herbert Jacob Prize for the best book in law and society published in

$1 million gift from alumna Julie Packard funds student programs at UCSC

UCSC has received a $1 million gift from alumna Julie Packard, executive director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Dry, dry again

UCSC researchers are confronting the challenges of consecutive dry years that have left California in a water crisis.

On campus: Making every drop count

UCSC has reduced its per-capita water use over the past 20 years, even while the number of students on campus has increased over that time. Still, the current water emergency means the UCSC community needs to do more.

Service Recognition Awards

Each year the Student Volunteer Center recognizes students, faculty, staff and on campus organizations who have demonstrated exemplary service to the UCSC and local community. Do you know a person, staff/faculty or organization who fits this criteria?

Major gift supports diversity in the sciences

I am excited to share the news that Julie Packard (Crown, BA Biology ’74, MA Biology ’78) has given the Division of Physical & Biological Sciences a gift of $1 million to establish the Dean’s Fund for Diversity in the Sciences.

Food, agriculture and adventure on Maui: UCSC students get down and dirty on alternate spring break

A unique alternative spring break program gives students a way to explore Maui’s food systems and allow some hands-on learning

UCSC receives NEA grant for art/science project on ocean ecology

UCSC has been awarded an NEA grant to support Blue Trail: Imagination and Innovation for Ocean Sustainability--a series of art installations that will be spread out across the

De-extinction: Building future worlds with extinct organisms?

De-extinction and the accompanying moral and ethical questions will be probed Wednesday, April 23 as the UC Santa Cruz Science and Justice Working Group hosts “De-Extinction: Building Future

UCSC Farm & Garden’s annual spring plant sale set for weekend of May 3, 4

The UCSC Farm & Garden’s spring plant sale this year features many “water-wise” varieties of food and landscape plants, along with information on water-conserving crops and practices, and

UCSC highlighted in Guide to Green Colleges

UCSC is one of four UC campuses scoring 99 points–the most possible–in The Princeton Review’s Guide to 332 Green Colleges, a free guide featuring colleges with a strong

Systemwide Review of Proposal to Renew UC Policy on Supplement to Military Pay

The University invites comments on the proposal to renew the University of California Policy on Supplement to Military Pay for a four-year period, effective July 1, 2014.

In Memoriam: Gene Stone

Russell "Gene" Stone, Jr., a police chief at UC Santa Cruz for 16 years, died on April 11 from complications related to cancer. He had turned 81 a day earlier.

UC Santa Cruz increases admission to California freshmen for fall 2014

UC Santa Cruz offered admission to 23,176 students for its fall 2014 freshmen class, the vast majority coming from California high schools.

Celebrating a milestone: distinguished crowd gathers at Founders Rock to mark the dedication of UC Santa Cruz

On April 17, 1964, nearly 2,000 people climbed a grassy hillside to witness the dedication of the University of California’s newest campus at Santa Cruz. A crowd of

Student Response to April 20th

Check out the festival from 2 to 6 p.m. at OPERS East Field on April 20.

Appointment of new chief campus counsel

Chancellor Blumenthal and CP/EVC Galloway announce the appointment of Michael A. Troncoso as chief campus counsel.

UCSC theater arts professor designs lighting for Billy Crystal HBO special

During the first week of January—in the midst of the polar vortex that was blasting the country—UCSC theater arts professor David Cuthbert was freezing in a video truck

New program pairs alumni mentors with engineering undergraduates

Engineering students benefit from the experience and industry connections of alumni

UCSC grad students to showcase digital art with social impact

Eleven graduate students from UCSC's Digital Arts and New Media M.F.A. Program (DANM) will conclude two years of artistic study with "Undercurrents"--an exhibition running on campus April 26

UC Santa Cruz workshop offers basics of citrus selection, planting and care

The keys to successful citrus growing will be explained at “Get Zesty! Citrus for the Home Gardener and Small-Scale Grower" Saturday, April 26, from 1 to 5

'Condor Watch' enlists citizen scientists to help an endangered species

Biologists studying the endangered California condor have launched a new web site to enlist the help of citizen

Public Safety Alert for April 20

This notification is being provided to advise members of the campus community, others with valid reasons for visiting the UC Santa Cruz campus, and campus neighbors of the potential for disruptions and hazards associated with an unsanctioned gathering known as "4-20" during the afternoon of Sunday, April 20.

DNA Day on April 25 commemorates completion of Human Genome Project

UCSC will host an informative celebration of DNA Day, a national event on Friday, April

In Memoriam: Ginny Fitzmaurice

We regret to inform you that Virginia "Ginny" Fitzmaurice, a long-time employee at UC Santa Cruz, died February 8 following a prolonged illness.

Alumnus Robert Dawson receives Guggenheim award for photography

UC Santa Cruz alumnus Robert Dawson has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in the Creative Arts for

Panetta to deliver keynote at Launch! a celebration of the student experience

Leon Panetta, former CIA director and secretary of defense, will address whether America is in renaissance or decline during Launch! A celebration of the UCSC student experience featuring

President Obama nominates UCSC alumnus as NEH chair

President Obama announced today his intent to nominate UC Santa Cruz alumnus Dr. William “Bro” Adams as Chairman of the National Endowment for the

B. Ruby Rich to host lecture series on 'New Queer Cinema'

This spring, the 2014 Arts Dean's Lecture Series "Issues in the Arts" features a series of free lectures by guest speakers from the film course "Lesbian, Gay, and

History professor Terry Burke to give 2014 Emeriti Faculty Lecture

Emeritus history professor Edmund “Terry” Burke III, director of the UCSC Center for World History, will deliver the 2014 Spring Emeriti Faculty Lecture on Thursday, April 17, at

Deer fawning season alert

Please be aware that spring is the prime birthing season for a wide variety of campus wildlife, including

Coupon sharing app wins top prize in first UCSC hackathon

About 100 UCSC students turned out for HACK UCSC 2014, the first UCSC

'War to Home' exhibition shares veterans' realities of military service

An exhibit at UCSC's Porter College explores the impact of military service, deployment, and homecoming for 40 veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and

In Memoriam: Bruce Picano

With sadness we write to inform you of the death of Bruce Picano, a 3rd year graduate student in the Visual Studies Ph.D. program.

Orbital physics is child's play with 'Super Planet Crash'

An online game and educational resources are offshoots of the software astronomers use to find planets beyond our solar

International Court of Justice rules against Japanese whaling program

UCSC mathematical biologist Marc Mangel testified in a case challenging the legality of Japan's controversial whaling

UCSC alumni photographers focus on environment for exhibition

Three UC Santa Cruz alumni photographers will present their work as artists, environmentalists, and educators at a new exhibition beginning April 9, at the Sesnon

Edge of Eden Musical Festival

The Dean of Students Office, in association with the Student Union Assembly, is proud to announce the line-up for the first annual Edge of Eden Music Festival taking place on Saturday, May 10, at the East Field from 2 to 10 p.m.