Home / 2019

2019 University News

July 27, 2020
Outstanding Staff Award honoree is a passionate advocate for STEM diversity
Yulianna Ortega, the campus's STEM Diversity Programs director, has earned the trust and respect of fellow staff members, faculty, and students across divisions. Ortega, this year's Outstanding Staff Award recipient, is cares deeply about student academic success and well-being.
December 30, 2019
The mysterious case of the ornamented coot chicks has a surprising explanation
The bright colors of the chicks of American coots help their parents choose favorites, according to a new study.
December 19, 2019
How genetics and social games drive evolution of mating systems in mammals
From monogamy to promiscuity, a new model explains the evolution of diverse mating systems based on the conflict between cooperative and competitive behaviors.
December 17, 2019
Astrophysicist Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz gives TED talk at National Academy of Sciences
Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz, professor of astronomy and astrophysics, is among a select group of scientists who delivered TED talks at the National Academy of Sciences in November.
December 17, 2019
Structural analysis reveals an unexpected mechanism for a cancer drug
Palbociclib is clinically approved for treating breast cancer, but it doesn’t work the way scientists thought it did.
December 17, 2019
Biologist Doug Kellogg receives Outstanding Faculty Award
Doug Kellogg, professor of molecular, cell, and developmental biology, has received the 2018–19 Outstanding Faculty Award from the Division of Physical and Biological Sciences.
December 16, 2019
UC Santa Cruz launches new graduate program in natural language processing
Based at UCSC’s Silicon Valley Campus, the new professional master’s degree offers training in the burgeoning field of computational processing of speech and text.
December 12, 2019
Raising awareness of ‘deficit thinking’
Undergraduate researcher works to combat harmful perceptions many first-generation students experience
December 12, 2019
New system will capture and reuse scarce helium for critical lab instruments
As helium becomes increasingly expensive and difficult to obtain, a new recovery system will help ensure a reliable supply of the element needed for powerful research instruments.
December 10, 2019
California’s sea otter population could triple by recolonizing San Francisco Bay
A new study highlights the importance of estuaries as prime habitat for the endangered southern sea otter.
December 10, 2019
Women of color underrepresented as speakers at scientific conferences, study finds
Scientists from racial and ethnic minority populations are likely to have relatively fewer speaking opportunities at scientific conferences, according to the results of a new study.
December 09, 2019
Students power resurvey of UC Santa Cruz natural reserves
Student teams are conducting surveys of the birds, plants, fish, fungi, insects, vascular plants, mammals, bryophytes, and lichens at all four of the campus’s Natural Reserves.
December 06, 2019
Collective boost for Slug Support
UCSC celebrates success of Giving Tuesday fundraiser focused on student basic needs
December 06, 2019
UCSC team chosen again to compete in Amazon's Alexa Prize Challenge
With funding and other support from Amazon, university teams compete to advance conversational AI.
December 05, 2019
UC Santa Cruz establishes new Center for the Middle East and North Africa
A new interdisciplinary Center for the Middle East and North Africa, directed by associate professor of history Jennifer Derr, will focus on the culture, history, and politics of the region.
December 05, 2019
Island 'soundscapes' show potential for evaluating recovery of nesting seabirds
Conservation biologists are taking a holistic approach to acoustic monitoring for evaluating the effectiveness of restoration efforts.
December 03, 2019
Composition of gas giant planets not determined by host star, study finds
Research led by astronomers at UC Santa Cruz and Carnegie Institution for Science has implications for understanding how planets form.
December 03, 2019
Study reveals dynamics of crucial immune system proteins
New findings show how a key part of the immune system functions and suggest potential applications in disease diagnostics and therapeutics .
December 02, 2019
Computer engineering graduate student focused on intersection of energy, computer security
For Allen Aboytes, one of the best things about working in the field of computer engineering is the cooperation with others to achieve a goal.
December 02, 2019
Nine UCSC speakers join TEDx Santa Cruz extravaganza Dec. 7
Nine UCSC affiliates will join novelist Jonathan Franzen and a host of other speakers for TEDx Santa Cruz, a daylong extravaganza focused this year on the "Art of Hope," on Saturday, Dec. 7.
November 26, 2019
Earth scientist Andrew Fisher elected 2019 AAAS Fellow
Andrew Fisher, professor of Earth and planetary sciences, has been named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
November 26, 2019
Coastal fog linked to high levels of mercury found in mountain lions, study finds
Researchers at UC Santa Cruz have discovered elevated levels of mercury in mountain lions, the latest indication that the neurotoxin is being carried in fog, deposited on the land, and making its way up the food chain.
November 26, 2019
UC Santa Cruz researchers funded to develop new technology for monitoring toxic algae
As the frequency and severity of harmful algal blooms increases along the California coast, ocean scientist Raphael Kudela is working to improve the technology for monitoring them.
November 21, 2019
Fish in California estuaries are evolving as climate change alters their habitat
Comparison of current stickleback populations with fish collected in the 1970s shows the populations are evolving as California's climate becomes hotter and drier.
November 20, 2019
Physics doctoral student excited to learn about condensed matter
Before coming to UC Santa Cruz, Jennifer Sittler worked on the Large Hadron Collider, writing code to increase the accuracy of results.
November 19, 2019
2019 photo contest winners
There were over 100 entries this year in the chancellor's holiday photo contest. Here are the winners.
November 19, 2019
Rachel Carson College: Training the green generation
UC Santa Cruz’s eighth college is a haven for sustainability-minded, environmentally conscious students hoping to lead and empower others .
November 19, 2019
List of most highly cited researchers features 18 UCSC scientists and engineers
The 2019 Highly Cited Researchers list includes 18 scientists and engineers at UC Santa Cruz.
November 18, 2019
Santa Cruz County faces significant gap in food security, study finds
As the season of holiday feasting approaches, a new study reveals that Santa Cruz County residents who are most at risk of food insecurity may be missing an average of five meals a week.
November 18, 2019
Social Sciences recognizes outstanding research, teaching, and staff
The Division of Social Sciences presented several major awards recognizing outstanding accomplishments by faculty, staff, researchers, and emeriti faculty.
November 13, 2019
Latino studies graduate student focused on history, roots
Five years ago, Mario Alberto Gómez-Zamora worked with teen-agers to collect stories from elders in a P'urhépecha indigenous community in Patamban, Michoacán, Mexico. Today, he's a graduate student in Latin American and Latino Studies.
November 13, 2019
Student interns work to prevent sexual assault, discrimination
The campus created four paid student internships to increase student engagement with and by the Title IX Office.
November 12, 2019
UC Santa Cruz collaborates on $14M project to advance cryptographic computing technologies
Computer scientist Owen Arden will lead the UCSC effort in the Baskin School of Engineering.
November 07, 2019
Exploring the impact and ethics of the Frankenstein phenomena
UCSC will present "The Frankenstein Project," a modern theatrical adaptation of Mary Shelley's classic Frankenstein story, plus "FrankenCon"-- a three-day conference featuring scientists, theorists, authors, and artists, plus film screenings.
November 07, 2019
Lick Observatory continues popular program for Spanish-speaking community
‘La Noche de las Estrellas’ at Lick Observatory brings science to Spanish-speaking students and their families.
November 06, 2019
Radical excellence: UC Santa Cruz joins Association of American Universities
The University of California, Santa Cruz, has joined the Association of American Universities, an achievement that underscores the impact and quality of the campus’s research and graduate and undergraduate education. Membership in the AAU provides UC Santa Cruz greater opportunity to shape and advocate for the future of higher education.
November 06, 2019
Biotech blooms on Santa Cruz’s westside
The biotech boom on the westside of Santa Cruz is the culmination of all the pieces falling into place—brilliant and driven graduate alumni and faculty members who are eager to make people’s lives better, vacant buildings in need of a new purpose, and a university partnering with the community to foster entrepreneurs.
November 04, 2019
Girls Who Code program seeks to increase retention of women in tech
When the nonprofit Girls Who Code started a new “College Loops” program last year, students at UC Santa Cruz were quick to establish a branch.
November 01, 2019
Award-winning poet Gary Soto to read at 10th annual Morton Marcus memorial event
Award-winning poet and novelist Gary Soto will be the featured guest at the 10th annual Morton Marcus Poetry Reading, Thursday, November 7, at 7 p.m. in the UCSC Music Recital Hall.
November 01, 2019
Faculty diversity, retention supported by new grants
About a third of faculty searches across four academic divisions will be included in a new pilot program, while a research team will assess and rethink leadership opportunities.
