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Social Sciences

December 18, 2014
UC Santa Cruz international economics Ph.D. named first woman on Swiss National Bank board
Andréa Maechler, who earned masters and Ph.D. degrees in international economics at UC Santa Cruz, has been named the first woman to sit on the governing board of Switzerland’s central bank.
December 15, 2014
UC Santa Cruz hosts an expanded Santa Cruz hackathon January 9 to 11
HACK UCSC 2015 is open to students throughout the Monterey Bay region
December 10, 2014
UC Santa Cruz leads UC effort to study effects of climate change on ecosystems
A $1.9 million grant from the new UC President's Research Catalyst Awards will fund a UC-wide institute on climate impacts.
November 14, 2014
Center for Emerging Worlds launches with a year-long focus on global Islam
The Center for Emerging Worlds at UC Santa Cruz, which launched in September, addresses the many conflicts, environmental challenges, resource competitions, and ethnic and nationalist and religious tensions in the world.
November 05, 2014
Leading conservationists call for a "unified and diverse conservation ethic"
UC Santa Cruz faculty are among conservationists leading the effort to resolve a polarizing debate over the reasons to conserve nature.
October 20, 2014
UC Santa Cruz sponsored gender development conference celebrates 10 years
A national conference on gender development that UC Santa Cruz psychology professor Campbell Leaper founded 10 years ago will begin Thursday in San Francisco.
October 17, 2014
Social Justice lecture features expert on sexual violence in the military
Professor Elizabeth L. Hillman, a scholar and expert on sexual violence in the military, will speak Thursday, November 6, at UC Santa Cruz as part of the UC Hastings / UC Santa Cruz Social Justice Speakers Series.
October 14, 2014
Campus role in overturning Proposition 8
UC Santa Cruz alumna Kris Perry, a plaintiff in the landmark lawsuit that overturned California's ban against same sex marriage, described first the process of coming out in college and the decisions that followed later to challenge Proposition 8.
October 13, 2014
Diane Gifford-Gonzalez wins social sciences award for outstanding research
Anthropology professor Diane Gifford-Gonzalez is the 2014 recipient of the Martin M. Chemers Award for Outstanding Research in the Social Sciences at UC Santa Cruz.
October 10, 2014
Social Sciences Research Frontiers Day focuses on data, environment, and justice
The second annual Social Sciences Research Frontiers Day at UC Santa Cruz will take place Friday, October 24, 2014, from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. with a focus on data, the environment, and justice.
October 09, 2014
A decade later: How the organic foods movement has grown and evolved
Professor Julie Guthman's "Agrarian Dreams: The Paradox of Organic Farming in California," was hailed as the first social science study of organic foods in the United States. A new, second edition looks at the state of the organic food movement and some of the strange puzzles that afflict it.
October 08, 2014
Merrill alumna who challenged same-sex marriage ban to speak Monday, Oct. 13
Kris Perry, a Merrill College alumna who was a lead plaintiff in the California same-sex marriage case that went to the U.S. Supreme Court last year, is scheduled to speak at noon Monday, October 13, at Kresge Town Hall on the UC Santa Cruz campus.
October 08, 2014
Institute of Arts and Sciences offers LASER talk on Oct. 28
UC Santa Cruz’s Institute of the Arts and Sciences will present its first “LASER” talk of the academic year on October 28 at the Digital Arts Research Center.
October 06, 2014
UCSC Farm hosts Fall Harvest Festival Sunday, October 12
Bright orange pumpkins, roasted red peppers, and apples galore mark the changing seasons at the 20th annual Fall Harvest Festival, Sunday, October 12 at UC Santa Cruz’s 30-acre organic farm.
October 06, 2014
Thomas Pettigrew to deliver Jos Jaspars Memorial Lecture at Oxford
Thomas Pettigrew, UC Santa Cruz research professor of social psychology, has been invited to deliver the 2015 Jos Jaspar Memorial Lecture at Oxford University.
