University News

Fewer than 7% of global hotspots for whale-ship collisions have protection measures in place

A UC Santa Cruz scientist who specializes in research at the intersection of big data and marine-life conservation has contributed to a new study that shows the vast majority of “hotspots” where ships collide with whales in the world’s oceans lack protections for the majestic giants.

Shruti Kale, Crown College’s first Innovation and Entrepreneurship Pathway graduate, shares her story

This past summer, Crown College launched its Innovation and Entrepreneurship Pathway. The program's first graduate, Shruti Kale, reflects on her experiences and journey.

Theater fireside chat aimed at bringing attention to African American students at UC Santa Cruz

Recently the founder and director of AATAT, Professor Don Williams, sat down with colleagues, including Lisa Marie Rollins, for a fireside chat about the organization and its future.

Foundry celebrates 50th anniversary with a bronze pour

The foundry on the University of Santa Cruz campus has a long tradition of inviting guests to watch their spectacular bronze pour. This year’s pour is especially significant given it is the 50th anniversary of the Foundry.

Student team wins ‘Excellence in Safety’ award at second Farm Robotics Challenge

A team of engineering students were recognized with the “Excellence in Safety” award at the second-annual Farm Robotics Challenge

Imperial Valley’s lithium reserves could power a global energy transition. But will they also fuel local economies?

Professor Chris Benner's latest book with coauthor Manuel Pastor, a professor at the University of Southern California, explores economic and environmental possibilities for a lithium boom in California's Imperial Valley.

How optogenetics can put the brakes on epilepsy seizures

In what could one day become a new treatment for epilepsy, researchers at UC San Francisco, UC Santa Cruz and UC Berkeley have used pulses of light to prevent seizure-like activity in neurons.

Traditional Mayan collaboration practices show both changes and resilience after decades of globalization

UC Santa Cruz psychologist Barbara Rogoff has been working with Mayan communities in Guatemala for decades to document traditional collaboration and learning practices. Her latest research follows up on an initial study from 30 years ago to see how practices have shifted or persisted over time within families.

Bringing Broadway to Santa Cruz with ‘Into the Woods’

Sheila Willey, a lecturer in voice and opera in the Music department, is bringing Broadway to Santa Cruz. Into the Woods is a three-time, Tony Award-winning Stephen Sondheim musical, and it’s coming to campus. This 75-minute production will feature lead staff accompanist Luke Shepherd along with a cast of students.

UC Santa Cruz Music Department is gearing up for a holidays filled with music

One of the most important aspects of a music education is the ability to perform. At the University of California, Santa Cruz the Music Department arranges numerous events every quarter to make sure students have opportunities to show their skills and gain valuable experience on stage.

UC Santa Cruz announces a new 2,400-acre UC Reserve after Regents approval

The 2,400-acre oak-studded grassland property in San Benito County, which has served as a cattle ranch for most of the last 100 years, becomes the 42nd reserve within the University of California’s Natural Reserve System (NRS) and the seventh UC Santa Cruz reserve.

Creating enchantment in Senegal

UC Santa Cruz Humanities Professor Gina Athena Ulysse was invited to participate as a featured artist for the prestigious Dakar Biennale (Dak'Art), which the New York Times called “Africa’s hottest art event” and “Africa’s most prominent cultural gathering.”

Redefining philanthropy: Alumna Carmen Rojas drives change

Alumna Carmen Rojas is the president and CEO of the Marguerite Casey Foundation and is a leader in the fight for racial, economic, and social justice.

$7.5 million awarded to UC Santa Cruz to support leadership in salmon-recovery science

UC Santa Cruz has received nearly $7.5 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) to vault scientific research on imperiled Pacific salmon populations into one of the nation’s most powerful collaborations between the agency and academia to save the vital species.

Computer engineering student builds cybersecurity solutions for Joby Aviation

UC Santa Cruz Computer Engineering student Shipra Ithal participated in an internship at Joby Aviation via the CITRIS Workforce Innovation Program

Team discovers ultra-massive galaxies in early Universe that challenge standard cosmology

An international team of astronomers has identified three ultra-massive galaxies—each nearly as massive as the Milky Way—already in place within the first billion years after the Big Bang. The discovery is surprising because it indicates that the formation of stars in the early Universe was far more efficient than previously thought, challenging current models of galaxy formation.

Physics Department improves undergraduate experience for non-majors

These fundamental teaching strategies—of making room for failure, and being explicit and transparent about how students’ knowledge will be assessed—combine to create an atmosphere that is more conducive to learning than traditional forms of physics instruction.

Dolly Kikon’s new film Abundance selected for South Asia Film Festival, showcasing Indigenous Worlds in Nagaland

UC Santa Cruz Anthropology Professor Dolly Kikon's documentary highlights the ecological and cultural richness of Nagaland. The film will be screened on campus this Wednesday, November 13.

Bioluminescent proteins made from scratch enable non-invasive, multi-functional biological imaging

Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Engineering Andy Yeh is designing completely artificial proteins that produce bioluminescence to serve as a non-invasive method for bioimaging, diagnostics, drug discovery, and more.

New chemical process makes biodiesel production easier, less energy intensive

UC Santa Cruz chemists have discovered a new way to produce biodiesel from waste oil that both simplifies the process and requires relatively mild heat. This discovery has the potential to make the alternative fuel source much more appealing to the massive industrial sectors that are the backbone of the nation’s economy.

Championing Veteran Students: Bruce Lane Memorial Scholarship helps veterans succeed at UC Santa Cruz

Veteran students Nick Kuipers and Sammy Tesfai find community and opportunity at UCSC with tailored support and scholarships

UCSC Receives 2024 Catalyst Grant Award for climate action

UC Santa Cruz has been awarded a 2024 Catalyst Grant Award to support the campus’s climate action initiatives. The award from Second Nature will support two Sustainability & Environmental Justice Ambassador (SEJA) student workers .

$4 million NSF grant will fund project to improve K-12 mathematics education in partnership with Black disabled students

A grant from the National Science Foundation’s Racial Equity In STEM Education program will support a project led by Assistant Professor of Education Paulo Tan to develop new professional learning resources for K-12 math teachers through a partnership with Black disabled students.

Volunteering for democracy

UC Santa Cruz students, staff, and retirees are providing an essential service to the community by volunteering as poll workers in the 2024 election.

