Social Sciences

Impacts of rainy weather on coronavirus outbreaks reveal economic benefits from earlier social distancing

Economists at UC Santa Cruz used rainy weather as a natural experiment to understand how communities across the U.S. that started some form of social distancing slightly earlier may have experienced significant economic benefits.

In Memoriam: Paul Niebanck (1934-2021)

Paul Niebanck, professor emeritus of environmental studies and founding provost of Rachel Carson College, passed away on November 26, 2021.

New study shows plants struggle to keep pace with climate change in human-dominated landscapes

A new global-scale analysis found a mismatch between plant phenology and rising temperatures that was more pronounced in the most human-dominated landscapes, especially crop lands.

Holiday gifts that challenge gender stereotypes can support children’s development

Distinguished Professor of Psychology Campbell Leaper explains the issues with gender stereotypes in children’s toys and shares gift-giving tips that may help counteract the effects.

Uncovering the politics behind a pandemic

The latest paper from Politics Professor and Global & Community Health Executive Director Matt Sparke argues that the coronavirus pandemic has exposed, exploited, and exacerbated the vulnerabilities of neoliberal societies around the world.

UC Santa Cruz campus voting skyrocketed in 2020

A nationwide study shows student voting at UC Santa Cruz increased dramatically in last year’s presidential election, and these gains came at roughly double the average rate of increase across more than 1,000 college campuses around the country.

National award recognizes economics professor’s research for revealing outsized pandemic impacts on minority-owned businesses

Economics Professor Robert Fairlie recently received the Bradford-Osborne Research Award for a paper he released in August 2020 that showed minority-owned businesses were affected by pandemic-related closures at higher rates.

UC Santa Cruz advances commitment to social justice with College 10 naming in honor of John R. Lewis

College Ten—an undergraduate residential learning community founded on principles of social justice and community—will be named in honor of the late congressman and civil rights icon John R. Lewis.

Reclaiming Coast Miwok history through Indigenous interpretations of archaeology

Assistant Professor of Anthropology Tsim Schneider's latest book gathers and interprets archival and archaeological evidence in new ways that combat the erasure of Indigenous peoples from historical narratives.

Emerging ocean conservation leaders set to visit UC Santa Cruz

The Blue Pioneers Program (BPP) Accelerator recently announced its 2021 cohort of international ocean conservation professionals who will visit UC Santa Cruz’s Coastal Science Campus.

CASFS will become the UC Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology

The Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS) will get a new name, logo, and look and feel through a rebranding project that affirms the center’s commitment to advancing agroecology and equitable food systems.

New book shares lessons from history on the case for Senate reform

In his new book, Professor of Politics Daniel Wirls uses historical research and modern-day analysis to argue that features of the Senate undermine effective democratic governance and have contributed to the maintenance of white supremacy.

‘Manatee Man' Jamal Galves wins scholarship to study coastal science and policy

Social Sciences Division convenes for awards ceremony

The Division of Social Sciences gathered on October 14 to present awards recognizing outstanding accomplishments by faculty, staff, researchers, and emeriti faculty.

Reimagining our economy for the benefit of all

Faculty members at UC Santa Cruz and the University of Southern California released a new book that offers a road map and conceptual framework for equity-driven economic reform in the United States.

Ensuring student success in both the short and long term

This wide-ranging effort will increase financial support for our undergraduate and graduate students, and advance their access to the guidance and experiences fundamental to their education and ultimately future success.

AAUW awards fellowships to three scholars at UC Santa Cruz

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) has awarded 2021-22 American Fellowships to three scholars at UC Santa Cruz who will pursue academic work and lead innovative community projects to empower women and girls.

Professor’s TED talk on body ideals warns against ‘conflation of appearance with health’

UC Santa Cruz professor and medical anthropologist Nancy Chen gave a popular TED Salon talk that has been viewed more than 780,000 times online.

Graduate student studying New Orleans' Latin American connections

Rafael Delgadillo, a UC Santa Cruz doctoral student in Latin American and Latino Studies, is looking at how New Orleans' colonial foundations set a tone for its distinctiveness within the United States.

