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2021 University News

May 14, 2021
Staff member steps forward to support contact tracing
As Cindy Delgado read about contact tracing and how it would be the key to slowing the spread of COVID-19 cases, she knew it was something she wanted to do to help.
May 14, 2021
Student-led mentorship program offers holistic support
The Kuya-Ate Mentorship Program is a student-initiated retention project targeted to, but not limited to, Pilipino/x students at UC Santa Cruz. In addition to providing mentorship opportunities, KAMP also offers academic and social and cultural support.
May 12, 2021
Alumna Reyna Grande wins Latino Spirit Award for Achievement in Literature & Advocacy
UC Santa Cruz alumna Reyna Grande (Kresge '99, B.A. creative writing, film & video) has received a 2021 Latino Spirit Award from the California Latino Legislative Caucus.
May 12, 2021
Virtual reality warps your sense of time
Psychology research demonstrates the unique "time compression" effect of virtual reality.
May 11, 2021
Ultrasensitive antigen test detects SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses
Novel chip-based diagnostic technology can detect individual viral antigens in nasal swab samples to identify the viruses that cause COVID-19 and flu with a single test.
May 10, 2021
Bearing witness to COVID at UC Santa Cruz
Stories of resilience and loss are preserved in The Empty Year: An Oral History of the Pandemic(s) of 2020 at UC Santa Cruz, an immersive project that includes a 540-page published book
May 10, 2021
New tools enable rapid analysis of coronavirus sequences and tracking of variants
Developed by the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, UShER allows researchers to quickly see how a new viral sequence is related to all other variants of SARS-CoV-2, crucial information for tracking transmission dynamics.
May 06, 2021
Creating a soundtrack and adding a heartbeat to the struggle for prison abolition
UCSC’s Institute of the Arts and Sciences will present ‘Music for Abolition'--an artist panel featuring three-time Grammy-award winning musician Terri Lyne Carrington with a dozen prominent guest musicians.
May 06, 2021
'The only way society gets to reopen safely is if we are all vaccinated'
UC Santa Cruz COVID experts Rebecca DuBois, A. Marm Kilpatrick, and Susan Carpenter are urging all unvaccinated people to book an appointment to get their shots immediately, and follow CDC safety guidelines even after the vaccinations take effect.
May 05, 2021
Temperamental supernova appeared strangely cool before exploding
A curiously yellow star has caused astrophysicists to reevaluate the possible pathways that can lead to the explosion of a massive star as a supernova.
May 05, 2021
UCSC achieves fair-trade status through the work of students
UC Santa Cruz passed a fair trade resolution that reflects its commitment to join the efforts of the Fair Trade Colleges & Universities, a division of Fair Trade Campaigns.
May 04, 2021
Strauss Foundation award recognizes student’s work with families affected by incarceration
Legal studies undergraduate Matt Sioson recently won $15,000 in funding from the Donald A. Strauss Public Service Scholarship Foundation.
May 04, 2021
Preserving the legacy of Watsonville’s first Filipino immigrants
In partnership with the university, the community-led Tobera Project will develop an oral history archive and digital exhibition to be housed at McHenry Library.
May 04, 2021
Long-term monitoring shows successful restoration of mining-polluted streams
Despite differences in aquatic life and toxic metals in streams across a broad region of the western United States, scientists found common responses to cleanup of acid mine drainage.
April 29, 2021
Project to read genomes of all 70,000 vertebrate species reports first discoveries
A bold project to read the complete genetic sequences of every known vertebrate species has reached its first milestone, publishing new methods and the first 25 high-quality genomes.
April 29, 2021
Fellowship win supports doctoral candidate’s research on national security policy
Cesar Estrella, a Ph.D. candidate in Latin American and Latino studies, won an American Council of Learned Societies fellowship to support his study of the ideologies that drive U.S. national security policy.
April 28, 2021
2021-22 Dickson Emeritus awards support faculty research in history, literature, and psychology
Karen Yamashita, professor emerita of literature; Dana Frank, research professor in history; and Thomas Pettigrew, research professor in psychology, were each awarded Edward A. Dickson Emeritus Professorships in recognition of their outstanding achievements in scholarship and teaching.
April 28, 2021
Alumni Weekend was a virtual smorgasbord for nostalgic Banana Slugs
Banana Slugs showed off their creativity and adaptability during last week’s all-virtual Alumni Week, a celebration that made the most of its online format and featured more than 70 live events from April 19–25.