Fall 2024 Emeriti Lecture: Black Musicians’ Fight for Labor Equality

The UC Santa Cruz Emeriti Association proudly presents its Fall Emeriti Lecture on November 12, 2024. The annual event features UCSC Professor Emerita Leta Miller, who will discuss how the formation and dismantling of monoethnic union chapters illustrate the complexities of combating systemic racism.

Legacy of helping minoritized students thrive in STEM careers faces uncertain future

If ultimately fully funded, the MPC2SC Program will start by identifying 10 students at the community college during their freshman year. They will then be guided through a targeted curriculum that will prepare them to transfer to UC Santa Cruz the fall of their junior year.

Distinguished leaders join inaugural Chancellor’s Advisory Board

With a goal of advancing the mission of UC Santa Cruz and broadening the university’s impact, Chancellor Cynthia Larive has announced the formation of an external Chancellor's Advisory Board.

UC Santa Cruz faculty, alumnae joining in worldwide biodiversity conference

Government leaders, scientists, and policy experts from across the world, including UC Santa Cruz alumni and faculty, are gathered in Colombia for worldwide negotiations to protect endangered species, restore damaged habitats, and preserve ecosystems.

Decarbonization policy initiatives will require more data-based decision-making

A new article by UC Santa Cruz Associate Professor of Economics Peter Christensen and co-authors recommends how to collect and apply evidence in order to achieve the greatest possible impact from recent investments in decarbonization in the United States.

How researchers can maximize biological insights using animal-tracking devices

Biologgers allow us to see with unprecedented precision how animals move and behave in the wild. But that's only part of the picture, according to a UC Santa Cruz ecologist renowned for using biologging data to tell the deeper story about the lives of marine mammals in a changing world.

UC Santa Cruz named a U.S. National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps Hub for the Northwest Region

UC Santa Cruz has been selected as one of eight partner institutions in the newly established U.S. National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Hub for the Northwest Region.

Gearing up for Giving Day

The ninth annual 24-hour crowdfunding campaign will host more than 175 project teams, 20 challenges and is poised to amplify and support thousands of students.

Three UCSC alumnae named in SF Business Times Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business of 2024

Three alumnae, Judith Bell, Katherine Evans, and Ruby Bolaria Shifrin have been named in SF Business Times Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business of 2024.

UC Santa Cruz HSI team secures $3 million grant to support Latiné and low-income student success

CULTURA grant seeks to close post-pandemic equity gaps and support pathways to graduation, graduate school, and high-demand careers for Latiné and low-income students

Rooted in resilience: Alumna Natalie Nguyen reflects on her journey

Recent UC Santa Cruz graduate Natalie Nguyen (Kresge ’23, economics) reflects on her UC Santa Cruz journey and post-graduation endeavors.

Transit systems in Kenya demonstrate some potential upsides of worker monitoring technologies

In a new paper for the October issue of the American Economic Review, UC Santa Cruz economist David Schönholzer shared findings from an experimental application of a worker monitoring technology for minibus transit companies in Kenya. The results demonstrate how, in some cases, monitoring technologies can lead to broader societal good.

Professor A.M. Darke creates groundbreaking work in Black representation

A.M. Darke, an associate professor of Performance, Play, & Design at UC Santa Cruz, has spent her career becoming one of the leading voices of diversity in games, especially in the context of representing Black hair. For her latest work Darke has helped compile a program that better represents coily hair in animation.

Modern politics reexamined through classic play ‘Inspector General’

Michael Chemers’, a professor of Performance Play and Design and chair of the department at University of California, Santa Cruz, most recent project adapts The Inspector General, a Russian play by Nikolai Gogol which criticized 19th century Russian politics, for a contemporary audience. The show will open on November 15 and runs through November 24 at the Theater Arts Mainstage on the University of California, Santa Cruz campus

Engineers awarded CDC contract to build pathogen-tracing public health tools

The CDC has awarded Corbett-Detig and his team at the UCSC Genomics Institute a two-year, $2.52 million contract to continue their work tracking the COVID-19 virus’s evolution and expand their software tools to track other pathogens.

A popular Humanities course is unwrapping the strange and fraught history and cultural afterlife of Egyptian mummies. 

In their co-taught course, LIT 159M/HIS 159M: The Curse of the Mummy, UC Santa Cruz Associate Professor of Literature Renee Fox and Associate Professor of History Elaine Sullivan are looking into the strange pop-cultural afterlife of Egyptian mummies, which keep showing up as supernatural villains in movies and books.

Award-winning poet and author Ellen Bass will be the honored guest speaker at the 15th annual Morton Marcus Poetry Reading on November 7 (UPDATE: EVENT CANCELED)

The celebrated poet and longtime Santa Cruz resident Ellen Bass is the latest in a long list of poetry luminaries to speak at the Morton Marcus Poetry Reading. The list of previous speakers includes Gary Snyder, Natasha Trethewey, Robert Hass and Dorianne Laux.

Dolphins sense military sonar at much lower levels than regulators predict

For the first time ever, a team including several UC Santa Cruz scientists have directly measured the behavioral responses of some of the most common marine mammals to military sonar. And the finding that surprised them most was that these animals were sensitive to the sounds at much lower levels than previously predicted.

Ultra-small spectrometer yields the power of a 1,000 times bigger device

UC Santa Cruz researchers are designing new ways to make spectrometers that are ultra-small but still very powerful, to be used for anything from detecting disease to observing stars in distant galaxies

UC Santa Cruz receives NSF grant to transform diversity and inclusion in STEM graduate programs

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded nearly $1 million to researchers at UC Santa Cruz to advance equity and inclusion by fostering a more inclusive, culturally rich environment in STEM graduate programs.

New mapping techniques empower bird conservation in Colombia

Natalia Ocampo-Peñuela, assistant professor of environmental studies, and a team of Colombian researchers have introduced a transformative approach to mapping bird species distribution across Colombia, harnessing community science data and innovative modeling techniques.

David Lee appointed inaugural Director of Research Pathways for Baskin Engineering

To increase undergraduates’ engagement with research opportunities within the Baskin School of Engineering at UC Santa Cruz, Assistant Professor of Computational Media David Lee has been appointed as the school’s inaugural Director of Research Pathways

Grasslands live in the climate change fast lane

A new paper that built upon prior research efforts in the Environmental Studies Department shows that grassland communities across the California Floristic Province are transitioning toward plants that prefer hotter and drier conditions at a pace that's comparable to the observed rate of changes in climate.