Environmental governance expert Sikina Jinnah appointed to Harvard University’s SCoPEx advisory committee

Jinnah was appointed to an independent advisory committee that will make governance recommendations for a proposed experiment intended build understanding of the potential efficacy and risks of stratospheric aerosols relevant to solar geoengineering.

Natural Reserve System was instrumental in biologist’s ascent to grad school

UCSC graduate student Tim Brown works atop eastern California’s highest ranges, seeking to understand why a sparrow-sized mountain bird is riding the 'escalator to extinction.'

Mellon Foundation grant will support national initiative in Latinx studies

Through a three-year, $5 million grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, UC Santa Cruz will be part of a national initiative in Latinx studies called “Crossing Latinidades: Emerging Scholars and New Comparative Directions.”

In Memoriam: David Kaun

Professor Emeritus of Economics David Kaun, a pioneer faculty member, passed away on Sept. 9. He served in the Economics Department for about 50 years and was also a generous donor to many causes, both at UC Santa Cruz and in the broader community.

Stellar new faculty strengthen campus research, teaching

To build on existing research strength and branch into new areas of inquiry, UC Santa Cruz has recruited 40 new tenure-track faculty members for the academic year that starts this week.

Postdoctoral scholars critical in advancing research mission

With experience, training, and ideas of their own, postdoctoral scholars play an important role in furthering research at universities.

UCSC wins funding for new programs to support underrepresented doctoral students

Grants from the UC Hispanic Serving Institutions Doctoral Diversity Initiative will prepare students for faculty careers in biomedical sciences and Latin American and Latino Studies.

The writing on the wall: exploring the cultural value of graffiti and street art

Doctoral candidate’s research interprets graffiti’s deeper meaning among Latinx and Black urban subcultures in Los Angeles.

Building community connections and STEM identity with science in the garden

A pilot program funded by the Packard Foundation brings science into the home environment through gardening.

Psychologist shares tips for studying smarter this school year

Assistant Professor of Psychology Hannah Hausman and colleagues translated findings from more than 100 research papers to offer students and teachers a guiding framework and practical tips for making the most of study time.

Fundraising push seeks to bring Afghan thought leaders to safety on UCSC campus

UC Santa Cruz has launched an Afghanistan Visiting Scholars Emergency Support Fund, which aims to raise $100,000 before midnight, Sept. 3. as part of an effort place at least two at-risk Afghans into visiting scholar appointments.

Experts weigh in on the future of drought management

UC Santa Cruz experts share insights on how technological innovations and long-term policy vision could help protect water supply.

DOE grant funds development of new imaging technology to study roots and soil

A multidisciplinary collaboration combines expertise in medical imaging technology and the ecology of plant roots to address questions with global implications.

The legacy is in the soil

Acclaimed chef/farmer and CASFS apprenticeship graduate Matthew Raiford will share his heritage-based approach to food and farming during an August 25 event on campus.

In Memoriam: Hardy Frye

Professor Emeritus of Sociology Hardy T. Frye passed away in June. He was a lifelong proponent for diversity in education, a steadfast civil rights advocate, and a renowned scholar of political organizing.

Two new grants support faculty diversity and retention

UC Santa Cruz was awarded grants from the University of California to support two collaborative multi-campus projects for advancing faculty diversity.

Doctoral candidate’s award-winning research documents experiences of Latina girls growing up in rural California

UC Santa Cruz graduate student Roxanna Villalobos recently won a national dissertation scholarship award from Sociologists for Women in Society that will support her research with Latina girls in rural California.

Switzer Fellowship will help graduate student engage communities in climate planning

Coastal Science and Policy Program master’s student Diana Fu won a Switzer Foundation fellowship to support her work advancing environmental justice through climate change adaptation.

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 Professor of Environmental Studies Katherine Seto.

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 and equity in education.

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 region.

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 underrepresented minority undergraduates in STEM courses.

‘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 convener of global thought leaders.

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 Project. 

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 phenology.

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 farmers.

Tracking data show how the quiet of pandemic-era lockdowns allowed pumas to venture closer to urban areas

During regional shelter-in-place orders, declining levels of human mobility emboldened local pumas to use habitats they would normally avoid out of fear of humans.

