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Social Sciences

December 27, 2018
A tilt of the head facilitates social engagement, researchers say
Every time we look at a face, we take in a flood of information effortlessly: age, gender, race, expression, the direction of our subject's gaze, perhaps even their mood. How the brain does this is a mystery.
December 20, 2018
Isaí Ambrosio named UCSC's inaugural "activist-in-residence"
Isaí Ambrosio is going back to school in January. The program director of the Davenport Resource Service Center (DRSC) has been named the inaugural activist-in-residence of UCSC's Research Center for the Americas (RCA).
December 13, 2018
New book reframes activism of Native leaders who sowed seeds of Red Power Movement
In her new book, Anthropology Professor Renya Ramirez portrays her grandparents, legendary Native leaders Henry and Elizabeth Cloud, as "Christian warriors" whose activism sowed the seeds of what would come to be known as the Red Power Movement.
December 12, 2018
Demographics of deportation: Noncitizens fare better in communities that are 20-40 percent Hispanic
An exhaustive new analysis of deportation practices across the country reveals a "protective effect" for noncitizens living in communities that are 20 percent to 40 percent Hispanic.
December 06, 2018
Wild animals key to mediating landscape’s capacity to store carbon, researchers say
Advances in remote sensing technologies are helping scientists to better measure how global landscapes—from forests to savanna—are able to store carbon, a critical insight as they evaluate the potential role of ecosystems in mitigating climate change.
December 05, 2018
Alumna Irma Eréndira Sandoval leads Mexico's anti-corruption efforts
Mexico's new president tapped UC Santa Cruz alumna Irma Sandoval to lead the government's anti-corruption efforts.
November 30, 2018
Summer abroad programs offer hands-on learning opportunities
UC Santa Cruz has significantly expanded its faculty-led summer abroad programs, now offering seven different opportunities for students to further their education in other countries.
November 28, 2018
Racial bias taints neighborhoods—and residents, research reveals
In her research, Courtney Bonam explores the assumptions people make about neighborhoods and schools that are either predominantly black or white, and she has uncovered racial bias in the way people perceive communities.
November 26, 2018
Massoud elected trustee of Law and Society Association
Mark Fathi Massoud, associate professor of politics and legal studies, has been elected to the board of trustees of the Law and Society Association.
November 15, 2018
From chicken guts to ape anatomy: Adrienne Zihlman's emerita lecture
Adrienne Zihlman delivered the 29th annual Emeriti Faculty Research Lecture, "The Inside Story of the Apes," to a capacity crowd in the Music Center Recital Hall on November 13.
November 14, 2018
Entrepreneur and UC Santa Cruz benefactor Will Webster dies at 90
Webster, a major donor who invented revolutionary cardiac devices, established a foundation that spearheaded significant campus changes.
November 14, 2018
Rebecca Covarrubias of Psychology to receive early-career award
Rebecca Covarrubias, assistant professor of psychology, has been selected to receive the 2019 Latino Caucus Early Career Award from the Society for Research in Child Development.
November 09, 2018
ENVS doctoral candidate Paulo Quadri takes top honors for NYC talk
Paulo Quadri, a doctoral candidate in environmental studies, was recognized for giving one of the three best talks during the American Museum of Natural History’s annual Student Conference on Conservation Science.
November 08, 2018
Ancient DNA evidence reveals genetic exchanges between the Americas
Unprecedented details about the story of the peopling of Central and South America have been revealed in a new study published in the journal Cell.
November 07, 2018
Beyond campaign rhetoric: What's really needed to secure California's economic future
With the world's fifth-largest economy, California has legitimate bragging rights as it proudly leads the "resistance" to federal attacks on immigrant rights, environmental policy, and progressive values in general. But that's not the whole story.
November 06, 2018
Hear the "Inside Story of the Apes" on Tuesday, Nov. 13
Adrienne Zihlman had a hunch 30 years ago that the study of human evolution would benefit from the analysis of more than skeletons. That hunch set her on a career path that established her as an internationally recognized authority on human origins.
