Home / 2015

2015 University News

December 17, 2015
Spread of algal toxin through marine food web broke records in 2015
Researchers found record levels of the algal toxin domoic acid in samples from a wide range of marine organisms in 2015.
December 16, 2015
UCSC hires game designer Erin Swink as creative director of master's program
Independent game developer Erin Robinson Swink will be creative director of the master's program in games and playable media
December 15, 2015
Gamma rays from distant galaxy tell story of an escape
New observations from VERITAS and other telescopes advance our understanding of bright galaxies called "blazars"
December 14, 2015
Cultivating a garden — and food security — in Watsonville
College Nine and Ten Provost Flora Lu and her students are forging campus-community collaborations through a community garden at Calabasas Elementary School in Watsonville.
December 14, 2015
50 years of OPERS at UC Santa Cruz: pride, memories, and vintage snapshots
This fall, a group of long-time OPERS staff members shared recollections and vintage photos celebrating the office's history.
December 14, 2015
Sea lions exposed to algal toxin show impaired spatial memory
Brain damage caused by the neurotoxin domoic acid may affect sea lions' ability to survive in the wild.
December 14, 2015
Exoplanet atmospheres range from clear to cloudy in survey of 'hot Jupiters'
A survey of Jupiter-sized exoplanets reveals why some of these worlds appear to have less water than expected.
December 11, 2015
UC Santa Cruz faculty win Rydell Visual Arts Fellowships
Three faculty members from the UC Santa Cruz Arts Division have been awarded Rydell Visual Arts Fellowships for 2016-17
December 09, 2015
UC Research Catalyst Award supports conservation genomics project
$1.76 million grant will fund collaborative research among UCSC and four other UCs
December 08, 2015
The year in review at UC Santa Cruz
At UC Santa Cruz, 2015 was a year celebrating our 50th anniversary by advancing knowledge, challenging the status quo, and taking risks. And the campus capped it all off with a big top celebration.
December 08, 2015
Marine lab water projects lead to significant savings
The Long Marine Lab has recorded a significant drop in freshwater use since two projects were completed in August.
December 07, 2015
History professor wins multiple awards for groundbreaking book on slave trade
Associate professor of history Gregory O’Malley has been honored with four awards this year for his latest book, "Final Passages: The Intercolonial Slave Trade of British America, 1619-1807."
December 07, 2015
How alumni carry on Gabriel Zimmerman’s legacy of public service
Since 2011, the Gabriel Zimmerman Memorial Scholarship has raised more than $100,000 to help UC Santa Cruz students dedicated to careers in public service. Now a matching fund has launched to increase that figure.
December 07, 2015
First-in-family student pursues game design
A freshman at UC Santa Cruz, Briana Sidney is the first in her family to attend college, and she's on the road to becoming a game designer.
December 04, 2015
Film professor speaks at Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Hollywood
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented a lecture by UC Santa Cruz film and digital media professor Shelley Stamp on December 3, at the Linwood Dunn Theater...
December 02, 2015
Declaration of human rights added to discussions at UN Climate Change Conference
As world leaders gather this week in Paris for the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, a group of environmental and legal scholars including S. Ravi Rajan of UC Santa Cruz has drafted a resolution stating human rights must be more explicitly acknowledged during climate discussions.
December 02, 2015
UC Santa Cruz will host third annual hackathon January 29 to 31
Hack UCSC 2016 will draw coders, designers, and entrepreneurs for a coding marathon
December 01, 2015
Internships support new concentration in agroecology and sustainable food systems
Beginning this fall, environmental studies majors are able to add a concentration in agroecology and sustainable food systems to their undergraduate major. Internships integrate undergraduates into the seasonal work of the campus’s 33 acres of organic farmland and market gardens.
December 01, 2015
Campus creates 'smart' building, reducing carbon footprint
The Music Center has reduced its carbon footprint by 98 tons, an example of the commitment by staff members to work across divisions to improve campus sustainability and efficiency.
December 01, 2015
UC Santa Cruz hosts international summer program on exoplanetary atmospheres
The 2016 Kavli Summer Program in Astrophysics will focus on 'Exoplanetary Atmospheres.'
November 30, 2015
Art professor to screen film shortlisted for Oscar nomination
Last Day of Freedom, an award-winning animated short by UC Santa Cruz associate professor of art Dee Hibbert-Jones, will be screened on campus, December 3 at Kresge Town Hall.
November 24, 2015
Alumna's 'New York Times' article details womens' recruitment, escape from ISIS
UC Santa Cruz alumna Azadeh Moaveni (Oakes, politics, ’98) wrote the dramatic and detailed Sunday 'New York Times' article that describes how three young Syrian women become enlisted – two by arranged marriage – into ISIS and later escaped to Turkey.
November 24, 2015
In support of social justice, committee seeks nominations for Tony Hill award
The award will be presented at the 32nd annual Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation in February. Nominations will be accepted until January 22.
November 23, 2015
Earth scientist Paul Koch elected 2015 AAAS Fellow
Koch, dean of physical and biological sciences, was honored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
November 19, 2015
Campus fills eight UC Presidential chairs in support of research mission
The eight new chairs - in everything from screenwriting to open-source software - bring the campus total to 30.
November 18, 2015
Dancing biologist finds inspiration in both art and science
For Xochitl Clare it’s easy to see a link between a 4,000-pound pinniped and a boisterous form of Cuban dance — a very real relationship between art and science.
November 17, 2015
UC Santa Cruz launches conservation scholars program to increase diversity
A UC Santa Cruz program to nurture a diverse cadre of environmental conservation leaders will receive $2 million over four years from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, joining four other universities in the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program.
November 17, 2015
EPA recognizes dining’s waste reduction efforts
The campus achieved impressive source reduction of wasted food through a variety of approaches involving both staff and students.
November 13, 2015
Low-wage report presentation will include discussion on raising the minimum wage
The final report from a study of low-wage workers in Santa Cruz County, produced by the UC Santa Cruz Center for Labor Studies, is set for release at a community event Thursday, Nov. 19 in downtown Santa Cruz.
November 13, 2015
Alumni Profile / 1991: Melissa Nelson: Revitalizing native cultures
Melissa Nelson believes the best ways to teach Native American youth about their cultural past is through their hearts and minds, as well as their stomachs.
November 12, 2015
UCSC Arboretum appoints Martin Quigley as director of gardens and grounds
Quigley was previously a professor of botany and director of the Chester M. Alter Arboretum at the University of Denver.
November 10, 2015
Women's volleyball, soccer teams to compete in NCAA championship
The UC Santa Cruz women's volleyball and soccer teams are headed to the NCAA Division III championships.
November 10, 2015
CARE office provides confidential advocacy in cases of sexual violence
CARE is the advocacy office at UC Santa Cruz, providing support and resources for survivors of sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, and stalking.
November 10, 2015
Annual Gift and Wreath Sale at the Arboretum will be held Nov. 21 and 22
The UC Santa Cruz Arboretum's annual Gift and Wreath Sale will be held on Saturday and Sunday, November 21 and 22.
November 06, 2015
Research Frontiers Evening shows how 'innovation meets ambition'
For examples of interdisciplinary research, look no further than the Division of Social Sciences’ annual Research Frontiers event.
November 06, 2015
Theater Arts collaborates with Tandy Beal & Company for ‘Nutz Re-Mixed’
Over 30 dancers and world circus artists will perform acts of comedy and outrageous skill in "Nutz Re-Mixed," running Nov. 20 to Dec. 6 at the Mainstage Theater.
November 05, 2015
How rugby arrived—unexpectedly—at UC Santa Cruz
Begun in the late 1960s, rugby teams remain a force on campus, and committed alumni have launched a new tradition of an annual rugby reunion
November 05, 2015
Biologist Susan Strome receives Outstanding Faculty Award
The annual award is the highest honor for faculty achievement in the Division of Physical and Biological Sciences.
November 02, 2015
California’s poet laureate emeritus Al Young to read at annual Morton Marcus event
Award-winning American poet, novelist, and former UC Santa Cruz lecturer Al Young will be the featured guest at the sixth annual Morton Marcus Memorial Poetry Reading.
November 02, 2015
Bat disease fungus found to be widespread in northeast China
Discovery greatly expands the known distribution of the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome in bats.
November 02, 2015
Alumni Profile / 1984: Barbara Garcia: Health mission
When the opportunity came to help start Salud Para La Gente, a tiny health clinic for those same low-income residents in Watsonville, Barbara Garcia gave up her goal of being a teacher and jumped at the chance. Little did she know where that decision would lead.
