2023  Recent News Articles

Life Beyond the Redwoods: Noah Whitley reflects on the value of a UCSC degree one year later

One year after graduating from UCSC, Noah Whitley works as a legislative assistant for a political consulting firm that works closely with the California State Legislature.

A network for the future

UCSC Student Serena Campbell’s senior thesis leads to a comprehensive network between critical environmental researchers on campus.

UCSC joins as founding member of new Action Collaborative to improve pathways for women of color in tech education and careers

UC Santa Cruz has joined a new Action Collaborative on transforming trajectories for women of color in tech which was launched by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and 35 other institutions representing higher education, national laboratories, and government.

Scholar, philanthropist Peggy Downes Baskin dies at 93

Peggy Downes Baskin, educator and scholar, advocate for women’s rights, and longtime philanthropic supporter of UC Santa Cruz, died at her home surrounded by her family on Dec. 11. She was 93.

Support Second Harvest this holiday season

Second Harvest Food Bank reaches 65,000 people in Santa Cruz County each month, including UCSC students. This holiday season, consider giving your time or money to a worthy cause.

J. Mijin Cha testifies on solutions to energy poverty before congressional subcommittee

Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies J. Mijin Cha shared her insights on solutions that could make electricity more affordable for low-income families across America.

Nobuhiko Kobayashi elected to the 2023 National Academy of Inventors

Nobuhiko (Nobby) Kobayashi, professor of electrical and computer engineering at UC Santa Cruz, has been named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).

W.M. Keck Observatory appoints Rich Matsuda as director

The W. M. Keck Observatory today announced the appointment of Rich Matsuda as its next director, effective January 1, 2024.

Art and History of Consciousness Professor Sir Isaac Julien honored in 2023 ArtReview’s Power 100 list

ArtReview, one of the world’s leading contemporary art magazines, has named University of California, Santa Cruz Arts and Humanities Professor Sir Isaac Julien as the fifth most influential artist in its ArtReview Power 100 list, and prominently mentioned UCSC Anthropology Professor Anna Tsing and Professor Emerita in the History of consciousness and Feminist Studies departments Donna Haraway.

A new 66 million-year history of carbon dioxide offers little comfort for today

A massive new review of ancient atmospheric carbon-dioxide levels and corresponding temperatures lays out a daunting picture of where the Earth’s climate may be headed.

The Alumni Association welcomes Sydne Raiyn to lead alumni diversity programs

The UC Santa Cruz Alumni Association is excited to welcome Sydne Raiyn as the incoming Associate Director of Alumni Diversity Programs. She will begin her new role at UCSC in Jan. 2024.

Building community through Slug Stories at College Nine and John R Lewis

More than 200 students gathered on November 28 for Slug Stories, an annual College Nine and John R. Lewis College tradition. Live and in-person for the first time in three years, the event showcased nine impassioned students who told stories of life experiences that have shaped who they are today.

Cloud technologies bring organoids into undergraduate classrooms for the first time

For the first time, remote education tools have allowed undergraduate students to gain direct experience experimenting with cortical organoids grown at UC Santa Cruz.

THI Graduate Public Fellows champion the relevance of Humanities education in a changing world

An innovative Public Fellowship Program at the Humanities Institute (THI) is showing the important real-world impact of doctoral students’ humanities skills and expertise and offering exciting possibilities for the future of graduate education and career pathways.

Preparing the next generation of doctors

The University of California, Santa Cruz, an institution renowned for innovation, social justice, and sustainability, announces a unique Premed Postbaccalaureate Program focused on bridging looming healthcare gaps in California.

El Centro Resource Center inspires alumna’s future career

Recent graduate Lorena Hernandez-Rivera strives to help others.

Stay connected with the Latino Alumni Network

UCSC's Latino Alumni Network (LAN) is a unique partnership of Chicanx and Latinx-identified alumni, and El Centro, the Chicanx Latinx Resource Center, which is a special support services program for current students at UC Santa Cruz.