November 05, 2018
From asexuality to heteroflexibility: 21st century ushers in new openness about intimate relationships
The 21st century has ushered in a "quiet revolution" in the diversity of intimate relationships, and a leading scholar says the scale and pace of this social transformation warrants a "reboot" of relationship studies.
November 01, 2018
Exhibit showcases art inspired by the UC Santa Cruz Natural Reserves
'Reserves of Inspiration: Exploring UC Santa Cruz Natural Landscapes' opens November 6 at the Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery in Cowell College.
October 24, 2018
Moschkovich named 2019 distinguished scholar
Judit Moschkovich, professor of mathematics education, has been selected to receive the 2019 Distinguished Scholar Award from the Special Interest Group for Research in Mathematics Education.
October 10, 2018
UCSC hosts free public forum Oct. 22 on the Santa Cruz housing crisis
Six UC Santa Cruz scholars will discuss rent control and other proposals to address the Santa Cruz housing crisis during a free public forum on Monday, October 22, in the Kresge Town Hall.
October 09, 2018
UC Santa Cruz honors outstanding staff, teaching, research
The Division of Social Sciences at UC Santa Cruz presented several major awards today (Tuesday, October 9) to recognize outstanding accomplishments by faculty, staff, researchers, and emeriti faculty.
October 08, 2018
Nine in 10 Silicon Valley jobs pay less now than 20 years ago, new research reveals
The vast majority of workers in Silicon Valley have been excluded from the area’s enormous economic boom, according to the results of a new study that reveals that nearly nine in ten jobs pay less today than they did 20 years ago.
October 03, 2018
Housing crisis impacting city and county employees, survey reveals
Those who work for and serve the city and county of Santa Cruz are being impacted by the housing crisis, according to researchers who surveyed nearly 500 people.
October 02, 2018
Central Valley Freedom Summer registers voters, changes lives
For most kids who grow up in the Central Valley, the goal is to get out. But this summer, 25 UC Santa Cruz and UC Merced students turned that narrative on its head and returned home, eager to give back to their communities.
September 28, 2018
LA County's new public defender is guided by 'presumption of innocence'
This fall, UCSC alum Ricardo Garcia will take the helm of the LA County Public Defender's Office—the largest and oldest public defender's unit in the country.
September 27, 2018
UC Santa Cruz wins USDA grant to support beginning farmers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has funded an effort by UC Santa Cruz to help programs that support beginning farmers and ranchers evaluate their effectiveness.
September 25, 2018
New faculty to advance campus teaching, research
UC Santa Cruz is welcoming more than 35 new faculty members this year, bringing the campus total to 603.
September 19, 2018
Community engagement enhances graduate education
Associate Professor Elliott Campbell and Professor Chris Benner co-taught a Spring Quarter class to connect first-year graduate students with environmental problems in the Salinas Valley Basin and to foster collaboration with off-campus stakeholders.
September 17, 2018
NSF funds UC Santa Cruz study of tech in agriculture
Researchers at UC Santa Cruz are leading a new, NSF-funded, multi-campus initiative to explore the intersection of agriculture, food, and technology.
September 11, 2018
Very few sexually active gay and bisexual men use prophylactic drug to prevent HIV transmission, study finds
Only 4 percent of sexually active gay and bisexual men in the United States use Truvada, a highly effective medication used to prevent the transmission of HIV, according to the results of a first-of-its-kind study.
August 29, 2018
UC Santa Cruz researchers contribute to new assessment of Central Coast climate impacts
Nearly a dozen UC Santa Cruz researchers contributed to a new state-issued report that assesses the dire impacts of climate change throughout California.
August 16, 2018
Where'd I put my keys?
Ben Storm, an associate professor of psychology, is fascinated by how memory supports thinking, learning, and creativity.
August 10, 2018
Tough life on the savannah
Researchers have identified dietary differences among chimpanzees that live in distinct habitats, an insight that may shed light on the past diets of early human ancestors.