October 03, 2014
Class features diverse voices on Israeli-Palestinian conflict
"Perspectives on Israel/Palestine," beginning this month will feature a speakers series with diverse voices on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and is open to the public.
October 02, 2014
Study of mountain lion energetics shows the power of the pounce
High-tech collars enabled scientists to track mountain lions in the wild and determine how much energy the big cats use to hunt their prey.
September 26, 2014
"Seeding Innovation" event highlights green technology projects
Collaborations between UC Santa Cruz undergrads and community mentors are featured in October 3 event at marine sanctuary center.
September 25, 2014
Cover crop workshop set for Saturday, Oct. 4 at Alan Chadwick Garden
On Saturday, October 4 from 9:30 a.m, to 12:30 p.m., learn how to grow your own compost with soil-building cover crops at a lecture and demonstration workshop.
September 16, 2014
Native vegetation makes a comeback on Santa Cruz Island
Study led by UC Santa Cruz undergrads shows native shrubs reclaiming the island on their own after removal of introduced grazers.
September 11, 2014
Teaching computers the nuances of human conversation
Computer scientist Marilyn Walker wants to make spoken dialogue systems more responsive to the user.
September 05, 2014
Professor's book on Sudan legal system wins political science book award
Mark Massoud's "Law’s Fragile State: Colonial, Authoritarian, and Humanitarian Legacies in Sudan" wins honorable mention.
August 20, 2014
Undergraduates present work at Summer Research Symposium
Research presentations featured UCSC students in a range of disciplines and others who came to UCSC for summer projects.
July 29, 2014
Scholarship support available for UC Santa Cruz organic farming training program
Applications are now open for the 2015 Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture program, with a range of scholarship support available
July 25, 2014
2014-2015 Campus Food & Garden Guide now available
The Campus Food & Garden Guide offers resources and information on UCSC's sustainable food systems efforts, including the campus farm and college gardens, dining halls and coffeeshops,
July 22, 2014
Former farm apprentice wins national food sustainability leadership award
Karen Washington, a graduate of the 2008 Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture at the UC Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, is one of five winners of a James Beard Foundation Leadership Award.
July 11, 2014
Organic flower-growing, bouquet-making workshop set for Sat., July 19
An organic flower-growing, bouquet-making workshop is set for Saturday July 19 at the Alan Chadwick Garden on the UC Santa Cruz campus.
June 30, 2014
$4-million gift establishes endowment to support sustainable agriculture
A $4-million gift to the University of California, Santa Cruz will establish an endowment to support the Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture, the nation's first hands-on training program for beginning organic farmers at a public university.
June 25, 2014
UC Santa Cruz to offer sustainability minor beginning in fall
UC Santa Cruz will offer a minor in Sustainability studies beginning in the fall 2014 quarter with a strong engineering component that is aimed at giving students extensive hands-on experience that can lead to jobs in a "green economy."
June 10, 2014
Human rights activist named winner of Gabriel Zimmerman Scholarship
Abuoali "Arash" Mohajerinejad is the third winner of the Gabriel Zimmerman Memorial Scholarship given to a social sciences undergrad committed to a career in public service.
June 10, 2014
Eight faculty members honored with Excellence in Teaching awards
One of the highest honors a UC Santa Cruz faculty member can receive is an Excellence in Teaching Award given each spring by the Academic Senate's Committee on Teaching.
June 04, 2014
West's fascination with Tiananmen Square events not shared in China
China today is a society mesmerized by wealth, vastly different from 1989 when on June 3 authorities began the crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, says Ben Read, UCSC associate professor of politics.
May 28, 2014
Social Sciences division ranked 7th for faculty impact in news media
The Social Sciences Division at UC Santa Cruz ranks seventh in the nation in a study based on faculty citations in the news media compared with federal research funding.