A road to determination

Jade Goree entered UCSC unsure of her future path—until she found a community with Black Academy and the AARCC.

Indigenous scientists awarded $9M to establish the first RADx Tribal data repository that upholds Indigenous data sovereignty

The National Institutes of Health announced funding for an Indigenous Data Repository led by Native scientists to help improve health in tribal communities and for all Indigenous Peoples.

Smart microgrids can restore power more efficiently and reliably in an outage

A new AI model that optimizes the use of renewables and other energy sources outperforms traditional power restoration techniques for islanded microgrids, a new paper from Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Yu Zhang shows.

Philanthropist and advocate Rowland Rebele dies at age 93

Rowland Rebele, a distinguished publisher, philanthropist, homeless advocate, and unwavering supporter of the arts, died Saturday, Nov. 25, at the age of 93. His indomitable spirit and fervent commitment to Santa Cruz have left an indelible imprint on both the community and the UC Santa Cruz campus.

Funding opportunities to develop UC Santa Cruz innovations

The Innovation & Business Engagement Hub is now accepting applications for two funding opportunities to advance innovations being developed at UC Santa Cruz.

UCSC’s 2023 iGEM team grabs fourth consecutive gold medal and nomination for best software tool at international competition

A team of UC Santa Cruz students won a gold medal at the 2023 International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Grand Jamboree, marking their fourth consecutive year of bringing home the prize, and were nominated as best software tool for the first time.

2023 list of most highly cited researchers includes 18 UC Santa Cruz scientists and engineers

In a notable recognition of scholarly achievement, 18 scientists and engineers from UC Santa Cruz have earned a spot on the 2023 Highly Cited Researchers list, recently unveiled by Clarivate.

New eDNA Explorer provides a powerful new resource for conservation

CALeDNA has launched a prototype of their new eDNA Explorer, an open-source tool that provides a powerful and easily accessible platform for sharing, exploring, and analyzing data from projects that use environmental DNA.

UCSC Alumni Awards 2023

The Alumni Association at UCSC is proud to celebrate this year’s honorees of the UCSC Alumni Awards.

UC Santa Cruz Silicon Valley Professional Education upgrades its Semiconductor and VLSI Engineering Certificate to address skilled professional shortage and industry growth

UC Santa Cruz Silicon Valley Professional Education is proud to announce the upgrade of its Silicon Chip Design & Semiconductor Engineering Certificate program (Formerly known as VLSI and Semiconductor Engineering), aimed at alleviating the shortage of skilled professionals in the industry and meeting the growing demands of the semiconductor sector.

Dwarf planet Eris is squishier than expected

University of California, Santa Cruz Professor of Planetary Sciences Francis Nimmo recently co-authored a Science Advances paper about the internal structure of the dwarf planet Eris.

Design begins for new Interdisciplinary Instruction and Research Building (IIRB) on Science Hill

UC Santa Cruz is moving forward with preliminary design for a new building that will accommodate the undergraduate teaching programs currently held in Thimann Laboratories.

UCSC Alumnus Leo Merle wins Gold for Team USA at the 2023 Parapan American Games

UC Santa Cruz alumnus Leo Merle (Rachel Carson ’20) won the gold medal in the Men’s T38 1500-meter race at the Parapan American Games on Nov. 21.

NASA’s Webb Identifies Methane In an Exoplanet’s Atmosphere

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope observed the exoplanet WASP-80 b as it passed in front of and behind its host star, revealing spectra indicative of an atmosphere containing methane gas and water vapor.

Linda Koval’s three-decade commitment

Alumna Linda Koval understands the challenges students face and wants to help break down barriers. She has supported UCSC through her time and resources for nearly three decades.

Bettina Aptheker honored for lifetime commitment to social justice

UCSC alumna and Distinguished Professor Emerita in Feminist Studies Aptheker was recognized for a lifetime of scholarly work and activism with the UCSC Ethos Award.

