May 2020 News Archive

UCSC campus directory now supports pronoun options

Statement on George Floyd

I write today to share our pain, sadness, and anger for the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In the midst of this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, the all too common violence and threat of violence perpetrated against Black people and other communities of color in our country escalates.

On-Campus Permit Requirement Update

Effective June 1, 2020 through June 30, 2020, permit requirements for regular, non-reserved parking spaces on campus, including the Coastal Sciences Campus and the Westside Research Park facility (2300 Delaware), will continue to be temporarily suspended.

Emerald predators: Ohlone tiger beetles reclaim territory with the help of local scientists

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists released 43 Ohlone tiger beetles to a new home in Santa Cruz County earlier this year with the help of UC Santa

Physicist Tesla Jeltema wins Mentorship Award from American Physical Society

An accomplished astrophysicist, Jeltema is also a champion for diversity and a dedicated supporter of students at all

Universe’s ‘missing matter’ finally found in the space between galaxies

An international team of astronomers has solved the decades-old mystery of the ‘missing matter’ long predicted to exist in the universe but never before

SAB elections, leadership town hall update, news about Thumbs Up Awards

We have a lot of updates for our campus community in this announcement. More details for all of them may be found on our webpage.

Dana Byrne

Dana Byrne is the kind of person who likes to get answers. So it was a natural fit for her to gravitate to chemistry as a field of

Sandra Nair

The 21-year-old from Kerala, India, is graduating with a double major in physics and mathematics, she speaks four languages, she has won numerous awards, and—oh, yes, she’s a

Nitin Vidyasagar

Nitin Vidyasagar is looking forward to graduation and a new position in a cell biology lab. Over the next two years, he will assist UC Berkeley Assistant Professor

Diego Alonzo Martinez Mori

When he was a child in Peru, Diego Alonzo Martinez Mori’s mother would sometimes bring him to the medical office where she was a secretary. Seeing the doctors

Minh Anh Nguyen

It was a big change for San Jose resident Minh Anh Nguyen to move across the country to New Jersey last summer for an internship with defense contractor

Sergio Mendez Vargo

Sergio Mendez Vargo always knew he wanted to be in the sciences but wasn’t sure what branch.

Zoom Update - Please Review

Beginning May 30, Zoom meetings will require version Zoom 5.0 or newer. This latest version provides valuable security enhancements.

Ahyesha Russell

After graduation, Ahyesha Russell is headed for a well-paid job with Capgemini in Seattle as a technical consultant—something she hadn't thought was possible in her wildest

Daniel Garcia

Daniel Garcia is looking forward to going to grad school and having a career in education, either as a professor or directing a program that provides equal opportunities

Felix Vazquez

If Felix Vazquez had to title his four years at UC Santa Cruz, he said they would be called, “A Series of Fortunate

Protecting vulnerable children and families during the pandemic

In addition to experiencing higher rates of COVID-19 infection and death, the most vulnerable among us are losing ground in schooling, learning, and development, according to the authors

Jocelyn Lopez-Anleu

Jocelyn Lopez-Anleu was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles and is the first member in her family to leave home and attend a four-year university.

Raynier Ramos

After four years, the honors student with a double major in legal studies and history of art and visual culture (HAVC) is back in San Diego now where

Joyce Lin

Joyce Lin designs whimsical and inclusive games—queer games Lin lovingly calls

Marian Avila-Breach

When Marian Avila-Breach, 25, transferred from a community college to UC Santa Cruz, she thought she knew what was in store for her during the next two years.

Zaire Armstrong

Zaire Armstrong, 22, is this year’s winner of the David A. Kadish Humanities Scholarship Award, which recognizes deserving students with a strong interest in the study of humanities.

Max Tarlov

Max Tarlov, 21, already had his major in mind when he started out at UC Santa Cruz. But a class called Syntax 1 deepened his engagement with linguistics,

Nirupama Chandrasekhar

Nirupama Chandrasekhar, 21, has pursued rigorous and impactful research throughout her undergraduate career, impressing her professors with her independent work and collaborative research projects.