October 27, 2015
Ruth Wilson Gilmore to speak at UC Santa Cruz on police and prisons
On Nov. 9, the UC Presidential Chair in Feminist Critical Race and Ethnic Studies will present a free public lecture, “Organized Abandonment & Organized Violence: Devolution & the Police.”
October 27, 2015
Conference to focus on utopian thinking in the face of environmental threats
Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of UC Santa Cruz, the conference on November 6 and 7 will offer a gamut of futurists sharing new visions and old, on the campus, California, and the world.
October 26, 2015
Federal grants to support student success, equity initiatives at UC Santa Cruz
Totaling $3.6 million, the awards are the result of a campuswide effort to look at how UC Santa Cruz can best serve Latino and other students who have a difficult time when they start college.
October 26, 2015
Physicist Sue Carter named Faculty Climate Action Champion for 2015-16
Carter plans to establish a campus sustainability lab to support student-led research and training.
October 26, 2015
Banana Slug Parade brings campus, community together
The “first-on-the-planet” procession was a whimsical and entertaining celebration of UC Santa Cruz’s five-decades-long residence in Santa Cruz.
October 22, 2015
Four UC Santa Cruz students receive Global Food Initiative fellowships
Four UC Santa Cruz students have received $4,000 UC Global Food Initiative fellowships for the 2015–2016 academic year.
October 22, 2015
2015-2016 Campus Food & Garden Guide now available in print and online
This year an online interactive companion to the printed guide is available and will go live Friday, Oct. 23 in anticipation of National Food Day, Saturday.
October 22, 2015
Astrophysicist Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz to participate in new research initiative
Fellows chosen for a "Time Domain Astrophysics" Scialog initiative include six with UC Santa Cruz connections.
October 21, 2015
How a black hole swallows a star: new observations confirm theory
New details about what happens when a black hole tears apart a star have been gathered by x-ray telescopes.
October 20, 2015
Carmel International Film Festival to screen film professor’s new documentary
“'Daisy and Max' is not the film I had planned to make,” says UC Santa Cruz assistant professor of film and digital media Jennifer Maytorena Taylor...
October 20, 2015
Mosquitofish populations with more females have greater ecological impact
Scientists investigating the ecological consequences of sexual dimorphism and sex ratio variation found dramatic effects
October 20, 2015
Formation of coastal sea ice in North Pacific drives ocean circulation and climate
New understanding of changes in North Pacific ocean circulation could lead to better global climate models.
October 19, 2015
Campus exceeds goal for water savings, seeks to do more
The campus and its efforts to save water were recognized by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.
October 19, 2015
Bridging science and tradition
A dedicated group of scientists has launched One People One Reef, a five-year conservation effort on Ulithi Atoll in Micronesia aimed at sustaining the ecological health of the islands—and the islanders
October 19, 2015
Big ideas
From saving falcons to peering into the universe, sequencing the human genome, and putting organic food on American tables, UC Santa Cruz has become known as the small university where big things happen.
October 16, 2015
Arts Division to present ‘The Business of Entertainment’ panel of industry leaders
Six executives in the entertainment business--including several UC Santa Cruz alums--will share their knowledge with students and the community in a special Nov. 6 panel discussion at the Music Center Recital Hall.
October 16, 2015
UC Santa Cruz a top university for social mobility
UC Santa Cruz is No. 8 nationwide and the second in the state, according to CollegeNET's Social Mobility Index.
October 16, 2015
Research Frontiers Evening features six talks on social science research
Six UC Santa Cruz professors will deliver lively “Ed Talks” describing how their research confronts and connects contemporary issues when the UCSC Social Sciences division holds its third annual Research Frontiers event.
October 15, 2015
More than economics: New book explores how equality helps economies grow
Communities that know together, grow together is the premise of UC Santa Cruz professor Chris Benner’s new book, 'Equity, Growth, and Community: What the Nation Can Learn From America’s Metro Areas.'
October 15, 2015
Rising to the challenge
Leaving behind an early life of poverty, student Layla Cervantes is defying the statistics and becoming 'a great scientist.'
October 15, 2015
Ecologist Kristy Kroeker wins prestigious Packard Fellowship
The Packard Fellowship supports Kroeker's research on environmental change in dynamic environments and complex ecosystems.
October 09, 2015
Center for Creative Ecologies at UC Santa Cruz to present talks on global climate justice
The new Center for Creative Ecologies at UC Santa Cruz offers a place to consider the intersection of visual culture, politics, and the environment...
October 07, 2015
A classroom without walls
Imagine studying California's richly diverse landscapes, from sea to Sierra, right in the thick of the actual habitat.
October 06, 2015
Fall 2015 Living Writers Series kicks off October 8
Each quarter, the Humanities Division’s Living Writers Series brings visiting authors and poets into UC Santa Cruz classes to give students an in-depth look into the world of the working writer.
October 06, 2015
UC launches Cool Campus Challenge in push toward carbon neutrality
The Cool Campus Challenge runs Oct. 6 through Dec. 10 and is open to all students, staff and faculty of the University of California.
October 05, 2015
New on-chip optical sensing technique used to detect multiple flu strains
Researchers developed a new way to do diagnostic assays for multiple strains of flu virus on a small, dedicated chip.
October 05, 2015
Campus wins best practice award for drought planning and water savings
UC Santa Cruz won a best practice award for drought planning and water conservation efforts at the 2015 California Higher Education Sustainability Conference hosted by San Francisco State University.
October 05, 2015
Study reveals key structure in telomerase enzyme, a target for cancer drugs
UC Santa Cruz researchers have determined the structure an enzyme active in most cancers.
October 05, 2015
Life, realized
Alumni authors give voice to transformative experiences at UC Santa Cruz that changed their lives and shaped their careers.
October 01, 2015
Bugs in an urban jungle: What green spaces mean for ecology and community
Since 2013, UC Santa Cruz environmental studies professor Stacy Philpott has studied insect biodiversity in urban gardens to better understand the ecological role these green spaces provide.
October 01, 2015
Internationally acclaimed artist to lead evening of stargazing at UC Santa Cruz
Acclaimed artist Russell Crotty and the grad student-led Astronomy Club will present an evening of stargazing on the hillside above UC Santa Cruz’s Great Meadow on October 14.
October 01, 2015
Physicist Sue Carter elected fellow of American Physical Society
Election as an APS Fellow recognizes Carter for her outstanding contributions to physics.
September 30, 2015
'U.S. News' visits UC Santa Cruz on a 'College Road Trip' in 'Best Colleges 2016'
UC Santa Cruz is featured in the “College Road Trip” section of U.S. News World Report’s “Best Colleges 2016” guidebook, which hits newsstands this week.
September 30, 2015
Grants fund efforts by UC Santa Cruz scientists to fight deadly bat disease
Scientists will conduct field trials this winter of two strategies for protecting bats from white-nose syndrome.
September 30, 2015
Picture this: An app for blind photographers
Grad student Dustin Adams, who works in UC Santa Cruz's Interactive Systems for Individuals with Special Needs lab, designed a tool to recognize and describe photos.
September 29, 2015
Privacy in the age of big data to be focus of symposium
For the inaugural event, DataLex will feature data scientists, policymakers, legal scholars, and privacy advocates to collectively consider important issues.
September 29, 2015
StoryCruz: Bittersweet moment
In our new audio stories project, Charles and Adrienne Coleman of Greenville, S.C., share their bittersweet feelings about dropping their son, Vernon, off for his freshman year at UC Santa Cruz.
September 29, 2015
Gift funds new Presidential Chair for the UC Santa Cruz Natural Reserves
Endowment established by Helen and Will Webster Foundation broadens opportunities to use natural reserves as living labs and outdoor classrooms.
September 28, 2015
Founders Celebration Fiat Fifty: Spectacular night highlights proud past, bold future
The crowning event of UC Santa Cruz's 50th anniversary celebration set the tone for the campus's future while remaining true to its creativity and iconoclastic spirit.
September 28, 2015
Reuniting and remembering
Pioneer student reunion brings together UC Santa Cruz's original students for laughs, insights, and memories of the unique and intense educational experience of the campus's first years
September 25, 2015
Chip-based technology enables reliable direct detection of Ebola virus
Researchers at UC Santa Cruz have developed chip-based technology to detect Ebola and other viral pathogens.