New book shares expertise from UC Santa Cruz and beyond on preparing students to tackle environmental justice issues

A new book developed by UC Santa Cruz faculty and staff offers teaching examples, strategies, and classroom tools to help integrate environmental justice into courses in ways that center equity.

UC Santa Cruz faculty member elected president of Sociologists for Women in Society

Associate Professor of Latin American and Latino Studies (LALS) Sylvanna Falcón was recently elected president of Sociologists for Women in Society (SWS). Falcón’s term in the position will start at the beginning of 2024.

Environmental toxicologist Don Smith receives Outstanding Faculty Award

Don Smith, distinguished professor of microbiology and environmental toxicology, has been awarded the 2022-2023 Outstanding Faculty Award from the Division of Physical and Biological Sciences. The annual award is the division’s highest honor for faculty achievement, recognizing combined excellence in research, teaching, and service.

Life Beyond the Redwoods: Seeyade Gizachew shares insights one year after UCSC graduation

A health justice coordinator for RYSE Youth Center in Richmond, California, and a graduate student at UC Berkeley, Seeyade Gizachew (Stevenson ’22, community studies and psychology) is passionate about mentoring, education, and cultivating safe spaces.

Life Beyond the Redwoods: Maxwell Ward follows his dreams one year after UCSC graduation

One year after graduating from UCSC, Maxwell Ward (Cowell ’22, history of art and visual culture and anthropology) is pursuing a Ph.D. in anthropology with a focus on archaeology from McGill University in Quebec and is an editor at Collective Research in Anthropology Journal.

Life Beyond the Redwoods: Benny Mosqueira participates in groundbreaking research one year after graduating from UCSC

One year after graduating from UCSC, Benny Mosqueira is a research assistant for MCD Biology Assistant Professor D’Juan Farmer’s lab at UCLA.

Life Beyond the Redwoods: Teresa Faasolo reflects on her educational journey one year after graduating from UCSC

A year after graduating with a B.S. in computer engineering from UCSC, Teresal Faasolo (Merrill ’22) is a software quality assurance engineer at Digital Dynamics, Inc., based in Scotts Valley.

Fishing chimpanzees found to enjoy termites as a seasonal treat

A UCSC-led research team that copied chimpanzee tools and techniques showed that chimpanzees living in western Tanzania can only reliably fish for termites in the early wet season.

UCSC doctoral graduate wins prestigious Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists

Jessica Kendall-Bar, who received her Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology last year from UC Santa Cruz with co-advisors Terrie Williams and Dan Costa, was named a recipient of the prestigious Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists for her research on elephant seal sleep habits while they are at sea.

UCSC alumnus at the forefront of humanitarian efforts in Ukraine

UC Santa Cruz alumnus Peter Gelpi is at the forefront of efforts to feed Ukrainians displaced by the war against Russia.

Brain-inspired AI code library passes major milestone, new paper offers perspective on future of field

UCSC Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Jason Eshraghian's open source code library for brain-inspired deep learning, called “snnTorch,” has surpassed 100,000 downloads and is used in a wide variety of projects. A new paper details the code and offers a perspective on the future of the field.

World-renowned supernova expert honored for breakthrough contributions to astronomy

Mark Phillips received the Alumni Achievement Award on Oct. 27, 2023, for his pioneering supernova research that led to the reversal of a major scientific theory on the trajectory of the universe, and for the indelible legacy he has left for aspiring astronomers.

UC Santa Cruz will lead new systemwide basic needs consortium to bring together researchers and practitioners

UC Santa Cruz’s Blum Center on Poverty, Social Enterprise, and Participatory Governance will become the UC Santa Cruz Center for Economic Justice and Action, taking on a new leadership role in University of California basic needs efforts that enhance students’ access to food, housing, and other essential resources.

bell hooks’s legacy turns a new page

For her remarkable legacy and lifelong contributions in the fields of literature and feminist studies, bell hooks posthumously received the Alumni Achievement Award on Oct. 27, 2023. Her family accepted the award on her behalf.