New book California Catastrophes challenges coastal communities to confront reality

It's no secret that Californians live with the reality of earthquakes, landslides, wildfires, and other natural disasters. This confronts those who choose to stay, and the many who move here, with the equally ominous question: What can we do about it?

Powerful new analyses improve breast cancer risk assessment on a massive scale

A new feature on the BRCA Exchange, a platform which consolidates data on the genes associated with breast cancer, is rolling out a new feature to make cancer risk much easier to assess.

UC Santa Cruz professor Anna Friz wins international prize in radio

Anna Friz, an associate professor of Film and Digital Media, has been raking in awards and honors. The multi-disciplinary artist who took a sabbatical last winter after receiving a Guggenheim fellowship, recently received the Karl Sczuka Prize for radio from SWR Germany.

Dickens Project gets prestigious $200,000 NEH grant to host institute for high school teachers

A $200,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities is funding a new Dickens Project initiative, an in-person institute for 25 high school teachers from across the United States. The institute will help teachers consider bold new approaches to teaching Charles Dickens' classic 1861 novel Great Expectations

Understanding landslides: a new model for predicting motion

Along coastal California, the possibility of earthquakes and landslides are commonly prefaced by the phrase, “not if, but when.” This precarious reality is now a bit more predictable thanks to researchers at UC Santa Cruz and The University of Texas at Austin, who found that conditions known to cause slip along fault lines deep underground also lead to landslides above.

Science Division debuts ‘degree-defining experiences’ drawing on UC Santa Cruz’s unique strengths

The Science Division has received a $1 million donation to begin a major new program on “degree-defining experiences.” The program will pilot 17 projects across campus that aim to profoundly inspire undergraduate students and fill them with the kind of optimism that forever changes how they see their time at UC Santa Cruz and their future careers.

Genomics Institute provides seed funds for six multidisciplinary projects

The Genomics Institute has awarded grants of up to $50,000 to six multidisciplinary research projects in the inaugural year of its seed funding program

Local Childcare Facility Openings Available to faculty and staff

UC Santa Cruz is happy to announce that openings are available for toddlers to preschool-aged children at two area facilities through the new Childcare Placement Waitlist Program.

Global warming is happening, but not statistically ‘surging,’ new study finds

The new study, published on October 14 in the journal Nature Communications Earth & Environment, confirms the broad consensus that the planet is getting warmer, but at a statistically steady rate—not at a sufficiently accelerated rate that could be statistically defined as a surge.

UC Santa Cruz professor Derek Conrad Murray appointed Editor-in-Chief of leading arts publication

Derek Conrad Murray, Professor of History of Art & Visual Culture (HAVC), has recently been appointed editor-in-chief of Art Journal. After previously serving on the journal’s editorial board, Murray will be taking on an expansive position where he can shepherd the journal’s distinguished mission for the next three years.

Study of a large public university in the Northeastern U.S. finds that students who feel more university connection may be more likely to binge drink

Universities should ensure they are providing ample opportunities for students to feel connected through sober activities and environments, researchers recommend.

UC Santa Cruz and Hartnell College awarded grant to strengthen transfer pathway for Central Coast students

UC Santa Cruz and Hartnell College have long shared a commitment to empowering students from California’s Central Coast to achieve their educational and career goals. Now, thanks to a two-year, $250,000 American Talent Initiative (ATI) IDEAS Grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies, the two institutions will strengthen that partnership and expand opportunities for students.

UC Santa Cruz professor helps set national research agenda for atmospheric methane removal technologies that could help fight climate change

Environmental Studies Professor Sikina Jinnah was a co-author on a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) that recommends a national research agenda for atmospheric methane removal technologies and assesses potential atmospheric removal tools.

New AI-driven multimedia lab bridges art and technology

This year the UC Santa Cruz Art Division is introducing a state-of-the-art AI multimedia lab. The Ai Art Augmentation and Acceleration Lab, also known as A4, is aimed at assisting students across the Arts Division and includes $50,000 dollars worth of state-of-the-art equipment.

Welcome the new faculty in the Arts Division

As a new quarter starts, the Arts Division is welcoming eight new faculty members who represent the creativity, diversity, and thoughtfulness that are key pieces of the division’s identity.

New apps will enable safer indoor navigation for blind people

Two new apps will enable blind people to navigate indoor buildings with spoken directions from a smartphone app, providing a safe method of wayfinding where GPS doesn’t work.

Will AI tools revolutionize public health? Not if they continue following old patterns, researchers argue.

A new paper published in the journal Social Science & Medicine shares findings from an extensive literature analysis of AI’s current trajectory in health care.

Professor Stacy Philpott leads U.S. delegates for “Agri-Young Hackathon” at G7 Ministers’ Meeting on Agriculture

Environmental Studies Professor Stacy Philpott led the U.S. delegation for a youth hackathon at the recent G7 Ministers’ Meeting on Agriculture in Italy. Philpott was asked by USDA representatives to coordinate and support the country’s team, a reflection of her national leadership role in preparing the next generation of agriculture professionals.

Recognizing outstanding faculty and staff in the Division of Social Sciences

Social Sciences Dean Katharyne Mitchell and award committee members recently announced the recipients of the 2024 Social Sciences Division faculty and staff awards, which are dedicated to honoring significant contributions to teaching, research excellence, and student support.

Experts on drone research discuss future challenges and opportunities at UC Santa Cruz Silicon Valley campus

An interdisciplinary and multi-institutional group of academics, researchers, and practitioners discussed challenges and opportunities in using drones at an event hosted at the UC Santa Cruz Silicon Valley campus on Friday, September 27.

Social Sciences Division welcomes new faculty

UC Santa Cruz’s Social Sciences Division is welcoming 10 outstanding new faculty members this academic year.

UCSC artist micha cárdenas sounds the alarm on climate catastrophe in Toronto exhibition

micha cárdenas’s "Probability Engine,” opening in Toronto, explores climate tipping points through immersive art and augmented reality, urging audiences to imagine a more just and survivable future

Baskin Engineering welcomes a cohort of 12 new faculty

Twelve new faculty members join the Baskin School of Engineering for the 2024-25 academic year.

UC Santa Cruz Humanities Division welcomes new Associate Dean of DEI Eric Porter

Eric Porter, a professor of History, History of Consciousness, and Critical Race and Ethnic studies at UC Santa Cruz, has a longstanding fascination with power and resistance. His approach to history will inform his new position as Associate Dean of DEI for the Humanities.