May 23, 2014
UCSC Farm & Garden’s market cart produce stand opens June 3
The UCSC Farm & Garden’s market cart opens for the 2014 season on Tuesday, June 3.
May 22, 2014
CAFIN Spring Lecture: Finance at light speed, high-frequency trading
An expert on high-frequency stock market trading will deliver the Spring Lecture of the UC Santa Cruz Center for Analytical Finance (CAFIN) on Wednesday, May 28, from 3:30-5 p.m. in the Simularium, E2 Building on the UCSC campus.
May 22, 2014
Gun control, gun rights, and Second Amendment panel set for Wednesday
Gun advocates, gun opponents, and Constitutional experts will discuss gun control, gun rights, and Second Amendment issues Wednesday, May 28, at 7 p.m. at the Colleges Nine and Ten Multipurpose Room on the UCSC campus.
May 21, 2014
New book examines states' influence on national voter turnout
In her new book, Melanie Jean Springer, UC Santa Cruz assistant professor of politics, examines voter turnout in the United States, one of the lowest in any developed democracy, and reform efforts to improve it.
May 20, 2014
Flora Lu named provost of College Nine and College Ten
Flora Lu, associate professor of environmental studies, has been named provost for College Nine and College Ten beginning in the fall.
May 20, 2014
Focus on excellence: Student Achievement Week recognizes outstanding work
Student Achievement Week from June 2-6 honors high academic achievement and creativity. Highlights include a science and mathematics poster symposium and the 40th annual Print Sale.
May 14, 2014
Land and power: Study shows how women discover one leads to the other
UC Santa Cruz assistant professor of psychology Shelly Grabe finds that when women in developing countries own land, they gain power within their relationships and are less likely to experience violence.
May 14, 2014
11th Cesar Chavez Convocation features activist, educator Cesar Cruz
The 11th annual Cesar Chavez Convocation will feature Cesar A. Cruz, a writer, educator, and community organizer who will speak on the need for immigration reform.
May 12, 2014
Awards recognize top presentations at Graduate Research Symposium
Graduate students from all divisions shared their research at the 10th Annual Graduate Research Symposium.
May 09, 2014
UCSC Farm’s CSA program accepting members for 2014
The UCSC Farm’s Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program is open for business and accepting new and renewing members.
May 08, 2014
GPS collar documents puma's travels from mountains to Mountain View
Forty-six m (46m) is a young puma on the move. A GPS tracking collar that UC Santa Cruz scientists placed around his neck reveals his journey into suburban Silicon Valley.
May 07, 2014
Proportion of shade-grown coffee shrinks as overall cultivation grows
While the cultivation of coffee has increased globally, the proportion of shade-grown coffee has fallen by nearly 20 percent since 1996, according to a study published in the May 5th issue of the journal BioScience.
May 02, 2014
Anthropocene conference looks at living life on a damaged planet
Can humans and other species continue to inhabit the Earth together after all the havoc that has been wrought? And how will they do it? These questions are at the heart of an international conference next week at UC Santa Cruz.
May 02, 2014
Grad students in the spotlight at Graduate Research Symposium May 9
The 10th annual Graduate Research Symposium will take place on Friday, May 9, at McHenry Library.
April 24, 2014
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 2013.
April 23, 2014
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
April 22, 2014
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 Worlds with Extinct Organisms?”
April 22, 2014
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 a free seed exchange hosted by UCSC’s Demeter Seed Library.
April 15, 2014
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 p.m. at the UCSC Farm on the UC Santa Cruz campus.
March 31, 2014
$2-million gift supports natural history fieldwork at UC Santa Cruz
A $2-million gift from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation in honor of the late professor Kenneth Norris will help ensure that UC Santa Cruz continues as a leader in natural history and at the forefront of educating students to become environmental leaders.
March 31, 2014
Great classes, no quizzes: alumni go 'back to school' for Teach-Ins
Choose between forensic anthropology, evolution, and espionage at annual academic afternoon featuring Alison Galloway, Ed Green and Bruce Thompson.