April 28, 2021
William Doyle, founding director of UCSC’s Institute of Marine Sciences, dies at 91
William T. Doyle, professor emeritus of biology and founding director of the Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS) at UC Santa Cruz, died peacefully at his home in Santa Cruz on April 21. He was 91.
April 28, 2021
Physical and Biological Sciences Division honors three prominent alumni
PBSci Distinguished Alumni Awards recognize contributions to society by graduate and undergraduate alums.
April 27, 2021
Data team's dashboard provides campus with real-time COVID updates
UC Santa Cruz turned to Institutional Research, Assessment and Policy Studies for help to create a dashboard that would provide frequent updates for the campus community. Ole Kupsch and Leo Rosen, two analysts in the department, teamed up to make it happen.
April 27, 2021
Faculty experts share pandemic-era lessons for the future of K-12 education
UC Santa Cruz researchers who have studied the pandemic’s impact on K-12 education share lessons they hope will be remembered for the future.
April 27, 2021
UC Santa Cruz named No. 3 public university for ‘making an impact’
Underscoring a reputation of pushing for positive change, UC Santa Cruz has been named the No. 3 public university in the nation for students focused on making an impact on the world in the Princeton Review’s latest college rankings.
April 23, 2021
Three UCSC professors elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Angela Davis, distinguished professor emerita of history of consciousness and feminist studies; James Estes, professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology; and Barbara Rogoff, distinguished professor of psychology, are among the newly elected fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
April 23, 2021
Researchers rescue endangered black abalone buried by debris flows
Massive quantities of sediment washed onto the Big Sur coast from the Dolan Fire burn scar, burying black abalone in their rocky intertidal habitat.
April 21, 2021
UC Santa Cruz and United Way partner to empower youth through research in local communities
A research partnership between UC Santa Cruz and United Way of Santa Cruz County will offer local youth and UCSC undergraduates new leadership platforms and support college-readiness and success.
April 20, 2021
Enabling women and girls to achieve their potential
Alumna Ann Starrs, director of family planning at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, came to reproductive health work from a steadfast commitment—strengthened by her time at UC Santa Cruz—to feminism, gender equality, and women’s empowerment.
April 19, 2021
Live reading of The Comedy of Errors to benefit new scholarship for theater students
UCSC’s Arts Division will present a live virtual reading of Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors on Friday, April 23, to honor Theater Arts professor Danny Sheie, who is retiring this year after three decades at the campus.
April 19, 2021
James Webb Space Telescope program aims to map the earliest structures of the universe
COSMOS-Webb is slated to be the largest program in JWST’s first year of operation.
April 16, 2021
Alumna Terri McCullough, chief of staff to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, will make a virtual campus visit for Alumni Week
This year’s Alumni Week will feature a virtual fireside chat with Terri McCullough, an Oakes '91 politics alumna who is now chief of staff to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
April 15, 2021
Honoring UC Santa Cruz’s 2021 Distinguished Graduate School Alumni
The five recipients of this year’s Distinguished Graduate Student Alumni Award will be honored for their achievements during a Zoom-based webinar award ceremony on Saturday, April 24. The event will celebrate the 2020 and 2021 honorees.
April 15, 2021
Coral reefs prevent more than $5.3 billion in potential flood damage for U.S. property owners
A new study reveals how valuable coral reefs are in protecting people, structures, and economic activity in the United States from coastal flooding during storms.
April 15, 2021
Baked meteorites yield clues to planetary atmospheres
The gases released from meteorite samples heated in a high-temperature furnace can tell scientists about the initial composition of the atmospheres of rocky exoplanets.
April 15, 2021
Two UC Santa Cruz arts professors receive 2021 Guggenheim Fellowships
Film and digital media professor Irene Lusztig and art professor Elizabeth Stephens were among the 184 artists, writers, scholars, and scientists selected this year from nearly 3,000 applicants to receive Guggenheim Fellowships.
April 13, 2021
Inaugural Banana Slug Share sessions will add life and learning to Alumni Week
The spirit of "paying it forward" infuses UC Santa Cruz’s inaugural Banana Slug Share Sessions, in which alumni will provide hard-won advice about everything from kombucha-making to the interpretation of dreams. These sessions are among the highlights of UC Santa Cruz's virtual Alumni Week 2021.