New policy essay: subsidies’ hidden costs for the environment

Government subsidies for business practices and processes should be approached with caution, even when they seem to be environmentally friendly, a team that includes a UC Santa Cruz researcher concludes in this week’s “Policy Forum” in the journal Science.

New exhibition honors groundbreaking artist and professor emeritus Doyle Foreman

As part of the Mary Sesnon Porter’s Sesnon Art Gallery’s goal to place a greater emphasis on faculty, students, and alumni, they are opening the new school year with an exhibition featuring the work of Doyle Foreman.

Students fired up for Downtown Day

As the fall 2024 quarter begins, students wrapped up Welcome Week with Downtown Day, presented by campus and business leaders to connect students with downtown Santa Cruz businesses and job opportunities.

Student Health Services announces expanded services, updated locations, and new initiatives for the 2024-25 academic year

Student Health Services (SHS) is enhancing support for student wellness with 24/7 healthcare kiosks, relocated CARE and SHOP offices, upcoming vaccine clinics, and a continued expansion of mental health resources at UC Santa Cruz.

Sparking creativity: Clinch Fuentes’s lasting impact on arts education at UCSC and beyond

Clinch Fuentes, founder and president of nonprofit organization Chance to Excel, supports UC Santa Cruz’s ArtsBridge program, which connects university faculty and scholars with classroom teachers and diverse student populations across Santa Cruz County.

UCSC Dining celebrates 20 years

UC Santa Cruz Dining celebrates 20 years as a self-operated service. With 18 locations and a focus on community, the milestone highlights the dedication of its staff, resilience through challenges, and commitment to providing quality food and student support for the future.

UCSC alumnus Kauchani Bratt stars in Netflix film Rez Ball

UCSC alumnus Kauchani Bratt (Cowell ’23, philosophy) makes his acting debut in the Netflix movie Rez Ball, streaming Sept. 27. The movie, directed by Sydney Freeland, is inspired by Michael Powell’s nonfiction book Canyon Dreams: A Basketball Season on the Navajo Nation.

UCSC Humanities Division welcomes new faculty members

The University of California, Santa Cruz Humanities Division is proud to announce the recent hires of eight outstanding new faculty members whose disciplines range from Literature and Writing to Applied Linguistics and African history. 

New internship program gives UC Santa Cruz and HBCU students a hands-on look at the lives of enslaved peoples in 19th century America

This summer, ten history-minded research interns uncovered rare glimpses of enslaved people’s lives in America.  In the process, they helped future scholars understand the slave trade’s growth and development in the United States. 

UC Santa Cruz adopts Okanagan Charter, centering campus community health and well-being

UC Santa Cruz has adopted the Okanagan Charter, joining nearly 30 institutions to promote campus-wide health and well-being. The initiative focuses on belonging, resilience, and sustainability, fostering positive change across the campus community.

UC Santa Cruz recognized for excellence in undergraduate teaching, social mobility in latest U.S. News & World Report rankings

The University of California, Santa Cruz has once again earned national recognition for its commitment to high-quality undergraduate education and advancing social mobility.

Welcome to Fall Quarter, Banana Slugs!

Dean of Students Garrett Naiman offers a welcome message to start the 2024-25 academic year.

New initiatives to strengthen campus climate, combat hate

With funding from the UC Office of the President, UC Santa Cruz will be offering additional mental health resources, community-building events, educational programming, professional development, and opportunities to share feedback to improve its campus climate.

$1M NSF grant expands open source software mentorship program for HBCU students

A $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation will expand a program that enables students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities to gain coding experience and receive intensive mentorship in open source programming.

2024 Arts Division Convocation honors Eduardo and Alison Carrillo

The annual Arts Division Convocation brings together the community to celebrate the new school year. The Distinguished Banana Slug Awards in the Arts is given every year to an honoree who exemplifies excellence and a dedication to the Arts Division. This year’s recipients are (posthumously) former professor Eduardo Carrillo, and his wife Alison Keeler Carrillo.

Leading by listening: Marianas Fernandez’s journey to becoming a student leader

UCSC student Marianas Fernandez excels in academics, activism, and athletics, earning recognition and awards for her leadership and contributions.

Famed economist and Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz speaks out against right-wing notions of economic freedom

On Tuesday night, famed progressive economist Joseph Stiglitz drew a large and enthusiastic crowd to downtown Santa Cruz, where he took aim at neoliberal economics and called for more equitable alternatives. The event was co-sponsored by The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz.

Center for Archival Research and Training celebrates 10 years of success

This October, the University Library at UC Santa Cruz Elisabeth Remak-Honnef Center for Archival Research and Training (CART) marks its 10th anniversary, celebrating a decade of shaping graduate students’ careers through hands-on archival experience.

"An Aesthetics of Resilience" fosters interdisciplinary conversations and research

Commencing last fall, An Aesthetics of Resilience is a collaborative research initiative between UC Santa Cruz’s Institute of the Arts and Sciences (IAS) and Friedlaender Lab that creatively addresses shared experiences of vulnerability in the face of ongoing climate crises.

Santa Cruz Symphony opens new concert with music from professor

Despite his background in astrophysics former professor Martin Gaskell has always had a passion for music. This weekend the Santa Cruz Symphony will be opening their first concert of the season with one of Gaskell’s pieces.

Successful conservation genomics pilot sets the stage to sequence European biodiversity

UC Santa Cruz Assistant Research Scientist Ann Mc Cartney is part of a group of scientists who released a new paper outlining their efforts to promote an inclusive, decentralized and equitable model for the future of large-scale conservation genomics

UC Santa Cruz celebrates 60 years of leading change

Founded in 1965, the campus is preparing to mark six decades of educational excellence, groundbreaking teaching and research, and lasting accomplishments in 2025, while looking with anticipation toward an ascendant future.

A wobble from Mars could be sign of dark matter, new study finds

New simulations suggest that there are enough primordial black holes—potential dark matter candidates—in the universe for one to pass through the inner solar system every decade. The work builds upon an astrophysical theory that has growing popularity.

ARCS Foundation 2024 scholarships support outstanding graduate students in science and engineering

Sixteen outstanding UC Santa Cruz graduate students in science and engineering fields earned scholarships worth a total of $180,000 from the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation for the 2024-25 academic year.