Worldwide leaders convene to protect, advance global biodiversity

With a focus on sustaining and strengthening global biodiversity in the face of climate change, UC Santa Cruz hosted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation University Leaders' Forum, bringing together nearly 100 international leaders in education, industry, and government.

UCSC’s 2023 United Way Employee Campaign now underway

2023 UCSC United Way campaign has officially launched. The 2023 campaign - United in Purpose - centers the increased impact we can have when we come together, united in a common goal.

Central Coast K-16 Education Collaborative receives $18.1 million grant to revolutionize student pathways and bridge equity gaps

The Central Coast K-16 Regional Collaborative has been awarded an $18.1 million, three-year grant through California’s Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) to establish new or expand existing pathways for career opportunities and to address long-standing equity gaps for students across the region.

A major new site expansion at Lick Observatory is on the horizon

Lick Observatory's positioning in the Northern Hemisphere enables observation of a substantial portion of the Milky Way galaxy where there are a multitude of stars, billions of potential sites for life. Making Lick Observatory a perfect home for PANOSETI, or "Panoramic SETI or Pulse All-sky Near Infrared Optical SETI."

UCSC Humanities Division welcomes 11 new faculty members

The Humanities Division is proud to announce the recent hires of 11 outstanding new faculty members whose disciplines range from Critical Race & Ethnic Studies (CRES) to the History of Consciousness, Philosophy, Languages and Applied Linguistics.

University Center Bistro now open for weekday lunch service

University Center Bistro has opened its doors for lunch Monday through Friday above the College Nine/John R. Lewis dining hall, giving faculty, staff, and students a new dining experience to enjoy on campus this fall.

Giving Day 2023 breaks records

Giving Day, UC Santa Cruz’s biggest fundraising event of the year, wraps up on a high note.

Veteran students excel with Bruce Lane Memorial Scholarship

The Bruce Lane Memorial Scholarship was established to support veteran students at UC Santa Cruz. Devin Burkland and Dan Palance are this year's recipients.

UCSC Alumnus Jim Lapsley helps build a future for Crown College

Pioneer alumnus Jim Lapsley, who was recognized with the Fiat Lux Award for his contributions to the Crown College Endowment, ruminates on his fundraising efforts and shares highlights from his life including his Crown experiences.

Alumna Lisa Rose celebrates legacy of support for Crown College

Crown College alumna and volunteer Lisa Rose (Crown ’72, literature) receives Fiat Lux Award for her dedication to Crown College.

Alumna Susan Nerton honored for contributions to Crown College

Crown College alumna and volunteer Susan Nerton (Crown ’71, ’87, psychology and computer and information science) receives Fiat Lux Award for her dedication to Crown College.

Award winning composer and television producer Ken Corday returns to campus for music recital

UC Santa Cruz alumnus Ken Corday will perform a solo piano recital on Nov. 17 at UCSC’s Music Center.

UC Santa Cruz students win three categories at Orange County Sustainability Decathlon

An interdisciplinary team of UC Santa Cruz students, many from the Rachel Carson College Sustainability Minor program, designed and built EcoHus, an innovative, affordable, net-zero house. The EcoHus team was selected to receive a $100,000 grant to participate in the 2023 Orange County Sustainability Decathlon (OCSD) held on Oct. 5-15, where they won first place in three categories, and secured second and third place in other categories.

Communication, connection and inclusion are priorities for 2023 Outstanding Staff Awardee

Monique Leduc has been a valued member of the UC Santa Cruz community for 34 years, starting as an assistant analyst in the Financial Aid office in 1989. Six years later, she moved to the office that became Financial Affairs and has worked there ever since.