April 13, 2021
Study warns of ‘oxygen false positives’ in search for signs of life on other planets
Oxygen in the atmosphere may not be an entirely reliable ‘biosignature,’ but there are ways to distinguish false positives from signs of life.
April 13, 2021
EH&S director focused on supporting employees through pandemic
Early in the pandemic, the Environmental Health and Safety team worked to provide face coverings to the campus and stay up on the latest information.
April 13, 2021
Study of U.S. tuna fisheries explores nexus of climate change, sustainable seafood
A new study by researchers at UC Santa Cruz and NOAA examines traditional aspects of seafood sustainability alongside greenhouse gas emissions to better understand the carbon footprint of U.S. tuna fisheries.
April 12, 2021
Sharing insights from more than six decades of social psychology research
New book by Professor Emeritus Thomas Pettigrew distills themes across his storied career
April 09, 2021
Inaugural Hayden White lecture to explore the afterlife of slavery with author Saidiya Hartman
Award-winning literary scholar and cultural historian Saidiya Hartman will be the featured guest at the inaugural Hayden V. White Distinguished Annual Lecture, a virtual event that takes place on April 19.
April 08, 2021
NASA selects two UCSC scientists to join Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter mission
Ian Garrick-Bethell and Mikhail Kreslavsky are among the nine participating scientists who will join the KPLO science team.
April 08, 2021
UCSC climate change conference focuses on food security issues
‘Confronting Climate Change: Food Security in a Changing World’ will be held virtually April 28-29, featuring a panel of experts and a series of short films.
April 06, 2021
UC Santa Cruz to launch new support center to advance the university’s innovation, industry engagement
UC Santa Cruz is launching a new support center to advance innovation, entrepreneurship and business engagement that will leverage the campus’s innovative spirit and be guided by its deep commitment to environmental and social justice.
April 06, 2021
Marco Rolandi appointed faculty director of UCSC Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Development
UC Santa Cruz has appointed Marco Rolandi, professor and chair of the department of electrical and computer engineering, to serve as faculty director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Development (CIED).
April 06, 2021
Alumni Week 2021: Bringing the festivities to you!
UC Santa Cruz's all-virtual Alumni Week will offer both Slugs and the community a wide menu of smart, interesting, and just-plain-fun events, wherever you may be on the globe.
April 06, 2021
Proud Slugs making a difference through public service
A Superior Court judge. The director of the public art program for Los Angeles. A defense attorney. They all believe in public service, and they all say their time at UC Santa Cruz changed their lives in permanent ways.
April 06, 2021
Erika Zavaleta honored for diversity efforts by Ecological Society of America
The Ecological Society of America (ESA) has chosen Erika Zavaleta, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz, to receive its 2021 Commitment to Human Diversity in Ecology Award.
April 06, 2021
Research shows physical appearance affects career success in economics
Economics Professor and Center for Analytical Finance Co-Director Galina Hale is uncovering how appearance affects career success for economists.
April 02, 2021
Event to focus on the case for Black reparations
“Reparations for Black Americans: The Road to Racial Equality in California and Beyond,” hosted on April 15 by the Institute for Social Transformation, will feature a discussion with leading experts and advocates of reparations.
April 01, 2021
UCSC awarded three 2021 VOICE grants from UC National Center for Free Speech
UC Santa Cruz has received three awards from the UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement's Valuing Open and Inclusive Conversation and Engagement (VOICE) Grant Program.
April 01, 2021
Pioneering plant scientist Jean Langenheim dies at 95
Jean Langenheim, an eminent plant ecologist and leading authority on amber and plant resins, died on Sunday, March 28, in Santa Cruz. She was 95.
March 31, 2021
Seymour Center plans for physical reopening as virtual programs continue to expand their reach
Seymour Center Outdoors!, a new in-person outdoor education program, is scheduled to open to the general public on April 24.
March 31, 2021
Postdoctoral fellowships support planetary science research
Emily Martin and Melodie Kao have won 51 Pegasi b Fellowships to support their research on exoplanets.
March 30, 2021
Marking fifth year, Center for Innovations in Teaching and Learning plays vital role in campus mission
The center will celebrate its fifth anniversary April 14 with a convocation featuring Estela Bensimon, professor of higher education at the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education and director of the Center for Urban Education, which she founded in 1999.
