July 2021 News Archive

UC retirees embrace an active, engaged lifestyle

Climate change poses threat to ‘tuna dependent’ Pacific Islands economies

Shifting distributions of key tuna species could have serious economic impacts for island nations in the Western and Central Pacific, according to a new paper coauthored by Assistant

Reducing campus electrical load

California’s electrical grid may reach its capacity this afternoon (July 30, from 3–9 p.m.).

David Haussler ranked 6th among top scientists in computer science

Haussler, a distinguished professor of biomolecular engineering and director of the Genomics Institute, is ranked sixth in the 2021 Seventh Edition of the Top Scientists Ranking for Computer

Oakes Founding Provost J. Herman Blake receives lifetime achievement award

Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Founding Provost of Oakes College J. Herman Blake is being recognized by the American Sociology Association for his distinguished career spent advancing access

McLaughlin Dr. Road Closure & Transit Impacts

Construction crews are nearing completion on McLaughlin Drive resurfacing between the McLaughlin Drive / Heller Drive intersection to the bridge east of Science Hill, with an expected completion date of Friday, August 6th.

COVID-19 Vaccination Policy exception process

The UC Office of the President released the final COVID-19 vaccination policy.

Dickens Universe celebrates 40th anniversary with ‘A Christmas Carol’

This summer, the Dickens Project at UC Santa Cruz—the largest multi-campus consortium on Victorian studies in the world—will present the 40th year of the Dickens Universe, a week

On-campus housing for sophomores, vaccination policy finalized, standing with DACA and UnDACAmented students and families

This fall, we will have a mix of in-person and remote students, so programs needed to make difficult choices about how best to offer their courses to ensure access in different modes.

FAQs posted about Anthem-Dignity Health contract termination

We write as a follow up to the July 20, 2021 message from CP/EVC Lori Kletzer and VC Sarah Latham, regarding the Anthem-Dignity Health contract termination effective July 15, 2021.

Racial and colonial histories offer insights on refugee crisis in ‘The Black Mediterranean’

Assistant Professor of Sociology and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies Camilla Hawthorne coedited a first-of-its-kind new book called "The Black Mediterranean," which examines the African diaspora within the

Jeff Shilling accepts new role with Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health

I write to share the bittersweet news that Jeff Shilling, associate vice chancellor for development, has accepted an offer from the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health to serve as the senior vice president for individual giving.

Major Revisions to the Policy on IT Recovery

The University of California Office of the President has issued major revisions to the IS-12 IT Recovery following a system-wide review.

Revised mask recommendations from Santa Cruz County

Santa Cruz County has joined other Bay Area counties in adjusting the guidance for wearing face coverings indoors, regardless of vaccination status.

Susana Ruiz awarded ACLS digital grant to develop VR documentary of 2011 Egyptian Uprising

UC Santa Cruz assistant film and digital media professor Susana Ruiz has received a 2021 Digital Extension Grant of $150,000 from The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS)

Blazing a Slug trail to the Olympics

Rhythmic gymnast Izzy Connor will be the first UC Santa Cruz student to compete in the Olympics—the result of years of both personal struggle and

UC PPO plans impacted by Anthem Blue Cross-Dignity Health contract termination Inbox

UC Santa Cruz learned on Friday that the contract between Anthem Blue Cross, the insurance carrier of UC's commercial PPO plans (non-Medicare plans), and Dignity Health, a health care provider which includes Dominican Hospital-Santa Cruz, ended, effective July 15.

UC Santa Cruz admits fall class that reflects excellence, diversity

UC Santa Cruz anticipates welcoming about 6,100 new Banana Slugs this fall, concluding an admissions cycle that began with record applications and has yielded a new cohort that

History professor wins prize for article on post-Civil War incarceration of African American children

Associate professor of history Catherine Jones has been honored with the 2021 Richards Prize for the best article published in The Journal of the Civil War Era in

Systemwide COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

This new policy is intended to support the health and well-being of our university community including students, trainees, faculty, staff and all others who work, live or learn in any of our locations or participate in person in our programs.

Statistical analysis quantifies how chemistry undergraduates benefit from graduate student diversity

A study of chemistry lab courses at UC Santa Cruz suggests that diversity among graduate student teaching assistants may be among the most essential factors in retaining

Physics PhD student receives Graduate Instrumentation Research Award

Funding from the American Physical Society program supports graduate student Yuzhan Zao’s research on silicon detectors for particle physics

Judith Estrada named interim Chief Diversity Officer

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Judith Estrada has agreed to serve as our interim Chief Diversity Officer while also taking on a new role as Executive Director of our Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

‘Precarity & Belonging’ captures insights from global discussion of citizenship, migration, socioeconomic mobility

A new book from an interdisciplinary group of UC Santa Cruz scholars culminates more than five years of collaborative research and discussion that positioned the university as a

Haziness of exoplanet atmospheres depends on properties of aerosol particles

A laboratory study of haze particles produced under different conditions helps explain why some exoplanets may be obscured by hazy

$2 million grant revamps Chemical Screening Center

A new NIH grant will facilitate more efficient and accessible biomedical

Seymour Center welcomes new executive director

After an extensive search, the UC Santa Cruz Seymour Marine Discovery Center has chosen Jonathan Andres Hicken to be its new executive

Baskin Engineering students advance to the finals of this year’s Amazon Alexa Prize Challenge

The Socialbot Grand Challenge competition showcases the students’ mastery of conversational artificial

Model reveals interactions between rivers and fault lines

Researchers created a model that uses the movement at fault lines to understand river flow and vice

Finding, borrowing resources from UC libraries to get easier

On July 27, 2021, the libraries on all 10 University of California campuses will be connected through UC Library Search, a unified discovery and borrowing system.

Library’s new Community Archiving Program to broaden scope of Regional History Project

The University Library has announced the establishment of a new Community Archiving Program that will build on the foundation of its decades-old Regional History

Unusual currents explain mysterious red crab strandings

New findings suggest that abnormal ocean currents cause the occasional appearance of pelagic red crabs outside their native

Quantitative ecologist Kai Zhu wins NSF funding for climate change research and education

Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Kai Zhu won an NSF CAREER award to support research and education focused on the interconnections between climate change and plant

New research on aquaculture feed will test alternative ingredients to help minimize water pollution

A new grant will support UC Santa Cruz’s ecological aquaculture lab in their efforts to increase the variety and quality of low-polluting aquaculture feed options available to fish

Traffic delays along McLaughlin Drive

Construction crews will begin road maintenance work Monday, July 5, on McLaughlin Drive between the McLaughlin Drive / Heller Drive intersection to the bridge east of Science Hill, with an expected completion date of Friday, August 6.

Clarification on COVID-19 protocol changes for campus employees, spaces and program

In response to our campus operational update last week, we have received questions about the actions units can take regarding face covering requirements and vaccine verification. We are utilizing a consistent approach across campus, and units, unless required to do so because of state, county or other guidelines impacting their particular operation, should not add or implement department specific rules or protocols. As campus-wide protocols change, we will update you.