October 31, 2019
'Solitary Garden' imagines a landscape without prisons
'Solitary Garden'—a yearlong public art project created to protest solitary confinement and mass incarceration—opens at UC Santa Cruz with a public reception on November 5 at the Baskin Arts Studios. It will run on campus through Dec. 6, 2020.
October 31, 2019
First generation, lasting impact
Funding from Jacques M. Littlefield Foundation is helping first-generation students succeed and generating research on practices that can support students across the country
October 31, 2019
Letourneau's datasets propel research that shows biodiversity improves crop production
When Environmental Studies Professor Deborah Letourneau was getting ready to retire, she gave several of her datasets to younger researchers so they could make use of them. And did they ever.
October 31, 2019
Public invited to view Norris Center art-science residency projects
Several examples of art-science collaborations will be on view at the Museum of Art and History on Sunday, Nov. 10 from 10-5 p.m. and at the Norris Center for Natural History on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 15-16 from noon to 5 p.m.
October 30, 2019
Simulations explain giant exoplanets with eccentric, close-in orbits
A giant-impacts phase in the evolution of planetary systems can explain the observations of close-in giant planets with eccentric orbits.
October 30, 2019
Powerful new supercomputer supports campus research in physical sciences
UCSC faculty are using the new system for research in astrophysics, climate science, materials science, chemistry, and other fields.
October 29, 2019
Mangroves reduce flood damages during hurricanes, saving billions of dollars in property losses
A new report finds that mangroves provide valuable flood risk benefits and play a critical role in protecting coastal communities in Florida.
October 28, 2019
DESI opens its 5,000 eyes to capture the colors of the cosmos
UC Santa Cruz astronomers have played leading roles in the collaborative effort to install a new sky-surveying instrument now beginning final testing.
October 28, 2019
Climate engineering: International meeting reveals tensions
At this point, the greatest danger of climate engineering may be how little is known about where countries stand on these potentially planet-altering technologies. Who is moving forward? Who is funding research? And who is being left out of the conversation?
October 25, 2019
Pediatric cancer study shows usefulness of gene expression analysis
Analyzing gene expression in tumor cells from children with cancer is more likely to reveal targets for therapy than analysis of DNA mutations, according to a new study led by UCSC researchers.
October 24, 2019
Campus conference to honor renowned late UC Santa Cruz historian Hayden White
UCSC will present a conference in honor of the influential late historian on November 1-2 at the Merrill Cultural Center. Scholars from a wide range of disciplines will participate in an effort to channel the vital, open-ended, iconoclastic spirit of White, professor emeritus in the History of Consciousness Department.
October 24, 2019
Boosting diversity, inclusion, and representation in science journalism
Science Communication Master's Program empowers the next generation of science journalists with support from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
October 22, 2019
Institute of the Arts and Sciences kicks off 2019-20 Traction: Art Talks speaker series
'Traction: Art Talks' is a twice-quarterly artist speaker series launched by UCSC’s Institute of the Arts and Sciences in 2017. The goal is to introduce students and the public to some of the most important artists working today.
October 22, 2019
When exoplanets collide
Scientists thought they found clues pointing to a collision between two exoplanets ten years ago. Now they found more evidence of a catastrophic collision.
October 21, 2019
Biophysicist David Kliger investigates how a protein goes wrong and causes blindness
Abnormal versions of the protein rhodopsin lead to blindness in people with the genetic disease retinitis pigmentosa.
October 21, 2019
Learning on the playground: How elementary school recess enhances every aspect of child development
Recess is a lot like school lunch: Some kids get lasagna with an organic green salad, some get a burrito out of a box, and some do without. Like lunch, who gets recess—and who gets good recess—is often determined by what school district a student lives in.
October 18, 2019
Dee Hibbert-Jones receives 2019 International Documentary Association grant for new animated film
UC Santa Cruz professor of art Dee Hibbert-Jones has won a 2019 International Documentary Association (IDA) grant for "Run With It"--an animated documentary film she is currently working on in collaboration with San Francisco artist Nomi Talisman.
October 18, 2019
Novel nanoprobes show promise for optical monitoring of neural activity
A new approach for studying neural circuits offers advantages over both microelectrodes and fluorescence-based optical techniques that require genetic modifications.
October 18, 2019
Whole genome sequencing could help save pumas from inbreeding
The first complete genetic sequences of individual mountain lions point the way to better conservation strategies for saving threatened populations of the wild animals.
October 16, 2019
'A Conversation about Oliver Sacks' to feature alumnus Lawrence Weschler and Radiolab’s Robert Krulwich
Celebrated writer and UC Santa Cruz alumnus Lawrence Weschler will join Radiolab’s Robert Krulwich for a public conversation about the late neurologist and acclaimed author Oliver Sacks on October 21, at 7 p.m. in the Music Center Recital Hall.
October 11, 2019
Litquake Santa Cruz to offer 'Funny & Peculiar: Santa Cruz Writers on Keeping It Weird'
In honor of its 20th anniversary, "Litquake," San Francisco’s annual literary festival, has created 20 new events in 20 cities across the country outside of San Francisco. One of those events will take place at Bookshop Santa Cruz on October 15, co-presented by The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz.
October 11, 2019
Student-led iGEM team aims to fight world hunger with synthetic biology
The team of 16 UCSC undergraduates is working to solve a real-world problem while building the skills they will need to be successful researchers.
October 10, 2019
A helping hand from Retirees Association
UC Santa Cruz Retirees Association Silver Slug scholarships benefit UC Santa Cruz staff or their children
October 10, 2019
Viagra shows promise for use in bone marrow transplants
By dilating blood vessels, Viagra enhances the mobilization of blood-forming stem cells from the bone marrow so they can be collected from the blood for transplants.
October 10, 2019
Campus to resume classes, regular business with power restored
Stay informed on any impacts from PG&E's planned power outage.
October 10, 2019
New CITL workshop covers important teaching strategies
A new two-day workshop on teaching covered areas new professors need to know—teaching strategies to help close equity gaps; mentoring and assisting first generation students; handling cheating and plagiarism; and managing teaching assistants.
October 09, 2019
Reef fish caring for their young are taken advantage of by other fish
Biologists have reported the first evidence of brood parasitism in coral reef fish, finding unrelated young fish in groups of young being protected by their parents.
October 08, 2019
New Human Rights Lab trains students to investigate wrongdoing
The new Human Rights Lab went live this fall with 19 students who have learned high-tech, digital-verification skills they will use to investigate alleged human rights abuses around the globe.
October 08, 2019
$8.5 million gift supports UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute
An anonymous gift of $8.5 million to UCSC establishes the Healthier World Fund for the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute.
October 01, 2019
Biologist Upasna Sharma wins NIH Director’s New Innovator Award
The prestigious $1.5 million grant will fund Sharma’s research on how environmental effects can be passed down from parents to their offspring.
September 30, 2019
Campus receives $1.5 million from state for 'Basic Needs' programs
An infusion of state funds is enabling the campus to expand its "basic needs" programs, including initiatives to make free food available on campus seven days a week and to help students who need emergency housing assistance.
September 26, 2019
Galaxy found to float in a tranquil sea of halo gas
Analysis of radio pulses that passed through a galactic halo reveals a surprisingly quiescent halo with very low density and weak magnetic field.
September 25, 2019
Climate report describes escalating impacts on oceans, ice, and snow
UCSC ocean scientist Raphael Kudela is a lead author of the IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, which provides new evidence for the benefits of limiting global warming.
September 25, 2019
Alumna Stacy Jupiter wins coveted MacArthur Fellowship
Stacy Jupiter, a marine scientist with the Wildlife Conservation Society who earned her Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz in 2006, is among the 26 new MacArthur Fellows for 2019.
September 24, 2019
What we learn from talking to strangers
Journalist and bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell addressed a crowd of 1,500 people in Silicon Valley on Saturday. Gladwell honed in on the question of how human beings, even those who we think of as intelligent and highly trained, can be so easily deceived.
September 24, 2019
Kresge renewal project kicks off
This October, UC Santa Cruz will start construction on the first phase of its Kresge renewal project, with plans to add a new academic building and residence halls to the college, refurbish existing buildings, and provide accessibility
September 24, 2019
NIH funds new centers to expand and diversify the human reference genome
The UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute will play a leading role in the ambitious new Human Pangenome Reference Sequence Project.
September 24, 2019
Anthropologist Adrienne Zihlman publishes 450-page opus on ape anatomy and evolution
Anthropology Professor Emerita Adrienne Zihlman has published a 450-page volume that presents the "big picture" of what she has learned about human origins from her painstakingly thorough study of modern ape anatomy over the last four decades.
