March 2016 News Archive

True Originals series: Coffee and games

The popular True Originals notable alumni speaker series returns with an artisan coffee innovator, and two creative Slugs who are setting bold new standards in the world of

Study reveals the invisible workforce serving Silicon Valley’s tech industry

When you hear about free gourmet lunches at Silicon Valley’s biggest tech companies, the cafeteria worker might not come to mind. Or the shuttle bus drivers, janitors, security

Alum Fritz Chesnut Creates Stunning Visual Art on Every Canvas

Visual artist and UC Santa Cruz alum (Porter 1995) Fritz Chesnut was exposed at an early age to art, especially since his mother earned her PhD in art

New book explores the emotional power of games

Katherine Isbister presents a new way to think about videogames and their effects on people who play

The figure as an anatomical event

Art instructor Noah Buchanan is bringing the exacting study of anatomy and classic technique into the 21st

Exhibition to feature work of 23 UC Santa Cruz art faculty

The work of 23 current Art Department faculty at UC Santa Cruz will be featured at "In Conversation with UCSC Studio Art Faculty"--an upcoming exhibition that will take

Alumni Weekend: Keynote speakers to explore the question of how we learn

A distinguished group of speakers will explore the question, “How do we learn?,” at an Alumni Weekend event that will range from virtual reality to adaptive learning

SAB Spring Chancellor's Forum Tuesday, April 12, will be webcast only

All UC Santa Cruz staff members are invited to participate in the Staff Advisory Board-sponsored Spring Forum with Chancellor George Blumenthal.

Deer fawning season alert

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

Grad students face off in second annual Grad Slam competition April 6

Ten graduate students will face off April 6 in the second annual Grad Slam competition, a spirited forum during which doctoral students present their research in three minutes.

Faculty experts share research, insight with public in Original Thinkers speakers series

The Original Thinkers speaker series, launched in May 2014, has faculty members traveling across the country to share their work and insight in a format designed for the

Lick Observatory field trip available to undergraduate students

Seeing and Knowing in Art and Astronomy offers undergraduates a chance to learn about the Lick Observatory's history and take part in workshops.

Living Writers Series to feature acclaimed alums Elizabeth McKenzie and Kate Schatz

Out of Line--the spring edition of the Creative Writing Program’s 2016 Living Writers Series--features eight writers who generally have fun with the

In Memoriam: Dilip Basu

An eccentric 'hot Jupiter' yields clues to planet formation and evolution

Astronomers investigate how some gas giant planets end up so feverishly close to their

Alumni Weekend 2016: Get ready for the ride, and Come Home

Alumni are welcomed back to campus for a weekend of reminiscing and reveling, with a plethora of events ranging from the scholarly to the

Beyond Compliance — An Ethic of Service

This spring, Alison Galloway is convening a dialogue to bring together Academic Senate leaders, students, and faculty members. It will be from 4 to 6 p.m. on May 10 at Kresge College's Town Hall.

Racist and anti-Semitic fliers received on networked campus printers

On Thursday, March 24, 2016, the main housing office on Natural Bridges Drive and the Kresge College Academic Office reported to the UC Santa Cruz Police Department and campus Information Technology Services that they received racist and anti-semitic fliers on their networked campus printers.

UCSC graduate programs rank among best in nation in U.S. News survey

UCSC's Baskin School of Engineering and Department of Education are featured in new rankings from U.S. News and World

Robert Reich’s Santa Cruz appearance to be web streamed live

The upcoming Santa Cruz appearance by former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert B. Reich at the Rio Theatre April 5, sponsored by the UC Santa Cruz Blum Center,

UC Santa Cruz Farm’s CSA program features 5 percent discount through April 1

The UC Santa Cruz Farm’s Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program is open for business and accepting new and renewing

The storyteller and the detective

Alumna and best-selling author Laurie R. King reflects on the craft of storytelling and on her legendary fictional character, Mary

Alumna Anne Flett-Giordano Credits her Extraordinary Writing Career to One Crazy Night at Porter College

Growing up in Danville, California, Emmy Award-winning comedy screenplay writer and UC Santa Cruz, Porter College alum Anne Flett-Giordano got an early start on how to tell enthralling