September 24, 2015
New UC Presidential Chair to strengthen screenwriting program at UC Santa Cruz
UC Santa Cruz has received a gift from arts alumnus Ken Corday, plus funds from the UC Regents, to establish a new Kenneth R. Corday Family Presidential Chair in Writing for Television & Film.
September 24, 2015
51st entering class distinguished by academic achievement, diversity
UC Santa Cruz welcomes approximately 3,600 freshmen, 1,150 transfer students, and 550 graduate students.
September 24, 2015
New senate faculty members build campus strengths
From environmental sociology to game design, UC Santa Cruz professors are studying problems aimed at improving the world in which we live.
September 23, 2015
Wednesday Night Cinema Society kicks off new film series curated by grad students
The UC Santa Cruz weekly film series, Wednesday Night Cinema Society, is back this year, with films specially curated by grad students.
September 22, 2015
Research Review Day on October 14 highlights advances at the Baskin School of Engineering
Data science for social good, technology management, and nanopores are featured topics at annual Research Review Day.
September 21, 2015
UC Santa Cruz Arboretum holds Fall Plant Sale on Saturday, October 10
Annual sale features beautiful, drought-tolerant plants from around the world.
September 21, 2015
No reason to retire
In their 70s and 80s, many pioneer faculty are still working on campus—for the chance to open students’ eyes, for the excitement of discovery, and for the love of teaching.
September 18, 2015
Local group funds cancer research at UC Santa Cruz
Four UCSC cancer researchers have received grants from the Santa Cruz Cancer Benefit Group.
September 17, 2015
Alumna Gillian Welch receives Lifetime Achievement Award in Songwriting
UC Santa Cruz alumna Gillian Welch took home a Lifetime Achievement Award in Songwriting at the 2015 Americana Music Awards Sept. 16.
September 16, 2015
Paying it forward: annual Farm to Fork event honors past and future farmers
The Farm to Fork dinner series has supported more than 150 apprentices through scholarships and subsidized meal plans.
September 15, 2015
UC Santa Cruz receives higher education diversity award
Many campus constituents provided information about amazing programs and projects that advance diversity and inclusion for faculty, staff, and students and to prospective students in K-12.
September 15, 2015
Oakes College founding provost to speak on his journey
J. Herman Blake will deliver a talk, “My Unique Journey: Learning Never Ends,” at 11 a.m. Sept. 26 outside the McHenry Library as part of Founders Celebration weekend.
September 15, 2015
UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute partners with Microsoft to accelerate biomedical research
The Microsoft partnership provides the Genomics Institute with access to new compute, data storage, and analysis capabilities.
September 14, 2015
Biologist Susan Strome to give annual Faculty Research Lecture
Professor Strome will deliver the 50th annual UCSC Faculty Research Lecture on Friday, September 25.
September 11, 2015
UCSC Farm hosts Fall Harvest Festival Sunday, Sept 27
Celebrate fall’s arrival with pumpkins, music, great food, a fall plant sale, farm tours, and much more at the UCSC Farm & Garden’s Fall Harvest Festival, coming up on Sunday, September 27, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at UC Santa Cruz’s 30-acre organic farm.
September 10, 2015
In soil we trust: How military veterans learn to become organic farmers at UC Santa Cruz
Agriculture is an appealing career option for many soldiers transitioning to civilian life, say veterans enrolled in the Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture at UC Santa Cruz.
September 10, 2015
Iron Will
As a veteran marathoner and Iron Man competitor, Mary Zavanelli is used to competition. Now she's facing down her most formidable opponent of all: an ALS diagnosis.
September 10, 2015
Study finds different ways for a black hole to swallow a star
When a star passes too close to a dormant supermassive black hole, it gets torn apart by tidal forces.
September 09, 2015
Pumas, raccoons and snakes, oh my
UC Santa Cruz students can walk out of a classroom and, in a few minutes, be in the same territory with nearly 50 species of mammals, legions of birds, and scores of salamanders, newts and snakes.
September 09, 2015
Pie potluck, barn dance mark Cowell Ranch Hay Barn dedication Saturday, Sept. 12
A pie potluck and barn dance will be featured at the dedication of the newly rebuilt Cowell Ranch Hay Barn that will soon become a multi-use teaching, office and event space, and headquarters for the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems at UC Santa Cruz.
September 09, 2015
Pister Award winner rises from poverty, works to save lives
Khanh Nguyen is heading to UC Santa Cruz to study biochemistry. He hopes to become a doctor for the World Health Organization.
September 09, 2015
Long-running UC Santa Cruz program supports diversity in biomedical sciences
Renewal of NIH grant provides $4 million for program supporting underrepresented minority students in biomedical fields.
September 08, 2015
Gift to UC Santa Cruz funds new presidential chair for physics of information
Endowed chair established by Federico Faggin, a physicist who developed the first commercial microprocessor.
September 08, 2015
Astronomy alumni join Chancellor Blumenthal in panel discussion Sept. 26
Three distinguished alumni and a current grad student join Chancellor Blumenthal to discuss astronomy, space, and discovery
September 08, 2015
Many organizations to participate in History Fair on October 24
The Friends of the Cowell Lime Works Historic District is presenting a local history fair, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of Henry Cowell's purchase of the land that would become UC Santa Cruz. The event will take place on Saturday, October 24, on the UCSC campus.
September 07, 2015
Molting elephant seals add mercury to coastal seawater
UC Santa Cruz researchers traced elevated mercury levels in coastal seawater to hair shed by elephant seals.
September 04, 2015
Tearing down the walls
Pioneering UC Santa Cruz professors and staff challenged convention and traditional academics. In the process, they helped reform American higher education.
September 04, 2015
Tearing down the walls
Pioneering UC Santa Cruz professors and staff challenged convention and traditional academics. In the process, they helped reform American higher education.
September 03, 2015
UC Santa Cruz Arboretum marks 50th Anniversary with Sept. 20 Jubilee
The Arboretum will celebrate its first 50 years and raise funds for the future at the 50th Anniversary Jubilee.
September 01, 2015
Dogs, cats, and big-wave surfers: Healthy heart lessons from animals and athletes
Heart rates of big-wave surfers are among the surprises from 30 years of studying exercise physiology in people and wild animals.
August 31, 2015
Dickens Project receives NEH grant for public outreach to schoolteachers
The Dickens Project at UC Santa Cruz has received a $119,417 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities for a four-week NEH Summer Seminar that will be held on campus in 2016.
August 28, 2015
Ask them anything: gaming researchers host Reddit AMA
Gaming researchers host a Reddit AMA on making games more findable and expressive using computer science.
August 26, 2015
New managing director brings business and scientific expertise to the Genomics Institute
Ravi Jain will oversee the institute's strategic planning, business development, and operations, among other responsibilities.
August 24, 2015
Astronomer Claire Max appointed director of UC Observatories
UC President Janet Napolitano has appointed UC Santa Cruz astronomer Claire Max as director of UC Observatories.
August 21, 2015
Farm to label: How alumnus helped bring organic labeling policy to the nation
Mark Lipson, now a research associate at Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, was instrumental in standardizing organic farming in the U.S. Now back at UCSC, he continues the mission of institutionalizing public policy support for organic farming.
August 20, 2015
UC Santa Cruz launches new legacy course on the Holocaust with Coursera
UC Santa Cruz has launched a new version of its free online course, "The Holocaust: The Destruction of European Jewry," through the Coursera platform.
August 20, 2015
Seagate gift supports UC Santa Cruz research on genomic data storage
Donation includes 2.5 petabytes of storage for studying large-scale data storage challenges in genomics and other areas
August 20, 2015
'New Parent' chat will use social media to connect with new Slug families
Parents of incoming Banana Slugs will soon have a chance to ask candid questions and concerns with a group of campus experts without ever having to leave their homes, jump in their cars, or even turn off their home computers.
August 19, 2015
Dickson Emeriti Professorship awarded to chemist Phil Crews
The Edward A. Dickson Emeriti Professorships recognize research, teaching, and public service by emeriti professors.
August 18, 2015
Cowell College dedicates new Coeleen Kiebert Sculpture Patio
The courtyard outside the Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery at Cowell College was packed Friday evening with friends and admirers of distinguished artist, teacher and UC Santa Cruz alumna Coeleen Kiebert...
August 17, 2015
Undergrads exhibit summer research projects at annual symposium
More than 80 undergraduate students presented their summer research projects at the 2015 Summer Research Symposium.