September 23, 2019
UC Santa Cruz announces lineup for Fall 2019 Living Writers Series
"Autobiography, Fairy Tales, The Future" is the name of this fall’s installment of the Living Writers Series at UC Santa Cruz. Curated by Micah Perks, professor of literature and co-director of the Creative Writing Program, the series runs through December 5 at the Humanities Lecture Hall.
September 23, 2019
Tales of brutality and survival
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Colson Whitehead enthralled a Santa Cruz crowd with stories from Nickel Boys, his new bestselling novel based on the horrifying true story of a notorious reform school in the Florida Panhandle.
September 23, 2019
Moving in and moving up
Move-in at UC Santa Cruz was a time of new beginnings, farewells, excitement and nostalgia. The campus expected to welcome more than 9,000 students to the community over the course of the week.
September 23, 2019
Jack Baskin at 100
UC Santa Cruz celebrates the centenary of Jack Baskin, a pivotal donor whose generosity has shaped the university and benefited causes throughout the Monterey Bay area
September 23, 2019
ARCS Foundation scholarships support UCSC graduate students
Fourteen UC Santa Cruz graduate students have received scholarships worth a total of $158,000 from the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation.
September 19, 2019
UCSC’s Sesnon Gallery to feature works by Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman, Ai Weiwei
Limited edition works by Andy Warhol, Ai Weiwei, Cindy Sherman, and more than a dozen other influential internationally known contemporary artists will be on display at a new exhibition opening this fall at the Mary Porter Sesnon Art Gallery.
September 19, 2019
CITRIS launches Tech for Social Good program at UC Santa Cruz
New program to sponsor student research projects and events on the UCSC campus will hold an information session for students on Tuesday, October 1.
September 19, 2019
Sustainable aquaculture initiative lands $245,000 federal grant
Anne Kapuscinski, professor of environmental studies and director of the Coastal Science and Policy Program, has received a $245,000 federal grant that will support her team’s work driving efforts to make aquaculture more sustainable.
September 17, 2019
Elephant seal 'supermoms' produce most of the population, study finds
High mortality rates for young elephant seals means long-lived females dominate the reproductive output of the population.
September 17, 2019
Youth activism is on the rise around the globe, and adults should pay attention, says author
Greta and Malala get the headlines, but Jessica Taft says that for every young leader pictured on a magazine cover, thousands more are working tirelessly for causes like climate justice, racial and gender equality, LGBTQ rights, and economic change.
September 12, 2019
UC Santa Cruz among Sierra magazine's top 25 cool schools
Reflecting a campuswide commitment to the long-term health of the Earth, UC Santa Cruz is among Sierra magazine's top 25 "Cool Schools" for 2019.
September 11, 2019
UC Santa Cruz ranks as a top worldwide research university
UC Santa Cruz is among the top 200 research universities in the world, according to the latest analysis published by Times Higher Education (THE).
September 08, 2019
UC Santa Cruz ranks as a leading university for social mobility
UC Santa Cruz debuted as the second best university in the country for social mobility, according to the 2020 U.S. News and World Report rankings.
September 06, 2019
Celebrated author and master storyteller Malcolm Gladwell to discuss ‘Talking to Strangers’
Why does a routine traffic stop end in tragedy? How can a spy spend years hidden at the highest levels of the Pentagon? Why is it so hard to detect a lie or judge a stranger's motives? On Sept. 21, The Humanities Institute and Bookshop Santa Cruz, will present “An Evening with Malcolm Gladwell” at the San Mateo Performing Arts Center.
September 05, 2019
Physicist Joel Primack honored by American Physical Society
The 2020 Julius Edgar Lilienfeld Prize recognizes Primack for his outstanding contributions to physics and cosmology.
September 05, 2019
Switzer Environmental Fellowship awarded to UCSC graduate student
Melissa Cronin, a Ph.D. candidate in ecology and evolutionary biology, has been awarded a Switzer Environmental Fellowship from the Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation.
September 05, 2019
Talking about scientific results without overstating the findings
Developmental psychologist Maureen Callanan has coauthored a new paper about researchers' use of "generic language" when they report scientific findings, a tendency that leads to bolder claims that may sacrifice precision.
September 04, 2019
Farm hosts organic ag research tour for Congressman Jimmy Panetta
It was a beautiful September morning when Congressman Jimmy Panetta visited the UCSC Farm to hear from leading researchers in the field of organic agriculture.
September 03, 2019
UCSC’s Genomics Institute settles into new Delaware Avenue headquarters
The move to 2300 Delaware Ave. coincides with the formal establishment of the Genomics Institute as an Organized Research Unit at UC Santa Cruz.
September 03, 2019
Major NSF grant supports research on soil fungi
Kai Zhu, an assistant professor of environmental studies, has received a $700,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to study the biodiversity and distribution of soil fungi across North America.
August 29, 2019
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Colson Whitehead to read from his new novel
Colson Whitehead became a literary phenomenon after the publication of "The Underground Railroad" in 2016, a work of speculative fiction about a young woman who escapes a life of slavery on a Georgia plantation and heads north on a subterranean train...
August 26, 2019
Strawberries: The tasty fruit with a tainted environmental legacy and an uncertain future
Are the glory days of California's strawberry industry gone for good? That's the conclusion of Julie Guthman, author of the new book, Wilted: Pathogens, Chemicals, and the Fragile Future of the Strawberry Industry.
August 26, 2019
Finding his way—with a little help
All alumnus Patrick Bailey needed was some support, which he found in the Summer Research Experience program at UC Santa Cruz; this year, he defied the odds by earning a Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology, and is now doing cancer research.
August 23, 2019
Ted Warburton named inaugural Senior Fellow of Institute for Dance Education Research, Policy & Leadership
Edward (Ted) Warburton, professor of dance and interim dean of the arts at UC Santa Cruz, has been named the inaugural Senior Fellow at the Arnhold Institute for Dance Education Research, Policy & Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University.
August 22, 2019
CASFS embarks on yearlong effort to refresh programming
With more than 50 years of leadership in developing and creating a socially just food system, the center will chart a course for the decades ahead
August 22, 2019
Master gardener Orin Martin authors new book, Fruit Trees for Every Garden
The beautifully illustrated and lovingly written new book Fruit Trees for Every Garden is not your standard how-to book.
August 21, 2019
Crown College: Science-minded, socially mindful
Crown College, known for its science culture, enhances the student experience through academic innovation, ample research opportunities, and courses that make students think beyond their fields of study.
August 20, 2019
Shasta dam releases can be managed to benefit both salmon and sturgeon, study finds
An optimal scenario for releasing water into the Sacramento River can meet the needs of endangered winter-run chinook salmon, threatened green sturgeon, and downstream water users.
August 16, 2019
Theater Arts professor Gerald Casel receives National Dance Project grant
Associate professor of theater arts Gerald Casel has received a grant from the National Dance Project to create a new work titled "Not About Race Dance." His project is one of 20 selected for funding to support the creation of new dance works that will tour the United States in 2020.
August 16, 2019
Optofluidic chip with nanopore 'smart gate' developed for single molecule analysis
A new chip-based platform developed by UCSC researchers integrates nanopores and optofluidic technology for high-throughput analysis of biomolecules.
August 14, 2019
Are the arts at the center of software’s evolution?
In his new book, The Software Arts, UC Santa Cruz professor Warren Sack presents an alternative history of computing that puts the arts at the center of software’s evolution.
August 13, 2019
Two UCSC graduate students win HHMI Gilliam Fellowships for Advanced Study
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute has awarded Gilliam Fellowships for Advanced Study to two UC Santa Cruz graduate students, Apple Cortez Vollmers and Donna Poscablo.
August 08, 2019
UCSC researchers awarded a record number of patents last year
UC Santa Cruz researchers were awarded 26 new patents in the last fiscal year, a record number for the campus.
August 07, 2019
Researchers enlist citizen scientists to count animals on Año Nuevo Island
Volunteers will use drone photos uploaded to the Zooniverse platform to count birds, seals, and sea lions for an unprecedented census of the island.
August 06, 2019
Driven by research excellence, UC Santa Cruz ranks among top 50 public universities
Rankings released Aug. 5 show that UC Santa Cruz is No. 45 among U.S. public universities, No. 78 among all U.S. higher education institutions, and No. 208 in the world.
August 06, 2019
The compelling mathematical challenge of the three-body problem
For mathematician Richard Montgomery, falling cats and orbiting planets have led to fruitful lines of research.
August 02, 2019
UCSC’s Humanities Institute and Cabrillo Festival partner to present ‘Community Night’
A special evening of music designed specifically for Santa Cruz community members by the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music will take place on August 8 at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, presented in collaboration with The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz.