Colleges Nine and Ten students enjoy an alternative spring break in Watsonville

Instead of surf, sand, and frivolity, 25 students from Colleges Nine and Ten are taking an alternative spring break this week, and they’re staying close to

Electrical power outages expected 2-11 p.m. today

Electrical power to the entire upper campus may be interrupted today between 2 and 11 p.m. The planned outages are related to testing of the main campus electrical

Study shows biodiversity benefits of removing invasive mammals from islands

A global study documents conservation gains from efforts to eradicate invasive species from island

Current rate of carbon emissions is unprecedented in past 66 million years

New analysis shows that carbon emissions from human activities are moving the Earth's climate system into uncharted

UC Santa Cruz ranked among top schools for game design

As in past years, UC Santa Cruz is featured on Princeton Review's 2016 lists for top undergraduate and graduate programs in game

Arts Dean's Lecture Series to explore climate justice, art, activism, and the environment

"Climate Justice Now!--Art Activism, Environment Today" is the title of the 2016 Arts Dean’s Lecture Series--an array of free public talks running March 30 to May 25 at

Coral analysis reveals how ocean ecosystems responded to climate shifts

Long-lived deep-sea corals hold clues to past ocean conditions in their growth

Ocean acidification takes a toll on California's tide pools at nighttime

Ocean acidification will put many marine organisms at risk by exacerbating normal changes in ocean

President Napolitano: Creation of new Systemwide Peer Review Committee for cases involving senior leaders

Recent developments have roused concerns and questions regarding how incidents of sexual harassment and sexual violence are addressed at UC. I want to take this opportunity to reinforce some important points and share with you additional measures I am instituting to address these issues.

Student Health Center will close during Monday, March 21 power disruptions

Pluto's varied landscape reveals surprisingly complex geology

Pluto's icy surface shows an astonishing variety of landscapes and evidence of active geological processes in images from New

Scott Brandt appointed to Sage Weil Presidential Chair for Open Source Software

VCR Scott Brandt has been appointed as the inaugural holder of the Sage Weil Presidential Chair for Open Source

In Memoriam: Hannah Dakota Veit-Hartl

It is with deep sadness that we write to tell you of the death of Cowell student, Hannah Dakota Veit-Hartl.

In Memoriam: Mary Joan Rodriguez

Mary Joan Rodriguez, who worked in the registrar’s office at Oakes College for 19 years, died Feb. 26. She was 86.

Humanities, Kuumbwa partner to jazz up Alumni Weekend

This special event will feature a conversation on the history of jazz by experts in the field, followed by the vocal styling of jazz singer Kim

Planned power outages – Monday, March 21, 2016 2 –11 p.m.

On Monday, March 21, 2016, testing to the main campus electrical system will impact power to the entire upper campus with the potential for five to eight power outages of 30-50 minutes each between 2 and 11 p.m.

Music, myth, and community in post-Katrina New Orleans

In an in-depth study of post-Katrina New Orleans, emeritus politics professor Michael Urban explores how music is intertwined with the city’s community-rebuilding

Hack 2016 Tech Cares winners select local nonprofits for donations

The Community Foundation Santa Cruz County has announced the local nonprofits that received donations from winners of Hack UCSC 2016 Tech Cares, which took place on campus in January with more than 550 participants.

Leukemia study reveals role of RNA binding protein in driving cancer

A protein abnormally expressed in cancer cells was found to promote the proliferation of B cells in B-cell acute lymphoblastic

Cellular response to tissue stiffening may delay progression of breast cancer

Study identifies cellular signaling pathway associated with better prognosis for breast cancer

Learning from the ground up: Students find experiential learning at all levels

The University of California offers more than 200 courses and 150 programs related to experiential learning in food and sustainable agriculture

A letter from President Napolitano regarding new retirement program for future employees

Letter from President Napolitano that outlines the proposal for the new retirement program being presented to The Regents later this month that includes new retirement benefits for future UC employees.

Student arrested on drug charges

The UC Santa Cruz Police Department arrested Austin Knebelman King today for possession for sales of narcotics. King, 19, is a UC Santa Cruz student from Sunnyvale.