August 13, 2015
Alumnus Cary Fukunaga and film undergrad win Princess Grace Awards
Emmy Award-winning UC Santa Cruz alumnus Cary Fukunaga and current Film and Digital Media undergraduate student Jeny Amaya have been honored with 2015 Princess Grace Awards.
August 13, 2015
Fifth annual Farm to Fork Benefit Dinner opens new Cowell Ranch Hay Barn
The fifth annual Farm to Fork Benefit Dinner at the UC Santa Cruz Farm will be held at the newly renovated Cowell Ranch Hay Barn Saturday, September 12.
August 13, 2015
UC Santa Cruz psychology Ph.D. graduate wins Fulbright fellowship for research in Israel
A recent UC Santa Cruz psychology Ph.D. graduate has won a Fulbright postdoctoral award to support 20 months of research at an Israeli university where he will look at how different groups justify violence on moral terms.
August 13, 2015
Astronomers use new instrument to discover young Jupiter-like planet
Five UC Santa Cruz astronomers were involved in the first planet discovery by the Gemini Planet Imager.
August 12, 2015
Male elephant seals use 'voice recognition' to identify rivals, study finds
Researchers from UC Santa Cruz have been studying the behavior of northern elephant seals at Año Nuevo State Reserve since the late 1960s.
August 10, 2015
Pressing forward
Rowland and Patricia Rebele, Santa Cruz-area philanthropists and former newspaper publishers, have come forward with a $500,000 gift to help endow Cowell Press.
August 07, 2015
'Doing something significant with my life'
Molecular, cell and developmental biology student Hector Navarro, who came from humble beginnings, now works in a genetics lab on campus with the goal of becoming a cancer researcher.
August 05, 2015
Slow Food Nation: Conversation with Alice Waters
Pioneering restaurateur Alice Waters discusses everything from affordable high-quality food to the essential role of young people in America's "Delicious Revolution"
August 05, 2015
'Science Notes 2015' now available online
The annual magazine published by the UC Santa Cruz Science Communication Program offers feature stories and multimedia packages.
August 04, 2015
Engineering opportunity
Tackling problems with sheer ingenuity, creativity, and teamwork is part of the fun at the weeklong Girls In Engineering program at UC Santa Cruz.
August 03, 2015
California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine funds UC Santa Cruz pediatric cancer project
The state initiative is providing $1.2 million for the Genomics Institute's California Kids Cancer Comparison project.
August 03, 2015
New method reveals hidden population of regulatory molecules in cells
UC Santa Cruz researchers have revealed a previously undetected population of small RNA molecules involved in cell regulation
July 31, 2015
UC Santa Cruz alumnus Brannon Braga wins Peabody award for ‘Cosmos’
UC Santa Cruz alumnus Brannon Braga (Film & Digital Media, 1990) has received a Peabody Award for the science documentary television series, "Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey."
July 30, 2015
New Presidential Chair to support Dickens Project and Literature Studies at UC Santa Cruz
UC Santa Cruz has received a $500,000 gift, plus matching funds from the UC Regents, to establish a $1 million Jordan-Stern Presidential Chair for Dickens and Nineteenth-Century Studies.
July 30, 2015
Summertime, and the research is happening
Transfer student Guinevere Ashley, who is working this summer in a campus lab, has found meaning and purpose in biomedical sciences research.
July 28, 2015
Year-long UC Santa Cruz seminar to examine global migration and non-citizenship
The phenomena of global migration, disenfranchisement, and hardships of living in territories while not holding traditional citizenship will be examined in a year-long seminar conceived by five UC Santa Cruz professors and funded with a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
July 27, 2015
Surfing the web of life
UC Santa Cruz faculty members who ride the waves say the sport is beautiful and spiritual—and allows their minds the space to wander.
July 23, 2015
Warhol Foundation grant goes to Institute of the Arts and Sciences project
The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts has awarded a $30,000 grant to support an innovative artist residency and exhibition developed by the Institute of the Arts and Sciences (IAS) at UC Santa Cruz and the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in San Jose--in collaboration with the UC Lick Observatory.
July 23, 2015
Humanities Dean Tyler Stovall named president-elect of American Historical Association
Humanities Dean Tyler Stovall has been chosen as president-elect of the American Historical Association, the largest professional organization in the U.S. devoted to the study and promotion of history.
July 23, 2015
Study identifies ways to reduce flood risk while protecting natural habitat
Scientists from UC Santa Cruz and The Nature Conservancy release a timely report as forecasts indicate El Niño could bring dangerous flooding to California.
July 22, 2015
Alumna Priya Ganguli wins GSA Outstanding Woman in Science Award
The Geological Society of America will award the 2015 Doris M. Curtis Outstanding Woman in Science Award to Ganguli, who earned M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Earth sciences at UC Santa Cruz.
July 20, 2015
Gift to UC Santa Cruz funds new chair in water resources and food sustainability
UC Santa Cruz has received $500,000 from the Helen and Will Webster Foundation that with matching funds from UC Regents has established the Stephen R. Gliessman Presidential Chair in Water Resources and Food System Sustainability.
July 13, 2015
Chancellor names professors Haney and Strome as UC Presidential Chairs
UC Santa Cruz Chancellor George Blumenthal has named professors Craig Haney and Susan Strome to three-year terms as UC Santa Cruz Presidential Chairs.
July 10, 2015
Study finds surprisingly high geothermal heating beneath West Antarctic Ice Sheet
UC Santa Cruz team reports first direct measurement of heat flow to the bottom of the West Antarctic ice sheet
July 09, 2015
Astronomer Douglas N.C. Lin receives prestigious Bruce Gold Medal
Lin will receive the 2015 Catherine Wolfe Bruce Gold Medal from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.
July 08, 2015
UC Santa Cruz pediatric cancer project receives $250,000 to fight high-risk neuroblastoma
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation has awarded the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute a $250,000 grant for pediatric cancer research.
July 06, 2015
UC Santa Cruz grad River Charles earns Sutter scholarship for medical school
River Charles will receive the Primary Care Physician Award from Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center and the Central California Alliance for Health.
July 06, 2015
Ion channel mechanics yield insights into optogenetics experiments
UCSC researchers have determined the molecular mechanism of proteins that make nerve cells respond to light.
July 02, 2015
In 50th year, campus will enroll class with exceptional academic credentials
With the largest applicant pool in the history of the campus, and a smaller freshman class than the previous year, UC Santa Cruz increased its admission selectivity.
July 02, 2015
Record-setting toxic algae bloom persists along U.S. West Coast
An extensive bloom of toxic algae along the West Coast has waxed and waned since it first appeared in early May, but it hasn't gone away.
July 01, 2015
Scholarships available for UC Santa Cruz organic farming apprenticeships
Aspiring organic farmers and gardeners are invited to apply for the 2016 Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture at UC Santa Cruz. Now in its 48th year, the Apprenticeship is the longest running university-based organic farming training program in the U.S.
July 01, 2015
UC Santa Cruz develops innovative online courses available to all UC students
UC Santa Cruz faculty are venturing into the brave new world of online education.
June 29, 2015
UC Santa Cruz archivist contributes essay to Grateful Dead’s 50th anniversary box set
On July 3-5, more than 200,000 people attending the final “Fare Thee Well” shows of the Grateful Dead will be able to walk across the street from Soldier Field in Chicago to see an exhibition featuring nearly 100 items from the Grateful Dead Archive at UC Santa Cruz.
June 26, 2015
A 'hydrothermal siphon' drives water circulation through the seafloor
A new study explains previous observations of ocean water flowing through the seafloor from one seamount to another.
June 26, 2015
Alumni Profile / Kris Perry: Standing for equality
Kris Perry (Merrill '86) doesn’t think about the way historians will tell her story. Instead, she thinks how life will be different for children nationwide because of her fight for marriage equality.
June 25, 2015
Caffeine culture: Anthropology student traces coffee’s route from farm to cup
When Katie Slocum, an anthropology major at UC Santa Cruz, got her first espresso fix at Verve, the specialty Santa Cruz coffee bar, she had no idea that a year later she would be following the company to a Honduran mountaintop on a journey through the coffee supply chain.
June 25, 2015
Film grad lands fellowship at Democracy Now!
Next week, 2015 graduate Juan Dávila Santiago will embark on a new chapter in his life--he’s off to New York where he landed a one-year News Production Fellowship to work at Democracy Now!.
June 23, 2015
Original thinkers shifted paradigms, changed the world
From discovering a cell’s molecular motor to showing women’s role in evolution, UC Santa Cruz professors have made world-changing contributions through their research and scholarship.