March 26, 2014
Scholarship fund opened in memory of slain UCSC grad Elizabeth Butler
A scholarship fund has been opened in memory of Elizabeth Butler, the UC Santa Cruz Community Studies graduate who became a Santa Cruz police officer and was killed on duty a year ago.
March 26, 2014
UCSC students will code for Santa Cruz in April 5-6 'hackathon'
The first UC Santa Cruz "hackathon" will bring together student software developers, designers, and entrepreneurs.
March 25, 2014
Free, guided tours of UCSC Farm begin monthly starting Sunday, April 6
Free, guided tours of one of Santa Cruz’s most beautiful locations – the 30-acre organic farm at UC Santa Cruz – are offered from 2 to 3:30 pm on the first Sunday of the month beginning April 6.
March 21, 2014
Deconstruction begins of historic Cowell Ranch barn
Crews began dismantling the historic Cowell Ranch hay barn Tuesday (March 18), the first step in a multi-year process to rebuild it as a home for many of UCSC's leading environmental and sustainability programs.
March 17, 2014
UC Santa Cruz graduates lead major social science associations
UC Santa Cruz graduates Annette Lareau and Carroll Seron are leading two major social science associations.
March 11, 2014
CASFS apprenticeship alum wins land steward award from Georgia Organics
Celia Barss, a 2002 graduate of the Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food System’s apprenticeship program at UC Santa Cruz, won the 2014 Land Steward Award as Georgia’s organic agriculture community held its 17th annual organics conference.
March 11, 2014
Acclaimed lawyer for Holocaust survivors to speak at UCSC
UC Santa Cruz will present a lecture by UC Hastings College of the Law Professor Morris Ratner titled "A Monument Man in the Courtroom: Litigating the Holocaust," on Monday, April 7, at UCSC’s University Center.
March 10, 2014
Senate confirms UCSC alumnus Vince Chhabria as U.S. District judge
The U.S. Senate last week confirmed UC Santa Cruz alumnus Vince Chhabria ('91, Merrill, politics) as a U.S. district judge for the Northern District of California.
March 10, 2014
Diane Gifford-Gonzalez elected president of the Society for American Archaeology
Diane Gifford-Gonzalez, professor of anthropology at UC Santa Cruz, has been elected president of the Society for American Archaeology.
March 10, 2014
Eduardo Mosqueda wins early career scholar award
Eduardo Mosqueda, assistant professor of education at UC Santa Cruz, has won the 2014 Hispanic Research Issues Special Interest Group (SIG) Early Career Scholar Award.
March 07, 2014
Event Santa Cruz features talks by UCSC professors and alumni
Three UC Santa Cruz social science professors and three alumni who have started businesses in Santa Cruz are featured speakers at the next Event Santa Cruz set for 7-9 p.m., Wednesday, March 19, at the Nickelodeon Theatres.
March 06, 2014
Psychology's Haney discusses solitary confinement on NPR's 'Fresh Air'
An interview with UC Santa Cruz psychology professor Craig Haney is scheduled on the public radio program "Fresh Air" with Terry Gross.
March 05, 2014
Play with Barbie dolls affects career aspirations for girls
Girls who play with Barbie dolls tend to see fewer career options available to them compared with the options available to boys, according to a new study by researchers at Oregon State University and the UC, Santa Cruz.
March 04, 2014
Experts discuss science and policy at first UCSC Climate Science conference
More than a dozen nationally prominent climate scientists and policy makers gathered for the first Climate Science and Policy Conference at UCSC organized by the divisions of Social Sciences and Physical and Biological Sciences.
February 27, 2014
Gardening course focuses on optimizing under drought conditions
Drought conditions can be especially daunting for gardeners, but as gardening expert Orin Martin points out, “Although the drought is a challenge, it’s also an opportunity to give your garden the horticultural equivalent of a 50,000-mile tune up.”