August 09, 2018
Aspiring archaeologists get hands-on experience in Haiti, St. Croix
J. Cameron Monroe, associate professor of anthropology, took four Howard University undergraduates on an archaeological expedition to Haiti and St. Croix this summer as part of a UC partnership with Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
August 06, 2018
Coastal Science and Policy graduate program welcomes first cohort of students
The new graduate program in Coastal Science and Policy at UC Santa Cruz will welcome its first cohort of students in fall 2018.
August 02, 2018
Moral decision making is rife with internal conflict, say developmental psychologists
A new in-depth study of moral reasoning challenges the popular notion that people are unable to think through difficult moral problems and rely primarily on automatic "gut" reactions to make tough decisions.
August 01, 2018
Deportation and family separation impact entire communities, researchers say
The deportation and forced separation of immigrants has negative effects that extend beyond individuals and families to entire communities in the United States, according to the Society for Community Research and Action, which has issued a policy statement calling for changes to U.S. policy.
July 30, 2018
Natural habitat can help farmers control pests, but not always a win-win
An international team of scientists found that natural habitat surrounding farm fields is not always an effective pest-control tool for farmers worldwide.
July 26, 2018
New meta-analysis reveals pace and extent of river recovery
A new global meta-analysis by UC Santa Cruz researchers reveals patterns of river responsiveness to disturbances such as oil spills, wastewater contamination, and fires.
July 25, 2018
Psychology's Adriana Manago receives early-career award
Adriana Manago, assistant professor of psychology, has received an Early Career Award from the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology.
July 13, 2018
New research calculates capacity of North American forests to sequester carbon
Researchers have calculated the capacity of North American forests to sequester carbon in an analysis that for the first time integrates the effects of natural forest growth and climate changes that are likely to alter the growth process.
July 11, 2018
Growing graduate programs to meet the needs of today's students
Lori Kletzer enjoys leadership challenges that involve collaboration and strategic thinking, two skills that will come into play in her new role as vice provost and dean of the Division of Graduate Studies.
July 05, 2018
Learn how to grow and assemble beautiful bouquets
Learn how to create beautiful homegrown organic flower arrangements at a lecture and demonstration workshop on July 15.
June 29, 2018
Farm ranked among top college farms
The UC Santa Cruz Farm has been ranked among the top 15 college farms in the country by Best Value Schools.
June 28, 2018
Important new work on autism could change interventions
A new paper is pushing back hard on the notion that people with autism are not interested in socializing.
June 27, 2018
Thank Instagram and Snapchat for your fading memories
Research by UC Santa Cruz doctoral student Julia Soares has found compelling evidence that the act of taking a photograph impairs people’s memories of the event.
June 26, 2018
ISEE receives presidential award for excellence in STEM mentoring
The UC Santa Cruz Institute for Scientist & Engineer Educators has received a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM).
June 19, 2018
Reforming California's commercial property tax system would boost the economy, report says
Reforming California's property tax structure to tax commercial properties at their market value would boost the economy by generating new revenue, stimulating development, and diversifying industry, according to a new report by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
June 18, 2018
Graduates mark new era, seek to improve world for all
More than 3,200 students participated in commencement ceremonies in the colleges, Graduate Division, and Baskin School of Engineering.
June 14, 2018
Children in India exhibit religious tolerance, study finds
A new investigation of how children reason about religious rules reveals a remarkable level of acceptance of different religions' rules and practices.
June 14, 2018
The new queer teenager
Queer youth today are in a paradoxical situation, coming out earlier and becoming leaders even as they cope with the significant challenges of adolescence, Psychology Professor Phil Hammack told a panel convened by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine.
June 12, 2018
Standing tall and giving back
For graduating senior Asante Nkosi, a double major in sociology and history allowed him to connect his experiences with his interest in black U.S. history, the Civil Rights Movement, and the contemporary moment.
June 11, 2018
Help from the wizarding world
A gift from a Harry Potter–themed virtual running club enables a UC Santa Cruz professor to observe whales in Antarctica
June 08, 2018
Researchers discuss educational needs of Latino, immigrant, and disadvantaged youth
A recent informal interdisciplinary workshop focused on the educational needs and experiences of Latino and immigrant youth.