March 29, 2021
Teens describe their gender and sexuality in diverse new ways, but some are being left behind
Psychology Professor Phil Hammack’s latest research shows how regional differences and other social factors can either hinder or support expression of diversity in sexual and gender identity among teens and young adults.
March 29, 2021
Health center pivots to provide services through pandemic
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UC Santa Cruz Student Health Center had to quickly change everything it was doing while remaining open for students.
March 25, 2021
Changes in ocean chemistry show how sea level affects global carbon cycle
A new analysis of strontium isotopes reveals how the global carbon cycle has responded to changes in climate and sea level through geologic time.
March 25, 2021
Staff member guides students on path to higher education
Osiris Ortiz has spent nearly two decades helping the regions high school students pursue four-year degrees through her work at the Educational Partnership Center.
March 25, 2021
UC Santa Cruz faculty recognized for excellence in ecology
The Ecological Society of America announced its 2021 Fellow and Early Career Fellow awards, and UC Santa Cruz’s faculty were the most decorated of any university on this year’s list.
March 25, 2021
UCSC ecologist Erika Zavaleta appointed to California Fish and Game Commission
Governor Gavin Newsom has appointed Erika Zavaleta, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz, to the California Fish and Game Commission.
March 24, 2021
Three decades of connections, encouragement, and programs
UCSC's African American Resource and Cultural Center, this year celebrating its 30th anniversary, has created meaningful change for students of color and become a key part of the university community.
March 23, 2021
'Another glass ceiling shattered'
UC Santa Cruz student Gina Schneider became a part of history as one of the first women in the U.S. to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout.
March 22, 2021
Founding UC Santa Cruz professor and revered literary and cultural critic Harry Berger Jr. dies at 96
Harry Berger Jr., professor emeritus of literature and art history at UC Santa Cruz, died on March 12, 2021, at age 96. An internationally recognized scholar and founding UCSC faculty member, Berger was known for a wide-ranging and interdisciplinary approach that goes far beyond traditional academic boundaries.
March 22, 2021
Influential evolutionary biologist Barry Sinervo dies at age 60
Sinervo made landmark contributions ranging from evolutionary biology and game theory to the effects of climate change on animals and ecosystems.
March 22, 2021
Two UCSC research teams recognized for outstanding papers in PNAS
The Cozzarelli Prize recognizes selected papers as outstanding contributions to the scientific disciplines represented by the National Academy of Sciences.
March 18, 2021
UC Santa Cruz joins new consortium to ensure future of SlaveVoyages database
UC Santa Cruz has joined a newly formed consortium of institutions to ensure the preservation, stability, and future development of what has become the single most widely used online resource for anyone interested in slavery across the Atlantic world.
March 18, 2021
UCSC professor contributes to new study showing how parts of the US will ‘tropicalize’ as climate changes
Environmental Studies Professor Michael Loik is a coauthor on a new paper describing how warming winters are allowing some tropical plants and animals to replace temperate communities in southern portions of the country.
March 18, 2021
New analysis shows potential for ‘solar canals’ in California
UC Santa Cruz researchers and their partners published a new study that suggests covering California’s water delivery canals with solar panels could be an economically viable means of advancing renewable energy and water conservation.
March 18, 2021
UC Regents approve UC Santa Cruz plan to increase student housing, expand child care
Recognizing the critical role housing plays in supporting student success, the University of California Board of Regents reapproved a project that will significantly increase the number of current UC Santa Cruz students who are able to live on campus.
March 17, 2021
For migrating elephant seals, ‘lightscapes of fear’ shape feeding, resting strategies
A new tracking study shows how elephant seals balance predator avoidance and the need to feed, shifting strategies as their body condition improves during a 7-month foraging migration.
March 16, 2021
Campus holds first Sexual Violence Sexual Harassment Research Symposium
UC Santa Cruz will hold its first-ever research symposium — and a first for a UC campus — highlighting research by campus scholars on issues of sexual violence and sexual harassment Friday, April 2.
March 12, 2021
'Staycation,' all I ever wanted
With travel restricted because of COVID-19, UC Santa Cruz aims to keep on-campus students entertained with a spring break 'staycation' featuring themed dining nights, scavenger hunts, kayak tours, and more during the week of March 20–27.
March 11, 2021
How to live like Shakespeare
A new series of conversations about Shakespeare that explore different aspects of human experience and the human condition kicks off April 5, co-hosted by Sean Keilen, director of UCSC's Shakespeare Workshop, and Julia Lupton, co-director of the New Swan Shakespeare Center at UC Irvine.