February 25, 2014
Santa Cruz police officers Baker, Butler remembered a year after tragic deaths
The UC Santa Cruz community remembers Santa Cruz police officers Det. Elizabeth Butler, a UCSC alumna, and Sgt. Butch Baker who were killed in the line of duty a year ago.
February 25, 2014
UCSC, UC Hastings Law offer accelerated law degree program
A new joint program, the first of its kind in the University of California system, will enable UC Santa Cruz students to earn a bachelor's degree and law degree in six years instead of the usual seven.
February 14, 2014
Gabriela Arredondo named to historians lectureship program
Gabriela F. Arredondo, associate professor of Latin American and Latino studies at UC Santa Cruz, has been appointed to the Organization of American Historians (OAH) Distinguished Lectureship Program for the 2014-2017 term.
February 13, 2014
Haney testifies at Sacramento hearing on perils of solitary confinement
In testimony before a joint hearing on public safety, UC Santa Cruz professor Craig Haney described California's prison system as an outlier in the nation and world in the way it uses isolation of inmates.
February 07, 2014
UCSC climate conference draws distinguished scientists, policymakers
Distinguished climate scientists, policymakers, and commentators will participate in a major national conference on climate science and climate change at UC Santa Cruz on Friday, February 28 and Saturday, March 1, 2014.
February 04, 2014
Computer-human interaction expert Steve Whittaker wins lifetime achievement in research award
UC Santa Cruz psychology professor Steve Whittaker, a specialist in human and computer interaction, has won the 2014 Lifetime Achievement in Research Award given by the Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction.
February 04, 2014
UCSC ranked second for research influence in world university rankings
In an analysis of the world's top universities, UCSC ranked second in research influence.
January 29, 2014
UCSC appoints Scott Brandt as vice chancellor for research
As vice chancellor for research, Scott Brandt provides executive leadership and coordination for UCSC research administration and planning.
January 28, 2014
UCSC offers in-depth apple and pear tree growing workshop February 8-9
Friends of the UCSC Farm & Garden will present an an in-depth weekend workshop in February on selecting, growing and caring for apple and pear trees.
January 28, 2014
Finding peace in the 'world’s most displaced' country
The signing of a cease-fire in South Sudan last week is a positive step forward but bringing about lasting peace and alleviating poverty will involve substantial grassroots efforts, according to UC Santa Cruz professor Mark Fathi Massoud who has written widely about the world's youngest nation.
January 27, 2014
Tom Pettigrew wins American sociology's highest award for social psychology
Thomas F. Pettigrew, research professor of social psychology at UC Santa Cruz, will receive the Cooley-Mead Award for Lifetime Contributions to Sociological Social Psychology from the American Sociological Association in August. It is American sociology’s highest award for social psychology and will be presented at the association’s annual meeting in San Francisco.
January 14, 2014
Carl Walsh appointed scientific adviser to Norway's central bank
Carl Walsh, distinguished professor of economics at UC Santa Cruz, has been appointed as a scientific adviser to Norges Bank, the central bank of Norway, for three years through December 2016.
January 13, 2014
New campus office provides services to broaden societal impacts of research
The Broader Impacts Office will help researchers respond to new requirements from funding agencies.
January 10, 2014
Decline of large carnivores creates dire environmental ripple effect
UC Santa Cruz environmental researchers contributed to an analysis of 31 carnivore species that shows for the first time how habitat loss, persecution by humans, and loss of prey combine to create global hotspots of carnivore decline.
January 08, 2014
Crowd sourcing effort helps build Zimmerman Scholarship fund
A scholarship fund in Gabe Zimmerman's honor has grown to nearly $80,000 and is poised to grow further from an innovative crowd sourcing effort launched January 8, the third anniversary of the UCSC alumnus's death.
January 07, 2014
Volleyball player not afraid to dream
The sport and the camaraderie of teammates taught student Kaitlyne Fisher about believing in herself and coping with adversity.