June 2022 News Archive

~$6M NSF grant for cyber-physical systems project will enable engineers to explore the next generation of transportation systems

With the support of a nearly $6 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), researchers at UC Santa Cruz will lead a five year, multi-institutional project to

Destruction and recovery of kelp forests driven by changes in sea urchin behavior

A long-term study of kelp forest dynamics on California’s Central Coast highlights the critical role of sea urchin behavior, not just the size of the urchin

Autistic adults have become increasingly visible in media, books, television, and more in the past decade, but challenges with representation persist

Researchers documented a shift toward more numerical representation for adults in popular portrayals of autism, which have historically focused on children.

Audit and Management Advisory Services to report to Chancellor’s Office

UC Santa Cruz celebrates innovative and dedicated teachers

The Academic Senate’s Committee on Teaching (COT) in collaboration with Chancellor Larive and CP/EVC Kletzer, Cruz celebrated UCSC’s innovative and dedicated teachers with a gathering at the Cowell

Student Health Services closed July 4

Student Health Services will be closed Monday, July 4 for the federal holiday.

The Humanities Institute transitions faculty leadership

These red flags can let you know when you’re in an online echo chamber

Researchers at UC Santa Cruz have identified specific elements of tone and style in online speech that are linked to hyperpartisan echo chambers. These language markers could also

Study finds chaos is more common in ecological systems than previously thought

The idea that chaos is rare in natural populations may be due to methodological and data limitations, rather than the inherent stability of

Campus division renamed to Finance, Operations and Administration

UC Santa Cruz is renaming the Division of Business and Administrative Services to the Division of Finance, Operations and Administration.

Campus recognizes innovative, dedicated teachers

The Academic Senate’s Committee on Teaching (COT) in collaboration with Chancellor Larive and CP/EVC Kletzer, Cruz celebrated UCSC’s innovative and dedicated teachers with a gathering at the Cowell Provost House in early June.

Supreme Court decision revokes fundamental civil rights

We are deeply dismayed by the U.S. Supreme Court opinion issued this morning that revokes the rights of millions of Americans to make private, personal, informed choices about their health care and ultimately their lives.

Allied for exponential impact

The Black Men’s Alliance, established in 1994 as an organization to create community for Black students at UC Santa Cruz, now boasts a population of 60 engaged and

Reefense project aims to meld biology and engineering in novel structures for coastal protection

UCSC scientists are part of a DARPA-funded team to develop innovative solutions for coral reef restoration in Florida and the Caribbean to protect coastal

The team behind a tree of 10 million Covid sequences

10 million sequences of COVID-19’s genomic code have now been organized into a phylogenetic tree in the UC Santa Cruz SARS-CoV-2 Browser, which is the largest tree of

Study shows mangrove and reef restoration yield positive returns on investment for flood protection

A robust analysis demonstrates that nature-based solutions to reduce the damage caused by coastal flooding are

Polar bears in Southeast Greenland shed light on the species’ future in a warming Arctic

The most genetically isolated population of polar bears on the planet, they have limited access to sea ice and use ice from Greenland’s glaciers to

100,000-year-old polar bear genome reveals ancient hybridization with brown bears

Scientists found that all brown bears today have some polar bear ancestry due to genetic admixture that occurred during a warm interglacial period more than 100,000 years

Grant funding will support university-community partnership on inclusive economic development in neighboring city of Salinas

UCSC's Institute for Social Transformation will partner with the Salinas Inclusive Economic Development Initiative in an effort to reduce economic inequality and improve financial stability and quality of

Ingenious, tech-based solutions pitched at Santa Cruz Launchpad 2022

The annual UC Santa Cruz business pitch competition and job fair drew in 19 student teams, 25 local companies, and nearly 500

Microbiologist Jacqueline Kimmey named Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences

Kimmey’s lab is investigating how susceptibility to infections is influenced by the daily biological cycles known as circadian

Students dip their toes into coastal science at Younger Lagoon

Ocean Sciences Professor Carl Lamborg uses Younger Lagoon Reserve to teach Field and Lab Methods in Aquatic and Coastal

Joy and perseverance

Commencement week was a grand celebration that included Slug Crossings, heartfelt speeches, cap tossing, photo ops, and accessorized cap-and-gown outfits. Graduates spoke of the challenges they faced on

A welcoming place in the redwoods

The Lionel Cantú Queer Resource Center is a place for students to claim and proclaim their

Hunting in darkness, elephant seals use sensitive whiskers to find prey

Researchers used miniature video cameras to study how free-ranging elephant seals use their whiskers to track down prey in the darkness of the deep

Simulations reveal hydrodynamics of planetary engulfment by expanding star

A new study using hydrodynamical simulations reveals the forces acting on a planet when it is swallowed by an expanding star, as will eventually happen to the inner

Stories of UCSC rugby: The Women’s Rugby Football Club, 1979–2022

Dating back to 1979, the Women’s Rugby Football Club at UCSC has a history of tenacity and dedication to their sport and peers.

Launching search for Associate Vice Chancellor for Equity and Equal Protection

We are pleased to announce the kickoff of a national recruitment for our Associate Vice Chancellor for Equity and Equal Protection.