June 06, 2018
Global experts attend academic summit on solitary confinement
Forty-five of the world's experts on the psychological and physical effects of solitary confinement gathered in Santa Cruz recently for a two-day academic summit.
May 29, 2018
'First-gen' student pays it forward
The University of California is honoring Valeria Jacqueline Alonso Blanco with a prestigious award recognizing the impact of her leadership, advocacy and activism.
May 29, 2018
Awards luncheon celebrates excellence in student scholarship
Students in the Division of Social Sciences gathered with friends, family members, faculty, staff, and donors on Thursday, May 24, to celebrate excellence in student scholarship and creativity.
May 29, 2018
Speakers challenge audience to rethink modern incarceration
Angela Davis returns to UC Santa Cruz with the two surviving members of the ‘Angola 3’ to discuss solitary confinement and call on society to transform itself to no longer rely on prison repression.
May 25, 2018
Diverse campus landscapes are ideal outdoor laboratories—and classrooms
UC Santa Cruz is known for its beautiful landscapes, but its meadows, forests, farm fields, and coastal bluffs also support a range of scientific research and hands-on learning opportunities for students.
May 21, 2018
Racism expert Tom Pettigrew shares award for impactful scholarship
Tom Pettigrew, research professor of social psychology at UC Santa Cruz, is being recognized by the Society for Experimental Social Psychology for the impact of his scholarship.
May 21, 2018
Cowell Ranch Hay Barn website debuts
The popular Cowell Ranch Hay Barn now has its own website with information about how to rent the facility and adjacent Ocean View Field.
May 18, 2018
Undergraduate builds handcrafted bee hotels to attract pollinators
Mindful that the population of European honeybees is crashing worldwide due to Colony Collapse Disorder, Environmental Studies senior Forest Peri wanted to make a welcoming home for native bees.
May 14, 2018
Video highlights cultural differences in helpfulness
For the third year, a video by Distinguished Professor of Psychology Barbara Rogoff is featured in the "2018 STEM for All Video Showcase" hosted by the National Science Foundation.
May 11, 2018
Angela Davis joins May 22 panel discussion about mass incarceration
Angela Davis will join a May 22 panel discussion about mass incarceration, solitary confinement, and criminal justice reform that is being convened by Distinguished Professor of Psychology Craig Haney.
May 04, 2018
The bone whisperer
Forensic anthropologist Alison Galloway will retire from teaching this year, but her wisdom will live on through new online course that teaches both technical skills and the things you don’t find in textbooks.
May 01, 2018
Undergraduate Eric Medina wins $15,000 Strauss Scholarship to reinvigorate Oakes Garden
Eric Medina, a fourth year at UC Santa Cruz double majoring in ecology and evolutionary biology and Latin American and Latino studies, has received a $15,000 public service scholarship to reinvigorate the garden at Oakes College.
April 30, 2018
Cowell Ranch Hay Barn recognized for energy-efficient systems
The newly restored Cowell Ranch Hay Barn continues to reap recognition and awards, the latest from professionals in the field of building systems design.
April 19, 2018
Bill McKibben, Daniel Ellsberg headline Right Livelihood Laureates' Conference at UC Santa Cruz
Climate change activist Bill McKibben and whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg are two of the crusading global leaders gathering May 15-17 at UC Santa Cruz for the Right Livelihood Conference, a three-day series of public events focused on advancing social and environmental justice.
April 17, 2018
South County housing crisis to be discussed May 2
University researchers and community leaders will host a public forum about the affordable housing crisis on Wednesday, May 2, at 7 p.m. in the Community Room of the Watsonville Civic Center.
April 17, 2018
Spring Plant Sale Takes Place April 28-29
The UC Santa Cruz Farm & Garden's Spring Plant Sale takes place Saturday, April 28 and Sunday, April 29, in the Barn Theater parking lot at the base of the UC Santa Cruz campus, near the intersection of Bay and High Streets.