Election forum series to foster dialogue and empower students for active democratic participation

This fall, the University of California, Santa Cruz will host the 2024 U.S. Elections Forum Series: Power, Politics, and Our Democracy, a six-part event series designed to foster open dialogue and engage students and the public in critical conversations about democracy, media, and voter participation.

UC Santa Cruz receives funding to continue undergraduate STEM diversity program

UC Santa Cruz has secured funding to support 100 students in completing bachelor's degrees in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) through the California Alliance for Minority Participation (CAMP)—a program that has helped more than 300 students from historically underrepresented backgrounds earn undergraduate STEM degrees from the university over the past two decades.

Celebrating the 2024 UCSC Alumni Awards recipients

The UC Santa Cruz Alumni Association is proud to present this year’s UCSC Alumni Awards honorees: George M. Kraw, Keith Curry, Jacob Martinez, Kamari Maxine Clarke, Paul Fielder, and Neroli Devaney.

National Academy of Education awarded Josephine H. Pham the Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship

Josephine H. Pham, Assistant Professor of Critical Studies in Education at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has been awarded the prestigious National Academy of Education Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship.

UC Santa Cruz celebrates 35th anniversary of the Center for Cultural Studies

This fall, UC Santa Cruz will recognize the importance of the Center for Cultural Studies with a two-day conference on October 24 and 25. The celebration will showcase the Center’s culture of interdisciplinary dialogue and collaborative inquiry.

Creating community and change: Sharhonda Bossier’s path from UCSC to education leadership

Sharhonda Bossier, a UCSC undergraduate and graduate alumna and current CEO of Education Leaders of Color (EdLoC), credits the support and community she found at UCSC for shaping her career in education leadership.

New book explores the limits of technology in addressing food system problems

A new book from UC Santa Cruz Professor Julie Guthman warns that technological solutions are no match for structural problems in our food system. She hopes the book will help more people realize that we need to respond to these problems with social action.

Experts weigh in on wildfire impacts

UC Santa Cruz has many experts who can provide relevant, research-based comment on a wide variety of wildfire impact topics.

Return to the Redwoods 2024: Reconnecting with UCSC and each other

Alumni and their friends and families gathered at UC Santa Cruz from August 16-18 for the second annual Return to the Redwoods.

A car-free future? A Banana Slug alum is targeting one obscure regulation to get there

Alumnus Tony Jordan is a 2024 Grist 50 honoree, a list of climate leaders and innovators.

Celebrating HSI Week: Advancing Latine Success

DSAS invites the campus community to celebrate National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week (September 9-15) by reflecting on our commitment to supporting Latine students and fostering educational equity, inclusivity, and academic achievement.

UC Santa Cruz research will harness advanced AI to better measure, predict climate-change impacts

Two UC Santa Cruz research projects designed to leverage advanced forms of artificial intelligence to improve how scientists measure and predict the effects of climate change have won funding from a $20 million investment by the National Science Foundation.

Researchers to investigate genetic roots of autism, look for new treatments

A new award from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine will support a team of UC Santa Cruz researchers in exploring the genetic underpinnings of autism spectrum disorder.

Getoor wins major data mining award

Lise Getoor, UC Santa Cruz Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, was honored with the ACM SIGKDD Innovation Award.

Genomics Institute researcher Melissa Cline to lead efforts to facilitate diagnosis of genetic diseases

Genomics Institute associate research scientist Melissa Cline will serve as the co-lead of the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health’s Genomic Knowledge Standards Work Stream.

Scientists to study nearby galaxies for galactic-formation history, dark matter

At approximately 100,000 light years in diameter, the Milky Way's vastness and the broader, ever-changing dynamics of the cosmos defy any attempt to fully understand our home galaxy and its history. UC Santa Cruz astronomer Puragra "Raja" GuhaThakurta sums up this dilemma in more familiar and figurative terms: "We simply don’t have a selfie stick long enough to take those kinds of photos."

UC Santa Cruz professor honored by American Chemical Society for natural-products discovery

Phil Crews, distinguished research professor of chemistry and biochemistry, is being honored by the American Chemical Society for outstanding work in the analysis, structural elucidation, and chemical synthesis of natural products.

A special look into art exhibition Seeing through Stone

For First Friday this September 6, Director and Chief Curator, Dr. Rachel Nelson will give a special curator-led walk-through of the major Visualizing Abolition exhibition, Seeing through Stone, at the UC Santa Cruz Institute of the Arts and Sciences Gallery on the Westside of Santa Cruz.

Distinguished Arts and History of Consciousness Professor Sir Isaac Julien elected as a Fellow of the British Academy

Sir Isaac Julien, University of California, Santa Cruz Distinguished Professor of the Arts and Humanities, has been named a Fellow of the British Academy, joining a prestigious group whose past members include Sir Winston Churchill and the celebrated poet and playwright Seamus Haney.

Smith Society celebrates 25 years

Founded in 1999, the Smith Society is a vital community that provides scholarships, mentorship, and a familial support network for students from disadvantaged or non-traditional homes. Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Smith Society has supported about 600 students in its history.

Mapping the mind

Ph.D student Asia Anderson focuses on the development of brain machine interfaces to model and study the development of the human brain, specifically those with neurodegenerative disorders.

Humanizing every client

One year after graduation, Guneet Hora (College Nine ’23, intensive psychology, legal studies) works as a paralegal at the Office of the Federal Public Defender in the Western District of Virginia.

Launching success

Miguel Tamayo (College Nine ’23, computer engineering) interned with the Aerospace Corporation during all of his college years. Now, he works with the renowned company full-time as a flight controls engineer.

A passion for change

One year after graduation, Nailah Smith (Stevenson ’23, cognitive science) works in the African American Studies and Chicana and Chicano Studies Departments at San José State University and is pursuing a Masters in Science.

From Santa Cruz to Johns Hopkins

A year after graduating UCSC, Ozzy Bagno (Cowell ’23, molecular, cellular and developmental biology) is pursuing his Ph.D. at one of the top medical schools in the country, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Breaking barriers and breaking news

One year after graduating from UCSC, Ryan Loyola (Stevenson ’23, politics) is a news assistant and fill-in assignment editor at ABC7 Los Angeles where he reports on breaking news.

Genomics at heart

Sarah Xia (College Nine ’23, biomolecular engineering and bioinformatics) found her passion for genomics at UC Santa Cruz. Now, a year after earning her B.S. in biomolecular engineering and bioinformatics, Xia is a research associate at Stanford.

