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Prospective Student News

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
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 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 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.
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 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 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
UC Santa Cruz welcomes 24 new faculty members
UC Santa Cruz is welcoming 24 new faculty members to campus this academic year. Areas of expertise include public health, stem cell, education innovations, and much more. UC Santa Cruz now has 615 tenure-track faculty members.
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.
September 24, 2019
New website highlights UCSC's "living labs"
A new website provides easy access to programs offering opportunities for hands-on learning at UCSC.
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 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 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 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.
September 02, 2019
Summer enrollment numbers continue to grow
Summer enrollment grew for the third year in a row at UC Santa Cruz Summer Session with more than 5,999 students taking summer classes. This is the highest recorded summer enrollment, about a 16 percent increase from last year.
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 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 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.
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 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 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 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 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
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 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 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 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
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
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.
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 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
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 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 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 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.
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 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 11, 2019
Graduate student joins White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
Marnie Riddle, a Ph.D. candidate in environmental studies, will spend one year in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy as a John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellow.
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.
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
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 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 05, 2019
Campus to deliver new student orientation online
Our goal is to provide the best experience for our students and this new approach allows students to learn at their own pace.
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 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.