August 02, 2019
Exploring the worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin
Arwen Curry (Kresge ’96, language studies) spent over 10 years making her revelatory documentary about the life and work of legendary sci-fi author Ursula K. Le Guin. Tonight Curry's film gets its national broadcast debut on PBS.
July 30, 2019
Conservation biologists find new applications for AI tools
Deep learning algorithms can be trained to recognize anything from the types of vegetation in a coastal wetland to the sound of a bird hitting a power line.
July 26, 2019
New book by Dana Frank tells personal story of resistance, terror, and U.S. policy in Honduras
"The Long Honduran Night" is the latest book by UC Santa Cruz emerita professor of history, Dana Frank. One of the top academic experts on Honduras in the United States, she tells the dramatic story of life in that country after the military coup that ousted President Manuel Zelaya in June 2009.
July 23, 2019
Donna Haraway elected to Fellowship of the British Academy
Donna Haraway, distinguished professor emerita in the History of Consciousness Department at UC Santa Cruz, is joining a community of more than 1,400 scholars who currently make up the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences.
July 23, 2019
Scholars weigh in on new ideas about autism
The authors of a provocative new paper maintain that many of the behaviors common to autism—including low eye contact, repetitive movements, and the verbatim repetition of words and phrases—are misinterpreted as a lack of interest in social engagement. On the contrary, they say, many people with autism express a deep longing for social connection.
July 23, 2019
St. Baldrick’s Foundation grant funds Treehouse Childhood Cancer Initiative
Emily Beazley Kures for Kids Fund Hero Award provides $400,000 for efforts at UC Santa Cruz to bring comparative genomics analysis to pediatric cancer patients.
July 22, 2019
Lick Observatory commemorates Apollo 11 experiment on 50th anniversary
Dedication of a plaque at Lick's Shane Telescope on August 1 honors the Lunar Laser Ranging Experiment that measured the distance to the moon 50 years ago.
July 22, 2019
Campus increases access for first-gen students
UC Santa Cruz increased the number of California students admitted from low-income families, underrepresented groups, and those who will be the first in their family to earn a 4-year degree.
July 17, 2019
While the cat's away: Predators' fear of humans ripples through wildlife communities, emboldening rodents
A new study indicates that pumas and medium-sized carnivores lie low when they sense the presence of humans, which frees up the landscape for rodents to forage more brazenly.
July 17, 2019
Breakthrough Listen launches new optical search with VERITAS Telescope Array
SCIPP physicist David Williams will help lead effort using four 12-meter telescopes to search for nanosecond flashes of light from extraterrestrial civilizations.
July 16, 2019
Dream job: Combining science and illustration
Ph.D. student Jessica Kendall-Bar is fascinated by how wild marine mammals sleep, and also passionate about using art to explain science.
July 12, 2019
The 2019 Dickens Universe explores a tale of two riots with students from South LA
One of the highlights at this year’s Dickens Universe will be a featured exhibit coming to the campus from Los Angeles along with Jacqueline Barrios, who is using a Dickens novel to explore the impact and history of the Los Angeles riots of 1992 with her high school students.
July 10, 2019
UCSC emerita professor Angela Davis to be inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame
In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote, The National Women’s Hall of Fame will host a weekend in New York honoring the achievements of women in the birthplace of the Women’s Rights movement. The highlight will be the induction of 10 prominent women into the Hall of Fame.
July 08, 2019
UC Santa Cruz founding faculty member Jasper Rose dies at age 89
Jasper Rose, a founding faculty member of the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a professor emeritus of art and history, died on June 12, 2019, in Bath, England, where he had lived in recent years. He was 89.
July 03, 2019
Plants don’t think, they grow: The case against plant consciousness
Botanist Lincoln Taiz and colleagues argue against the suggestion that plants have neurobiology or consciousness.
July 03, 2019
Holger Schmidt receives IEEE Photonics Society Engineering Achievement Award
Schmidt is a professor of electrical and computer engineering and holds the Narinder Kapany chair in Optoelectronics in the Baskin School of Engineering.
July 01, 2019
Alumna’s film about Syrian refugees wins Audience Award for Best Feature at SF DocFest
We Are Not Princesses, the first feature film by UC Santa Cruz alumna Bridgette Auger (SocDoc ’11), was honored with the Audience Award for Best Feature at the 2019 San Francisco Documentary Film Festival.
July 01, 2019
UC Santa Cruz establishes interdisciplinary Southeast Asia research center
A $1 million grant from the Henry Luce Foundation will establish a new Center for Southeast Asian Coastal Interactions (SEACoast) at UC Santa Cruz that will bring together scholars from the social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences to address the region's challenges.
June 28, 2019
Students chowing down tuna in dining halls are unaware of mercury exposure risks
Survey reveals most students are not aware that eating large amounts of tuna exposes them to neurotoxic mercury, and some are consuming more than recommended.
June 27, 2019
Astronomers make history in a split second with localization of fast radio burst
In a world first, an international team of astronomers has determined the precise location of a powerful one-off burst of cosmic radio waves known as a fast radio burst.
June 26, 2019
Corals can survive in acidified ocean conditions, but have lower density skeletons
A two-year transplantation experiment near a natural low-pH submarine spring evaluated growth and physiological response of different coral species to ocean acidification.
June 25, 2019
Three UC Santa Cruz faculty honored with Dickson Emeriti Professorships
Leta Miller, professor emeritus of music, Linda Burman-Hall, research professor in cultural musicology and Diane Gifford-Gonzalez, distinguished research professor of anthropology, were each awarded Edward A. Dickson Emeriti Professorships in recognition of their outstanding achievements in scholarship and teaching.
June 21, 2019
Phil Hammack helps shape Exploratorium's exhibition about identity
Psychology Professor Phil Hammack was thrilled to be invited to help plan a new exhibition at the Exploratorium about identity.
June 17, 2019
Slug spirit shines bright on commencement weekend
Grads celebrated family and friends and cherished the moment during Commencement Weekend 2019 at UC Santa Cruz. Nearly 2,700 undergraduates had applied to participate in college commencement ceremonies.
June 16, 2019
Speaking from the heart
An array of speakers fired up the crowds throughout this year’s UC Santa Cruz commencement weekend, urging students to embrace compassion and community and imparting valuable life lessons from their pasts.
June 14, 2019
Feminist studies professor Gina Dent receives Dizikes Award for teaching in Humanities
Professor of feminist studies Gina Dent was presented with the John Dizikes Teaching Award in Humanities at the Division’s 2019 Spring Awards celebration held at the Cowell Ranch Hay Barn.
June 14, 2019
Startup presentations featured at SVLink Open House on June 18
SVLink, a startup incubator-accelerator located at the Silicon Valley Campus, is now fully subscribed.
June 12, 2019
UCSC celebrates graduation of first Feminist Studies Ph.D.s
Erin McElroy and Veronika Zablotsky will be the first students to graduate from UC Santa Cruz with a Ph.D. in Feminist Studies.
June 11, 2019
Physicist Anthony Aguirre goes deep in 'Cosmological Koans' book
In his new book, physicist Anthony Aguirre explores deep questions about the nature of reality, using an approach inspired by Zen koans to take the reader on a thought-provoking tour of the cosmos and the core ideas of modern physics.
June 09, 2019
Steck Award honoree delves into the mysteries of supernovae
Tin Long Sunny Wong has been gazing at the stars and studying celestial bodies since he was a middle-school student in Hong Kong. This year, his study of supernovae earned him a Steck Family Award, honoring the most outstanding senior research project
June 09, 2019
Awards recognize extraordinary teachers
The annual Excellence in Teaching Awards recognized seven exceptional instructors who were selected from more than 430 nominations.
June 07, 2019
Student to pursue career helping immigrants
First-generation college student Hector Arroyo De La Paz will graduate from UC Santa Cruz next week with a bachelor’s degree in legal studies and Latin American and Latino studies. He credits his parents for making it happen.
June 07, 2019
Undergrad gets her hands dirty learning about redwoods
For Lilianne de la Espriella, doing independent, hands-on research as an undergraduate meant literally getting her hands dirty.
June 07, 2019
Juries bring transparency and accountability to trials in Argentina
A trial by one's peers is a pillar of democracy, which is why scholars and activists are celebrating Argentina's budding embrace of jury trials.
June 06, 2019
A winning combination
Chancellor’s Undergraduate Internship Program provides students with work experience while campus benefits
June 05, 2019
UCSC scientists study rare beaked whale stranded at Scott Creek Beach
The Hubb's beaked whale is one of the rarest and least studied marine mammal species in the world.
