Home / 2023

2023 University News

October 03, 2023
Welcome Week brings events, energy and enthusiasm to campus community
In celebration of the start of the fall quarter and in an effort to empower a new class of students to connect with campus, UCSC hosted an array of high-energy and highly attended, Welcome Week activities. This story provides highlights from those activities and events.
October 02, 2023
Biotech founder and hero of the Human Genome Project joins UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute as Executive Director
The UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute has selected scientist, entrepreneur, and executive Lauren Linton as their new Executive Director.
October 02, 2023
Genome study reveals 30 years of Darwin’s finch evolution
A study led by UC Santa Cruz postdoctoral scholar of Genomics & Bioinformatics Erik Enbody paints a dynamic picture of how species adapt to changing environments.
September 29, 2023
Free Arivu concert, Festival of Monsters, and special exhibitions: celebrating National Arts & Humanities Month at UCSC
UCSC will celebrate National Arts & Humanities Month in October with an array of cultural and artistic happenings, including a free open-air concert by the massively popular Indian rapper Arivu on October 7. Another highlight will be the annual Festival of Monsters, which starts on Friday the 13th.
September 28, 2023
Kresge College celebrates first phase of renovation
Ribbon-cutting event marks the official opening of new residential halls and academic center.
September 28, 2023
US Department of Agriculture visits UC Santa Cruz to learn about research and workforce development projects
UC Santa Cruz faculty, staff, and students shared information about USDA-funded research and education projects on campus with special guests from the USDA.
September 28, 2023
Anthropology faculty members partner on new National Science Foundation Center for Braiding Indigenous Knowledges and Science
UC Santa Cruz anthropology faculty members Tsim Schneider and Jon Daehnke received a more than $500,000 subaward through a new National Science Foundation (NSF) center that aims to address climate change by equitably combining insights from Indigenous knowledges and mainstream "Western" sciences.
September 27, 2023
UCSC’s David Deamer and Mark Akeson honored for invention of nanopore sequencing
UCSC's David Deamer and Mark Akeson won the AAAS Golden Goose award for the invention of nanopore sequencing, a transformational technology for reading DNA and RNA.
September 27, 2023
Research partnership will turn power plant emissions into fish feed
UC Santa Cruz’s ecological aquaculture research team will partner with the company Global Algae Innovations to test whether a microalgae grown using captured carbon dioxide emissions could be an effective feed ingredient for rainbow trout.
September 26, 2023
UC Santa Cruz welcomes new faculty to campus
UC Santa Cruz welcomes 54 new faculty members to campus who bring a wide array of expertise in research and creative scholarship that will open new areas of investigation and expression and expand existing areas of work.
September 25, 2023
Vice Chancellor Akirah Bradley-Armstrong shares a welcome message with all students
As we kick off the 2023-2024 academic year, Akirah Bradley-Armstrong, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Success, shares a welcome message with all UC Santa Cruz students.
September 25, 2023
Alumna Kathryn Sullivan enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame
Kathryn Sullivan (Cowell ’73, Earth sciences) was the first American woman to walk in space, the first woman to reach the deepest point of the ocean floor, and the only person to ever do both. On Sept. 22, she was enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Washington, DC.
September 21, 2023
UCSC faculty member co-chaired APA task force on obstacles to promotion, tenure, and retention for psychology faculty of color
Psychology Professor Margarita Azmitia co-chaired an American Psychological Association (APA) task force that was appointed to report on obstacles to promotion, tenure, and retention for psychology faculty of color.
September 20, 2023
Celebrating UCSC’s 2023 Alumni Award Recipients
Seven UCSC alumni will be presented with awards for demonstrating outstanding professional achievements, making distinct contributions to society, providing impactful contributions to UC Santa Cruz, and embodying the values and spirit of the university.
September 20, 2023
National Postdoc Appreciation Week: Featuring Priya Crosby and Will DeRocco
National Postdoc Appreciation Week, organized by the National Postdoc Association (NPA) since 2009, takes place this year from September 18-22. This year, the UC Santa Cruz Science Division is highlighting the work of two outstanding postdocs: Priya Crosby and Will DeRocco.
September 19, 2023
Eric Palkovacs is awarded the 2023 Excellence in Fisheries Education Award
Eric Palkovacs has been awarded the 2023 Excellence in Fisheries Education Award by the American Fisheries Society, the organization announced. This award is presented to an individual to recognize excellence in organized teaching and advising in some aspect of fisheries education.
September 19, 2023
Innovation Catalyst Grants help early-stage innovators with resources, training, and financial support
Two UC Santa Cruz research teams that can make impactful advancements in drug discovery and human health outcomes have been chosen as recipients of the university’s inaugural Innovation Catalyst Grants program. These new grants, administered by the Innovation & Business Engagement Hub, are designed to support and propel early-stage technology innovations developed by UCSC researchers.
September 19, 2023
Reimagining digital presence, UC Santa Cruz debuts new homepage
Creating a digital presence that reflects excellence and impact, UC Santa Cruz debuted today a new homepage with a modern and responsive design, crisp language, stunning photos, and compelling videos.
September 18, 2023
UC Santa Cruz Computer Game Design program ranked top five in the nation by U.S. News and World Report
The Computer Game Design program at the University of California, Santa Cruz, was listed in the top five best game/simulation development programs in the nation according to rankings released today by U.S. News and World Report.
September 15, 2023
Arivu, the massively popular and groundbreaking Indian rapper, will play an intimate outdoor show at UCSC’s Quarry Amphitheater, presented by the Center For South Asian Studies
Arivu, the Indian rapper, singer, and social activist whose image appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone India magazine, is playing a highly anticipated free concert at the Quarry Amphitheater at UCSC at 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 7.
September 15, 2023
The opportunity to transform futures
With the generous support of donors, UCSC’s Institute for Social Transformation funded 12 students to pursue internships over the summer through the Transforming Futures program.
September 11, 2023
2023 ARCS Foundation scholarships support UCSC graduate students in the sciences and engineering
Sixteen UC Santa Cruz graduate students have received scholarships worth a total of $175,000 from the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation for the 2023-24 academic year.
September 07, 2023
Alumnus Daniel Anderson receives Wilhelm Exner Medal for scientific achievement in business and industry
Alumnus Daniel Anderson received the 2023 Wilhelm Exner Medal in Vienna, Austria. The award—presented by the Austrian Industry Association (AIA), and dating back to 1921—is given to those who have made significant advancements in their respective scientific fields.
September 07, 2023
Student mural at Porter envisions a future without police
A mural by Irene Juarez-O’Connell, addressing community safety and policing, is now on display at the Porter Study Center at Porter College.
September 07, 2023
Alumnus Kevin Lunzalu wins major award for his work in plastics pollution reduction around the world
UCSC alumnus Kevin Lunzalu received an award from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). This award is one of just 23 awarded to individuals and nonprofits across the globe from the first-ever inclusive GEF Assembly Challenge Program.
September 07, 2023
Empowering dreams
Alumna Birong Hu’s generous gift to Girls in Engineering paves the way for a new era of engineers, unlocking boundless opportunities and transforming futures.
September 06, 2023
Novel device combines nanopores with electronic signals for disease detection
Research led by UC Santa Cruz Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Marco Rolandi shows the power of bioprotonic nanopores for disease detection.
September 05, 2023
Campus leaders showcase innovation, entrepreneurship efforts to special Regents committee
UC Santa Cruz Chancellor Cynthia Larive and other campus leaders showcased the university’s innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives to a group of UC regents and external advisors on Monday.
September 05, 2023
HSI Initiatives and El Centro invite campus community to celebrate National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Awareness Week
As we prepare to welcome our students, staff, and faculty to the start of the 2023 fall quarter, we are excited to first celebrate National Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Awareness week next week: September 11 - 17.
September 01, 2023
GREAT program creates new opportunities for students to participate in research
This summer, the “Genome Research Experiences to Attract Talented Undergraduates into the Genomics Field to Enhance Diversity” (GREAT) programmed welcomed six students from California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) to an intensive eight-week research program at UC Santa Cruz.
August 31, 2023
New blood test for noncoding RNA significantly improves cancer detection
Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Engineering Daniel Kim and his lab are developing more accurate and powerful liquid biopsy technologies that take advantage of signals from RNA “dark matter,” an understudied area of the genome.