Ben Ochoa

The documentary Ben Ochoa is most proud of is one he made that hit close to home.

Nyereath Nhial

Nhial, a 2020 UC Santa Cruz graduate who was born in San Diego County, knew her family’s saga but wanted to explore more deeply the stories of women

UCSC faculty and alumni win Rydell Visual Arts Fellowships from Santa Cruz Community Foundation

A dance lecturer and two alumni from the UC Santa Cruz Arts Division have been awarded Rydell Visual Arts Fellowships for 2020 and 2021 from Community Foundation Santa

Astronomers create cloud atlas for hot, Jupiter-like exoplanets

Giant planets in our solar system and circling other stars have exotic clouds unlike anything on Earth, and the gas giants orbiting close to their stars—so called hot

Nominations for UC Santa Cruz’s Outstanding Staff Award

Do you know a UC Santa Cruz staff member who: goes “above and beyond” to provide distinguished service to students, staff, and/or faculty colleagues, works to grow and improve programs on campus, contributes to UC Santa Cruz’s unique intellectual and physical environment?

Time management in challenging circumstances

Working from home, working with distractions, and working with greater demands for productivity are all the norm right now. Consciously prioritizing and planning your work can relieve stress, free up more time and help you prioritize and realize your goals. Join us in conversation, and share what you’ve learned about remote work.

UCSC Extension offering 25 percent off summer courses

Investing in the future takes courage. We're making it easier. Enroll today and receive 25% off all courses scheduled June 1 through August 31.

Eminent biologist Carol Greider to join UC Santa Cruz faculty

Known for her pioneering work on telomeres, Nobel laureate Carol Greider brings exceptional research and leadership skills to her appointment in the Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental

Astronomers discover a massive rotating disk galaxy in the early universe

The discovery by an international team of astronomers of a massive rotating disk galaxy, seen when the universe was only ten percent of its current age, challenges traditional

Beware of scam involving messages from professors, colleagues

Campus police ask members of the campus community to beware of a phishing scam that involves text messages or emails that appear to come from a professor or a university colleague. The emailer asks you to purchase a gift card for them as a favor, stating that they will later reimburse you.

Beware of scam involving messages from professors

Campus police ask members of the campus community to beware of a phishing scam that involves text messages or emails that appear to come from a professor or a university colleague.

Virtual art galleries created to exhibit works of 13 Irwin Scholars

This year’s exhibition of artwork by 13 Irwin Scholars typically would be installed at the Mary Porter Sesnon Art Gallery at Porter College. But, with campus closed

Field courses boost STEM diversity, study reveals

The challenge of diversifying STEM fields may get a boost from the results of a new study that show field courses help build self-confidence among students—especially those from

With a focus on public safety, Lick staff member turns to making masks

As a quilter with more than 40 years experience, Michele Redel decided to start making masks for the close-knit community at Lick

Infectious disease expert Marm Kilpatrick to discuss COVID-19 on Friday, May 22

Marm Kilpatrick, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, will present “COVID19: The scientific basis for what we know and the exit strategy it provides” on Friday, May

Taking care of business

UC Santa Cruz students are helping to keep area businesses afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic. They're part of a program called GetVirtual, which doubles as an online entrepreneurship

Letter from President Napolitano

I am writing to update you on several key decisions the Chancellors and I have agreed to which are difficult, but necessary in order to respond to the significant financial impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on UC and the ongoing budgetary uncertainties we face.

Tracing neurons in the visual cortex sheds light on brain’s circuitry

Researchers used a combination of techniques to identify different neuronal cell types and trace their connectivity within the mouse visual

Systemwide review of revised UC Sustainable Practices Policy

The University of California Office of the President invites comments on the proposed revisions to the UC Sustainable Practices policy.

Answers to Forum Questions

During the Chancellor and Leadership Forum on 4/23, we recorded all questions asked and shared them with the senior leaders of campus. We have gotten them back with answers today, and we wanted to share them widely.