June 23, 2015
UCSC and SRI release new game for DARPA crowd-sourced software verification program
Sophisticated gamers can help improve security of the country's critical software by playing a new game created by UC Santa Cruz researchers.
June 22, 2015
UC Santa Cruz team introduces new web-based tools for finding videogames
The proliferation of videogames has created a "discoverability" problem for game enthusiasts and others, but help is now just a click away.
June 22, 2015
A visionary, a genius, and the human genome
In 2000, two dogged researchers at UC Santa Cruz defied the odds to become the first in the world to assemble the DNA sequence of the human genome.
June 19, 2015
Original vision
Reflections on the tumultuous '60s, the heady days of UC Santa Cruz's beginnings, and the ways the campus has stayed true to its mission through the decades
June 18, 2015
Selection process begins for new restaurant operator at Quarry Plaza
Healthy fare, with soups, salads, sandwiches, and espresso – especially espresso and coffee drinks – are the preferred options from a survey of customers last year for a new restaurant in the Graduate Student Commons building at Quarry Plaza.
June 18, 2015
Social Sciences division launches first annual summer reading list
What happens when you ask UC Santa Cruz faculty, staff, alumni, and students from the Division of Social Sciences - and even the Chancellor - for book recommendations related to themes of social justice, citizenship, ethics, and social responsibility?
June 15, 2015
Freshly minted grads revel at commencement
Bubbles floated in the air and fresh-flower leis ruffled in the breeze as scholars and their supporters gathered over the weekend for a very special edition of UC Santa Cruz commencement.
June 15, 2015
Steck Award honoree delves into the trauma of civil war
The response has been overwhelmingly positive for Dominic Romano's project, which examines physical and historical trauma.
June 15, 2015
Graduate to help urban teens find path to college
Brittany Alba is poised to help many other Californians follow her path to higher education by serving a two-year fellowship that will have her advising San Jose high school students.
June 11, 2015
Eight faculty members honored with Excellence in Teaching awards
The Excellence in Teaching Awards given each year by the UC Santa Cruz Academic Senate Committee on Teaching are among the highest honors faculty members can receive. This year's awards honor eight instructors who have demonstrated exemplary and inspiring teaching.
June 11, 2015
Police ambassador program helps students with career plans
Graduating students Wesley Huynh and Jessica Bauman found that the UC Santa Cruz Police Ambassador Program helped prepare them for careers in law enforcement and accounting.
June 10, 2015
History professor Kate Jones receives Dizikes Award for teaching in Humanities
History professor Kate Jones was presented with the John Dizikes Teaching Award in Humanities at the Humanities Division’s 2015 Spring Awards celebration.
June 09, 2015
Chancellor's Achievement Awards for Diversity honor commitment
Two campus programs, staff, faculty, and a student are winners of 2015 Chancellor’s Achievement Awards for Diversity for 2105 for their efforts to promote diversity and inclusion at UC Santa Cruz.
June 08, 2015
Fish declines linked to effects of excess nutrients on coastal estuaries
Offshore fisheries that depend on the health of fish nurseries in coastal estuaries are adversely affected by excess nutrients in runoff from land
June 03, 2015
9th annual screening of Soc Doc graduate films at Del Mar Theater
UC Santa Cruz presents the ninth annual exhibition of thesis films from the Film and Digital Media Department’s masters program in Social Documentation on June 10, at the Del Mar Theater in Santa Cruz.
June 03, 2015
Student entrepreneurs pitch business ideas at annual Silicon Valley event
The Center for Entrepreneurship held its third annual Business Design Showcase on Saturday, May 30, at the UCSC Silicon Valley Center.
June 02, 2015
Large bloom of toxic algae under way in Monterey Bay and beyond
Researchers have detected large blooms of toxin-producing algae in Monterey Bay, raising concerns about potential effects on marine mammals and seabirds.
June 02, 2015
Scientists discover a protein that silences the biological clock
A protein associated with cancer cells is a powerful suppressor of the clock that drives the daily rhythms of cells throughout the body.
June 02, 2015
Sleuthing a killer shrub
Students like Jennifer Thompson—who researched why Scotch Broom is toxic to Douglas fir—take advantage of a unique opportunity at UC Santa Cruz: the ability to do research as an undergraduate.
June 01, 2015
In memoriam: Laura Garciacano Sobrino, alumna became the 'Mariachi Queen'
Laura Garciacano Sobrino (Porter, ’81, individual music major), who became one of the best-known female mariachi musicians in the United States and Mexico, died May 21 in Whittier, Ca., at age 60.
June 01, 2015
Campus deploying cellular water meters to aid in conservation
The project is another example of the campus commitment to sustainability and to saving water in the midst of a historic drought.
June 01, 2015
Undergrads experience the rewards of research
Students such as Sanjin Mehic showcase one of UC Santa Cruz's most valuable opportunities—the chance to do original research as an undergraduate.
May 29, 2015
UC Santa Cruz receives gift to establish University Librarian Presidential Chair
UC Santa Cruz has received a $500,000 gift from The Helen and Will Webster Foundation, plus matching funds from the UC Regents, to establish a $1 million Richard L. Press University Librarian Presidential Chair.
May 29, 2015
Julie Guthman wins excellence award for research in food justice issues
Julie Guthman, UC Santa Cruz professor of social sciences, whose research looks at agricultural systems, food justice issues, and environmental health, has been selected to receive the 2015 Excellence in Research Award from the Agriculture, Food and Human Values Society.
May 28, 2015
Robert P. Kraft, eminent astronomer and former director of UC Observatories, dies at age 87
Kraft was a widely recognized researcher and a gifted administrator who helped guide astronomy into the modern era.
May 27, 2015
Accounting's Bob Shepherd wins state CPA society outstanding educator award
Robert Shepherd, former director of the economics accounting track at UC Santa Cruz, has been named winner of the 2015 Outstanding Educator Award by the California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA).
May 21, 2015
Dance professor fights cultural amnesia with ‘Splinters in Our Ankles'
'Splinters in Our Ankles' is UC Santa Cruz theater arts professor Gerald Casel’s choreographic response to what he calls "the collective cultural amnesia" about the Philippine national dance.
May 21, 2015
UC Santa Cruz plans Center of Excellence in Data Science Research
The Data, Discovery, and Decisions (D3) center aims to foster collaboration between industry and academia.
May 19, 2015
A sense of community: Wendy Baxter recognized with Outstanding Staff Award
Outstanding Staff Award honoree Wendy Baxter’s colleagues and students praise her unique ability to create a feeling of home and acceptance for undergraduates and work collaboratively.
May 18, 2015
Center for Emerging Worlds hosts screenings of films on global Islam
The UC Santa Cruz Center for Emerging Worlds presents two nights of film and video on the theme of global Islam, Friday and Saturday, May 29, 30 at the Film and Digital Media Department on the UC Santa Cruz campus.
May 18, 2015
Community effort provides new 'gold standard' for genomic data analysis
UC Santa Cruz researchers contributed to a comprehensive assessment of methods for identifying mutations in cancer genomes.
May 18, 2015
Gifts from alum Sage Weil provide $3 million for open source research at UC Santa Cruz
Alumnus Sage Weil has established an endowed chair and provided an additional $2 million for research in open source software.
May 15, 2015
UC Santa Cruz politics professor Mark Massoud wins Guggenheim Fellowship
Mark Fathi Massoud, assistant professor of politics and legal studies at UC Santa Cruz, has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship to further his research on law in war-affected regions.
May 15, 2015
LASER talk to explore research in environmental art, recycling, ocean medicines, and film
UC Santa Cruz’s Institute of the Arts and Sciences will present its final LASER talk of the academic year on campus this spring on Tuesday, May 19, at 7 p.m. in the Digital Arts Research Center.
May 15, 2015
Emeritus psychology professor Pavel Machotka wins systemwide emeriti award
Pavel Machotka, professor emeritus of psychology at UC Santa Cruz, has won a 2015 Constantine Panunzio Distinguished Emeriti Award that honors UC emeriti professors in the humanities and social sciences.
May 14, 2015
Against all odds: Astronomers baffled by discovery of rare quasar quartet
Astronomers discovered four quasars, each one a rare object in its own right, in close physical proximity to each other.