August 31, 2023
Five UC Santa Cruz projects win California Climate Action Grant funding
Millions of dollars in new funding will support UC Santa Cruz and partners in tackling some of California's toughest climate change challenges through innovative research and community engagement.
August 31, 2023
Retired faculty member Linda Anderson connects to her nature-loving roots volunteering at the Arboretum
Retired UCSC marine sciences instructor and researcher grew up appreciating California native plants. Now as a retiree, she leads volunteer groups and projects to celebrate Santa Cruz’s local ecology.
August 31, 2023
Seismologists use deep learning to forecast earthquakes
A team of researchers at UC Santa Cruz and the Technical University of Munich created a new model that uses deep learning to forecast aftershocks.
August 30, 2023
Coastal fisheries show surprising resilience to marine heatwaves
Researchers found that fish biomass often increased or was unaffected in the year following a marine heatwave.
August 29, 2023
The sky’s the limit: Becca Fenwick gives research and education a new perspective with drone tech
The CITRIS principal investigator and director of the CITRIS Initiative for Drone Education and Research at UC Santa Cruz advances wildland management, ecology research and workforce development with uncrewed aerial vehicles and remote sensing systems
August 25, 2023
UCSC History Professor Matt O’Hara awarded National Endowment For The Humanities Public Scholars Fellowship for research project on curare
UC Santa Cruz History Professor Matt O’Hara has received a prestigious $60,000 Public Scholars award from National Endowment For The Humanities for a research project focusing on the strange and tangled pharmaceutical history of curare, a variety of plant-based arrow poisons long used by Indigenous peoples in the Amazon basin.
August 23, 2023
10 mysteries of the Y chromosome
Researchers have just completed the first full sequence of a Y chromosome — what will we learn?
August 23, 2023
Scientists release the first complete sequence of a human Y chromosome
Scientists have completed the first full sequence of a human Y chromosome, completing the set of end-to-end human chromosomes and helping researchers to better understand human reproduction, evolution, and population change.
August 23, 2023
UCSC alumnus drafted to Major League Rugby
UCSC alumnus Jackson Zabierek was the 18th pick in the 2023 Major League Rugby Collegiate Draft by the Los Angeles Team (formerly Atlanta).
August 23, 2023
Koerner Family Foundation provides funds for five UCSC graduate students
Five UC Santa Cruz doctoral candidates in Baskin Engineering were awarded a fellowship that covered nearly one-third of their tuition and fees in the 2022-2023 academic year.
August 22, 2023
Campus acts to protect rare cave habitat
Earlier this month, as part of a new approach to protect this unique habitat, a crew from the campus carpentry shop installed a wildlife-friendly gate across the Empire Cave entrance. Access is now limited to education, research, and the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band.
August 21, 2023
Alumni gather in the redwoods
Over the course of three days, hundreds of alumni returned to UC Santa Cruz for a weekend of events and celebrations.
August 17, 2023
Nearly $1 million in USDA grants will support 3 UCSC-led agricultural technology projects
Three UC Santa Cruz research teams led by engineering faculty will pursue innovative agriculture technology projects with the support of seed grants from the USDA's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative.
August 15, 2023
UCSC computer science student selected into Major League Hacking’s top 50 list
Rising second-year computer science student Marina Lee was chosen out of a community of 150,000 hackers for her outstanding work in developing accessible STEM education programming and building an inclusive hacking community.
August 15, 2023
Marine scientists explore the future of open data science
Alexa Fredston, an assistant professor of ocean sciences considers open science to be a vital part of their academic career and a key way to make the field of marine science more transparent and inclusive. They recently published an article in the journal Annual Review of Marine Science about improving open data science practices within marine science.
August 15, 2023
UC Santa Cruz’s Institute of the Arts and Sciences presents West Coast Premiere of Maria Gaspar: Compositions
UC Santa Cruz’s Institute of the Arts and Sciences, is opening a new exhibition beginning on September 26, 2023 that goes through March 3, 2024. Entitled Maria Gaspar: Compositions, it is the first West Coast solo exhibition by the Chicago-based, Guggenheim-winning artist.
August 14, 2023
UCSC launches new Middle Eastern and North African Studies Minor
Starting this fall, a new interdisciplinary minor in Middle Eastern and North African Studies will immerse undergraduates in the region’s languages, culture, politics and history. The minor will be housed in the Humanities Division at UC Santa Cruz.
August 10, 2023
Researchers’ tool finds bias in state-of-the-art generative AI model
UCSC researchers introduce a new tool to measure bias in text-to-image AI generation models, which they have used to quantify bias in the state-of-the-art model Stable Diffusion.
August 08, 2023
UC Santa Cruz welcomes vibrant and talented incoming class
The University of California, Santa Cruz is preparing to welcome more than 5,500 new Banana Slugs to campus this fall, reflecting its commitment to providing equitable access and a transformational experience.
August 07, 2023
A childhood cancer survivor becomes a cancer researcher
This summer, 15-year-old Robert McCabe helped to sequence and analyze a tumor sample in the lab of the UC Santa Cruz Treehouse Childhood Cancer Initiative.
August 04, 2023
Alumnus goes to great depths to sustain the study of oceans
After earning his Ph.D. at UC Santa Cruz, James Hein became world-renowned for his deep-ocean research. He has left an indelible mark in his field and is now leaving a legacy in Earth and Planetary Sciences at UCSC by establishing an endowment that will help prepare the next generation of geoscience oceanographers.
August 03, 2023
Student-supported global research compares regional relationships with Big Pharma
Recent UC Santa Cruz graduates helped to author a study on the strategies governments use to attract and manage the biopharmaceutical industry, focusing in particular on the different types of economic value and health value that these efforts provide, or fail to provide, to citizens.
August 02, 2023
Kathleen Finlay brings UCSC education to the forefront in her fight for food sustainability and social justice
UC Santa Cruz alumna Kathleen Finlay is the president of the Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming in the Hudson Valley and founder of Pleiades.
July 31, 2023
UCSC students behind bus tracking app selected as only U.S. team in Google Solution Challenge’s top 10
The competition, which invites thousands of students worldwide to compete, tasks students to come up with technical solutions that contribute to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development goals.
July 31, 2023
Alumni raise $1M for Crown College
Three UC Santa Cruz alumni spearheaded a campaign to raise $1M for the Crown College Endowment fund. With the help of their peers, they surpassed their goal.
July 31, 2023
Golden-crowned sparrows return to overwintering sites in part because of their friends
Golden-crowned sparrows return to the same wintering sites each year after migrating thousands of miles. But their precision — which is often within the tens of meters — depends in part on the return of their friends.
July 28, 2023
Engineering faculty take on innovative climate resilience projects
Engineering professors are leading three major projects to address climate crisis issues with funding from UCSC’s newly launched Center for Coastal Climate Resilience.
July 28, 2023
Latin American & Latino Studies students win big in awards, fellowships
Four doctoral candidates in the Latin American and Latino Studies Department received awards that will help propel them forward in their graduate trajectory.
July 26, 2023
NSF graduate fellowship winner reflects on successes at UC Santa Cruz
Graduating senior and NSF-GRFP recipient Valery Ortiz shares about her experience at UC Santa Cruz, her involvement with STEM Diversity, and what she hopes for the future.
July 26, 2023
First DNA analysis of Machu Picchu residents offers insight into Inca society
DNA analysis, conducted largely at UC Santa Cruz's Paleogenomics Lab and led by Anthropology Professor Lars Fehren-Schmitz, suggests that servants at Machu Picchu were a uniquely diverse group, and the geographic extent of ancestral origins may even challenge historical narratives about how and when the Inca Empire expanded.
July 26, 2023
Alumni Bill Fujioka chairs the Los Angeles Japanese American National Museum
Bill Fujioka’s career in public and civil service can be traced back over five decades. Currently, he serves as the Chair of the Los Angeles Japanese American National Museum.
July 25, 2023
St. Baldrick’s Foundation grant will expand pediatric cancer research at UCSC
A new $100,000 grant from the St. Baldrick’s Foundation will provide UC Santa Cruz’s Treehouse Childhood Cancer Initiative funding to expand efforts to study rare pediatric cancers.
July 21, 2023
Celebrating the success of a human-centered approach to supporting emerging scientists
Graduate school admissions, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship awards, and American Astronomical Society honors mark a banner year for UCSC's Lamat Institute.