New executive leadership position for the Arts Division

UC Santa Cruz Dean of the Division of Arts Dr. Celine Parreñas Shimizu has appointed Art Professor Dee Hibbert-Jones to serve as Associate Dean of Research, Exhibition and

Zimmer to develop Responsible AI course

Zimmer will join colleagues from around the U.S. to plan classes that better explore the impact of artificial intelligence on our

Annual message about the California Whistleblower Protection Act

The California Government Code requires every state agency, including the University of California, to annually distribute to its employees a message from the California State Auditor that provides an explanation of the California Whistleblower Protection Act.

UC Santa Cruz joins in forming alliance to increase Hispanic opportunity

Joining with 19 leading universities, UC Santa Cruz today announced the formation of the Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities, which aims to increase opportunity for those historically

UCSC joins new alliance aimed at boosting Latinx doctoral students, professors

The group, officially launching today and comprising all 20 of the nation’s top research universities that are also classified as Hispanic-Serving Institutions, aims to increase opportunity for those historically underserved by higher education.

Prestigious $3.8M NIH grant awarded to biomolecular engineering professor to develop an RSV vaccine

Associate Professor of Biomolecular Engineering Rebecca DuBois will use the five-year grant to develop a vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus, a common and potentially dangerous

Social Sciences Division recognizes students at annual awards event

The annual Student Awards Luncheon honors undergraduates and graduate students across the Social Sciences Division for excellence in scholarship and creativity.

Graduate student’s research helps environmental organizations better serve coastal communities of color

Coastal Science and Policy Program graduate student Kalina Browne led development of a new research report on behalf of Green 2.0, a national watchdog organization focused on diversity

Free webinar on worker safety best practices

Proposal for new program, Pathways to the Professoriate in the Arts and Humanities, selected for funding by UC President’s Office

A new cross-divisional initiative to prepare graduate students in the Arts and Humanities at UC Santa Cruz from historically underrepresented groups to go on to the professoriate has

UC Santa Cruz Distinguished Professor of the Arts Isaac Julien knighted by Queen Elizabeth

UC Santa Cruz Distinguished Professor of the Arts Isaac Julien was granted knighthood by Queen Elizabeth on the occasion of her Platinum

Moving forward with flexible work arrangements

With insights gained over the past year and additional feedback from campus leaders, we have developed a vision and guiding principles for flexible work arrangements to help our campus move into this new blended work environment.

Graduate student town hall focuses on developing short and long-term solutions to housing crisis

The panel discussion was centered on generating new ideas and recommendations for short and midterm solutions for graduate student housing for the implementation task force for inclusive excellence in graduate education.

CIDER Pilot Training Program helps students reach new heights in drone research and industry

18 students participated in the CIDER’s first-ever Pilot Training Program, which prepared them for success in research and industry opportunities.

UC Santa Cruz named No. 2 public university for ‘making an impact’

Princeton Review has named UC Santa Cruz the No. 2 public university in the nation for students focused on making an impact on the world. The honor underscores

Construction well underway on new student housing at UC Santa Cruz

Committed to advancing student success, UC Santa Cruz leaders are confronting the ongoing housing crisis by providing immediate support programs for students while building new residential buildings to

Associate Professor Nick Mitchell receives 2021-22 Distinguished Teaching Award

Nick Mitchell was honored for his positive impact on students and the leading role he has played in creating new programs that foster the intellectual development of students

‘Crossing Latinidades’ program selects UC Santa Cruz faculty and graduate students for national research and mentoring collaboration

Two UC Santa Cruz faculty were awarded $310,000 grants to lead national research working groups, and two doctoral students have been selected for one-year research fellowships and a

Upcoming closures for Student Health Center, SHOP, and CAPS

Student Health Services will close early on Friday, June 10, 2022 and for the full day on Monday, June 20.

COVID-19: What to do during finals week

Guidance for completing your finals amid the rise in local COVID-19 cases. This message includes information about what to do if you have COVID-19 symptoms and/or test positive for COVID-19 and are supposed to take a final.

Campus update: Gearing up for commencement; celebrating Pride month; professor among Time magazine’s 100 most influential people

This has been a remarkable academic year—from the return to largely in-person instruction to many historic moments, including the naming and dedication of John R. Lewis College and leading the effort to produce the first truly complete sequence of a human genome.

Seeking Okinawan rights

UC Santa Cruz doctoral candidate Lex McClellan-Ufugusuku appeared before the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, exploring whether the people of Okinawa could be recognized as Indigenous—meaning

Free public beach tours of Younger Lagoon Reserve have resumed

Tours of the reserve, which were suspended due to COVID-19 precautions, are again being offered through UCSC’s Seymour Marine Discovery

Se reanudan las giras gratis a la playa pública de la Reserva Younger Lagoon

Las giras a la reserva, que fueron suspendidas debido a las precauciones por la COVID-19, se están ofreciendo de nuevo mediante el Seymour Marine Discovery Center de la

Anticipated salary increase for policy-covered staff and academic appointees, update on staff salary equity program

We are excited to share that all eligible policy-covered staff employees will receive a 4.5 percent salary increase, and senate faculty and policy-covered academic appointees will receive a 4 percent salary increase, pending approval of the state budget.