Alumna Alexis Jackson takes the lessons from the Pacific Coast near UCSC to the environmental policy tables of California

Championing community transformation

For his service to his community and the public, Abel Pineda received the Outstanding Recent Alumni Award on Oct. 27, 2023.

True or false? How uncertainty about the accuracy of information affects learning

UC Santa Cruz postdoctoral scholar Karen Arcos, Assistant Professor of Psychology Hannah Hausman, and Department Chair of Psychology Benjamin Storm published new research that explores how the process of guessing whether information is true or not might affect learning.

Humanities Dean Jasmine Alinder receives NEH grant to enrich teaching of Japanese-American incarceration during WWII

Jasmine Alinder, Humanities Dean at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has received a prestigious grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, making it possible for her to co-direct a summer institute that will enrich U.S. educators’ understanding of the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II and the aftermath of their devastating displacement.

Immigrants targeted by scams are seeking justice. Here’s how to help them get it

Assistant Professor of Sociology Juan Manuel Pedroza's research has identified trends in what types of justice immigrants who have been targeted by scams are seeking and offers recommendations for policymakers and law enforcement agencies on how to expand access to justice.

Emeritus Rex: Tackling the role of King Lear by Professor Emeritus Paul Whitworth

Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Theatre, Paul Whitworth discusses Shakespeare’s ‘retirement’ play, King Lear. Whitworth asks: what happens when you decide to step down and face the last years of your life?

Seeing “One Too Many Racist Musicals” is What Led Preston Choi to be a Playwright

Rebecca Wear, professor of Performance, Play and Design, will direct the student production of "You'll Get Used to It" at UC Santa Cruz on Nov. 3-12, 2023.

Irene Lusztig’s Film Richland Explores a Town Grappling with its Ties to the Atomic Bomb

Irene Lusztig's latest film, Richland, tells the story of the town of the same name. The film opened at Tribeca and at the prestigious International Documentary Festival Amsterdam, it was selected to be part of the program "Signed."

Coral reefs identified as national natural infrastructure

The U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) approved a resolution on Oct. 26 that designates coral reefs along U.S. states and territories as national infrastructure. This resolution makes it easier to direct federal funding, particularly infrastructure, hazard mitigation, and disaster recovery monies, to reef conservation and restoration to protect people, property, and livelihoods.

Slug Gaming looks to level up presence on campus

Slug Gaming, a student group for casual and competitive esports players, want to increase campus support for their players and foster a strong sense of community for gamers at UCSC.

Scientists use Hawaiian fossils to study the past and future of climate change

This month, an international team of researchers returned to shore after a two-month-long ocean expedition exploring fossil coral reefs off the coast of Hawai’i. The fossils provide a record of past climate conditions, so scientists are using them to learn about environmental changes throughout geologic history and make predictions about the future.

Multidisciplinary team will develop advanced rhizosphere carbon imaging for climate change research with support of major DOE grant

A team of researchers at UC Santa Cruz and Stanford University are leading a new project in which they aim to use dynamic imaging and modeling of carbon in the rhizosphere to answer longstanding questions about how carbon moves through the soil and plant root interface.

Transfer student, STARS staffer, and mother of two

STARS staff member, DeShonne Keller (’24, critical race and ethnic studies), is working towards her UCSC degree with the help of the Silver Slug Scholarship.

Introducing The Humanities Institute’s 2024 Deep Read: Hernan Diaz’s Trust

Hernan Diaz’s bestselling and Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Trust, The Humanities Institute’s latest Deep Read selection, is one of the most talked-about, praised, and bestselling works of historical fiction of the past few years. This book is a profound reflection on how power and wealth shape our stories about the global economy,

Bacteria can enhance host insect’s fertility with implications for disease control

New research led at UC Santa Cruz reveals how the bacteria strain Wolbachia pipientis enhances the fertility of the insects it infects, an insight that could help scientists increase the populations of mosquitoes that do not carry human disease.