May 13, 2015
Persistence yields progress in AIDS vaccine research at UC Santa Cruz
Veteran vaccine researcher Phil Berman has developed a new approach based on an old vaccine and recent advances in HIV immunology
May 12, 2015
Students to document, share trip to World Economic Forum on Africa
"Focus on Africa," taught by documentary filmmaker Melvin Cox (Merrill, '73), has been offered through Merrill College. Cox is discussing Africa's current affairs with students and teaching them about methods to document the World Economic Forum on Africa.
May 11, 2015
First annual Arts Division emeriti awards honor Chip Lord and Lewis Watts
Photographer Lewis Watts (Art Department) and media artist Chip Lord (Film and Digital Media) were honored at an inaugural luncheon to recognize the contributions of emeriti faculty in building the programs, reputation, and physical structures of the Arts Division.
May 11, 2015
UC Santa Cruz Arboretum inspires young author's nature guide
Nature walk and book signing on May 17 celebrates the publication of 'The Budding Naturalist's Guide to the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum' by 15-year-old Kelly McCandless
May 07, 2015
CASFS updates instructor's manual for teaching small farm direct marketing
The new edition of "Teaching Direct Marketing and Small Farm Viability: Resources for Instructors," 2nd Edition, draws on nearly 50 years of experience teaching beginning organic farmers and gardeners at the UC Santa Cruz Farm & Garden Apprenticeship.
May 07, 2015
Setting up for success
The men's volleyball coach has taken the emphasis off wins and losses, encouraging players to build character by "scoring points" in the classroom, applying for jobs, and volunteering.
May 06, 2015
'CAVE Lab' offers immersive virtual reality tools for research and teaching
A new multi-disciplinary facility featuring interactive 3-D visualization technology is available to researchers across campus.
May 06, 2015
Spreading science education, one telescope at a time
UC Santa Cruz grad student Tuguldur Sukhbold is using grant money to bring telescopes to schools in Mongolia so that science-starved kids might be exposed to the wonders of the universe.
May 05, 2015
Astronomers set a new distance record for galaxies
Astronomers have pushed back the cosmic frontier of galaxy exploration to a time when the universe was only 5 percent of its present age.
May 01, 2015
Bettina Aptheker featured in NBC’s 'Rebels & Revolutions' documentary
An interview with UC Santa Cruz professor Bettina Aptheker will be featured in Rebels & Revolutions, the second installment of NBC Bay Area’s year-long documentary series Bay Area Revelations, premiering May 9.
May 01, 2015
Student study tells the stories of low-wage workers in Santa Cruz County
A year-long study by UC Santa Cruz students that finds low-wage workers in Santa Cruz County earn about $10 an hour compared with the county median of $17.81 will be released at 'Working for Dignity,' a public event 7-9 p.m. Thursday, May 7 at the Museum of Art and History in Santa Cruz.
April 30, 2015
UC Santa Cruz ranks 2nd in the U.S., 8th overall among universities under 50
UC Santa Cruz ranks 2nd in the U.S. and 8th overall among the top universities in the world under 50 years old, according to an annual analysis by "Times Higher Education."
April 30, 2015
UC Santa Cruz ranks 2nd in the U.S., 8th overall among universities under 50
UC Santa Cruz ranks 2nd in the U.S. and 8th overall among the top universities in the world under 50 years old, according to an annual analysis by "Times Higher Education."
April 30, 2015
UC Santa Cruz biomedical research facility wins $2 million NIH grant
Grant funds new instrument used to explore the structures and functions of complex molecules involved in human health and disease.
April 29, 2015
UC Santa Cruz history professor elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
UC Santa Cruz history professor Gail Hershatter has joined Nobel Prize-winning chemist Brian Kobilka, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, singer-songwriter Judy Collins, novelist Tom Wolfe, and UC President Janet A. Napolitano as a newly elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
April 29, 2015
Cosmologist Robert Kirshner explores accelerating universe in public talk on May 13
Kirshner's talk, "The Accelerating Universe: Einstein's Blunder Undone," is free and open to the public.
April 28, 2015
Scientists find evidence for groundwater in Antarctica's Dry Valleys
A salty aquifer beneath Antarctica's Dry Valleys may support previously unknown microbial ecosystems.
April 27, 2015
An Alumni Weekend to remember
A record-breaking crowd of 2,500 revelers, more than half of them alumni, took part in UC Santa Cruz's Alumni Weekend this year—a special edition of the event that was bigger and more elaborate than ever before in honor of the campus's 50th anniversary.
April 27, 2015
Earth scientist Jim Gill to give Emeriti Lecture May 11
James Gill, professor emeritus of Earth and planetary sciences, will discuss "Volcanism as the Re-creation of Earth."
April 27, 2015
Graduate students present research projects at annual symposium
The 11th Annual Graduate Research Symposium on April 24 featured graduate student researchers from across the divisions.
April 23, 2015
Stephen Bruce named Distinguished Social Sciences Alumni Award winner
The UC Santa Cruz Social Sciences Division has named Stephen Bruce, a 1979 economics graduate of Cowell College, as winner of the Distinguished Social Sciences Alumni Award for 2014-15.
April 22, 2015
Art professor’s documentary short wins at Full Frame film festival
An animated short by UC Santa Cruz associate professor of art Dee Hibbert-Jones and artist Nomi Talisman won two awards at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival.
April 22, 2015
Spread of pathogens between species is predictable, study finds
Scientists studied disease dynamics in a grassland on the UC Santa Cruz campus.
April 21, 2015
UC Santa Cruz named one of Princeton Review's top 50 'greenest' colleges
UC Santa Cruz once again ranks high among the nation’s “greenest” colleges and universities.
April 21, 2015
Exquisite campus
A common refrain among UC Santa Cruz alumni—from every decade, every major, every college, every division—is how much they treasured the beauty and natural setting of this remarkable campus and the richness it brought to their educational experience.
April 21, 2015
UC Santa Cruz part of NASA coalition leading search for life on distant worlds
Astrophysicist Jonathan Fortney is one of 15 principal investigators for a new NASA initiative searching for life on planets around other stars.
April 20, 2015
Public Radio host and alum Jesse Thorn to podcast live from Kuumbwa
UC Santa Cruz alums Jesse Thorn and Jordan Morris return to Santa Cruz April 24, for a live taping of their popular podcast at Kuumbwa Jazz Center. Proceeds benefit KZSC.
April 20, 2015
UCSC Farm & Garden’s 35th annual Spring Plant Sale set for May 2, 3
This year marks the 35th anniversary of the UC Santa Cruz Farm & Garden’s Spring Plant Sale, offering the region’s largest collection of organically grown herb and flower starts, vegetables, and beautiful perennials.
April 17, 2015
Classes without quizzes: Alumni Weekend Teach-Ins
Returning UC Santa Cruz alumni should get ready to exercise their brains, but with no fear of final exams, at the ever-popular "Teach-Ins" featuring professors Bettina Aptheker and Craig Haney.
April 16, 2015
Film professor to share research on Hollywood director at LA Times Festival of Books
UC Santa Cruz film and digital media professor Shelley Stamp will be featured on a panel about arts biography this weekend at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books--the largest public literary festival in the country.
April 15, 2015
MLK speechwriter to give talk on civil rights movement
Clarence B. Jones, a former personal counsel, draft speech writer, and close friend of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., will deliver a free public talk about the civil rights movement on May 4.
April 14, 2015
DANM to mark 10th anniversary with arts festival and masquerade ball
The Digital Arts and New Media M.F.A. program (DANM) at UC Santa Cruz will mark the completion of its first decade on April 25 with a daylong celebratory extravaganza titled "It’s Pan-DANM-onium!"
April 13, 2015
Solving ancient riddles: UCSC hosts archaeological genetics conference
The newly formed UC Santa Cruz Archaeological Research Center will hold its first public research conference on how the analysis of ancient DNA can unlock secrets from the past Tuesday afternoon (April 14) on the UC Santa Cruz campus.
April 13, 2015
Biologist Beth Shapiro explains the science of 'de-extinction' in new book
A leading expert on ancient DNA, Shapiro aims to separate science from science fiction in her new book 'How to Clone a Mammoth.'
April 10, 2015
Alum’s feature film heralds wildlife and landscape of Big Sur’s wild coast
Acclaimed wildlife photographers, UC Santa Cruz alumnus Kennan Ward and his wife Karen, will screen their new film “It’s a Wild Life” featuring the Big Sur coast Friday, April 17 at the Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz.
April 10, 2015
TEDxSantaCruz, part of Alumni Weekend, to explore "Radical Collaboration"
April 24 event to feature speakers from a wide variety of disciplines challenging themselves, casting aside their differences, and sharing their findings.