March 11, 2021
Celestial heights and oceanic depths
Two of UC Santa Cruz’s most prominent trailblazers in science, astronomer Sandra Faber and alumna and former astronaut Kathryn Sullivan, spoke of risks, discoveries, and sexism in candid “fireside chat” during a Science and Engineering Library floor-naming event.
March 11, 2021
Disrupting harmful food systems to prevent future pandemics
Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Maywa Montenegro de Wit is exploring how lessons from the abolition movement could help agroecology combat the agro-industrial complex to prevent future pandemics.
March 10, 2021
Low-temperature supercapacitors could power missions to moon and Mars
UCSC researchers developed 3D-printed porous carbon aerogels for electrodes in ultralow-temperature supercapacitors, which could reduce heating needs for future space and polar missions.
March 09, 2021
A little squid and its glowing bacteria yield new clues to symbiotic relationships
A small molecule produced by bioluminescent bacteria as they colonize the light organ of the Hawaiian bobtail squid may play a key role in establishing the symbiosis.
March 09, 2021
As pandemic hit, conferences manager pivoted to health care
Michael Luttrell now oversees a staff of 62 students, who have been trained to help facilitate testing of asymptomatic students.
March 08, 2021
Sea otters maintain remnants of healthy kelp forest amid sea urchin barrens
While kelp forests have declined dramatically along the California coast, sea otters in Monterey Bay are maintaining patches of healthy kelp forest, according to a new study.
March 08, 2021
Return to Rat Island: Conservation strategy leads to ecosystem rebound
Hawadax Island's birds and seashore ecosystem have returned to a natural balance after the removal of invasive rodents.
March 05, 2021
Focused on student success and equity, UC Santa Cruz seeks reapproval to build more housing and child-care facilities
In an effort to provide students with more housing security amid an unrelenting housing crisis, UC Santa Cruz will seek reapproval for a project that will significantly increase the number of current students who are able to live on campus.
March 05, 2021
The collapse of Northern California kelp forests will be hard to reverse
Most of Northern California’s kelp forest ecosystem is gone, replaced by widespread ‘urchin barrens’ that may persist long into the future, according to a new study.
March 04, 2021
Slugs roll up their sleeves to help make campus a COVID-19 success story
Low positivity rates, zero on-campus transmission, and fast testing turnaround times have made UC Santa Cruz a leader in efficient coronavirus response compared to its university counterparts.
March 03, 2021
UCSC leads multicampus initiative on coastal resilience and climate adaptation
A UC-funded initiative will bring together researchers at the Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, and San Diego campuses to address pressing issues for California’s coastal communities.
March 03, 2021
Girl activists are more visible than ever. Is this progress?
In the past decade, there’s been an explosion in media coverage of girl activists. Professor Jessica Taft, a leading expert in youth activism, sees opportunity in this visibility, but her research has also identified many troubling trends in how girl activists are portrayed.
March 02, 2021
TestMe: Slugs rise to the challenge of helping to keep the campus community healthy
More than five dozen hardworking Banana Slugs are a key element of UC Santa Cruz’s TestMe asymptomatic testing program, which has administered more than 56,000 COVID-19 tests of students, staff, and faculty since the project’s inception in September 2020.
March 01, 2021
Scientists describe ‘hidden biodiversity crisis’ as variation within species is lost
Many of the benefits people receive from nature depend on diversity within species, but this intraspecific variation is poorly understood and declining rapidly.
February 26, 2021
Campus launches first Black studies minor
UC Santa Cruz's Black Studies minor offers students grounding in the intellectual histories, political movements, cultural expressions, and critical theories of the Black diaspora.
February 26, 2021
Massive debris flow swamps Big Creek Reserve as heavy rains follow summer wildfire
Boulders the size of vehicles and decades-old redwoods were ripped from the banks of the Big Creek drainage when an atmospheric river inundated the Landels-Hill Big Creek Natural Reserve on the Big Sur coast in late January.
February 26, 2021
Deep Read to present Tommy Orange in conversation with literature professor Micah Perks
Award-winning novelist Tommy Orange will be featured in conversation with literature professor Micah Perks, director of UCSC’s Creative Writing Program, in a free virtual event on Wednesday, March 3, at 6:30 p.m.