Food bank honors campus work in food security

UC Santa Cruz received two awards from Second Harvest Food Bank

Other Minds donates archives to UC Santa Cruz

Other Minds—the acclaimed San Francisco-based nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of new and experimental music—has donated its archives to UC Santa

Female computer science grad students find supportive environment at UC Santa Cruz

UCSC's Department of Computer Science is producing successful female graduates at a time when women remain underrepresented in the tech

UC researchers publish roadmap for successful groundwater governance

UC Santa Cruz hydrologist Andrew Fisher coauthored recommendations for forming Groundwater Sustainability

Message on Cowell, Stevenson coffee shops

The Cowell and Stevenson coffee shops play an important role in our college communities and are valued institutions for generations of alumni. At no point were they going to close.

Bats in Asia found to have resistance to white-nose syndrome fungus

Some declining North American bat species could eventually evolve resistance to the devastating disease, scientists

Police activity on campus today

The UC Santa Cruz Police Department received multiple reports of concerning information about a student's behavior, which may have put the student at risk.

Forums set for proposed renovations of Cowell, Stevenson coffee shops

Cowell and Stevenson colleges will hold two community forums during the first week of April to gather input on proposed renovations and other changes to the college coffee shops.

UC Santa Cruz launches online programming course by Ira Pohl

UC Santa Cruz has launched a new Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), C++ for C Programmers (Part A), on the Coursera

Earth scientist James Zachos honored by European Geosciences Union

Zachos will receive the 2016 Milutin Milankovic Medal for his groundbreaking contributions to climate

Six students arrested on drug charges

Six UC Santa Cruz students have been arrested on drug charges related to the possession for sale of large amounts of MDMA.

Alan Christy named provost of Cowell College

Associate professor of history Alan Christy has been named the new provost of Cowell College, effective July 1,

UC Santa Cruz study links nitrogen pollution to decline of endangered species

A new study by researchers affiliated with UC Santa Cruz and published online in the journal 'BioScience' looks at how nitrogen affects threatened biodiversity across the United

Revised policy on sexual violence and sexual harassment and new online prevention courses

The University of California (UC) Office of the President has issued an updated Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment (SVSH Policy), which went into effect on January 1, 2016. The SVSH Policy incorporates feedback and input from all levels of the university community and reflects the seriousness that UC attaches to the subject matter.

Preparing for more students this fall

This September, UC Santa Cruz will welcome about 650 more California undergraduates than enrolled last fall.

Groundbreaking master of science fiction Samuel Delany to read at UC Santa Cruz

The UC Presidential Chair in Feminist Critical Race & Ethnic Studies and the Living Writers Series will present an evening with acclaimed science-fiction novelist and critic Samuel R.

Openings in Commuter Vanpool Program

There are current openings in two UCSC vanpools: one from Aptos, and one from the San Lorenzo Valley.

Tom Pettigrew wins sociology association’s top award for study of race relations

Tom Pettigrew, UC Santa Cruz research professor of social psychology, has been named winner of the American Sociological Association's Cox-Johnson-Frazier Award, the group’s highest award for contributions to the study of American race relations.

Astronomers break cosmic distance record (again)

UCSC astronomer Garth Illingworth and his collaborators have been pushing the limits of current telescopes to study the most distant galaxies, breaking the record twice within a year

New paper examines the details behind stock market 'flash crash'

A paper by UC Santa Cruz professors of economics and astrophysics has attracted widespread attention in the financial world over its analysis of the “flash crash” nearly six

Campus diversity officer pushes for institutional change

Campus Diversity Officer for Staff and Students Sheree M. Marlowe promotes institutional change for historically marginalized communities, which at UC Santa Cruz includes African American students, transgender students,

Discovering the UC Santa Cruz Campus: Jim Clifford to give Spring Emeriti Faculty Lecture

"In the Ecotone: The UC Santa Cruz Campus" is a new book by emeritus humanities professor Jim Clifford that reflects on the campus as an extraordinary architectural and

Determined to increase diversity in the sciences

Alumnus Blake Riggs uses his own story of prejudiced encounters, personal stumbles, and tenacity to encourage students of

Dialogue on drug and alcohol safety

The primary mission of the UC Santa Cruz Police Department is to protect the health and safety of the campus community, and our students in particular, from serious harm or death.

University Relations shines in 2016 CASE awards

Division's wins include two golds; also singled out as one of six Grand Gold winners, reflecting extraordinary campus