June 05, 2019
Campus prepping for commencement ceremonies
More than 5,200 UCSC students are earning undergraduate and graduate degrees for work completed during the 2018–19 academic year. Nearly 2,700 undergraduates have applied to participate in college commencement ceremonies.
June 04, 2019
Bookshop Santa Cruz launches UC Santa Cruz Slug Shop
Bookshop Santa Cruz had a ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening on Monday for its brand-new UC Santa Cruz Slug Shop, which offers a curated collection of UC Santa Cruz memorabilia, and will serve as headquarters for UC Santa Cruz/Bookshop Santa Cruz partnerships.
June 04, 2019
Gifts accelerate research, from the galactic to the microscopic
Gifts from Ken and Gloria Levy support biomedical discovery that may help cancer patients as well as research on dark matter halos, some of the universe’s largest structures
June 03, 2019
2017 North Korean nuclear test was order of magnitude larger than previous tests
A new assessment of the explosion's size was led by UC Santa Cruz seismologist Thorne Lay and undergraduate researcher Dimitri Voytan.
June 03, 2019
Social Sciences recognizes students for excellence in scholarship
Students, faculty, staff, and donors of the Division of Social Sciences gathered Friday, May 31, to celebrate excellence in student scholarship and creativity.
May 31, 2019
Library awarded grant to digitize 670 tapes from Cabrillo Music Festival
UC Santa Cruz has received a grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources to digitize 670 audio recordings featuring a wide variety of works performed at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music from 1964 to 1990.
May 30, 2019
History professor Marc Matera named 2019 ACLS Fellow
UC Santa Cruz associate professor of history Marc Matera has been named a 2019 ACLS Fellow by the The American Council of Learned Societies.
May 30, 2019
Seismologist Emily Brodsky receives multiple honors from professional societies
The American Geophysical Union and the Geological Society of America are both recognizing Brodsky for her scientific contributions.
May 30, 2019
Alumni Excursion: Sea change, up close and personal
A curated trip called "The Effects of Climate Change on Marine Life" offered attendees a detailed look into how UC Santa Cruz researchers are contributing to the discussion of climate change and its direct impact on marine ecosystems.
May 28, 2019
Study reveals structure of a 'master switch' controlling cell division
Understanding the structure of the FoxM1 protein and how it works could guide development of new cancer-fighting drugs.
May 28, 2019
Sociology PhD candidate named UC Free Speech Fellow
Saugher Nojan, a PhD candidate in sociology, has been selected as a 2019-20 fellow of the University of California National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement.
May 24, 2019
Feminist Studies to present ‘Indigeneity & Climate Justice’ conference at Arboretum
The Feminist Studies Department at UC Santa Cruz will present "Indigeneity & Climate Justice," a two-day conference at the Arboretum on May 30-31. Organized by professors Karen Barad and Felicity Amaya Schaeffer, it will feature three keynote speakers and a graduate student panel, plus a tour of the Arboretum.
May 24, 2019
Physicist Michael Dine joins panel on string theory at World Science Festival
Michael Dine, a professor of physics at UC Santa Cruz, will take part in the World Science Festival now under way in New York City.
May 24, 2019
Astronomer Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz appointed to endowed chair for diversity in astronomy
The May 22 investiture ceremony honored Ramirez-Ruiz as the inaugural holder of the Vera Rubin Presidential Chair for Diversity in Astronomy.
May 23, 2019
Astrophysicist Natalie Batalha will give annual Mandel Lecture on June 5
Free public talk will focus on Batalha's research on exoplanets and the search for life on other planets.
May 16, 2019
Bettina Aptheker to moderate panel on impact of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz has joined forces with Bookshop Santa Cruz and the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music to present 'My Own Words: The Law & Legacy of RBG'--a panel discussion and Community Read kickoff event in downtown Santa Cruz.
May 16, 2019
Cynthia Larive to become 11th chancellor of UC Santa Cruz
The University of California Board of Regents approved Dr. Cynthia K. Larive as the eleventh chancellor of UC Santa Cruz. Currently the provost and executive vice chancellor at UC Riverside, Larive has served the UC community for nearly a decade and a half as a faculty member, administrator and leader.
May 15, 2019
Campus prepares to welcome incoming chancellor Cynthia Larive
“I have the sense that she’s really a person who can bring groups together,” said Carl Walsh, distinguished professor of economics at UC Santa Cruz and chair of the faculty subcommittee that reviewed hundreds of potential candidates for the top job.
May 14, 2019
UCSC engineers to participate in research center on autonomous systems
Professor Ricardo Sanfelice will provide expertise in hybrid and cyber-physical systems to a consortium led by the University of Florida and funded by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research.
May 13, 2019
UC Cooperative Extension hires first organic specialist
For the first time, the University of California has hired a Cooperative Extension specialist dedicated to organic agriculture: Joji Muramoto, a longtime research associate with the University of California Santa Cruz, will coordinate a statewide program focused on the organic production of strawberries and vegetables.
May 13, 2019
NSF grant supports training of math and science teachers at UC Santa Cruz
The $1.45 million grant continues NSF support for UCSC's Cal Teach program, funding an integrated pathway to recruit and train new teachers for the Central Coast region.
May 13, 2019
Addressing student hunger boosts academic success, too
A new study suggests that enrolling students in CalFresh—the state's food assistance program for low-income residents—not only addresses student hunger but also boosts the retention rate of participating undergraduates.
May 10, 2019
First Faculty Ethics Bowl at UC Santa Cruz to focus on the future
What role should thinking about the far future—1,000 years ahead and beyond—play in research on campus? That’s the key question that will be discussed at "Ethics and the Far Future"--the first UC Santa Cruz Faculty Ethics Bowl.
May 09, 2019
Anne Kapuscinski receives 2019 Ocean Award for innovation
Anne Kapuscinski, professor of environmental studies and director of the Coastal Science and Policy Program, has received a 2019 Ocean Award for innovation from Boat International magazine and the Blue Marine Foundation.
May 08, 2019
Ancient galaxies reveal new clues about a cosmic transformation
The unexpected brightness of early galaxies may explain "reionization," a transformative epoch in the history of the universe.
May 08, 2019
Great expectations and the general magic of failure
A new film by Dickens Universe regular and benefactor Mike Stern is the story of a little-known company that set in motion much of our technological world
May 08, 2019
Chemist Alexander Ayzner wins NSF CAREER Award
Major grant supports Ayzner's research on soft self-assembling systems for harvesting energy from light.
May 07, 2019
Engage with "alternative Nobel" laureates this spring and summer
UC Santa Cruz is hosting a week-long summer institute with Right Livelihood Award laureate Nicanor Perlas, who received the "alternative Nobel" in 2003 for his work opposing corporate globalization.
May 07, 2019
NIH grant funds research on role of prion proteins in neurodegenerative diseases
The prestigious NIH MIRA grant funds biochemist Glenn Millhauser to expand his research on the function of prion proteins and their role in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's.
May 06, 2019
Biology undergraduate wins prestigious Goldwater Scholarship
Joey Wong, a junior at UC Santa Cruz majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology with a minor in linguistics, has been named a 2019 Goldwater Scholar.
May 03, 2019
UCSC partners with LA Museum of Art for symposium on work of arts professor Isaac Julien
UC Santa Cruz is collaborating with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to present a daylong symposium on the works of influential British filmmaker and installation artist, Isaac Julien, who recently joined the campus as a distinguished professor of the arts.
May 03, 2019
The healing power of yoga
Powerful Netflix documentary 'I Am Maris' explores student Maris Degener’s fall into anorexia, her discovery of yoga as a healing tool, and her eventual recovery.
May 03, 2019
Jenny Reardon participates in Vatican workshop on personalized medicine
Sociology Professor Jenny Reardon, a leading voice in the field of genomics, was one of 15 participants invited to attend a workshop on personalized medicine hosted by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.
May 02, 2019
Astronomers assemble wide view of the evolving universe
A team led by UC Santa Cruz astronomer Garth Illingworth used 16 years of Hubble Space Telescope observations to create a new portrait of the distant universe.
May 02, 2019
Two UC Santa Cruz professors elected to the National Academy of Sciences
Physicist Michael Dine and biologist Susan Strome were elected to the NAS in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.
May 02, 2019
College-bound students celebrate at the Civic Auditorium
More than 200 students from regional high schools attended a first-ever UC-sponsored celebration for college-bound students at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium.
May 02, 2019
Undergraduate with a love for politics eager to give back
Inspired by the election of President Barack Obama and Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, Davon Thomas is forging his own path through the political sphere, currently serving as the vice president of External Affairs for the Student Union Assembly.