February 25, 2021
Forest monitoring efforts contribute to new understanding of climate change impacts
Data collected by student interns at UC Santa Cruz’s Forest Ecology Research Plot recently contributed to a breakthrough in understanding how climate change affects forests.
February 24, 2021
Notes of resistance
History Professor Eric Porter delves deeply into jazz improvisation as a means for "resistance, survival, and promoting one’s own resiliency."
February 23, 2021
COVID and the road ahead
UC Santa Cruz infectious disease expert A. Marm Kilpatrick looked toward the future during his immersive Kraw Lecture about COVID vaccines, variants and the road ahead.
February 23, 2021
Bay Tree Bookstore undergoing refresh
The UC Santa Cruz campus community can expect to see a number of changes at the Bay Tree Bookstore over the coming months, including a broader embrace of e-commerce.
February 22, 2021
LASER talk to feature research by UCSC deans of the humanities and social sciences
The event will feature research presentations by Jasmine Alinder, Dean of the Humanities (“Representing Japanese American Incarceration”), and Katharyne Mitchell, Dean of the Social Sciences (“Sanctuary Space and Insurgent Memory”).
February 21, 2021
Bringing physical engagement into the online teaching and learning environment
A new series of videos is now available to UCSC students, faculty, and staff to help offset the increasingly sedentary lifestyle generated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
February 18, 2021
Computer scientist Yang Liu wins $1M grant for research on fairness in AI
Liu’s research aims to achieve more equitable outcomes from decision-making tools based on automated machine-learning algorithms.
February 17, 2021
Oldest DNA sequences reveal how mammoths evolved
Analysis of ancient DNA sequences recovered from mammoth teeth reveal North American mammoths were descended from two earlier mammoth lineages.
February 16, 2021
Hope, mutual aid, and abolition
Activist and organizer Mariame Kaba offers a blueprint for mutually supportive communities during the 37th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Convocation
February 16, 2021
UCSC experts in human-computer interaction featured at Women in Tech Symposium
Leila Takayama will be a keynote speaker and Katherine Isbister will lead a panel on human-computer interaction and games at the annual event on March 12, 2021.
February 11, 2021
Annual Jewish Studies Diller Lecture to feature award-winning author Sarah Stein
This year’s Helen Diller Distinguished Lecture in Jewish Studies will feature guest author and scholar Sarah Abrevaya Stein—in conversation with UCSC’s Neufeld-Levin Chair of Holocaust Studies, Alma Heckman—on Wednesday, February 17, at 5 p.m.
February 11, 2021
Listening and bringing change
Aaron Jones, interim Educational Opportunity Programs director, founded the orientation program Black Academy, which has dramatically increased African Black Caribbean students' retention rate at UCSC.
February 11, 2021
What Hollywood gets wrong (and right!) about protecting the Earth from asteroids
Meet alumna Kirsten Howley, the real-life astrophysicist working to prevent 'Armageddon'.
February 10, 2021
Genentech Foundation grants support UCSC STEM diversity programs
Three academic support and mentoring programs at UC Santa Cruz have received funding from Genentech’s 2020 Diverse Future of STEM Fund.
February 09, 2021
Astronomer J. Xavier Prochaska honored for top research paper in Science
J. Xavier Prochaska, distinguished professor of astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz, and his coauthors of a landmark paper describing a fast radio burst from a massive galaxy have been chosen to receive the prestigious AAAS Newcomb Cleveland Prize.
February 08, 2021
Pandemics expert urges vigilance as COVID-19 variants spread
Alumna and Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Laurie Garrett sounds urgency about the need for an all-out race to stay ahead of highly contagious COVID variants in the U.S.
February 05, 2021
Troupe dynamic
UC Santa Cruz's African American Theater Arts Troupe, which is celebrating its 30-year anniversary, has not only staged plays but also taken up works that deal with issues of race, injustice, and discrimination; brought its performances into the community; and awarded more than $100,000 in scholarships.
February 04, 2021
Healthy oceans need healthy soundscapes, say marine scientists
A global team of researchers has documented the pervasive impacts of noise on marine animals and ecosystems and identified actions to return to the soundtrack of the healthy ocean.
February 04, 2021
Three UCSC film alumni recognized by International Documentary Association
Three alumni from UCSC’s Film and Digital Media Department received nominations for this year's prestigious International Documentary Association Awards (IDA).