Stepping onto the global stage

One year after graduating from UCSC, Samantha Moore (Merrill ’23, politics) recently completed an M.A. in International Relations at the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations.

Accounting ambitions

One year after graduation, Yehan Weerasuriya works at PwC as a consultant and associate in the Capital Markets and Accounting Advisory group.

Fighting for rights through education and advocacy

One year after graduation, Vann Jones (Merrill ’23, feminist studies and the history of art and visual culture) works as a freelancer and activist.

Building community, empowering students

UCSC parent Kayleen Maya brings families together to create care packages, offering students support and a sense of community.

Bear DNA study to measure impact of conservation actions on genetic diversity

The National Science Foundation will fund research at UC Santa Cruz that will examine the DNA of brown bears in the lower 48 states, where the iconic beast’s numbers have seen catastrophic declines over the last century.

Guiding generosity

Lora Hollingsworth, Executive Director of Gift Planning , helps donors craft their philanthropic legacies

Cowell College’s personal finance class is shaping financial education across the UC

At UC Santa Cruz's Cowell College, a remarkable course is setting new standards in financial education. COWL 52 - Personal Finance and Investing, a 5-unit asynchronous online class, stands out not only as the largest online course at UC Santa Cruz but also as a model for financial literacy education across the University of California system.

Help welcome our students to campus: Volunteer for Fall Move-In

Laura Arroyo, the new Associate Vice Chancellor for Colleges, Housing and Educational Services at UC Santa Cruz, invites volunteers to help welcome 5,700 new students during Fall move-in. Volunteers are needed for various roles from September 19-22. Sign up today!

Singing from memory unlocks a surprisingly common musical superpower

UC Santa Cruz psychologists studied “earworms,” the types of songs that get stuck in your head and play automatically on a loop, to show that highly accurate pitch memory is much more common than might be expected.

Tech industry leader and UC Santa Cruz alumna Susan Wojcicki dies at 56

Susan Wojcicki, a visionary tech executive and former CEO of YouTube, passed away August 9, 2024, at the age of 56.

New internship program gives high school students a hands-on education in art

A first for high school students in Santa Cruz County, the Institute for Arts & Sciences just wrapped up its inaugural youth program, Art For All. Funded by the Monterey Peninsula Foundation,The program brings together high school juniors and seniors from around the Santa Cruz area to give them a hands-on, behind-the scenes look at cultural spaces and exhibition curation.

UC Santa Cruz hosts HSRU Alliance conference to support Hispanic women in physical sciences and engineering

UC Santa Cruz hosted graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty, and staff from HSRU member institutions for a conference focused on supporting the success of Hispanic women in academic and professional physical science and engineering careers.

UCSC alumni awarded large NSF grant to grow virtual reality physical rehabilitation startup Immergo Labs

The National Science Foundation awarded three Baskin Engineering alumni with a $1,000,000 Small Business Innovation Research grant to support the research and development of an extended reality platform for full-body physical rehabilitation.

Annual event at Lick Observatory links modern astronomy to native perspectives

In collaboration with the UC Santa Cruz American Indian Resource Center, the University of California Observatories (UCO) recently hosted the second annual Native Star Stories Night at Lick Observatory. Held this year on May 9, the special event is intended to show that this traditional way of engaging with the cosmos remains as relevant and valuable today to indigenous communities as it was thousands of years ago.

Dickens Universe 2024: A Spirited Celebration of Great Expectations

This summer, Charles Dickens readers converged on campus for the 43rd annual Dickens Universe, where a shared familiarity with Great Expectations added a sense of kinship and intimacy to the conference. The week was full of lecturers and discussions as well as dancing and a Gothic-themed grand party.

Endangered Santa Cruz salamander featured in National Geographic photo project

National Geographic Explorer and photographer Joel Sartore visited the Coastal Science Campus to take pictures of the Santa Cruz long-toed salamander, one of many endangered species that UC Santa Cruz researchers are working hard to save.

Preparing California’s agricultural lands for climate change

Two UC Santa Cruz researchers won a total of more than $1.5 million in federal funding for their research that's helping to create sustainable "agroecosystems" in response to climate change and other increased environmental pressures.

Fall 2024 exhibition highlights at UCSC’s Institute of the Arts and Sciences

The Institute of the Arts and Sciences (IAS) is pleased to announce exhibitions and events for Fall 2024, including the multi-sited exhibition Seeing through Stone, performances by sound artists, along with many other events.

Investigation into fatal bus crash concludes

Investigators concluded there was no evidence of any pre-existing mechanical conditions or failures of the bus that would have contributed to the crash or any direct evidence of any distraction.

Exploring new research frontiers with top Indian universities through joint symposium

From July 14–17, UC Santa Cruz hosted a joint research symposium with IIT Delhi and IIT Kanpur on AI, ML, and Cybersecurity. The event highlighted advanced research and opportunities for international collaboration and research.

New research led by UC Santa Cruz fellow outlines framework for mainstreaming nature in U.S. federal policy

Our communities must combat climate change and nature loss, and prepare more for changing climates. A groundbreaking research paper led by Heather Tallis (M.S. '99, marine sciences), a Senior Fellow with the university’s Center for Coastal Climate Resilience (CCCR), presents a comprehensive framework for integrating nature into policy-making to help make that happen.

UC Santa Cruz alumnus named semi-finalist in Student Academy Awards

Despite having only graduated last June, John Ortiz (M.F.A. ‘24, Social Documentation) is already finding success in the film industry. His documentary, Jerhy, is in the running for a Student Academy Award. He and his film currently rank as semi-finalists in the documentary category.

Genomics Institute’s Research Mentoring Internship recognized with ‘Inspiring Programs in STEM’ award

The UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute’s Research Mentoring Internship program was recognized with the ‘Inspiring Programs in STEM’ award from Insight Into Diversity magazine.

UC Santa Cruz poised to welcome diverse and talented cohort for fall 2024

This fall, the University of California, Santa Cruz is preparing to welcome approximately 5,700 new undergraduate students to campus.

An overlooked side-effect of the housing crisis may be putting Californians at increased risk from climate disasters

In a new article for the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, UC Santa Cruz researchers laid out the foundation for their highly-anticipated upcoming study of how lack of affordable housing in urban areas of California may be driving increased development in and near wildlands, leading to more severe climate change impacts.

