July 2020
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Computer scientist Luca de Alfaro wins ‘test of time’ awards for influential papers
Luca de Alfaro, professor of computer science and engineering, received 2020 Test-of-Time Awards from the IEEE Symposium on Logic in Computer Science (LICS) and the International Conference on Embedded Software (EMSOFT).
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Virtual Dickens Universe to spotlight link between Victorian and African American studies
For nearly four decades, the Dickens Project at UC Santa Cruz—the largest multi-campus consortium on Victorian studies in the world—has presented the Dickens Universe, a week of intense study and festivities among the redwoods. But this year, due to the pandemic, it will instead be hosting a weeklong “Virtual Dickens Universe.”
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Is COVID-related reduction in marine traffic reducing stress in whales?
Whale researchers are taking advantage of changes in boat traffic in Monterey Bay during the pandemic to collect data on stress hormones in humpback whales.
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Adwait Ratnaparkhi appointed executive director of Natural Language Processing program
The Baskin School of Engineering at UC Santa Cruz has appointed Adwait Ratnaparkhi, former director of voice and natural language understanding R&D at Roku, as executive director of the new master’s degree program in Natural Language Processing.
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UC Santa Cruz admits a strong, diverse cohort for fall
Nearly a third of admitted first-year students earned a GPA above 4.13 and 55 percent earned a GPA between 3.6 and 4.12. The campus also significantly increased the number of students admitted from low-income families, underrepresented groups, and those who will be the first in their family to earn a four-year degree.
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How galaxies die: New insights into the quenching of star formation
A simple model explains a wide range of observations by describing a contest between galaxy halos and their central black holes that eventually turns off star formation.
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Astrophysics graduate student Diana Powell wins 2020 Ford Fellowship
Powell won a Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship to support her work as she completes her Ph.D. thesis on exoplanets.
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Scientists achieve first complete assembly of human X chromosome
The first end-to-end (‘telomere-to-telomere’) completely gapless DNA sequence of a human chromosome is a major milestone for genomics research.
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New federal guidance regarding international students
I am pleased to report that the Trump administration has reversed course on a sudden policy change that threatened to strip international students of their U.S. visas if their fall-quarter coursework was entirely online.
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CITRIS UCSC funds new pandemic-related research projects
The campus seed funding program is providing $40K grants for three new projects to address the challenges of COVID-19.
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New film by Jennifer Taylor portrays Vermont town as microcosm of divided America
“For the Love of Rutland,” a new documentary by UCSC film professor Jennifer Taylor, is an exploration of the multiple problems now faced by rural America–most notably the opioid epidemic, income inequality, racism, and xenophobia.
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STEM Diversity Programs honored by ‘Insight into Diversity’ magazine
‘Insight into Diversity’ magazine has recognized the STEM Diversity Programs at UC Santa Cruz with its 2020 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award.