July 21, 2023
Return to the Redwoods: Come back to where it all began
Take a look at the upcoming first-of-its-kind alumni celebration at UC Santa Cruz: Return to the Redwoods.
July 19, 2023
New data science project seeks to span disciplines and create community
Pedro Morales-Almazan leads a new data science project that will provide professional development and facilitate cross-discipline collaborations.
July 19, 2023
Alumni Dr. Justin Cummings serves his community county and statewide
As the first African American man to be elected to the Santa Cruz City Council in 2018 and Mayor in 2020, the first African American person to serve on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, and newly appointed member of the California Coastal Commission, Dr. Justin Cummings is making an impact in his community.
July 17, 2023
Meet UC Santa Cruz’s FY24 Alumni Council
Twenty-four alumni leaders are actively serving UCSC and their fellow alumni as members of the Alumni Council. We are excited to welcome this year’s five new Alumni Councilors.
July 13, 2023
To support Hispanic women in STEM, UC Santa Cruz hosts inaugural HSRU Alliance conference
Convened by the Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities, an inaugural cohort from universities, government, foundations, and industry met at UC Santa Cruz to discuss and develop a framework to support the advancement of Hispanic women in their academic and professional STEM careers.
July 10, 2023
Volunteer who helped keep the Seymour Center open is honored
Dale Bieser, one of the Seymour Marine Discovery Center's long-time volunteers, was recognized with the Be the Difference Award - Individual Honoree by the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County. Over the past 12 years, she has become a vital member of their team.
July 06, 2023
UCSC Alumna Madison Nguyen prepares for 2024 Santa Clara Board of Supervisors run
Madison Nguyen (Rachel Carson ’97, History) was born in Vietnam. When she was four, she and her family escaped in a fishing boat, eventually arriving in California. With support from her community, family, and UCSC, she has forged a strong and inspiring career in service.
July 06, 2023
UCSC Earth and planetary sciences professor reflects on 35 years at UC Santa Cruz
After a very rewarding career at UC Santa Cruz, Susan Schwartz is retiring.
July 06, 2023
UC Santa Cruz’s global impact grows as campus becomes next leader of Right Livelihood College network
As the Global Secretariat of the Right Livelihood College, UC Santa Cruz students and faculty to work directly with some of the world’s leading advocates in social justice and sustainability on education, scientific research, and practical activities that spread and upscale their work.
July 05, 2023
Alumni on the frontlines of dental care
Through a partnership with Delta Dental of California, and two local nonprofits, alumni Anita Aguirre, Kenzie Ferguson, and Kristyn Glenn are changing the landscape of dental care accessibility in Santa Cruz County.
June 29, 2023
Study shows significant decline of snow cover in the Northern hemisphere over the last half century
Professor and Statistics Department Chair Robert Lund collaborated on a new study that uses rigorous mathematical models and statistical methods and finds declining snow cover in many parts of the northern hemisphere over the last half century.
June 29, 2023
UC Santa Cruz models accessible and inclusive admissions
The University of California, Santa Cruz has long employed holistic methods to recruit, evaluate, and support applicants through the decision making process, aiming to enroll a student body that reflects the diverse population of California to prepare alumni to become global citizens.
June 28, 2023
UCSC’s Center for Coastal Climate Resilience awards over $4.6 million to support California coastal projects
The UCSC Center for Coastal Climate Resilience has awarded over $4.6 million in funding to 23 UC Santa Cruz research groups for pilot projects and implementation projects supporting efforts to fight climate change in coastal communities across California and beyond. Funds for these grant programs came from the California State Budget Act of 2022-23.
June 27, 2023
Q&A with John MacMillan, vice chancellor for research
After nearly two years as the interim Vice Chancellor for Research (VCR) for UC Santa Cruz, John MacMillan was appointed to the permanent VCR role on June 1, 2023, after a nationwide search. Here he discusses his vision for UC Santa Cruz and its research enterprise.
June 27, 2023
White House cites economist Rob Fairlie’s research on Native American entrepreneurship
The Biden-⁠Harris Administration cited research by UC Santa Cruz Economics Professor Rob Fairlie on the coronavirus pandemic’s impact for Native American-owned businesses.
June 26, 2023
Chemist Timothy Johnstone wins funding from Beckman Young Investigator Program
The award funds a project to explore new chemical bonding motifs with novel reactivity to help develop sustainable chemical processes.
June 26, 2023
UCSC Arboretum to conduct vegetation surveys under $2.6M state contract
A team of UCSC botanists will carry out surveys for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in support of a statewide vegetation classification and mapping program.
June 22, 2023
To professorship and policy
UCSC Ph.D. student, Ankit Sharma, looks to address global politics and inequalities as both an academic and an organizer.
June 20, 2023
Recognizing excellence in Humanities award ceremonies
This month, UC Santa Cruz’s Humanities Division once again marked the end of the school year with the Spring Awards and Graduate Student Awards, in ceremonies that celebrated the achievements of students, instructors, and alumni.
June 20, 2023
Paul Koch stepping down after 12 years as dean of physical and biological sciences
The Division of Physical and Biological Sciences has made exceptional strides in key areas under Dean Koch’s leadership.
June 15, 2023
Katia Obraczka appointed director of CITRIS at UC Santa Cruz
Katia Obraczka, professor of Computer Science and Engineering, has been appointed director of the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) and the Banatao Institute at UC Santa Cruz
June 15, 2023
Foodways benefit dinner advances food security at UC Santa Cruz
Alumni, donors, and friends of UC Santa Cruz gathered at the Hay Barn on June 2 to raise funds for Basic Needs programs at the university.
June 15, 2023
Interdisciplinary team wins Small Farm prize in first-ever Farm Robotics Challenge
An interdisciplinary team of students and researchers created an autonomous weeder which was recently recognized with the Small Farm prize at the inaugural Farm Robotics Challenge.
June 13, 2023
Novel deep learning-based software detects and tracks individual cells with high precision
Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Engineering Ali Shariati and doctoral student Abolfazl Zarageri together with several student researchers in the Shariati lab have developed and released a new deep learning model called “DeepSea,” one of the only tools with the ability to segment cells, track them and detect their division to follow lineages of cells.
June 08, 2023
UC Santa Cruz joins Hillel International’s Campus Climate Initiative
The initiative provides campus leadership with a comprehensive program to foster a campus climate in which Jewish students feel comfortable expressing their identity free of antisemitism, harassment, or marginalization.
June 08, 2023
UCSC team wins third place in first-ever Amazon SimBot challenge
A team of UC Santa Cruz computer science and engineering (CSE) Ph.D. students won third place in the first-ever Amazon Alexa Prize SimBot Challenge, a university competition focused on advancing virtual assistant technology.
June 08, 2023
Alumna Stephanie Foo discusses her newest book
Stephanie Foo, longtime journalist and radio producer released her first book, What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma, in February 2022
June 08, 2023
A career of educating
After 38 years of interdisciplinary teaching at UCSC, Professor David Brundage is retiring.
June 07, 2023
Astronomers observe giant tails of helium escaping Jupiter-like planet
Heat from the host star is evaporating the atmosphere from a “hot Jupiter” exoplanet, creating some of the longest gas tails ever observed around a planet.
June 07, 2023
A network for the future
UCSC Student Serena Campbell’s senior thesis leads to a comprehensive network between critical environmental researchers on campus.
June 06, 2023
New exhibitions at the Institute of the Arts and Sciences bring innovative, socially engaged art to the Central Coast
Carolina Caycedo and David de Rozas: The Blessings of the Mystery and Sadie Barnette: Family Business, a multi-sited exhibition with the San José Museum of Art, will be on view at the Institute of the Arts and Sciences April 28 - September 3, 2023.
June 06, 2023
Annual awards recognize outstanding students in the Social Sciences Division
The Division of Social Sciences’ annual Student Awards Luncheon was held on June 2 at College Nine’s Namaste Lounge.
June 02, 2023
UC Santa Cruz joins ACLS Research University Consortium
The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) has invited UC Santa Cruz to join the ACLS Research University Consortium, consisting of 43 eminent institutions. Through its membership, UCSC will help to sustain and enhance the national infrastructure of humanities and humanistic social sciences research.