The countdown to Return to the Redwoods

All UCSC alumni, friends and family are invited back to campus for a three day, two night immersive Banana Slug experience, Return to the Redwoods, August 16-18, 2024.

New grant funding will help UC Santa Cruz build and diversify a climate resilience workforce for the Monterey Bay region

UC Santa Cruz will receive more than $2 million in funding to support education and training programs for undergraduates, graduate students, and working professionals as part of a larger $71.1 million federal grant to the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation and a host of local partners.

Biochemist Carrie Partch selected as Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator

Carrie Partch, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UC Santa Cruz, is among 26 top scientists chosen by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) to be HHMI investigators and receive the support needed to move their research in creative new directions and make groundbreaking discoveries.

UCSC’s Decarbonization & Electrification Work Advances

During the 2023-24 academic year, UC Santa Cruz continued to make consistent progress in accelerating the path to decarbonizing the University’s infrastructure focusing on the full decarbonization and electrification of the campus.

2023-24 Excellence in Teaching Awards announced

The award, launched in 1996, highlights the university’s long tradition of innovative and creative teaching and honors UC Santa Cruz instructors who have demonstrated exemplary and inspiring teaching.

UC Santa Cruz colleges awarded planning grant from Teagle Foundation

The UC Santa Cruz colleges have been awarded a $25,000 planning grant from the Teagle Foundation to enhance liberal education for all students using equity-minded, high-impact practices. Specifically, the project will develop a common reading list of transformative texts and common experiences that all UC Santa Cruz first-year students will share.

A living legacy of student creativity and activism

The Merrill Moat—a stretch of concrete connecting residential buildings covered in colorful murals and student artwork—is a living monument to student creativity, past and present. The Moat isn’t just a pretty addition to Merrill College’s landscape; it's an interactive community art project rooted in the college’s history and commitment to promoting student activism.

UCSC alumna crowned Miss New York USA

UCSC alumna Marizza Delgado (Rachel Carson ’21, technology and information management) was crowned Miss New York USA out of 170 contestants and will reign through July 2025.

The Humanities Institute receives Global Public Humanities Award

The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz was honored as one of the two inaugural winners of the “Public Humanities Award for Leadership in Practice and Community” at the Consortium of Humanities Centers and Institutes annual meeting in May 2024.

Gaining professional experience and helping fellow Slugs through Chancellor’s Undergraduate Internship Program

In her last year at UC Santa Cruz, Jane Grantham tackled numerous challenges, but one project stands out: developing a resource to assist fellow students in preparing for their careers.

Scientists find that small regions of the brain can take micro-naps while the rest of the brain is awake and vice versa

For the first time, scientists have found that sleep can be detected by patterns of neuronal activity just milliseconds long

Professor Emeritus Daniel Friedman elected as Economic Science Association fellow

Professor Emeritus of Economics Daniel Friedman was among 18 esteemed economists in the inaugural class of fellows of the Economic Science Association (ESA). The designation recognizes his lifetime of contributions advancing the frontier of knowledge in economics through the use of laboratory and field experiments.

Loss of oxygen in lakes and oceans another sign of Earth systems under strain

New essay co-authored by UC Santa Cruz researcher says aquatic deoxygenation is intertwined with climate change and other 'planetary boundary' processes

Researchers win best paper award for introducing new AI method for minimum-effort materials engineering

UC Santa Cruz researchers devised a new method for materials engineering that incorporates novel mathematical and deep learning techniques which won them the prestigious 2024 O. Hugo Schuck Best Application Paper Award from the American Automatic Control Council.

Students across the region invited to help shape the future of semiconductors

As AI weaves itself into more areas of life, scientists and engineers at UC Santa Cruz have come together to develop a better component that serves as the "neuron" in brain-inspired computing. The imperative to make such processing much more energy efficient, and faster, means that those who can design and build these next-generation devices will be in high demand on the job market.

Artist-led walk-through offers rare opportunity to hear a creator discuss their own work in relationship to peers'

Seeing Through Stone opened in April, but is now hosting a unique opportunity to walk through the exhibition with one of the artists.

UC Santa Cruz Foundation celebrates 50 years

Julie Packard, Narinder Kapany awarded Foundation Medals during gala event, while Packard also recognized with the University of California’s top honor, the Presidential Medal

UC Santa Cruz astrophysicists honored for advancing research on the mysterious FRB

Fast radio bursts are sudden flashes of radio waves coming from random parts of the sky. Each one is on only for a few milliseconds, but they are extraordinarily bright: In those few milliseconds, they put out more energy than our sun does in an entire year. We also know that they come from objects in distant galaxies, sometimes billions of light years away.

Philanthropy in action: Alumna Roberta Gordon invests in students for Earth's future

Roberta Gordon bridges science, law, and philanthropy for environmental progress

UCSC students discover, help patch cybersecurity flaw for free laundry

UCSC students worked with the company that provides the app and the machines, called CSC Serviceworks, to help patch the cybersecurity flaws that could let millions of customers run loads of laundry for free.

Iconic concert film ‘Stop Making Sense’ playing at the Quarry Amphitheater

Of the many iconic figures who’ve come to Kresge Hall, none seem to be remembered as widely or as fondly as Talking Heads. Their 1977 performance and its history is what, in-part, led Jose Reyes-Olivas, the events and facilities general manager of the Quarry Amphitheater, to host a showing of the bands 1984 concert film Stop Making Sense.

EmpowHer Sound: A seminar to help pave the way for women in music

UC Santa Cruz will be hosting EmpowHer Sound, a three hour exploration of a music production for women. The July 11 event is free for everyone. As an introductory course audience members will learn basic skills and tools to help that on their career journey in music.

Hydrothermal vents on seafloors of ‘ocean worlds’ could support life, new study says

Many lines of research suggest that some ocean worlds release enough heat internally to drive hydrothermal circulation under their seafloors. This heat is generated by radioactive decay, as occurs deep in the Earth, with additional heat possibly generated by tides.

UC Santa Cruz alumna receives prestigious Sundance Fellowship

Brenda Avila-Hanna, who finished her MFA in Social Documentary in 2013, has won a prestigious fellowship at Sundance as part of their Producer Program. Her new film which combines fiction and documentary is her second ever feature film.