Following decades in a harsh coastal climate, blue whale skeleton undergoes 3D scan prior to safety-related descent to the ground

For nearly half a century, Ms. Blue–an 87-foot-long whale skeleton—has welcomed over a million visitors to Long Marine Laboratory and the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, spurring interest in marine science. After decades of exposure in harsh coastal conditions, the metal structures supporting Ms. Blue have deteriorated to an unsafe condition.

Sara Ruhl’s Eurydice is the perfect play for a college campus

In Sarah Ruhl’s play, Eurydice, coming to the UC Santa Cruz on November 10, the story is about the title character.

Remembering the grave injustices to Japanese-Americans in the 1940s through female activism

On Tuesday, Oct. 3, Cowell College’s Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery launched a two-month exhibition entitled “Never Again is Now: Japanese American Women Activists and the Legacy of the Mass Incarceration.” The exhibit — on display through Dec. 2 — features artwork and historical renderings of women’s memories surrounding this time period, including challenges to racial and gender stereotypes, promotions of intergenerational ties, and developed coalitions of years past.

Campus community invited to Día de los Muertos Ceremonia on November 2

Día de los Muertos Ceremonia, a spiritual and cultural celebration that captures the idea of unity between life and death, will take place November 2 in the Quarry Amphitheater.

Cruzin' to Campus: Five Essential Bicycle Safety Tips for Slugs

Safety should always be a top priority when pedaling your way across campus and around the city.

Working to improve clarity for patients assessing their genetic breast cancer risk

A project to expedite the analysis of variants on the BRCA 1 and 2 genes, the most commonly affected genes in breast cancer cases, will help more people to better understand their cancer risk.

Creative Technologies, new online major in Arts Division, first of its kind on any UC campus

The Arts Division’s new Creative Technologies online major is the first of its kind on any UC campus.

Record-breaking fast radio burst is most distant ever detected

Scientists have discovered an eight-billion-year-old fast radio burst (FRB) – the most ancient and distant located to date.

Risk-taking, independent comics creator Sina Grace (Stevenson ‘08, literature) takes on the legacy of teenage Superman, exploring the vulnerabilities of The Man Of Steel

No one escapes the travails of being a teenager - not even the mighty Superman. Acclaimed comics creator Sina Grace has brought this chapter of Superman’s life to light in the newly published DC graphic novel Superman: The Harvests of Youth.

Rebates can offer solutions to California’s groundwater woes

Many aquifers in California and around the world are being drained of their groundwater because of the combined impacts of excess pumping, shifts in land use, and climate change. However, a new study by scientists at UC Santa Cruz and UC Berkeley, published on Oct.18 in Nature Water, may offer a solution - it describes the development and operation of a novel incentive program that uses water rebates to pay for some of the costs of getting stormwater runoff into the ground. The program is called recharge net metering (ReNeM).

Recognizing outstanding faculty and staff in the Division of Social Sciences

The Social Sciences Division’s annual fall breakfast gathered faculty and staff to celebrate the winners of four major divisional awards.

Long-term plan to end use of fossil fuels at UCSC is released

The Decarbonization and Electrification (D&E) Task Force has released a long-term campus plan to end the use of fossil fuel at UC Santa Cruz and move to 100 percent clean and renewable energy sources.

Slugworks welcomes students across campus to new creative space

Slugworks, a new creatorspace on campus located in the Jack Baskin Engineering building, is open to the campus community.

Donor-funded scholarship paves the way for UCSC student's impactful internship

The Institute for Social Transformation’s Transforming Futures program amplifies internship opportunities for underrepresented students with philanthropic support.

Award-winning author and poet Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni will be the honored guest speaker at this year’s Morton Marcus Poetry Reading

Chitra Divakaruni, known for her loving and vivid portraits of South Asian culture and the immigrant experience, will be the special guest at the 14th annual Morton Marcus Poetry Reading on Thursday, November 2 at Merrill College at 6 p.m. The late Morton Marcus was Divakaruni's friend and early mentor.