May 01, 2019
Microscope expert develops powerful new tools for biologists
With Sara Abrahamsson's arrival in the Baskin School of Engineering, UC Santa Cruz is becoming a hotbed of advanced microscopy and microscope development.
April 30, 2019
Alumni Weekend 2019: Slugs in the mist
More than a thousand people, including 560 alumni, converged on the hilly forested campus for Alumni Weekend 2019, complete with thought-provoking lectures, snacks, free Slug Taxis, a fond farewell, and dancing into the night.
April 30, 2019
U.S. coral reefs provide flood protection worth $1.8 billion annually
New report finds coral reef barriers provide flood protection for more than 18,000 people and $1.8 billion worth of coastal buildings, infrastructure, and economic activity yearly.
April 30, 2019
Campus community lobbies state leaders for increased funding
The all-day lobbying trip to Sacramento included meetings with California Senator Bill Monning, Assemblymember Mark Stone and senior advisors to Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins. In all, the campus delegation met with 15 different lawmakers or key staff members.
April 29, 2019
Air Resources District funds air pollution research and teaching at UC Santa Cruz
Partnership between UCSC and the Monterey Bay Air Resources District supports a new course on air pollution and research on high-tech sensors to detect pollutants.
April 29, 2019
Sandra Faber receives American Philosophical Society's Magellanic Premium Medal
Faber was honored for her transformative research on galaxy formation and evolution.
April 29, 2019
Explore the "superbloom" in Santa Cruz County
A new Field Guide to Plants of UC Santa Cruz makes exploring the landscapes of the campus—and the county—fun and rewarding.
April 29, 2019
Engineering speaker series highlights diverse voices in tech
The speaker series is part of a larger effort to get a more diverse population interested in engineering as a field of study and technology as a career.
April 25, 2019
Night at the Museum in Silicon Valley to spotlight Anti-Semitism and the Internet
What is the relationship between anti-Semitism and the Internet? On May 9, The Humanities Institute and the Center for Jewish Studies will present 'UC Santa Cruz Night at the Museum: Anti-Semitism & the Internet—Old Hatred and New' at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View.
April 25, 2019
Advising students, transforming lives
Stacey Sketo-Rosener (Kresge ’88, literature), UC Santa Cruz’s assistant vice provost for undergraduate advising, is being recognized with UC Santa Cruz’s 2019 Outstanding Staff Award.
April 25, 2019
Succulent savior
Climate change and poachers are wreaking havoc with a rare and enigmatic plant, but researcher Stephen McCabe is part of an ambitious effort to save it from extinction.
April 25, 2019
Biologist Olena Vaske wins major grant from American Association for Cancer Research
The 2019 AACR NextGen Grant for Transformative Cancer Research will support Vaske's research on pediatric cancer genomics.
April 23, 2019
Can a drone weigh an elephant seal?
Undergrad’s innovative research may lead to new methods of weighing seals, expanding our understanding of the mammals and the oceans
April 22, 2019
Arts professor Robin Hunicke appears on 'Project Runway' episode focused on female video game characters
UC Santa Cruz arts professor Robin Hunicke made a special appearance on 'Project Runway' last week. She served as a guest judge on the popular reality television show for an episode where the participants were tasked with designing their own powerful female video game characters.
April 22, 2019
Smith Society celebrates 20 years and unparalleled success
On its 20th anniversary, the Smith Society pays tribute to a remarkable intergenerational community that has provided social mobility and a sense of family, making a college degree possible for hundreds of students
April 19, 2019
Physical and Biological Sciences Division honors three prominent alumni
PBSci Distinguished Alumni Awards recognize contributions to society by graduate and undergraduate alums.
April 19, 2019
UC Santa Cruz hosts summer program on machine learning in astronomy
The Kavli Summer Program in Astrophysics brings together an international group of scientists and students for a six-week program of learning and research.
April 18, 2019
Making art in trying times: DANM exhibition examines culture, society, and the digital world
Thirteen graduate students from the Digital Arts and New Media M.F.A. program (DANM) will conclude two years of artistic study at UC Santa Cruz with "Receivership"—an exhibition of their work running on campus April 26 to May 12.
April 18, 2019
From scholarship to achievement, five grads make their mark
The five recipients of the 2019 Distinguished Graduate Student Alumni Award exemplify the diverse ways in which the former graduate students have translated their scholarship into an appreciable impact in various fields.
April 17, 2019
Entrepreneurs emerge as a force in Europe's refugee emergency
Camilla Hawthorne, assistant professor of sociology, says economic stagnation and a resurgence of racist nationalism are shaping conversations about what it means to be Italian in the 21st century.
April 17, 2019
Astronomer Natalie Batalha elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The academy's class of 2019 also includes UCSC alumnus Joe Palca, as well as Michelle Obama and Jonathan Franzen.
April 16, 2019
UC Santa Cruz philosophy alumnus Jeffrey Stewart wins 2019 Pulitzer Prize for biography
UC Santa Cruz alumnus Jeffrey Conrad Stewart (Cowell College ’71, philosophy) has been awarded the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for "The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke," his definitive biography of the father of the Harlem Renaissance.
April 16, 2019
Biologist Joshua Arribere wins prestigious Searle Scholars grant
Funding from the Searle Scholars Program will support Arribere's research on cellular quality control mechanisms that catch mistakes in gene expression.
April 15, 2019
Alumni Weekend: A cornucopia of Slugs come home, seeking thrills and techno-inspiration
The Baskin School of Engineering will be in the spotlight throughout UC Santa Cruz's Alumni Weekend, with demonstrations of virtual reality, cutting-edge research, small seminar-style "teach-ins" and more.
April 12, 2019
Alumni Weekend: Let's dance
Get ready to dance away the night at a special Fiesta fundraiser at the Museum of Art and History during Alumni Weekend on Saturday, April 27, from 8 p.m. to midnight.
April 12, 2019
Admissions director forged path as first-gen college student
Blia Yang, the director of undergraduate admissions, may very well be the first Hmong admissions director in the state—or at least the UC system.
April 10, 2019
'Hi-Phi Nation' philosophy podcast host to launch humanities residency at UC Santa Cruz
Barry Lam—an associate professor of philosophy at Vassar College and host of the philosophy podcast "Hi-Phi Nation" on Slate—is coming to UC Santa Cruz this week to begin a two-week residency.
April 10, 2019
UC Santa Cruz joins Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education
The National Academies have joined with colleges and universities to found the collaborative, aiming to prevent sexual harassment across all disciplines and among all people in higher education.
April 10, 2019
Alumni Weekend: Raising a glass to Chancellor Blumenthal
An Alumni Weekend tradition, the annual Beer and Wine Reception, will be a chance for well-wishers to raise a glass to retiring Chancellor George Blumenthal. The gathering will take place in the recently refurbished Quarry Amphitheater on Saturday, April 27.
April 08, 2019
Iron volcanoes may have erupted on metal asteroids
NASA's upcoming mission to the asteroid Psyche could look for signs of past eruptions, and evidence of 'ferrovolcanism' may also turn up in iron meteorites.
April 05, 2019
New genus of marine organisms named in honor of ocean scientist Jon Zehr
A newly described genus of marine microorganisms has been named in honor of Professor of Ocean Sciences Jonathan Zehr.
April 04, 2019
New book by Carolyn Burke examines four artists who profoundly shaped 20th-century art
"Foursome"--the latest book by longtime UCSC humanities research associate Carolyn Burke--chronicles the lives of four of the most extraordinary and influential painters and photographers of the early 20th century.
April 03, 2019
Coral study traces excess nitrogen to Maui wastewater treatment facility
Nutrient pollution has been blamed for algal blooms and degradation of coral reefs along Maui's west coast.
April 02, 2019
High-impact science and cutting-edge teaching
Those who attend UC Santa Cruz’s Alumni Weekend April 26–28 can immerse themselves in cutting-edge science and get to the heart of innovative learning techniques during two Saturday afternoon events.
April 01, 2019
Regents approve Student Housing West, Kresge renewal
The UC Board of Regents have approved two major projects that are aimed at improving the student experience at UC Santa Cruz by offering more campus housing options and revitalizing aging facilities.
March 28, 2019
UC Santa Cruz to compete in Cool Campus Challenge
The goal of this friendly online competition is for the university community to engage in a culture of sustainability and environment-friendly practices.
March 28, 2019
College Ten class connects students with Soledad Prison inmates
A first-ever class called "Transcommunal Cooperation and Peacemaking" brought together 14 undergraduates and 28 men incarcerated at the Soledad Correctional Training Facility for an extraordinary 10 weeks of learning and discovery.
March 27, 2019
'Blueprint Roundtable' to discuss complexities of being black and male in U.S.