June 01, 2023
Rahul Gandhi, India’s most influential opposition leader, addresses the future of democracy in India during his UCSC Silicon Valley Extension talk
Rahul Gandhi highlighted the dysfunction and corruption of the current Indian government, alongside his party’s optimism for a more just future for India, during a surprise visit to University of California, Santa Cruz’s Silicon Valley Extension campus in Santa Clara this week.
June 01, 2023
Latino Alumni Network returns to UCSC
The UCSC Latino Alumni Network aims to serve their community with the help of new Co-Chairs Amaris Trujillo and Guadalupe Sanchez.
June 01, 2023
UC Santa Cruz offers new major in microbiology
UCSC is offering a new major in microbiology leading to a B.S. degree, administered by the Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology.
June 01, 2023
UC Santa Cruz now offers graduate degrees in materials science and engineering
The interdisciplinary program will serve students interested in developing new materials for next-generation technologies.
June 01, 2023
Study identifies boat strikes as a growing cause of manatee deaths in Belize
Belize is a stronghold of the Antillean manatee population, but increasing boat traffic poses a growing threat to this endangered relative of the Florida manatee
May 31, 2023
Astronomers map temperatures and find traces of water in a super-hot gas giant’s atmosphere
Astronomers used the Webb Telescope to make a temperature map of the “hot Jupiter” exoplanet WASP-18b, revealing dramatic temperature gradients in its atmosphere.
May 31, 2023
Judit Moschkovich joins two national leadership programs for mathematics education
Moschkovich is now a member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's U.S. National Commission on Mathematics Instruction and a co chair of the National Academy of Education's Equity in Math Education Research Grants (EMERG) Program.
May 31, 2023
Crucial organic farming issue addressed by UC workshops, collaborations
UC Santa Cruz-based organic production specialist Joji Muramoto collaborated on a UC Cooperative Extension workshop series for organic vegetable and fruit growers on how to manage nitrogen.
May 30, 2023
Students find support, success through Next Generation Scholars in Applied Mathematics program
Students have found success through the Next Generation Scholars in Applied Mathematics program, which provides students scholarships and additional support such as counseling and career readiness workshops
May 30, 2023
Associate Teaching Professor Alegra Eroy-Reveles receives Distinguished Teaching Award
Alegra Eroy-Reveles, an associate teaching professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, was honored for the positive impact she has had on her students, colleagues, and department.
May 25, 2023
A career of service
After 16 years on campus, Dan Tokar will retire on June 30. His current position is Unit Manager, running the entire Porter/Kresge Dining Hall operations.
May 23, 2023
Pulitzer Prize-winning climate journalist Elizabeth Kolbert warns of the complications, perils, and potentials of environmental interventions at Deep Read talk on campus
In her on on-stage discussion with New York Times columnist, podcaster and UCSC alumna Ezra Klein, Elizabeth Kolbert spoke about the efforts to roll back the effects of climate change. The talk was part of The Humanities Institute's fourth annual Deep Read series.
May 23, 2023
UC Santa Cruz engineers join major transportation cybersecurity project
Researchers from UC Santa Cruz will play an important role in protecting the United States’ transportation systems against cybersecurity threats as part of a new national center
May 22, 2023
Huerta Center naming inspires full-circle gift
The naming of the Dolores Huerta Research Center for the Americas hits close to home for a UCSC staff member with a family connection
May 19, 2023
George Kraw: Solidifying a long-lasting impact
George Kraw attributes his life successes to the education he received from UC Santa Cruz. An alumnus and longtime donor to the university, Kraw talks about his time as a student and why he chooses to support his alma mater.
May 19, 2023
Advancing Student Food Security
The university’s multi-pronged approach—including field-to-plate food security, expanded access and food pantry resources, holistic CalFresh support, student-centered basic needs research and assessment, and Slug Support program—works to ensure a safety net for UCSC students.
May 18, 2023
Karen Miga named 2023 Searle Scholar to study uncharted regions of the human genome
Karen Miga, assistant professor of biomolecular engineering at UC Santa Cruz, has been named a 2023 Searle Scholar.
May 18, 2023
Study reveals key molecular interaction that sets the timing of our biological clocks
New findings point toward a promising target for the development of therapies for sleep disorders, jet lag, and other effects of clock disruption.
May 17, 2023
Comb jellies proven to be the sibling group to all other animals
New research proves comb jellies are a unique lineage or “sibling group” whose ancestors diverged before the common ancestor of all other animals.
May 17, 2023
Empowering communities through partnership
In partnership with Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay, UC Santa Cruz’s Blum Center is working to compile data and stories on the impact of affordable housing in Santa Cruz.
May 17, 2023
Salmon documentary produced by UCSC team to air on KQED
‘Southern Range’ was directed by Soc Doc alumnus Kyle Baker and produced by the Seymour Center and the Fisheries Collaborative Program at UCSC.
May 16, 2023
UCSC ranked number two on Wall Street Journal list for top public colleges for high-paying jobs in engineering
New rankings from the Wall Street Journal place UC Santa Cruz as the number two public school for high-paying jobs in engineering, just behind UC Berkeley, and the number nine public school for high-paying jobs in data science and software.
May 16, 2023
Excellence in Action: Celebrating UCSC’s 2023 Distinguished Graduate Alumni Award Recipients
Now in its seventh year, the Distinguished Graduate Alumni Award welcomes its 2023 cohort.
May 16, 2023
Summer programs draw visitors to Lick Observatory for music and stargazing
The Summer Series program at UC's Lick Observatory draws concert fans and astronomy devotees to the summit of Mt. Hamilton for live music, evening astronomy lectures from world-renowned scientists, and the opportunity to view celestial objects through historic telescopes.
May 16, 2023
Meeting with California lawmakers, UC Santa Cruz leaders highlight impact of teaching, research
UC Santa Cruz leaders met last week with California lawmakers to highlight the University of California's critical role in educating the state's students, conducting cutting-edge research, and ensuring the state remains a worldwide economic powerhouse.
May 16, 2023
Physical and Biological Sciences Division honors three prominent alumni
The Division of Physical and Biological Sciences is honoring three stellar alumni—atmospheric scientist Cora E. Randall, pediatrician Ramon Resa, and marine scientist Colleen Reichmuth—with the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Awards.
May 16, 2023
Mark Fathi Massoud awarded Berlin Prize
Massoud's Berlin Prize fellowship will allow him to focus on research about perceptions and experiences of shari‘a in the United States.
May 15, 2023
Partnership between The Humanities Institute and Bookshop Santa Cruz has made Santa Cruz a premiere literary destination
Back in 2015, The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz (THI), and Bookshop Santa Cruz joined forces to promote, support and organize events featuring fiction and creative nonfiction authors, historians, poets, dignitaries, Civil Rights pioneers, philosophers and investigative journalists. Their efforts helped make Santa Cruz into a literary destination.
May 15, 2023
Astronomers observe the first radiation belt seen outside of our solar system
High-resolution imaging of radio emissions from an ultracool dwarf show a double-lobed structure like the radiation belts of Jupiter.
May 12, 2023
UC Santa Cruz ranked No. 2 Best Public University for Making an Impact by Princeton Review
For the second year in a row, UC Santa Cruz has been ranked as the No. 2 Best Public University for Making an Impact by Princeton Review.
May 11, 2023
Dickson Emeriti Professorships awarded to faculty in music, theater arts, and biology
Three UCSC faculty members—Kathy Foley, Edward Houghton, and Susan Strome—have been honored with Edward A. Dickson Emeritus Professorship Awards for the 2023–24 academic year.
May 10, 2023
Human pangenome reference will enable more complete and equitable understanding of genomic diversity
UC Santa Cruz scientists, along with a consortium of researchers, have released a draft of the first human pangenome—a new, usable reference for genomics that combines the genetic information of 47 individuals from different ancestral backgrounds to allow for a deeper, more accurate understanding of worldwide genomic diversity.
May 09, 2023
Golden Slugs use lessons learned to change the world
Among the magical moments of Alumni Reunion Weekend 2023 were the conversations among classmates who recounted stories of their days on the UC Santa Cruz campus.
May 09, 2023
UCSC part of regional partnership bringing bike share to Santa Cruz County
UC Santa Cruz community members will soon have access to a new bike share system that stretches across the county. Starting this June, e-Bikes will be available to rent through the Regional Electric Bike Share Program.