April 16, 2018
Teaching on the edge
Four of UC Santa Cruz’s most innovative educators will offer insights and advice about fostering lively, dynamic, and relevant classrooms during a special edition of the Alumni Weekend Teach-Ins.
April 11, 2018
Building a feminist psychology of resistance
On a fateful trip to Nicaragua in 2005, Shelly Grabe, now an associate professor of psychology, met women who were organizing to fight domestic violence, and she saw what real and lasting social change looked like.
April 10, 2018
Coastal stream restoration projects concentrated where residents are 'whiter, wealthier, and more educated,' researchers find
Stream restoration efforts along the coast of Central California are unevenly distributed, with activity more likely to occur in areas that are more highly populated and dominated by residents who are "whiter, wealthier, and more educated," according to an analysis by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
April 04, 2018
Jenny Reardon among scholars speaking out on genomics and race
Sociology Professor Jenny Reardon joined 66 other scholars in signing an open letter about genetics and race, responding to a recent opinion piece in the New York Times written by David Reich, a professor of genetics at Harvard.
April 03, 2018
UC Santa Cruz honors alumni: bestselling author Hector Tobar and historian Virginia Espino
Award-winning journalist and author Héctor Tobar and filmmaker Virginia Espino are the 2018 recipients of the Social Sciences Division's Distinguished Alumni Award.
April 03, 2018
Campus environment led alumna to pursue architecture
Urban designer and planner Barbara Maloney (Stevenson, ’71, psychology) said working in higher education is “endlessly interesting,” involving not only issues like sustainability and town-gown relations but also transportation and new ways of learning.
April 02, 2018
Community Studies class showcases public health leaders in 'Year of Alumni'
Eight alumni are returning to campus this spring as guest lecturers in a special-edition public health class offered by Community Studies.
March 20, 2018
UC Santa Cruz graduate programs rank among best in nation in U.S. News survey
The U.S. News and World Report's 2019 Best Graduate Schools guide evaluates graduate schools in business, education, engineering, law, medicine, nursing, social work, criminology, public affairs, and the sciences.
March 19, 2018
Understanding shari’a
Mark Fathi Massoud, associate professor of politics and legal studies at UC Santa Cruz, will delve into the realities, subtleties, and richness of Islamic law and ethics at this year's Noel Q. King Memorial Lecture during Alumni Weekend.
March 16, 2018
Soil fungi may help determine the resilience of forests to environmental change, according to UC Santa Cruz study
A major new study by Kai Zhu reveals that soil fungi could play a significant role in the ability of forests to adapt to environmental change.
March 13, 2018
Silicon Valley Campus raising profile
By Scott Brandt, Vice Chancellor, Office of Research — The role of UC Santa Cruz in Silicon Valley—an extension of our mission of education, research, and service—is focused on four key areas.
March 13, 2018
Homegrown help
New ag tunnels will allow the UC Santa Cruz Farm and Garden to provide a year-round supply of healthy, low-cost produce to dining halls, food pantries, and market pop-ups on campus as part of the effort to address food insecurity.
March 02, 2018
Gun control advocate Gabby Giffords joins fundraiser for Gabe Zimmerman Memorial Scholarship
Former Arizona Congresswoman and gun control advocate Gabby Giffords attended a fundraising event to support the Gabriel Zimmerman Memorial Scholarship.
February 28, 2018
Community Studies founder William H. Friedland dies at 94
William H. “Bill” Friedland, professor emeritus of community studies and sociology at UC Santa Cruz, whose life and career encompassed the major social movements of the 20th century, from labor struggles during and after World War II, to farm worker and youth movements of the 1960s, to the agriculture-food awareness of today, died at his Santa Cruz home Feb. 20 at age 94.
February 28, 2018
Fixing damaged ecosystems: How much does restoration help?
A new meta-analysis of 400 studies that document recovery from large-scale ecosystem disturbances worldwide suggests that while ecosystems can bounce back, they rarely mend completely, with the final stages of recovery being most difficult.