Outbreak inquiry

Faculty have developed two undergraduate classes that are focusing on the effects and experiences of the coronavirus pandemic, even while the pandemic is under

Campus team a finalist in Amazon's Alexa challenge

UC Santa Cruz’s Team Athena is one of five teams remaining in the Alexa Prize Socialbot Grand Challenge from a field of 375 applicants from around the world.

COVID Catalyst Fund supports work on rapid serology test at UC Santa Cruz

Biomolecular engineer Nader Pourmand is evaluating the use of a novel nanosensor to provide rapid, low-cost, and accurate serology tests for coronavirus

Cowell College: Blazing the trail to lifelong learning

UC Santa Cruz’s first college prides itself on academic rigor and the spirit of community, living up to its motto: “The pursuit of truth in the company of

Washington Post's depictions of autism shift from "cause and cure" to acceptance, study finds

The Washington Post's depiction of autism has shifted over the years from a focus on "cause and cure" toward one of acceptance and accommodation, say the authors of

Innovative technologies to address COVID-19 funded by UC’s CITRIS

Three projects led by UC Santa Cruz researchers are among the 25 awards in the initial round of funding from CITRIS and the Banatao

Powerful new AI technique detects and classifies galaxies in astronomy image data

UCSC researchers developed a deep-learning framework called Morpheus to perform pixel-level morphological classifications of objects in astronomical

A network of support for preventing and responding to sexual and relationship violence

I write today to raise awareness of resources available during the COVID-19 crisis to prevent and respond to sexual and relationship violence and to support survivors. Experiencing violence or harassment is always a complex and painful experience and there is assistance and support both on campus and in your individual communities.

Planning for the Ramp-up of UCSC Research

With the release of Governor Newsom’s four-stage plan for reopening businesses and schools and even more recent statement about moving to early stage 2 of reopening on May 8, it is time to discuss UCSC’s gradual ramp-up of research operations.

Division of Student Success Transition

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Assistant Vice Chancellor Jennifer Baszile, Ph.D., as the interim vice chancellor for the Division of Student Affairs and Success, effective July 1, 2020

Forum Follow-up

In the lead-up to the Chancellor and Leadership Forum a few weeks ago, we sent a survey asking folks what they were most concerned about. Those concerns were also echoed in the questions that got asked during the forum.

Call for Online Course Proposals for Fall 2020

In order to best prepare our instructional capacity and quality for some continuation of remote instruction in the fall, the campus seeks proposals from faculty to develop fully online courses to be offered in Fall 2020.

Community Conversations: A Principles of Community Discussion Series on “Purposeful”

From frontline to faculty, from staff to student, dining to donors--customer service is ever-present in higher education. Let’s talk about customer service as the matrix in which we live, and how we can serve and support our own team, our larger organization and our students.

Focus on patients led alumna to nursing

Even in the midst of COVID-19, Hannah Miller said she continues to do the same job—caring for patients when they are at their most

CITRIS Seed Funding program invites proposals for pandemic and disaster preparedness projects

CITRIS and the Banatao Institute at UC Santa Cruz is inviting UCSC researchers to apply for research support for projects focused on providing solutions to issues related to

Response to new federal Title IX regulations

The U.S. Department of Education on Wednesday issued long-anticipated Title IX rules mandating how schools nationwide respond to complaints of sexual harassment. Schools, including UC Santa Cruz, have been given until Aug.14 to comply with these new regulations.

Planting trees is no panacea for climate change, says ecologist

Restoration ecologist Karen Holl has a simple message for anyone who thinks planting 1 trillion trees will reverse the damage of climate change: "We can't plant our way

Team reveals genomic history of ancient civilizations in the Andes

An international research team has conducted the first in-depth, wide-scale study of the genomic history of ancient civilizations in the central Andes mountains and coast before European contact.

In Memoriam: Alec Stouras

Alec Stouras, a department assistant for Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, died on April 19. He was 67.

Updated Santa Cruz County order allows more businesses to open

Santa Cruz County issued on May 6 an updated Shelter-in-Place Order allowing local businesses to conduct limited reopenings as Gov. Gavin Newsom launches Stage 2 of his Reopening Roadmap.