May 09, 2023
UC Santa Cruz honored for innovative online Orientation Course
UC Santa Cruz’s online summer Orientation Course has been recognized for its innovative and inclusive approach to preparing entering students. The Orientation Course was awarded the 2023 Regional II Innovative Program Award from the Association for Orientation, Transition and Retention in Higher Education.
May 09, 2023
UC Santa Cruz to lead data collection center for major federal project on genetic underpinnings of neurological conditions
The UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute will run the Data Coordination Center for the Scalable and Systematic Neurobiology of Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Disorder Risk Genes (SSPsyGene) Consortium.
May 05, 2023
UCSC prepares alumna for Peace Corps path
Alyssa Scarsciotti (Stevenson ’20, Sociology and Linguistics) dreamed of joining the Peace Corps since she was a child. After graduating from UCSC, Scarsciotti is making her dream a reality.
May 04, 2023
Center for Agroecology will support new USDA Regional Food Business Center
The University of California, Santa Cruz will support the establishment of a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Regional Food Business Center to support resilient food systems.
May 03, 2023
Ed Green named QB3-Santa Cruz Scientific Director
Richard (Ed) Green, professor of biomolecular engineering, has been selected to serve as the next director of the California Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3) at UC Santa Cruz.
May 03, 2023
Geoscientist Emily Brodsky elected to the National Academy of Sciences
Emily Brodsky, professor of Earth and planetary sciences, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences in recognition of her distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.
May 02, 2023
Deep neural network provides robust detection of disease biomarkers in real time
Holger Schmidt's lab has developed a deep neural network that improves the accuracy of their unique devices for detecting pathogen biomarkers.
May 02, 2023
Meet UCSC’s new Chief of Police Kevin Domby
UC Santa Cruz’s newly appointed Executive Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police Kevin Domby credits his high school art teacher with introducing him to the idea of a career in public service. "Throughout my career, whether it was when I was a teacher or as a peace officer, I've enjoyed mentoring, training and teaching," Domby said.
May 02, 2023
UC Santa Cruz and United Way invest in youth perspective in researching mental health throughout local communities
Beginning in early 2021, UC Santa Cruz partnered with the United Way of Santa Cruz County’s Youth Action Network, seeking to support youth empowerment and leadership. As part of that vital work, the partners were recognized as the United Way Partner of the Year.
May 01, 2023
UCSC environmental governance expert named to NASEM committee addressing methane gas emissions
Environmental Studies Professor Sikina Jinnah has been appointed as a member of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Committee for Atmospheric Methane Removal to assess viable technological options for reducing a powerful greenhouse gas.
April 28, 2023
Fulbright scholarship will bring distinguished philosophy professor Paul Roth to Manchester, England this winter
Paul Roth, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Philosophy, has been awarded a Fulbright Distinguished Scholar Fellowship—the most distinguished appointment in the Fulbright program. He will be at the University of Manchester for six months starting January 2024.
April 27, 2023
Genome of famed sled dog Balto reveals genetic adaptations of working dogs
Still a good boy nearly 100 years after historic sled run, Balto has now helped scientists explore the genetics of working dogs and demonstrate the power of comparative genomics.
April 27, 2023
As the California sea lion population got bigger, so did male sea lions
Unlike other marine mammals, male California sea lions have gotten bigger over the past 50 years as their population has grown.
April 26, 2023
Enhancing communication across communities
UCSC Ph.D. candidate Andrew Guydish pursues psychology and conversational dynamics with the help of the Fredrico and Rena Perlino Memorial Scholarship
April 26, 2023
UCSC Chemical Screening Center symposium features drug discovery talks
The center will hold a Grand Reopening Celebration and Research Symposium on Friday, May 5, marking a major upgrade with new state-of-the-art equipment.
April 26, 2023
One of the planet’s most important carbon sinks is revealing its secrets
New research clarifies how tiny organisms in the Southern Ocean play an outsized role in moderating Earth’s climate.
April 24, 2023
Peter Bratt announced as 2023 Social Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award recipient
Rockefeller Fellow, Peabody Award winner, Emmy-nominated film producer, writer, director, community organizer, and social justice activist Peter Bratt is UC Santa Cruz’s 2023 Social Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award recipient.
April 24, 2023
Electrical engineer wins award to support improvement of efficient, low-cost agricultural soil sensor systems
UC Santa Cruz Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Colleen Josephson is a recipient of the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research’s (FFAR) 2022 New Innovator in Food & Agriculture Research Award.
April 21, 2023
From the ground up: UCSC Men's Rugby finishes historic season
Jeremy Sanford, Patrick Halpin, Guido Bordignon, Simon Nicholls, and Marcus Viscardi are the forces behind one of UCSC's most historic and competitive sports teams on campus: Rugby. UCSC Men’s Rugby finishes their inaugural season in D1A.
April 21, 2023
New stable isotope map of Angola helps archaeologists trace individual life histories across the African Diaspora
UCSC researchers' methods could provide significantly more detail and certainty in identifying first-generation enslaved individuals in the Americas and tracing back their origins within Africa than was previously possible through strontium isotope analysis work or genetic analysis.
April 20, 2023
Alumni Reunion Weekend: Celebrating Slugs of the past, present, and future
Over 150 alumni from the classes of 1965-1973 returned to campus April 14 & 15 to participate in Alumni Reunion Weekend. The class of ’73 celebrated their 50th reunion. Campus was bustling with current and admitted students and their families for Cowell and Stevenson Family Day and Banana Slug Day.
April 20, 2023
Elephant seals drift off to sleep while diving far below the ocean surface
Brainwave patterns show elephant seals take short naps while holding their breath on deep dives, averaging just 2 hours of sleep per day while at sea.
April 20, 2023
UC chemistry departments gather at UCSC to discuss DEI issues
The first UC-wide conference on diversity, equity, and inclusion in chemistry, held April 15 at UCSC, brought together chemistry faculty and students from across the UC system to discuss challenges and share ideas.
April 19, 2023
Biologist Beth Shapiro elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Beth Shapiro, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honorary societies.
April 18, 2023
National Endowment for the Humanities honors Watsonville Is In The Heart with a prestigious $75,000 project grant
The National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded a prestigious $75,000 Public Humanities Projects: Exhibitions Planning grant to Watsonville Is In The Heart (WIITH), a community-driven public history initiative to preserve and uplift stories of Filipino migration and labor in the Pajaro Valley.
April 18, 2023
Indirect cost recovery changes for fiscal year 2024
Attention Principal Investigators: UC Santa Cruz recently updated its federal Facilities and Administration (F&A) agreement approving indirect cost recovery rates for sponsored contracts and grants.
April 18, 2023
Two film and digital media faculty receive 2023 Guggenheim Fellowship Awards
Sharon Daniel and Anna Friz were among 171 artists, scholars, scientists and writers selected from nearly 2,500 applicants for the award.
April 17, 2023
Banana Slugs seek to advance conversational AI in all three Amazon Alexa Prize challenges
Three teams of UC Santa Cruz Baskin School of Engineering students are developing next-generation, multimodal AI-powered systems for a chance to win $500,000 or more per challenge.
April 17, 2023
Annual climate change event takes aim at heat and human health for 2023
The ninth annual Confronting Climate Change event gathered top scholars to discuss the health impacts of climate change and the social and economic transformations needed to address them.
April 14, 2023
Rebecca London testifies in support of bill that would guarantee recess for California students
Associate Professor of Sociology Rebecca London testified before the California State Senate Education Committee on April 12 in support of SB 291, which would guarantee at least 30 minutes of recess per day for California students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
April 13, 2023
Study pushes back the emergence of African grasslands by more than 10 million years
An international team of scientists has documented the earliest evidence for local abundance in eastern Africa of the types of grasses that now dominate grassland and savannah ecosystems in tropical and subtropical regions around the world.
April 13, 2023
Coming to Fruition
UCSC alumni Tallula Preston and David Purgason founded Watsonville based Fruition Brewing in 2019. Four years later, the duo’s establishment is a staple in the Santa Cruz and Watsonville communities.
April 12, 2023
Naming system for transfer RNA fragments will increase research productivity, standardization
UC Santa Cruz Professor of Biomolecular Engineering Todd Lowe and his group created a new naming scheme for tRNA fragments aimed at standardizing research.
April 12, 2023
Representing her community
A daughter of a Vietnamese refugee and a Mexican immigrant, Kim Bernice Nguyen advocates for her community as the youngest person to hold a seat on the Garden Grove City Council. In Jan. 2023, Nguyen announced her run for Congress.