February 04, 2021
Rob Fairlie testifies before Congress on inequality in pandemic economic impacts
Rob Fairlie testified before the House Committee on Small Business to share his latest research on the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, including the disproportionate hardships faced by minority-owned businesses.
February 02, 2021
Robert Bocking Stevens, fifth UCSC chancellor, dies at age 87
Robert Bocking Stevens, a legal scholar in England and the United States who served as the fifth chancellor of UC Santa Cruz, died Jan. 30 in Oxford, England, at age 87.
February 02, 2021
Seawater intake replacement, bike path improvement projects win public works awards
A $1.1 million project to replace the seawater intake structure at the UC Santa Cruz Long Marine Lab was selected as environmental project of the year by the Monterey Bay chapter of the American Public Works Association.
February 02, 2021
Meteoric success
Planetary scientist Myriam Telus, a NASA Planetary Science Early Career Award winner, reflects on her journey to UC Santa Cruz to study meteorites: Discovering her passion, seeking out mentors, and finding inspiration in the courage of civil rights movement leaders.
February 02, 2021
Two UCSC astronomers elected Fellows of the American Astronomical Society
Astronomers Raja GuhaThakurta and Garth Illingworth were honored as 2021 AAS Fellows for their extraordinary achievement and service.
February 01, 2021
Reform, abolition, and vision
Organizer and prison industrial complex abolitionist Mariame Kaba to address Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation, which will be held virtually for the first time
February 01, 2021
Noncoding RNA has surprising effects on immune response and sepsis, study finds
A long noncoding RNA regulates the expression of inflammatory genes and has a surprising effect on vulnerability to septic shock in mice.
February 01, 2021
Anthropologist Savannah Shange wins book award for insights on race and education
Anthropology faculty member Savannah Shange received one of the most prestigious honors in the field when she was awarded the 2020 Gregory Bateson Book Prize from the Society for Cultural Anthropology.
February 01, 2021
Green New Deal architect Rhiana Gunn-Wright will make a virtual campus visit
Gunn-Wright previewed some of the insights she'll share on climate policy and environmental justice during her February 10th event with the Institute for Social Transformation.
January 29, 2021
Sociology researcher seeks solutions for Public Safety Power Shutoffs
Sociology researcher Les Guliasi’s most recent paper shows how “microgrid” technologies could reduce the impact of outages, if regulatory challenges can be resolved.
January 28, 2021
UCSC awarded National Endowment for the Humanities grants to support faculty research
UC Santa Cruz has received two grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to support faculty research and writing leading to book projects.
January 28, 2021
With record applications, UC Santa Cruz poised to build exceptional, diverse fall class
The competition to earn a spot at UC Santa Cruz will increase this year, with the campus receiving a record number of applications and nearly 200 students approved last year to defer their enrollment to fall 2021.
January 26, 2021
Digital NEST founder to serve as external adviser to chancellor
Jacob Martinez is bringing his insight on economic opportunity, community empowerment and digital innovation to UC Santa Cruz as an external special adviser to Chancellor Cindy Larive.
January 25, 2021
Energy spent avoiding humans linked to smaller home ranges for male pumas
New research shows that fear of humans causes mountain lions to increase their energy expenditures as they move through the landscape, and this can ultimately limit the size of the home ranges they’re able to maintain.
January 25, 2021
A year of generosity
In 2020, UCSC donors demonstrated how giving can make a positive difference even in a period of turmoil.
January 25, 2021
Seymour Marine Discovery Center offers new marine science virtual expeditions
“Scientists Saving the Oceans” program begins with a behind-the-scenes look at how marine mammal researchers are working to protect dolphins and whales from ocean noise.
January 22, 2021
New book by arts professor takes fresh look at controversial photographer Robert Mapplethorpe
UCSC history of art and visual culture professor Derek Conrad Murray offers the first dedicated book-length critical study of Mapplethorpe's lesser-known still life flower photographs.
January 20, 2021
Italian newspaper ranks sociology professor among top women of the year
Camilla Hawthorne is being recognized for shedding light on emergent Afro-Italian identities and activism during a time of racial reckoning in Italy and beyond.
January 19, 2021
UC Santa Cruz economic impact provides foundation for thriving region
When adjusted for the size of the Monterey Bay regional economy, UC Santa Cruz’s economic impact is second only to UC Davis in the Sacramento/Tahoe region and ahead of UC Santa Barbara in what is defined as the Central Coast of California.