Students, faculty, and community leaders will respond to questions and issues raised by 'Question Bridge: Black Males'—an exhibition currently on display at the Sesnon Gallery—at a “Blueprint Roundtable” on April 3 at Oakes College.
March 27, 2019
Inspired Expeditions: A travel program for the curious
UC Santa Cruz’s new travel program pairs travelers with expert professors for enhanced perspectives into some of the world’s most fascinating places.
March 25, 2019
Summer programs draw visitors to Lick Observatory for music and stargazing
Tickets go on sale in April for the observatory's popular summer evening programs.
March 22, 2019
Teens who seek solitude may know what's best for them, research suggests
Teens who choose to spend time alone may know what's best for them, according to new research that suggests solitude isn't a red flag for isolation or depression.
March 21, 2019
UC Santa Cruz showcases new music with 'April in Santa Cruz' festival
The UCSC Music Department will present the 'April in Santa Cruz Contemporary Music Festival'-- a month-long series of free concerts on campus featuring works by faculty and graduate students, including performances by two internationally known ensembles--April 6-27.
March 21, 2019
Study gives new perspective on production of blood cells and immune cells
Researchers tracked and quantified the production of different kinds of blood cells and immune cells to understand how the body maintains a balanced supply.
March 21, 2019
Biologist Daniel Costa appointed director of the Institute of Marine Sciences
Daniel Costa, distinguished professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, has been appointed to serve as the next director of the Institute of Marine Sciences, beginning in July 2019.
March 21, 2019
Climate change and drought threaten small mountain streams in the Sierra Nevada
Aquatic life in small headwater streams is especially vulnerable to the effects of prolonged drought, according to a study of mid-elevation streams in the Sierra Nevada.
March 20, 2019
Deforestation in Brazil could significantly increase local surface temperatures
New model quantifies how forests influence reflected sunlight and evapotranspiration, leading to changes in local surface temperature with deforestation.
March 20, 2019
New study shows effects on offspring of epigenetic inheritance via sperm
In experiments with worms, researchers showed that epigenetic marks on sperm chromosomes affect gene expression and development in offspring.
March 19, 2019
The elephant seal in the room
Sixth-year ecology and evolutionary biology Ph.D. student Sarah Kienle wowed the judges at UC Santa Cruz’s annual Grad Slam, a competition that requires grad students to distill years of research into three-minute pitches.
March 18, 2019
YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki and Google exec Dennis Troper share tips and tales
During a campus visit on Saturday, tech titan Susan Wojcicki urged college students to pursue careers of meaning and impact in fields that are growing—and to be flexible and humble as they begin their work lives.
March 14, 2019
New anthology of essays about Chicana and Chicano art edited by arts professor Jennifer González
"Chicano and Chicana Art: A Critical Anthology" offers an overview of the history and theory of Chicano and Chicana art from the 1960s to the mid-2000s.
March 14, 2019
New book by biochemist David Deamer explores the origins of life
'Assembling Life' proposes a novel theory, based on Deamer's research, of how life can begin on Earth and other planets.
March 14, 2019
Sixth annual Climate Conference links science and justice
For the first time, the annual UC Santa Cruz Climate Conference will bring together prominent ocean scientists and leading social-justice advocates to discuss the environmental and equity dimensions of the crisis.
March 12, 2019
Title IX Office fully staffed with new assistant director, investigators
The office, led by Title IX Officer Isabel Dees, has six staff members, including, an assistant director, three full-time investigators, and a response team coordinator.
March 12, 2019
Review of noise impacts on marine mammals yields new policy recommendations
After a comprehensive review of current knowledge, a panel of scientists has published new recommendations regarding marine mammal noise exposure.
March 11, 2019
Smile Train partners with UC Santa Cruz researchers on speech therapy game
Designed to support speech therapy for children after reconstructive surgery for cleft lip and cleft palate, SpokeIt uses game play to make speech therapy fun.
March 10, 2019
Leading the charge for change
Alumna Amita Kuttner, a current graduate student in the Physics Department, is running as a Green Party candidate for a seat in Canada’s House of Commons in order to make policy around climate change—a quest sparked by a devastating loss
March 07, 2019
UC Santa Cruz launches online 'Feminism and Social Justice' course with Bettina Aptheker
UC Santa Cruz has launched a new online course open to the public through the Coursera platform. Titled 'Feminism and Social Justice,' it is an adaptation of a popular course taught on campus for nearly a decade by feminist studies professor Bettina Aptheker.
March 07, 2019
Return of the Slugs
Alumni Weekend 2019 is just around the corner. This year's festivities will take place from Friday, April 26, through Sunday, April 28. Highlights include a talk about "high-impact science,'' the ever-popular beer and wine reception, and a reunion of the college band Flowers of Evil.
March 06, 2019
Veteran teacher shows how achievement gaps in STEM classes can be eliminated
Professor Tracy Larrabee succeeded in closing the gap between underrepresented minority and first-generation college students and the rest of her class.
March 04, 2019
A high bar for giving
UC Santa Cruz’s fourth-annual Giving Day, an adrenaline-fueled online philanthropic festival, shattered records this year, with fundraisers kicking in more than $665,000, and a record-breaking 7,000 gifts for 175 projects.
March 01, 2019
Guillermo Gómez-Peña returns to UCSC to perform his latest solo work: "The Most (un) Documented Mexican Artist"
Internationally renowned artist Guillermo Gómez-Peña returns to UC Santa Cruz on March 5 to perform his latest solo work, "The Most (un) Documented Mexican Artist," at the Theater Arts Second Stage, beginning at 7 p.m.
March 01, 2019
UCSC to bring art/science LASER series downtown for special evening at Rio Theater
On Tuesday, March 12, the Institute of the Arts and Sciences at UC Santa Cruz will bring its local LASER—now in its sixth year of quarterly talks on campus—downtown for a special evening at the Rio Theater.
March 01, 2019
'Fusion' exhibit a collision of art, physics
Conceived by UC Santa Cruz physics lecturer Stephanie Bailey, the show features work created by 17 pairs of artists and physics graduate students.
February 27, 2019
UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute launches brain research project
UCSC engineers and genomics experts are partnering with UCSF neuroscientists to develop new technology for studying human brain evolution and development.
February 26, 2019
Borderbus: A community conversation about migration, art, and social justice
Former U.S. poet laureate Juan Felipe Herrera will appear in conversation with book artist and UCSC alumna Felicia Rice on March 6, at the Museum of Art and History in downtown Santa Cruz.
February 22, 2019
Living Writers Series event dedicated to celebration of literature professor Karen Yamashita
On February 28, the Living Writers Series will dedicate a special reading to a celebration of literature professor Karen Yamashita on the occasion of her retirement, beginning at 5 p.m. in the Humanities Lecture Hall.
February 22, 2019
Pipe dreams
Three huge clay sewer pipes carved by alumnus Tom Franco and a team of artists are now gracing Danville’s art gallery in an exhibit curated by a fellow Slug.
February 21, 2019
Biologist Olena Morozova Vaske appointed to endowed chair in pediatric genomics
At an investiture ceremony, Vaske was honored as the inaugural holder of the Colligan Presidential Chair in Pediatric Genomics.
February 20, 2019
In memoriam: Irene Osterbrock
Widow of late Lick Observatory director was tireless UC Santa Cruz advocate, volunteer, supporter of graduate students, and arts patron
February 20, 2019
Fat bats withstand the effects of white-nose syndrome, study finds
New findings explain how some populations of little brown bats are persisting, even after initial population declines caused by the debilitating fungal disease.
February 19, 2019
Art professor to screen new documentary film at Museum of Modern Art
UC Santa Cruz art professor and multimedia artist Elizabeth Stephens and her artistic collaborator Annie Sprinkle will present their latest film at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
February 19, 2019
Ready, set, give!
Mark your calendars for the give-fest of the year. Giving Day, a high-octane 24-hour online festival of nonstop giving, returns to UC Santa Cruz on February 27.
February 19, 2019
UC Santa Cruz launches the country's first graduate program in serious games
The Baskin School of Engineering is launching the first professional master’s degree program in serious games offered in the United States, with an initial cohort of students starting in fall 2019.
February 19, 2019
Blum Scholars present preliminary results of community-based research
Four graduate students discussed their research on jail health care, Latina resistance, Central Valley youth, and feminism in the farmlands.
February 14, 2019
Marin County: Safe harbor for Native residents during the Mission era and into the 20th century
Contrary to the dominant narrative of cultural extinction, indigenous residents of Marin County survived colonization, preserving and passing on their traditions and cultural practices, says anthropologist Tsim Schneider.