April 12, 2023
Undergrad Samantha Contreras wins prestigious Goldwater Scholarship
Samantha Contreras, a junior majoring in physics at UC Santa Cruz, has been named a 2023 Goldwater Scholar by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.
April 11, 2023
A lifetime of service
Louie Campos graduated from College Seven—now Oakes College—with a cohort of seven other students. Oakes College’s mission deeply resonated with Campos, and after graduating he led a life of community and civil service.
April 11, 2023
Colombian all-female team uncovers naturalist Elizabeth Kerr’s long-forgotten legacy
Many fields of study have long been dominated by men but a team of eight female Colombian researchers are committed to uncovering the story of naturalist pioneer Elizabeth Kerr, whose legacy had remained invisible despite her vast contributions to ornithology.
April 06, 2023
Two major stem cell research projects supported with more than $2.6 million in funding
The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) will provide more than $2.6 million in total funding for two major stem cell research projects led by scientists at UC Santa Cruz, the organization announced.
April 05, 2023
Challenging the costs
While at UCSC, Marisol Ornelas (Stevenson ‘24, politics and legal studies) is working to remedy the many obstacles on the road to higher education.
April 05, 2023
Food system researcher Julie Guthman wins distinguished career award
Professor of sociology and community studies Julie Guthman was recognized with the Distinguished Career Award by the Cultural and Political Ecology speciality group of the American Association of Geographers.
April 04, 2023
White House cites Rob Fairlie’s research in annual economic report
Economics Professor Rob Fairlie’s research on race and ethnicity in higher education was cited in the 2023 Economic Report of the President.
April 04, 2023
Milestone land acknowledgement event brings campus, local tribe and community members together
On Wednesday, April 12, the campus will host its first Land Acknowledgment event, recognizing the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band and its place in the local history of the land and the creation of UC Santa Cruz. The event will aim to answer the community’s questions about land acknowledgments, and the importance of such events moving forward.
April 04, 2023
April in Santa Cruz Music Festival goes beyond the norm
This year's April in Santa Cruz Contemporary Music Festival takes up forces of dedication and imagination featuring wide-ranging musicians. The festival opens on Thursday, April 13, 2023 and continues with performances on April 14, 17, 21 in the UC Santa Cruz Music Center Recital Hall, and closes on April 30th at The Lab in San Francisco. All live, in-person performances are free and open to the public.
April 03, 2023
Big Questions: Astronomer Father and Artist Daughter
An astrophysicist, musician, mentor, and inspiration, Bill Mathews died in September 2021. His daughter, Amey Mathews, began drawing portraits of him in his memory.
April 03, 2023
NASA’s search for life in the cosmos is focus of April 17 lecture and discussion
‘Whispers from Other Worlds,’ a public lecture and discussion at the Rio Theater, features NASA’s Thomas Zurbuchen and science journalist Nadia Drake.
March 30, 2023
Grad student Huazhi Ge wins postdoctoral fellowship for planetary science research
Huazhi Ge, a doctoral candidate in planetary science at UC Santa Cruz, has won a prestigious 51 Pegasi b Fellowship from the Heising-Simons Foundation to support his postdoctoral research.
March 30, 2023
New program advises UCSC Ph.D. students on their path to entrepreneurship and venture capital
Many student-led innovations never make it out of the lab. A new program at UC Santa Cruz aims to change that by mentoring Ph.D. students in the life sciences on alternative career pathways outside academia: entrepreneurship and venture capital.
March 28, 2023
Spring 2023 Emeriti Lecture: Peace Teachers In and From Soledad Prison
John Brown Childs began offering courses on transcommunality at Soledad Correctional Facility eighteen years ago. Almost two decades later, his teachings continue to transform the lives of incarcerated men in Soledad.
March 28, 2023
Dickens Project honored with the 2023 Award of Merit from the California Association of Teachers of English.
The CATE award recognizes the Dickens Project’s long history of outreach and partnerships with high school students and teachers.
March 28, 2023
A scholar in his own community: Kevin Weatherwax
Computational Media Ph.D. student Kevin Weatherwax's research is supported through the Piatt Fellowship, a scholarship for doctoral students from Santa Cruz County.
March 27, 2023
Humans and housing density are the leading cause of death for local pumas
Two new studies involving UC Santa Cruz researchers are shedding light on the challenges facing local pumas where humans are encroaching on their natural habitats.
March 25, 2023
Grant funds Sarker's aquaculture sustainability research
Pallab Sarker received a foundation grant fund from the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation, amounting to $170,947 over three years to strengthen his lab’s ecological aquaculture work.
March 25, 2023
Pedroza received Russell Sage Foundation Pipeline Grant
Assistant Professor Juan Manuel Pedroza aims to learn more about these challenges and speak to them, with the help of a recently awarded grant from the Russell Sage Foundation.
March 22, 2023
JWST’s first direct spectrum of planetary-mass object reveals dynamic atmosphere
The most detailed spectrum ever for a planetary-mass object outside our solar system covers an unprecedented range of wavelengths, providing a wealth of new insights.
March 21, 2023
Center for Labor and Community opens on UC Santa Cruz campus
Scholars studying the economic and social impacts of a variety of labor and employment issues facing workers in Santa Cruz and the Monterey Bay Area just announced the opening of a new center on campus that will provide timely and policy-relevant labor research, will educate the next generation of labor and community leaders and will advance labor, community, and occupational health initiatives.
March 21, 2023
Computer engineering research prompts bug fixes, updates to major GPU frameworks
A new suite of GPU tests developed by Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Engineering Tyler Sorensen and his students led to changes to an important GPU framework for programming web browsers.
March 21, 2023
Collaboration with NASA uses eDNA technology to monitor biodiversity
UCSC scientists collected environmental DNA samples in South Africa as part of the BioSCape project.
March 21, 2023
Scientists, policy leaders, and insurance experts meet to address climate risks
The Coastal Climate Resilience Symposium held at the Seymour Center focused on integrating nature-based solutions into risk management and insurance.
March 20, 2023
UCSC names astronomer Bryan Gaensler dean of Physical and Biological Sciences
UC Santa Cruz has appointed internationally recognized astronomer Bryan Gaensler to serve as dean of the Division of Physical and Biological Sciences, effective August 15.
March 20, 2023
Cultivating equitable communications
Elise Duffau was awarded the Frederico and Rena Perlino Memorial Scholarship in 2022. Learn more about how scholarships support students at UC Santa Cruz.
March 17, 2023
Black Studies minor builds momentum
The Black Studies minor at the University of California, Santa Cruz has grown in size and influence at a time when the United States continues to grapple with its long history of racism.
March 16, 2023
UC Santa Cruz moving forward on project to increase student housing, expand childcare services
Student Housing West will provide housing for more than 3,000 students following project, finance approvals by the UC Board of Regents
March 15, 2023
Young Supernova Experiment releases first set of transient survey data
UC Santa Cruz astronomers organized the survey, which has discovered thousands of cosmic explosions and other transient events of interest to astronomers and astrophysicists.
March 14, 2023
Researcher solves nearly 60-year-old game theory dilemma
Dejan Milutinovic has solved a nearly 60-year-old game theory dilemma called the wall pursuit game, with implications for better reasoning about autonomous systems such as driverless vehicles.
March 14, 2023
Local educators shared expertise at the first STEM Education Central Coast Conference
The conference, which was organized by California State University Monterey Bay in collaboration with UC Santa Cruz, was designed by and for local educators in science, technology, engineering and math. The goal was to share expertise.
March 13, 2023
Minke whales are as small as a lunge-feeding baleen whale can be
Research on the feeding behavior of Antarctic minke whales found that a smaller whale could not capture enough food to survive using the lunge-feeding strategy of baleen whales.
March 13, 2023
Winning Grad Slam presentation highlights disease threat to Hawaiian birds
Ecology and evolutionary biology graduate student Christa Seidl will compete in the UC systemwide Grad Slam in May, presenting her research on avian malaria.
March 13, 2023
Advocating for human rights
Nicole Britton was awarded the Weiss Family Scholarship in 2022. Learn more about how scholarships support students at UC Santa Cruz.
March 10, 2023
Where is your squid coming from? Most likely unregulated waters, according to a new international study
Scientists and policymakers have voiced growing concerns about the decline of global squid stocks, but little has been done to date to target squid fishing activities that are expanding into unregulated spaces, according to a new international study.