Commencement Updates

The class of 2020 deserves a celebration. Our graduating seniors are demonstrating such resilience in the face of an unprecedented final year of college and have set an example for our campus of success and camaraderie.

COVID-19 Impacts on Graduate Education

Graduate Council is concerned about the impacts ofCOVID-19 on your welfare and academics. As communicated in our April 29, 2020 letter to graduate program directors, coordinators, and cc’d to the GSA leadership, we have implemented several temporary changes to policies within the authority of Graduate Council to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 and better support graduate students and their academic progress.

Systemwide review of revised policy on UC Native American Cultural Affiliation and Repatriation

The University of California Office of the President invites comments on the proposed revisions to the Presidential policy on Native American Cultural Affiliation and Repatriation.

Already vulnerable, gig economy workers in San Francisco suffer during coronavirus pandemic, survey reveals

A new survey of app-based ride-hailing and food and grocery-delivery workers in San Francisco underscores the financial vulnerability of workers in the gig economy—and the coronavirus has made

Video highlights cultural differences in collaboration

A video by Barbara Rogoff, distinguished professor of psychology, about how children learn to collaborate is featured in the 2020 STEM for All Video Showcase competition hosted by the National Science Foundation.

2020 Campus Elections Announcement

The sample ballot for the Spring 2020 Campus Elections is now available for your review at elections.ucsc.edu. Please take a moment to review this year's undergraduate and graduate student ballots.

Alumnus leads massive effort to ramp up COVID-19 testing

UC Santa Cruz alumnus Joe DeRisi is one of the leading scientists in the fight against the novel coronavirus, helming a massive effort to ramp up state-of-the-art clinical

Supporting our students with CARES funding

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act signed into law in early April provides UC Santa Cruz with $19.3 million to mitigate the financial impact of the pandemic on the university and its students. At least half of the institution’s allocation will go directly to students via the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office (FASO) to help with expenses related to COVID-19, including costs for housing, food, course materials, technology, health care, and childcare.

Recovery planning

I am so grateful to our staff and faculty for your dedication to our campus, our students, and our mission. You have continually modeled innovation and hard work as we face unprecedented challenges as our campus continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

New provosts announced for Stevenson, Porter colleges

Undergraduate Education has announced that Professor Matt O’Hara has been named provost of Adlai E. Stevenson College and Associate Professor Gerald Casel has been named provost of Benjamin F. Porter College.

Eleven human genomes sequenced and assembled in nine days

The dawn of good, fast, and cheap human genome assembly has arrived, thanks in part to collaboration and innovation by an international team led by UC Santa Cruz

Nominate students to be honored at the 2020 Service Recognition Ceremony

Students, faculty, and staff — have you or someone you know contributed to our Santa Cruz community through service work? See if you qualify to be honored at the Student Volunteer Center's Service Recognition Ceremony.

Remaining inclusive, even while apart

We want to start this message by acknowledging the camaraderie, compassion, and generosity of spirit that the UC Santa Cruz community has largely shown over the past several weeks

Slug Support provides a lifeline in the COVID-19 crisis

Emergency student assistance program rapidly shifts to remote work while fielding increased caseload and providing crucial help to some of campus's most vulnerable

Santa Cruz County updates shelter-in-place order

UC Santa Cruz continues to address the challenges created by COVID-19. I want to thank everyone in our campus community for their patience during this difficult time. Public health continues to be our top priority.

Enrollment opens for UCSC Summer Session Remote

Open enrollment is underway for UC Santa Cruz Summer Session, which offers a wide range of remote courses across multiple departments.

On-Campus Permit Requirement Update

Effective May 4, 2020 through May 31, 2020, permit requirements for regular, non-reserved parking spaces on campus, including the Coastal Sciences Campus and the Westside Research Park facility (2300 Delaware), will continue to be temporarily suspended.

Engineer Ricardo Sanfelice receives ‘test of time’ award for influential paper

Ricardo Sanfelice, professor of electrical and computer engineering, has received the 2020 Test-of-Time Award from the Hybrid Systems: Computation and Control (HSCC)