February 23, 2018
USDA funds efforts to bring underrepresented students into agriculture
A unique collaboration between UC Santa Cruz and the U.S. Department of Agriculture is supporting underrepresented students who are interested in agriculture-related fields.
February 22, 2018
Judit Moschkovich named 2018 AERA Fellow
Judit Moschkovich, professor of education and chair of the Education Department, has been named a 2018 Fellow of the American Educational Research Association (AERA).
February 22, 2018
Ouch: Study reveals financial pain after hospitalization
A new study co-authored by professors from UC Santa Cruz, MIT, and Northwestern University reveals the painful financial impact of hospitalization.
February 21, 2018
At the nexus of food, energy, and water: Elliot Campbell bridges the research gap
Elliott Campbell is an environmental engineer who is drawn to research at the nexus of food, water, and energy.
February 13, 2018
The Cowell College Love Bank
When Rich Vicenti and Alesa Lightbourne were students at Cowell College in the 1970s, he courted her, but she was not available. They took separate paths after graduation. Nearly four decades later, finding themselves both single they finally began the romance that was not possible in their youth.
February 13, 2018
Community Studies students share social justice work
All students in Community Studies engage in a six-month field study, joining a social justice organization to apply the critical theories they have previously learned during their interactions with more traditional elements of the college experience.
February 12, 2018
Women leaders inspire undergrad during UCDC internship in Nancy Pelosi's office
For Courtney Zuniga, the sight of powerful women like Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi made a lasting impression during her Fall Quarter UCDC internship in Washington, D.C.
February 09, 2018
Climate Conference features visionary artist and Smithsonian biologist
The fifth annual Climate Science and Policy Conference presented by UC Santa Cruz brings together a visionary artist and a Smithsonian scientist for an engaging, interdisciplinary conversation about how humans and ecosystems will cope on a warming planet.
February 08, 2018
Monetary economist Carl Walsh to deliver 52nd annual UC Santa Cruz Faculty Research Lecture on February 22
Carl Walsh, distinguished professor of economics at UC Santa Cruz, will deliver the 52nd annual Faculty Research Lecture on Thursday, February 22.
February 05, 2018
Economist's book named an 'Outstanding Academic Title'
Economics Professor Nirvikar Singh's book, The Other One Percent: Indians in America, has been named an "Outstanding Academic Title" for 2017.
January 30, 2018
As tax time approaches, UCSC students volunteer to help low-income filers
As April 15 looms, a team of UC Santa Cruz undergraduate volunteers is getting ready to provide free tax-preparation assistance to low- and moderate-income residents of Santa Cruz County.
January 30, 2018
CruzHacks keeps growing
In its fifth year, CruzHacks drew hundreds of collegiate coders from across the country.
January 25, 2018
Field trip of a lifetime
When he transferred to UC Santa Cruz, Ray Gutierrez didn’t foresee he’d soon be in India making a documentary about youths with disabilities at a crossroads between globalization and tradition.
January 18, 2018
Elliott Campbell appointed to chair in water resources and food system sustainability
Elliott Campbell, associate professor of environmental studies, was honored as the inaugural holder of the Stephen R. Gliessman Presidential Chair in Water Resources and Food System Sustainability.
January 18, 2018
Judge relies heavily on Haney's testimony in case banning solitary confinement
In a landmark court ruling that prohibits solitary confinement in Canada, a Canadian judge relied heavily on expert testimony by Psychology Professor Craig Haney.
January 17, 2018
New book, The Postgenomic Condition: Ethics, Justice, and Knowledge After the Genome, assesses progress since 2000
Sociologist Jenny Reardon evaluates the promise and pitfalls of genomics in her new book The Postgenomic Condition: Ethics, Justice, and Knowledge After the Genome (University of Chicago Press, 2017).
January 10, 2018
Trump environmental watchdog group issues third report
The Environmental Data and Governance Initiative (EDGI), a grassroots watchdog group monitoring the Trump administration's performance on the environment, today (January 10, 2018) issued its third report.