April 08, 2015
Egyptologist awarded NEH Digital Humanities Start-Up Grant
Assistant professor of history Elaine Sullivan has received a Digital Start-Up Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to develop a three-dimensional model and virtual tour that will demonstrate how an ancient Egyptian site evolved over more than 3,000 years.
April 08, 2015
Bacteria inhibit bat-killing fungus, could combat white-nose syndrome
UC Santa Cruz researchers are testing bacteria as a potential treatment to control white-nose syndrome, which is devastating bat populations.
April 07, 2015
Month of events, activities set to raise awareness of sexual assault and violence
A month full of activities in April for Sexual Assault Awareness Month includes the screening of "The Hunting Ground" in Santa Cruz Friday, April 10.
April 07, 2015
UC Santa Cruz Arboretum holds Spring Plant Sale on Saturday, April 18
Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the Arboretum offers colorful, drought-tolerant plants for California gardens.
April 06, 2015
Family ties
When family members have the experience of attending UC Santa Cruz in common, they've walked the same paths—contributing to a sense of pride, connection, and shared values.
April 03, 2015
Feminist Islamic scholar to speak of global movements for women, equality, and justice
Amina Wadud will speak of "Muslim Women: Equality and Justice Movements Globally" Thursday, April 16 as part of the Center for Emerging Worlds' Global Islam series.
April 02, 2015
UC Santa Cruz conference to honor visionary feminist philosopher Gloria Anzaldúa
The UC Presidential Chair in Feminist Critical Race & Ethnic Studies will present a conference on the work of feminist philosopher and writer Gloria Anzaldua, April 10-11, at the Humanities Complex on the UC Santa Cruz campus.
April 01, 2015
Conservationist M. Sanjayan to receive Alumni Achievement Award
The host of the new PBS series EARTH A New Wild and executive vice president of Conservation International travels the globe to find "partnerships" between humans and the planet.
March 26, 2015
Faculty research lecture features prison and incarceration expert Craig Haney
Haney has been selected to deliver the 49th annual Faculty Research Lecture scheduled for Tuesday, April 7, 2015, at 7 p.m. at the Music Recital Hall on the UC Santa Cruz campus. The lecture is free and open to the public.
March 26, 2015
Workshop explores how digital technology changes the way financial markets function
The Center for Analytical Finance (CAFIN) at UC Santa Cruz will hold a one-day workshop Friday, April 3 that looks at how digital technology has changed the way markets function. Admission is free and open to the public.
March 26, 2015
Evening concerts and rare telescope viewings draw visitors to UC’s Lick Observatory
For 35 years the Summer Series program at UC's Lick Observatory has drawn concert fans and astronomy devotees to the summit of Mt. Hamilton.
March 26, 2015
Student support gives major boost to Quarry reopening
Efforts to restore and reopen the landmark Quarry Amphitheater received a major boost with the endorsement of using up to $6.38 million in existing student fee reserves toward the project.
March 25, 2015
LASER talk to explore research in bio-acoustics, film, archaeology, and art
UC Santa Cruz’s Institute of the Arts and Sciences will continue its series of LASER talks on campus this spring on Tuesday, March 31, at 7 p.m. in the Digital Arts Research Center. Admission is free and open to the public.
March 25, 2015
Alumni Weekend—Come Home
Every Alumni Weekend feels like a milestone for returning Banana Slugs and a chance to be part of a living history. But this year those impulses will be stronger than ever since the event serves as one of the anchor pieces of the campus's yearlong 50th anniversary celebration.
March 24, 2015
UC Santa Cruz ranked among top graduate schools for game design
Princeton Review's 2015 list of the top 25 graduate schools to study game design features UC Santa Cruz at number 8.
March 24, 2015
Local seventh graders set sights on college
Half of Santa Cruz County’s seventh graders – more than 1,400 – attended the 7th Grade College and Career Summit on campus on Friday, March 20.
March 23, 2015
Historic hay barn rises again to become a center for sustainability programs
Over a weekend, volunteers joined professionals to raise the timber-framed superstructure for the re-creation of the Cowell Ranch hay barn on the UC Santa Cruz campus.
March 23, 2015
Wandering Jupiter accounts for our unusual solar system
Jupiter swept clear the inner solar system, resulting in the formation of a planetary system unlike any other astronomers have yet found
March 23, 2015
Search for extraterrestrial intelligence expands at Lick Observatory
Astronomers are expanding the search for extraterrestrial intelligence into a new realm with detectors tuned to infrared light.
March 20, 2015
UC Santa Cruz alum writes first children’s book in City Lights’ 60-year history
“American history is filled with stories of brave and powerful men, but have you ever wondered where the women are?” So begins Rad American Women A-Z, a new book by humanities alumna Kate Schatz...
March 19, 2015
UC Santa Cruz to host UC Systemwide Bioengineering Symposium
The Bioengineering Symposium will bring together faculty, researchers, and students from all ten UC campuses.
March 17, 2015
Barn raising set for re-creation of historic Cowell Ranch Hay Barn
A new-fashioned community barn raising is set for Saturday, March 21 at UC Santa Cruz when professionals and volunteers will assemble and raise the timber framing for the re-creation of the historic Cowell Ranch Hay Barn.
March 16, 2015
Focus of climate change discussions shifts from mitigation to adaptation
UC Santa Cruz climate conference addresses coastal resilience and 'wicked tradeoffs.'
March 13, 2015
Original vision
Reflections on the tumultuous '60s, the heady days of UC Santa Cruz's beginnings, and the ways the campus has stayed true to its mission through the decades
March 12, 2015
UC Santa Cruz volunteer service day March 28 honors Cesar Chavez
The UC Santa Cruz community will be taking part in Cesar Chavez Volunteer Service Day, set for Saturday, March 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Homeless Garden Project Natural Bridges Farm.
March 11, 2015
Physicists anticipate new discoveries with restart of Large Hadron Collider
UC Santa Cruz physicists have been at the forefront of U.S. participation in the LHC and contributed to a major upgrade
March 10, 2015
Arts Dean’s Lecture Series to explore music, cognition, biology, and language
This spring, the Arts Dean's Lecture Series will offer up a series of public lectures by eminent scholars and artists to explore the fundamentals of why and how we make and hear music.
March 10, 2015
UC Santa Cruz professor aims to expand science internships for high school students
Astronomer Puragra GuhaThakurta will use a sabbatical at Google to expand and diversify the Science Internship Program.
March 09, 2015
Methane in Arctic lake traced to groundwater from seasonal thawing
Groundwater from seasonal melting may be an important contributor to emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from Arctic lakes
March 04, 2015
New 3rd edition of 'Teaching Organic Farming & Gardening' now available
Drawing on nearly 50 years of experience, "Teaching Organic Farming & Gardening: Resources for Instructors, 3rd Edition" addresses practical aspects of organic farming and gardening, applied soil science, and social and environmental issues in agriculture.
February 27, 2015
UC Santa Cruz students compete in global challenge for $1 million Hult Prize
A team of UC Santa Cruz students has advanced to the regional finals of the sixth annual Hult Prize, the world’s largest student competition and start-up platform for social good.
February 27, 2015
Anita Hill: 'I hope my life is a living example of the power of coming forward'
Anita Hill, the focus of the highest-profile sexual harassment case in U.S. history, addressed a capacity crowd about "speaking truth to power."
February 27, 2015
Distinguished alumni to speak on conservation, film, law, art, writing
'True Originals' speaking series will feature accomplished Banana Slugs giving thought-provoking talks during Alumni Weekend 2015.
February 25, 2015
Two UC Santa Cruz professors elected Fellows of the American Academy of Microbiology
Newly elected fellows Karen Ottemann and Fitnat Yildiz are both professors of microbiology and environmental toxicology.
February 24, 2015
Top scientists, policymakers to speak at UCSC climate conference March 13-14
UC Santa Cruz will host a major national conference on climate change featuring top climate scientists and policy experts.
February 20, 2015
New book explores the myth of secularism in contemporary France
UC Santa Cruz anthropology professor Mayanthi Fernando’s book “The Republic Unsettled: Muslim French and the Contradictions of Secularism” provides insight to understanding Islamic culture and secularism in contemporary France.
February 17, 2015
UC Santa Cruz Arboretum holds annual Hummingbird Days March 7-8
Tiny birds make a big impression with aerial acrobatics at this family-oriented event.
February 13, 2015
Conference at UC Santa Cruz to explore modern Jewish spaces and identity
The Center for Jewish Studies at UC Santa Cruz will present a two-day conference, “Liminal Spaces and the Jewish Imagination” on campus February 18-19.