March 09, 2023
New project will develop safer, highly accurate GPS alternative
Ricardo Sanfelice, UCSC professor of electrical and computer engineering, and his team of graduate students and researchers are designing a new and resilient Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) system.
March 09, 2023
First images released from James Webb Space Telescope’s largest general observer program
Mosaic images from the COSMOS-Web program offer a treasure trove of early galaxies, including dazzling examples of spiral galaxies, gravitational lensing, and evidence of galaxy mergers.
March 09, 2023
Imagining Freedom: Dr. Angela Davis and Dr. Gina Dent Participate in Panel Highlighting UCSC’s Visualizing Abolition Curriculum
On the recent panel “Imagining Freedom,” presented by the Mellon Foundation, UC Santa Cruz Associate Professor Dr. Gina Dent and Distinguished Professor Emerita Angela Y. Davis participated in a live streamed conversation on mass incarceration, the toll it takes on society, and ways the arts and humanities drive opportunities for civic, scholarly, and creative engagement across the criminal-legal system.
March 08, 2023
Alumni Councilor April Yee
April Yee joined the UCSC Alumni Council in 2017.
March 08, 2023
Marine mammal reproduction rests on a precarious tipping point of ocean resources
A study of northern elephant seals reveals a threshold at which a small decrease in the amount of prey females can find during foraging migrations could lead to a sudden drop in reproductive success.
March 07, 2023
UCSC wins prestigious Highly Established Action Plan Seal for voter engagement
UC Santa Cruz has become one of only three University of California campuses awarded a Highly Established Action Plan Seal as part of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) for its voter engagement efforts.
March 07, 2023
Indigenous land management focus of this year’s Conversations on Climate Justice
Wildfires. Flooding. Drought. The nation has faced these climate issues for centuries. Yet, there’s still a lot that can be learned from pre-colonial indigenous food and land management techniques to combat our current climate problems, according to Dr. Lyla June Johnston, the keynote speaker for UC Santa Cruz’s third annual Conversations on Climate Justice event, coming up this Monday, March 13.
March 07, 2023
SpikeGPT: researcher releases code for largest-ever spiking neural network for language generation
Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Jason Eshraghian and two students recently released the open-sourced code for the largest language-generating spiking neural network ever, named SpikeGPT.
March 06, 2023
Graphene quantum dots show promise as novel magnetic field sensors
Physicists found that speeding electrons trapped in circular loops in graphene quantum dots are highly sensitive to external magnetic fields.
March 06, 2023
Continuing an Academic Legacy
The Dr. Aaronette White Scholarship was awarded to Guneet Hora in 2022.
March 03, 2023
Astrophysicist Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz wins 2023 AAAS Mentor Award
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has awarded the 2023 AAAS Mentor Award to Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz.
March 02, 2023
Leaf wetness sensor will enable better plant disease forecasting and management
An interdisciplinary team of researchers created a new type of sensor for more accurately measuring leaf wetness which will enable better plant disease forecasting and management.
March 01, 2023
Celebrating UCSC’s Pioneer Alumni
Register today to be a part of the meaningful reunion weekend for our pioneer classes.
February 27, 2023
Introducing The Humanities Institute’s 2023 Deep Read: Elizabeth Kolbert’s Under A White Sky: The Nature Of the Future
This year's Deep Read selection is Under A White Sky: The Nature Of The Future by New Yorker staff writer and Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Kolbert. The book delves into the ingenuity and complications of efforts to reverse environmental damage and climate change. The program kicks off this spring and culminates in a live discussion with Kolbert on Sunday, May 21 at the Quarry Amphitheatre.
February 27, 2023
Shrinking age distribution of spawning salmon raises climate resilience concerns
Study suggests changes in hatchery practices could help increase population stability for Sacramento River fall-run Chinook salmon, the backbone of California’s salmon fishery.
February 24, 2023
UC Santa Cruz sees record number of first-year applications
The University of California, Santa Cruz has begun the process of building the fall 2023 class of students seeking to learn and thrive at an institution that leads at the intersection of innovation and social justice. The competition to earn a spot at UC Santa Cruz remains strong this year, with a record number of applications received.
February 23, 2023
MLK Convocation speaker points way to STEM success
The key to persevering in STEM careers is to find joy in the struggle, discover yourself in the process and lead with passion and purpose, Talithia Williams said at UC Santa Cruz’s online 39th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Convocation Feb. 21.
February 21, 2023
Leading and learning to save the world
CalEPA Secretary Yana Garcia heads California’s fight against the ongoing climate crisis with her UCSC education as her foundation.
February 21, 2023
RNA Rescue challenge invites players to solve puzzles and advance RNA therapeutics
Researchers at UC Santa Cruz have developed a new puzzle challenge for the online game Eterna, enlisting players to help design a novel RNA drug to treat hemophilia A.
February 21, 2023
Major expansion of Lick Observatory education programs will benefit Bay Area students
Scientific Teaching through Astronomy Research (STARs), a suite of new outreach and education programs at UC’s Lick Observatory, will reach a diverse population of K-12 and college-age students.
February 21, 2023
Researcher wins inaugural NHGRI award for DEIA Innovation in the Genomics Workforce
Ann McCartney received the National Human Genome Research Institute’s (NHGRI) inaugural Staff Award for DEIA Innovation in the Genomics Workforce.
February 16, 2023
Alumni Councilor Christy Martin
Christy Martin is currently serving as the Vice President of Finance for the UC Santa Cruz Alumni Association. Martin enjoys reconnecting with and giving back to the UCSC community, while helping to manage and grow funds that support alumni programs and student success.
February 16, 2023
First In-Person Night at the Museum Since Pandemic Returns With “Resettlement: Chicago Story”
The Humanities Institute’s Signature Event, UCSC Night at the Museum, is returning to the MAH for a screening and panel conversation, featuring “Resettlement: Chicago Story,” a short fictional film and accompanying website about people of Japanese ancestry remaking their lives in the Midwest following their wrongful incarceration during World War II.
February 15, 2023
Speaking his soul: John Rickford to speak at Distinguished Alumni Lecture
Stevenson College Distinguished alumnus John Rickford returns to UC Santa Cruz for a reading of a chapter of his memoir, “Speaking my Soul: Race, Life, and Language.”
February 15, 2023
UCSC professor building collaborations to shape future minds through ethnic studies
Many believe we are at a pivotal moment in this country regarding anti-racist reforms, police abolition, and restorative justice. And according to Rekia Jibrin, an assistant professor in critical studies of education within UC Santa Cruz’s Education Department, engaging local communities is vital to bringing about transformative change.
February 14, 2023
Information about reporting abusive conduct in the workplace
The University of California issued a new Presidential Policy that defines and prohibits Abusive Conduct in the Workplace, effective Jan 1, 2023. This policy applies to all University of California employees, including student employees.
February 13, 2023
Pursuing social justice
Elena Losada received the Jessica Roy Memorial Scholarship in 2022. Learn more about how scholarships support students at UC Santa Cruz.
February 13, 2023
Arts Division to break ground on new state-of-the-art Social Documentation Lab
UC Santa Cruz’s Division of the Arts will soon begin construction of a world-class production and post-production facility in support of its Social Documentation (SocDoc) MFA program.
February 13, 2023
Designing the digital user experience to meet research needs - Meet Jessica Waggoner
Jessica Waggoner, the user experience librarian, and her students work to understand information-seeking behaviors so the campus community can easily access the resources they need to be successful in their classes and push the boundaries of research.
February 10, 2023
Big data expert to headline MLK Convocation
Dr. Talithia Williams, a mathematician and big data expert who seeks to “STEMpower” underrepresented groups to enter STEM fields, will address the 39th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Convocation, a virtual event on February 21.
February 09, 2023
Bots and Broadway: Technology and theater go hand-in-hand for UCSC professor
Using AI-generated text to produce dialogue during a live performance may seem like a wild idea to some, but not to performance and new media professor Marianne Weems. Weems, co-founder and artistic director of New York-based multi-dimensional theater company The Builders Association, is used to pushing the envelope with her ground-breaking work at the intersection of technology, media, and theater arts.