Dialogues, collaborations, and the success of 'slow science'

With funding from the Henry Luce Foundation, the new Southeast Asian Coastal Interactions Initiative takes a methodical approach to worldwide social and environmental challenges

UC Santa Cruz names Peter F. Biehl as new vice provost, dean of the Graduate Division

UC Santa Cruz has appointed Peter F. Biehl, professor of anthropology at the University of Buffalo, State University of New York (SUNY), as vice provost and dean of the Graduate Division.

Doctoral student wins Ford Foundation fellowship for work on gender, race, and policing

Uriel Serrano recently won a Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship to support his research on how gender ideologies are formed in relation to carceral violence.

Research partnership will highlight STEM learning in local community garden

A grant from the Spencer Foundation will help UC Santa Cruz researchers document the many types of STEM learning taking place in a Latinx immigrant-led community garden in Watsonville.

Desiderio Ascencio

Halfway through Desi Ascencio's undergraduate years, he got work at a research lab, then was accepted as a summer research assistant for the STEM Diversity Programs. Both of these environments were pivotal to his finding the confidence to explore his interests as a student and as a scientist.

Montserrat Lopez

Montserrat Lopez dedicated her college career to art, outreach, activism, and giving back to the communities that have sustained her. With her far-ranging goals and ambitious course of study, Lopez had not a minute to lose when she transferred to UC Santa Cruz last year.

Norberto Garcia

As Norberto (Norbit) Garcia interviewed 18 families about their experiences for his senior thesis, he was reminded of why he chose sociology as a major—the realization that he wanted to help communities that are underrepresented and motivate students like him to go to college.

Sharon Valle Rodriguez

When she started at UCSC, Sharon Valle Rodriguez was unsure about everything. But she learned to be independent and emotionally intelligent. "Now I believe in myself and know I can achieve my goals," she said.

Social Sciences Division celebrates outstanding students

The Social Sciences Division is recognizing 21 students for excellence in scholarship and research.

Professor Karen Holl wins MacArthur Foundation endowed chair to support work on natural climate solutions

Environmental Studies Professor Karen Holl has been awarded the MacArthur Foundation Chair at UC Santa Cruz for her work to increase the effectiveness of forest restoration efforts in combating climate change.

Visualizing global representation for Indigenous nations

A new book by Professor of Sociology and Legal Studies Hiroshi Fukurai shows how Indigenous “original nations” around the world are fighting for sovereignty and the ecological preservation of their ancestral homelands.

Somalia’s fight for God-given rights

The latest book from Politics and Legal Studies Professor Mark Fathi Massoud challenges Western notions of Islam and secular law-making by revealing how Somali Muslims have embraced Sharia as a force for progress and liberation.

Growing heritage and healing through traditional Asian vegetables

Faculty, staff, and alumni are drawing upon and strengthening their cultural heritage and connection to Asian foodways to cultivate traditional vegetables.

Study shows which North American mammals live most successfully alongside people

Researchers analyzed camera trap data from across the continent to better understand how particular species of mammals respond to different types of human disturbance.

Climate change sends tropical species racing to higher elevations while temperate counterparts lag behind

A new paper shows that, in mountain habitats, species' responses to rising temperatures vary by latitude, but researchers fear there may be no clear winners among these strategies.

Virtual reality warps your sense of time

Psychology research demonstrates the unique "time compression" effect of virtual reality.

Research video competes in National Science Foundation STEM education showcase

A team of UC Santa Cruz faculty and doctoral students led by Distinguished Professor of Psychology Barbara Rogoff submitted a three-minute research video for the National Science Foundation’s 2021 STEM For All Video Showcase.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

Professor Anne Kapuscinski will speak at upcoming Nobel Prize Summit

Environmental Studies Professor Anne Kapuscinski, director of the UC Santa Cruz Coastal Science and Policy program, will present recommendations on strengthening sustainability education during the “Our Planet, Our Future” Nobel Prize Summit next week.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sharing insights from more than six decades of social psychology research

New book by Professor Emeritus Thomas Pettigrew distills themes across his storied career

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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”).

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.

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.

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.

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.

In Memoriam: Robert Shepherd (1938-2021)

Robert Shepherd, a teaching professor emeritus from the UC Santa Cruz Economics Department, passed away at 82 years old. Shepherd taught at UC Santa Cruz for more than 30 years and was instrumental in the development of both the accounting path and the business management economics major.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.