February 13, 2019
Diller Lecture to feature talk on the history of Jews, human rights, and global democracy
Guest author and scholar James Loeffler will deliver the 2019 Helen Diller Distinguished Lecture in Jewish Studies on Wednesday, February 20, at the Cowell Ranch Hay Barn on the UC Santa Cruz campus.
February 13, 2019
Tech titan returns to campus, shares tales of survival
Alumnus Michael Lopp is vice president of engineering at Slack, the popular team-building platform, and the author of two books and a blog about leadership.
February 12, 2019
Data scientist Lise Getoor to give annual Faculty Research Lecture on Feb. 26
Lise Getoor, professor of computer science and engineering, will discuss "Responsible Data Science" in the 53rd annual Faculty Research Lecture on Tuesday, February 26.
February 11, 2019
Diverse scents of woodland star wildflowers driven by coevolution with pollinators
Scientists found a surprising diversity of floral scent compounds produced by different species of woodland stars and even by populations of the same species in different locations.
February 11, 2019
Campus awarded grant for bike path safety improvements, education
UC Santa Cruz was awarded a $799,000 grant from the California Transportation Commission, funding that will go toward widening most of the bike path through the Great Meadow and expanding bike safety educational efforts.
February 08, 2019
Spirituality, leadership, and social justice
Rabbi Paula Marcus of Temple Beth El is the 11th recipient of the annual Tony Hill Award, a prestigious honor that is given to bridge-builders and community organizers who embody the spirit of the late social activist Tony Hill.
February 07, 2019
The ghosts of fascism
Madeleine Albright, the United States’ first female secretary of state, spoke about the rise of authoritarian governments and the enduring threat of fascism during her sold-out talk in front of 2,500 people in downtown Santa Cruz on Tuesday night.
February 07, 2019
Novel electrocatalyst outperforms platinum in alkaline hydrogen production
A ruthenium-based catalyst developed at UC Santa Cruz has potential applications in sustainable hydrogen production for clean energy and in industrial processes.
February 05, 2019
Former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen receives Foundation Medal
UC Santa Cruz presented Former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen with the Foundation Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the campus.
February 01, 2019
Question Bridge: Black Males exhibition opens Feb. 6 at Sesnon Art Gallery
'Question Bridge: Black Males' is an exhibition in which a wide array of videos have been merged together to simulate face-to-face conversations between a diverse group of more than 160 black men across the United States.
February 01, 2019
Respect, remembrance and celebration at 35th annual MLK Convocation
Professor Melissa Harris-Perry, the Maya Angelou Presidential Chair at Wake Forest University, will be this year’s featured speaker at the annual UC Santa Cruz Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation in downtown Santa Cruz.
January 31, 2019
Mean streets: Self-driving cars will "cruise" to avoid paying to park
If you think traffic in city centers is bad now, just wait until self-driving cars emerge on the scene, cruising around to avoid paying hefty downtown parking fees.
January 31, 2019
Study of brine discharge from desalination plant finds good news and bad news
Brine discharged from the Carlsbad Desalination Plant raises offshore salinity levels more than permitted, but researchers found no direct local impacts on sea life.
January 30, 2019
Jody Greene and Mary Beth Pudup named to inaugural board of UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement
UC Santa Cruz professors Jody Greene and Mary Beth Pudup are among 19 leading University of California scholars who have been named to the inaugural academic advisory board of the UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement.
January 29, 2019
An unburied dream
It took professor emeritus Paul Skenazy many years to say, "I want to be a fiction writer." Now he's won a prestigious literary prize for his fiction debut, Temper CA. Last month, he drew a capacity crowd to Bookshop Santa Cruz.
January 29, 2019
Why beaked whales return to Navy sonar range despite frequent disturbance
A new study using underwater robots reveals dense patches of deep-sea squid attract beaked whales to a Navy sonar test range off Southern California.
January 29, 2019
MaNGA data release includes detailed maps of thousands of nearby galaxies
Major data release from Sloan Digital Sky Survey includes galaxy maps, new data access and visualization tools, and a huge 'stellar library'.
January 29, 2019
UC Santa Cruz builds strong transfer, frosh applicant pool
The campus marked the first step toward building the Classes of 2021 (transfer) and 2023 (first-time), receiving 67,262 applications for fall 2019 enrollment.
January 28, 2019
Madeleine Albright in conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning UCSC alumna Martha Mendoza on Feb. 5
Madeleine Albright, the first United States female Secretary of State, will speak about her new book, "Fascism: A Warning"--in conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and UC Santa Cruz alumna Martha Mendoza--on Tuesday, February 5, at the at the Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz.
January 24, 2019
'What refugees taught me about Shakespeare'
On Jan. 31, New York theater director Jessica Bauman will come to campus for a special evening at Kresge Town Hall titled 'What Refugees Taught Me About Shakespeare.' Together with UCSC professor Cat Ramirez, she will explore the ways that the stories we hear and tell about refugees shape our responses to the worldwide migration crisis.
January 23, 2019
Art professor receives 2019 Creative Capital Award plus SFFILM artist residency for new documentary film
UC Santa Cruz professor of art Dee Hibbert-Jones has received a 2019 Creative Capital Award for "Run With It," a feature-length animated documentary film she is currently working on in collaboration with San Francisco artist Nomi Talisman.
January 23, 2019
Gov. Newsom appoints UCSC alumna Kris Perry to key post
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed UC Santa Cruz alumna Kris Perry, a nationally recognized advocate for children, to a key post in his new administration.
January 18, 2019
Questions That Matter public humanities series to spotlight ‘Data and Democracy’ at Kuumbwa Center
The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz will present "Data and Democracy"—the fifth installment of its signature Questions That Matter series—on Tuesday, January 29, at Kuumbwa Jazz Center in downtown Santa Cruz.
January 18, 2019
Waves in Saturn's rings give precise measurement of planet's rotation rate
Saturn's ring system acts as a sensitive seismograph, enabling scientists to measure the giant planet's vibrations and determine its rotation rate.
January 16, 2019
Scientists to inaugurate a new type of gamma ray telescope at Whipple Observatory
The prototype Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope (pSCT) is designed as a pathfinder telescope for the Cherenkov Telescope Array.
January 16, 2019
Grad student working to advance Beyond Compliance initiative
Across the world, graduate student Alison Hanson has focused on preventing and responding to sexual violence. She's now bringing her expertise to UC Santa Cruz, where she's part of the campus Beyond Compliance initiative.
January 15, 2019
Idled farmland presents habitat restoration opportunities in San Joaquin Desert
Land no longer suitable for agriculture could be reclaimed as habitat for dozens of endangered species, according to a new analysis.
January 15, 2019
Seed-funding innovation
The UC Santa Cruz Foundation Board of Trustees seeks interesting new projects to fund.
January 14, 2019
Janet Yellen: Honoring a living legend
Janet Yellen, widely regarded as one of the most successful Federal Reserve chairs in history, will receive the UC Santa Cruz Foundation Medal at a ceremony in Menlo Park next month.
January 14, 2019
Upper-ocean warming is changing the global wave climate, making waves stronger
The energy in ocean waves has been increasing as a consequence of climate change, according to a new study.
January 10, 2019
Professor honored by Linguistic Society of America for decades of work on endangered languages
UC Santa Cruz emeritus professor of linguistics Judith Aissen was awarded the prestigious Kenneth L. Hale Award last week in New York City at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Society of America (LSA). The LSA is the major professional society in the United States that is dedicated to the scientific study of language.
January 09, 2019
Biologist Jeremy Sanford awarded prestigious $1.85 million grant from NIH
MIRA grant funds Sanford to extend his studies of the mechanisms of RNA processing and RNA-binding proteins, which are involved in inherited diseases and cancer.
January 08, 2019
Institute of Arts and Sciences to present talk by politically provocative artist Glenn Ligon
Glenn Ligon is perhaps best known for his landmark series of text-based paintings, which draw on the words of such diverse figures as Richard Pryor, Zora Neale Hurston, and Gertrude Stein. On Jan. 15, the Institute of Arts and Sciences will present a lecture by Ligon at UCSC's Digital Arts Research Center
January 07, 2019
UC Santa Cruz historian and founding faculty member John Dizikes dies at 86
John Dizikes, a professor emeritus of American Studies and a founding member of the faculty of the University of California, Santa Cruz, died at his home in Santa Cruz on December 26, 2018.
January 02, 2019
NSF funds innovative stable isotope equipment at UC Santa Cruz
The new equipment will support research across a wide range of disciplines, ranging from oceanography and earth science, paleontology, anthropology, ecology and fundamental biochemical cycle research.