February 13, 2015
Goats to begin clearing ground for Coastal Biology building project
A herd of goats will begin clearing vegetation in preparation for construction of the Coastal Biology building at the Coastal Science Campus.
February 12, 2015
Anita Hill to speak at UC Santa Cruz on gender and racial equality Feb. 26
Anita Hill’s life changed forever in 1991 when a television audience of 22 million saw her testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee during the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Judge Clarence Thomas.
February 12, 2015
Female pumas kill more, eat less when humans are near, study finds
Female pumas kill more prey but consume less when their territories bump into human development, UC Santa Cruz researchers report in a new study based on monitoring more than two dozen pumas in the Santa Cruz mountains.
February 11, 2015
New UC hands-on experience class modeled after UC Santa Cruz 'supercourse'
A uniquely UC Santa Cruz course that offers undergraduates hands-on research experience has been adopted by the UC Natural Reserve System and is now open to students from all nine UC undergraduate campuses.
February 11, 2015
UC President Napolitano visits Año Nuevo Island Reserve
UC Santa Cruz scientists gave Napolitano a tour of the elephant seal colony at Año Nuevo.
February 10, 2015
Campus farm adds Quarry Field to further farming, education, and research
Freshly tilled soil on the west side of Hagar marks the start of the UC Santa Cruz Farm’s latest effort in growing food for campus and expanding the research and education work of the Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS).
February 10, 2015
Google gives Lick Observatory $1 million
Google Inc. has given $1 million to support the University of California's Lick Observatory.
February 10, 2015
Genomics Institute director David Haussler awarded prestigious Dan David Prize
Haussler will share a $1 million prize with two other leaders in bioinformatics.
February 05, 2015
Institute of Arts and Sciences to host first LASER talk of the year
UC Santa Cruz’s Institute of the Arts and Sciences will present its first “LASER” talk of 2015 on Tuesday, February 10, at the Digital Arts Research Center.
February 04, 2015
Emerging Worlds talk focuses on conflict in South Sudan
“Understanding Conflict in South Sudan,” the second in series of public events looking at global Islam, is set for Tuesday, February 10 at UC Santa Cruz.
February 02, 2015
Shrinking range of pikas in California mountains linked to climate change
The American pika is disappearing from low-elevation sites in California mountains, and the cause appears to be climate change.
January 30, 2015
State legislature commends economics chair Rob Fairlie for public service
Rob Fairlie, chair of the Economics Department at UC Santa Cruz, has been commended by the state legislature for service to California through his work to reduce poverty and inequality, improve education and human capital, and increase job opportunities and entrepreneurship.
January 30, 2015
Friends of Long Marine Lab supports 17 student research projects
From sea otters to sea level rise, Student Research and Education Awards will support a wide range of student research projects.
January 29, 2015
Angela Davis addresses 'police militarization' at capacity MLK Convocation
Angela Davis addressed a capacity crowd about social justice, police militarization and brutality during the 31st annual Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation in downtown Santa Cruz
January 29, 2015
Roses bloom in tide pools: warm water brings southern sea slug to Central Coast
Bright pink, inch-long sea slugs have shown up in the highest numbers and northernmost locations reported since the 1998 El Niño
January 28, 2015
Game designer Brenda Romero honored with Game Developers Choice Award
Romero, director of the UC Santa Cruz Games and Playable Media master's program, will receive the GDCA Ambassador Award
January 27, 2015
Tony Hill Award winner helps young people soar
Jacob Martinez, this year's Tony Hill Award honoree, is a strong advocate for low-income Latino and Latina youth who are interested in science, math, and technological careers but face obstacles along the way.
January 26, 2015
Fifty artists from five decades: UC Santa Cruz 50th alumni exhibition opens Feb. 5
UC Santa Cruz alumni from across the country are contributing their works to "50/50"—a new art exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of the campus that opens on February 5.
January 26, 2015
Report projects future wave and wind effects on Pacific islands
Climate changes during the 21st century are expected to alter the highest waves and strongest winds across U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands.
January 21, 2015
UC establishes full-time advocates, other measures to address sexual violence on campuses
The University of California will meet its January goals toward implementing a comprehensive approach to addressing sexual violence on campuses.
January 21, 2015
Scientists drill through half mile of Antarctic ice for data on ice sheet stability
A team including researchers from UC Santa Cruz has become the first ever to reach and sample the "grounding zone" of an Antarctic ice sheet.
January 19, 2015
Researchers find a novel signaling pathway involved in appetite control
UCSC scientists uncovered details of a molecular signaling system in the brain that is involved in the control of body weight and metabolism.
January 16, 2015
UC Santa Cruz does the time warp for "Dress Like It's 1965 Day"
"Dress Like it's 1965 Day" drew an enthusiastic throng to campus this weekend, showing off their fashions and dancing to British Invasion bands.
January 16, 2015
Steve Whittaker named fellow of Association of Computing Machinery
Steve Whittaker, UC Santa Cruz professor of psychology, has been named a fellow of the Association of Computing Machinery for his work in human-computer interaction
January 16, 2015
Heart arrhythmias detected in deep-diving marine mammals
Exercising while holding their breath remains a physiological challenge for marine mammals, despite remarkable adaptations to aquatic life.
January 16, 2015
UC Santa Cruz astronomer Claire Max recognized for astronomical instrumentation
The American Astronomical Society awarded the Joseph Weber Award for Astronomical Instrumentation to UC Observatories director Claire Max.
January 15, 2015
Alumnus Tom Franco brings his collaborative art culture to UC Santa Cruz
“This is a curatorial class—it’s a great atmosphere to experiment,” artist Tom Franco told the 20 students gathered at their first meeting in the Sesnon Gallery at UC Santa Cruz…
January 14, 2015
UC Santa Cruz hosts conference for undergraduate women in physics
The 10th annual Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics will take place at UC Santa Cruz January 16 to 18.
January 13, 2015
UC Santa Cruz to lead effort to build a new map of human genetic variation
The Simons Foundation awarded UCSC up to $1 million to develop a comprehensive Human Genome Variation Map for scientific and medical research
January 12, 2015
In 50th year, UC Santa Cruz sees unprecedented undergraduate interest
Nearly 55,000 prospective undergraduates applied for the fall 2015 quarter, an 11 percent increase from the previous year, and the second highest percentage increase among the UC campuses.
January 09, 2015
Karen McNally, noted seismologist and earthquake risk expert, dies at age 74
Karen McNally, professor emeritus of Earth sciences, died at her home in Davenport, CA, on December 20, 2014. She was 74.
January 09, 2015
Angela Davis, activist, professor emerita, to headline annual MLK Convocation
Activist, author, and distinguished UC Santa Cruz professor emerita Angela Davis is this year's keynote speaker at the 2015 Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Convocation, which is at 7 p.m., Wednesday, January 28, at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium.
January 08, 2015
Study of Andromeda's stellar disk indicates more violent history than Milky Way
Disordered stellar populations suggest bombardment of our neighboring galaxy Andromeda by smaller galaxies
January 08, 2015
‘Questions that Matter’: New public humanities series brings campus to community
The UC Santa Cruz Institute for Humanities Research (IHR) will present "Making the Cosmos Local"—the first event in a new series of public dialogues titled Questions That Matter—on Tuesday, Jan. 27, at Kuumbwa Jazz Center.
January 08, 2015
Dressing up to party down
Time to head to the vintage store or rifle through the closet to channel your inner Twiggy—in honor of its upcoming 50th anniversary celebration starting in 2015, UC Santa Cruz is holiding an informal 1965-style dress-up day on January 15.
January 05, 2015
Multimedia campaign to bring nationwide attention to campus
In support of the 50th anniversary, UC Santa Cruz has launched a national multimedia marketing campaign to showcase the campus’s original thinking that’s pushing the boundaries of human knowledge.
January 05, 2015
'Missing Microbes' author Dr. Martin Blaser to speak on overuse of antibiotics
Dr. Martin Blaser will give a public lecture on Thursday, January 15, at 7 p.m. at the Rio Theater in Santa Cruz.
January 01, 2015
UC Santa Cruz turns 50, a bold experiment realized
In 1965, UC President Clark Kerr described the brand new campus at Santa Cruz as “the most significant educational experiment in the history of the University of California.” As UC Santa Cruz forges ahead in 2015, the campus celebrates its 50th anniversary with a multitude of events.