January 19, 2021
Grant funding will advance aquaculture research in UCSC’s new state-of-the-art facility
Researchers won a USDA grant in support of their efforts to develop ocean-friendly feed formulas for farm-raised rainbow trout. This work will take place in the team's new aquaculture facility at the UCSC Farm.
January 14, 2021
Humanities Institute launches 2021 Deep Read with Tommy Orange’s novel ‘There There’
Following the success of last year’s Deep Read with guest author Margaret Atwood, The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz has announced the second installment of its new program that invites the campus and community to think deeply about literature, art, and the most pressing issues of the day.
January 13, 2021
UCSC’s Osterbrock Leadership Program goes national
The National Osterbrock Leadership Program provides experiences and opportunities for astronomy graduate students to develop leadership and management skills.
January 12, 2021
Lessons from Dante in a time of COVID
UC Santa Cruz literature professor Filippo Gianferrari finds meaning and poignancy—made even more acute by the 'purgatory' of social distancing—in the Divine Comedy on the epic poem’s 700th anniversary
January 12, 2021
Study of flowers with two types of anthers solves mystery that baffled Darwin
Some flowers use a clever strategy to ensure effective pollination by bees, doling out pollen gradually from two different sets of anthers.
January 11, 2021
UC Santa Cruz offers virtual tours of Younger Lagoon Natural Reserve
Prompted by the temporary suspension of in-person tours due to COVID-19, the new virtual tours are available in English and Spanish.
January 11, 2021
Physicist Steven Ritz receives Outstanding Faculty Award
Physics Professor Steven Ritz has received the 2019–20 Outstanding Faculty Award from the Division of Physical and Biological Sciences.
January 08, 2021
Two UCSC geophysicists honored by Royal Astronomical Society
Thorne Lay and Emily Brodsky, both professors of Earth and planetary sciences, are receiving the Gold Medal for Geophysics and the Price Medal, respectively.
January 08, 2021
New analysis highlights importance of groundwater discharge into oceans
A global assessment of the impact of groundwater on ocean chemistry is important for understanding the weathering of rocks and its effects on climate.
January 08, 2021
UCSC’s Living Writers Series a place to shelter in the storm
“Shelter and Place” is the theme of the 2021 winter installment of the Living Writers Series at UC Santa Cruz. Curated by Micah Perks, professor of literature and director of the Creative Writing Program, the now virtual series will run from January 14 through March 4, on Thursday nights throughout the winter quarter.
January 08, 2021
Professor recognized among the art world’s top influencers for 2020
Anthropology professor Anna Tsing won international acclaim for an interdisciplinary project that documents drivers of the Anthropocene in creative new ways.
January 07, 2021
Students, staff, faculty contribute nearly 160,000 meals through Holiday Food and Fund Drive
UC Santa Cruz students, staff, and faculty contributed nearly $40,000 to the 2020 Holiday Food and Fund Drive sponsored by the Staff Advisory Board, enough to provide nearly 160,000 meals to local residents.
January 07, 2021
UCSC imagines campus 20 years from now, releases roadmap for its future and accompanying environmental review
The draft 2021 Long-Range Development Plan (LRDP) and accompanying draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) released today lays out a framework for the campus’ evolution and reflects years of collaboration with campus and community members.
January 07, 2021
Graduate student advances university access for Latinx students
Valeria Alonso Blanco wants to do anything she can to help Latinx transfer students have a successful experience at UC Santa Cruz.
January 05, 2021
Friends of Lick Observatory helps fund wildfire recovery efforts
The group has designated $75,000 for the emergency support of wildfire relief efforts at Lick Observatory, where telescopes were saved but infrastructure was damaged.
January 04, 2021
UC Santa Cruz scholar of Chinese American history Judy Yung dies at 74
Judy Yung, a pioneering author and scholar of Chinese American and women's history, died on December 14, 2020.
January 04, 2021
Uncovering the social factors lurking within diabetes risk
Assistant professor of sociology James Doucet-Battle's new book challenges assumptions about race within diabetes research and delves into the issue through the lens of African American experience.
January 04, 2021
Shedding light on one of environmental policy’s most under-the-radar strategies
Associate professor of environmental studies Sikina Jinnah studies the environmental provisions contained within trade agreements and wants to help policymakers better navigate this space.