February 09, 2023
Legal Studies Program, Santa Cruz County Public Defender’s Office partner for National Public Defense Summit
Interested in learning about the importance of public defense and criminal law? The UC Santa Cruz Legal Studies Program, in partnership with the Santa Cruz County Office of the Public Defender, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), and the National Association for Public Defense, will host its first-ever National Public Defense Summit on February 24-25 at the Stevenson Event Center.
February 07, 2023
Campus safety strengthened with new programs, services
Restoring the late-night Safe Ride program, forming a mobile crisis intervention team, and increasing security patrols are just a few of the changes this academic year.
February 07, 2023
UCSC joins FAA/ UAS Collegiate Training Initiative
UC Santa Cruz is now the first UC- or CSU-member of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)/ Unmanned Aircraft Systems’ (UAS) Collegiate Training Initiative program.
February 06, 2023
Pursuing cultural anthropology
Gabriel Ephraim Kaplan Wall was awarded the Jeremy Demian Marx Scholarship in 2022. Learn more about how scholarships support students at UC Santa Cruz.
February 03, 2023
Funding opportunity to develop university innovations
The Innovation & Business Engagement Hub is now accepting applications for its new Innovation Catalyst Grant; a proof-of-concept program focused on providing targeted gap funding, training, mentorship, and support to UC Santa Cruz researchers in order to help de-risk and/or validate the implementation and adoption potential of early-stage technology innovations.
February 03, 2023
UC Santa Cruz leads DOE program to train computational high-energy physicists
The Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics (SCIPP) at UC Santa Cruz is leading a consortium of western research universities and national laboratories in a new program to train the next generation of computational high-energy physicists.
February 03, 2023
UCSC receives NEH awards that will further research in anthropology and musicology
On January 10, the NEH announced $28.1 million in grants toward 204 humanities projects nationwide. Two of this year’s recipients are part of the Slug family themselves, and their new grants will help to further their research in both anthropology and musicology at UC Santa Cruz.
February 02, 2023
Uncovering the secret war against the Nazis in the Middle East
In his book talk on Wednesday, February 8 at UCSC, Gershom Gorenberg (Kresge '76, Religious Studies) will reveal the espionage affair that led to the British victory against Rommel at El Alamein – turning the tide of the war and preventing the mass murder of the Jews of Egypt, Palestine and the rest of the Middle East.
February 02, 2023
Astronomers observe light bending around an isolated white dwarf
The first detection of gravitational lensing for a single, isolated star other than our sun comes 100 years after a landmark experiment using the sun to confirm Einstein’s prediction.
February 01, 2023
Three UCSC faculty win prestigious NSF CAREER awards
The CAREER Awards are NSF's most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.
January 31, 2023
Three UCSC faculty named 2022 AAAS fellows
Three UC Santa Cruz professors received the distinction of 2022 fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the association announced today.
January 31, 2023
Improving the student experience: aligning Colleges, Housing, and Educational Services within the Division of Student Affairs and Success
In an effort to improve the student experience, Colleges, Housing, and Educational Services (CHES) is moving from the Division of Finance, Operations, and Administration (FOA) to the Division of Student Affairs and Success (DSAS).
January 31, 2023
University launches new center, Campus + Community, to facilitate engaged scholarship
After more than 50 years of engagement in the region, UC Santa Cruz is launching a new center to coordinate campus and community connections for action-oriented scholarship that advances social justice.
January 31, 2023
John Bollard named associate vice chancellor for student health and wellness and chief well-being officer; joins Division of Student Affairs and Success
The Division of Student Affairs and Success is excited to announce John Bollard has been hired as the associate vice chancellor for student health and wellness and chief well-being officer. He will begin his appointment Thursday, February 2.
January 31, 2023
The university invites campus community to come together for SlugUnity: A Space for Healing
In the wake of numerous, horrific acts of violence that have recently unfolded across the country, UCSC invites students, staff, and faculty to gather together in the Quarry Amphitheater this Thursday, February 2 from noon to 1 p.m..
January 30, 2023
Disclosing foreign collaborations in research projects
In order to comply with evolving federal regulations related to disclosing foreign collaborations and other support, the Office of Research has updated Cayuse to include screening questions. These questions are meant to trigger information that needs to be disclosed on all applications and progress reports for projects with federal funding.
January 30, 2023
Two new species of rare succulents found in Mexico named by UCSC botanist
A retired staff botanist at the UCSC Arboretum & Botanic Garden studied the rare plants found on an island off the coast of Baja California and identified two new species of dudleya.
January 30, 2023
NIH grant funds research on a powerful new approach to drug development
A new NIH MIRA grant funds biochemist Scott Lokey’s efforts to develop complex, membrane-permeable molecules as next-generation therapeutic agents.
January 30, 2023
Sanya Cowal: Resilience and agency
Sanya Cowal was awarded the Jessica Roy Memorial Scholarship in 2022. Learn more about how scholarships support students at UC Santa Cruz.
January 23, 2023
McKenna Smith: Pursuing biological sciences
McKenna Smith was awarded the Keeley Coastal Scholars Award in 2022. Learn more about how scholarships support students at UC Santa Cruz.
January 23, 2023
UCSC leads new multicampus initiatives on climate change and bilingualism
UC Santa Cruz faculty are leading two new collaborative programs funded by grants from UC’s Multicampus Research Programs and Initiatives (MRPI) program.
January 23, 2023
Study reveals influence of krill availability on humpback whale pregnancies
Data from Antarctica show more humpback whales get pregnant after years with abundant krill than after years when krill were less plentiful.
January 23, 2023
Five student teams embark on tech for social good projects
Five student teams will take on tech for social good projects with funding from the UCSC CITRIS and the Banatao Institute and the UCSC Institute for Social Transformation.
January 20, 2023
Vulnerability of red sea urchins to climate change depends on location
Scientists found that red sea urchin populations are adapted to local environments, but some populations will suffer more than others as conditions change in the future.
January 19, 2023
Alumni Councilor Mario Galdamez
Mario Galdamez joined the UCSC Alumni Council in 2022. Since then, he has enjoyed giving back to the UCSC community, honing his leadership skills, reconnecting with the community, and supporting students.
January 17, 2023
Researchers produce first-ever toolkit for RNA sequencing analysis using a ‘pantranscriptome’
Researchers at UC Santa Cruz introduce the first-ever method for analyzing RNA sequencing data genome-wide using a “pantranscriptome.”
January 17, 2023
UC Santa Cruz’s Institute of the Arts and Sciences to open new, off campus galleries
The state-of-the-art facility will showcase the Institute of the Arts and Sciences’ groundbreaking exhibitions and programs, highlighting the work of major national and international artists working to address the most pressing issues of our day at the intersection of the arts and social justice.
January 16, 2023
Study finds active galactic nuclei are even more powerful than thought
A new study indicates that scientists have substantially underestimated the energy output of active galactic nuclei powered by supermassive black holes because their light is dimmed by dust.
January 16, 2023
Zahirah Suhaimi: Exploring ecological states
Zahirah Suhaimi was awarded the Dr. Midori Arima Scholarship in Anthropology in 2022.
January 12, 2023
Alumni Weekend re-envisioned
Alumni Weekend was created to welcome alumni back to UC Santa Cruz for a week of reconnecting with peers, Santa Cruz, and the campus community. In 2023, the program will take on a redesigned look.
January 12, 2023
Sensorium, a new project of UC Santa Cruz’s Center for the Study of the Force Majeure, to be an unprecedented experience of the world ocean
A new project in development by UC Santa Cruz’s Center for the Study of the Force Majeure will give the public a transformative opportunity to interact with the world’s ocean ecosystem in a fully immersive work of environmental art entitled Sensorium.
January 11, 2023
Earth scientist James Zachos honored for climate change research
The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the Climate Change category recognizes Zachos and fellow paleoclimatologist Ellen Thomas of Yale University.
January 09, 2023
Astronomers find the most distant stars in our galaxy halfway to Andromeda
A search for variable stars called RR Lyrae has found some of the most distant stars in the Milky Way’s halo a million light years away.
January 09, 2023
Championing opportunity: Alumnus sponsors graduate student fellowships
UCSC alumnus and Stone Brewing Co-Founder Steve Wagner has funded summer research fellowships for four humanities graduate students over the course of four years.
January 03, 2023
UC Santa Cruz Cal Teach program connects area STEM majors with local public schools
Established in fall 2005, the UCSC Cal Teach program is one of nine in the UC system, with a goal to recruit and support undergrads in the STEM field to become teachers in K-12 schools.