FUTURE in Biology program receives NSF grant to explore field courses as a tool for equity

A group of researchers at UC Santa Cruz recently received a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to study the impacts of these field courses and develop best practices for making them more accessible.

UCSC Giving Day ignites philanthropy and community spirit

UC Santa Cruz’s biggest fundraising event, returns on Wednesday, November 8, 2023.

Three climate resilience projects supported by 2023 CITRIS Interdisciplinary Innovation Program

CITRIS and the Banatao Institute and the Innovation & Business Engagement Hub collaborated to fund three projects focused on climate resilience and that align with developing solutions that address some of the California's most pressing climate challenges.

System-wide leaders visit campus to discuss next steps in Agricultural Experiment Station designation

A group from University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources visited UC Santa Cruz to discuss implementation for the campus’s official designation as an Agricultural Experiment Station.

Cal-Bridge awarded $4 million to diversify STEM

The Cal-Bridge program, which supports students from historically underserved backgrounds in STEM, was recently awarded $4 million in the 2023-2024 California state budget. The funding will provide scholarships, mentorship and professional development opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students around the state in physics and astronomy, computer science, and math.

Visualizing Abolition Studies certificate program launches this spring at UCSC

UCSC is set to launch its Visualizing Abolition Studies (VAST) certificate program this spring, helping undergraduates examine and question how society understands and responds to mass incarceration, detention, and policing in the United States and abroad.

Honoring a legacy: Memorial scholarship empowers students making an impact

UCSC iGEM 2023 addressing harmful algal blooms through synthetic biology

A team of UCSC undergraduate students is designing and assembling a plasmid that targets the toxic genes of a type of freshwater bacteria responsible for harmful algal blooms.

From tech to arts, new leaders elected to join UC Santa Cruz Foundation Board of Trustees

The UC Santa Cruz Foundation has elected six new trustees who are established leaders across a range of industries, from fiber optics and scientific operations to media, arts, and community service.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Kresge College celebrates first phase of renovation

Ribbon-cutting event marks the official opening of new residential halls and academic center.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

CITL and Online Education are now the Teaching and Learning Center

The merger officially brings together the expertise of both units to support the campus as it navigates the contemporary instructional landscape and strives to become a learner-centered research university.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

10 mysteries of the Y chromosome

Researchers have just completed the first full sequence of a Y chromosome — what will we learn?

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

UC Santa Cruz 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

To professorship and policy

UCSC Ph.D. student, Ankit Sharma, looks to address global politics and inequalities as both an academic and an organizer.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

A career of educating

After 38 years of interdisciplinary teaching at UCSC, Professor David Brundage is retiring.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Collaboration with NASA uses eDNA technology to monitor biodiversity

UCSC scientists collected environmental DNA samples in South Africa as part of the BioSCape project.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Alumni Councilor April Yee

April Yee joined the UCSC Alumni Council in 2017.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Continuing an Academic Legacy

The Dr. Aaronette White Scholarship was awarded to Guneet Hora in 2022.

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.

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.

Celebrating UCSC’s Pioneer Alumni

Register today to be a part of the meaningful reunion weekend for our pioneer classes.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Researcher wins inaugural NHGRI award for DEIA Innovation in the Genomics Workforce

Ann Mc Cartney received the National Human Genome Research Institute’s (NHGRI) inaugural Staff Award for DEIA Innovation in the Genomics Workforce. 

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

Pursuing social justice

Elena Losada received the Jessica Roy Memorial Scholarship in 2022. Learn more about how scholarships support students at UC Santa Cruz.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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..

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

Zahirah Suhaimi: Exploring ecological states

Zahirah Suhaimi was awarded the Dr. Midori Arima Scholarship in Anthropology in 2022.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.