Researchers run high-performing large language model on the energy needed to power a lightbulb

UC Santa Cruz researchers show that it is possible to eliminate the most computationally expensive element of running large language models, called matrix multiplication, while maintaining performance.

UC Santa Cruz’s Center for Coastal Climate Resilience partners with BIMS to incorporate perspectives from Black marine scientists

Today, UC Santa Cruz’s Center for Coastal Climate Resilience (CCCR) and Black in Marine Science (BIMS) announce a formal partnership to meet shared aims to expand opportunities for Black scholars, particularly for understanding risks to coastal communities from climate change and identifying solutions that reduce these risks.

G. William Domhoff and Catherine Cooper receive Dickson Emeriti Professorships

Distinguished Professor Emeritus G. William Domhoff, who was a member of both the psychology and sociology departments at UC Santa Cruz, and Professor Emerita of Psychology Catherine Cooper recently won Edward A. Dickson Emeriti Professorships.

New public archives will share wisdom, artifacts from Dolores Huerta’s lifetime of successful social change leadership

UC Santa Cruz received a $1 million grant from the Mellon Foundation to help establish new public archives documenting the legacy of social justice activist Dolores Huerta, through a partnership with the Dolores Huerta Foundation. UCSC will hire a project archivist and two new postdoctoral scholars to support development of Huerta’s archives and to produce related research and education materials. 

Associate Teaching Professor Nathan Altice wins Distinguished Teaching Award

Nathan Altice, an associate teaching professor of computational media at the Baskin School of Engineering, has been recognized with the UC Santa Cruz Committee on Teaching’s 2023-24 Distinguished Teaching Award.

Ph.D. student leads effort to open Kosovo's first observatory

Earth’s newest observatory will open to the public on June 20, 2024, coinciding with the summer solstice, thanks in large part to a UC Santa Cruz student from Kosovo who discovered her love of astronomy as a child amidst the chaos of the country’s brutal war for independence over 20 years ago.

Fort Ord reserve inspires youth to consider careers in natural science, conservation

As the only full-time staff member at UC Santa Cruz's Fort Ord Natural Reserve, Director Joe Miller doesn't need to create more work for himself. And yet, he's managed to do just that by successfully partnering with a nearby charter high school that brings students onto the 610-acre property to teach them about local natural history and introduce them to career pathways in natural science and conservation.

Kresge Presents PRIDE: 17th annual celebration of queer identity and community

On Saturday, May 11, 2024, the UC Santa Cruz community gathered to celebrate 17 years of recognizing and honoring queer identity and community at the annual Kresge Presents PRIDE march and festival. This student-led event, the largest annual queer gathering at UC Santa Cruz, showcases the university’s commitment to LGBTQIA+ visibility, dignity, and diversity.

The Harrisons' 'Survival Piece #5: Portable Orchard' on display at the Whitney

Survival Piece #5: Portable Orchard conceived and designed in 1972 by leading pioneers of the eco-art movement and UC Santa Cruz emeriti professors Helen Mayer Harrison (1927–2018) and Newton Harrison (1932–2022) will be exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York starting on June 29, 2024.

The UC Santa Cruz Film and Digital Media Department celebrates 25 years

The Film and Digital Media Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz proudly marks 25 years, celebrating a legacy of success and innovation.

Study offers guidance on state-of-the-art long-read RNA sequencing techniques

A new study evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the two leading long-read RNA sequencing platforms and offers guidance for the field.

Balancing goals: Student athlete Camille Anneet excels in politics, legal studies, and soccer

Camille Anneet (Stevenson ’26, politics and legal studies), a second-year soccer player double majoring in politics and legal studies, has played soccer since she was six years old. As a student athlete, she balances it all.

UC Santa Cruz to begin construction on new child care center, student housing

UC Santa Cruz is breaking ground in the coming weeks on a project to provide a new child care center that expands services for faculty and staff, and build new housing for students with families.

The print sale celebrates its 50th anniversary

The Art Department is celebrating the 50th anniversary of UC Santa Cruz’s annual print sale. The widely beloved event features unique, handmade works and it is open to the public.

UC Santa Cruz Night at the Museum spotlights Filipino American stories from the Pajaro Valley

The annual UC Santa Cruz Night at the Museum celebration will be held this Wednesday at the Museum of Art & History. This year's edition highlights Sowing Seeds: Filipino American Stories from the Pajaro Valley, and will feeature a panel discussion focusing on Filipino History.

Humanities Distinguished Undergraduate Alumni Award recipient John Rickford is a world-renowned scholar of Black Talk and social justice advocate

John Rickford (Stevenson, ‘71, sociolinguistics), this year’s Humanities Distinguished Undergraduate Alumni Award recipient, is a world-renowned scholar and champion of African-American Vernacular English (AAVE), also known as Black Talk.

Earliest, most distant galaxy discovered with James Webb Space Telescope

An international team of astronomers today announced the discovery using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) of the two earliest and most distant galaxies yet confirmed, dating back to only 300 million years after the Big Bang.

The UC Santa Cruz Film and Digital Media Department presents: 'Echoes of Home'

To celebrate their achievements over the past two years the graduate film students are showcasing their works. The presentation at the Del Mar Theatre marks years of progress and the end of their time at University of California, Santa Cruz.

Fashion, community, and academics: First-gen student Izzy Zazueta’s path to graduation

Izzy Zazueta (John R. Lewis ’24, politics), a third year, dean’s honors, and first-generation student, will graduate from UCSC with extensive research experience, involvement with nearly a dozen organizations, and will be attending the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Sociology Ph.D. program.

First-gen student Renata Lopez reflects on community, career, and graduation

First-generation student Renata Lopez (Oakes ‘24, computer science) talks about finding her community with Chicanx and Latinx Resource Center, El Centro, and post-graduation plans.

Researchers explain social media’s role in rapidly shifting social norms on gender and sexuality

A new paper by UC Santa Cruz psychologists describes how social media has supported an explosion of diversity in gender and sexuality in America by empowering authentic self-expression. However, these technologies have also equally enabled a cultural backlash.

New study discovers tiny target on RNA to short-circuit inflammation

UC Santa Cruz researchers have discovered a peptide in human RNA that regulates inflammation and may provide a new path for treating diseases such as arthritis and lupus. The team used a screening process based on the powerful gene-editing tool CRISPR to shed light on one of the biggest mysteries about our RNA.

Engaging faculty through partnership development with institutions abroad

In spring 2024, UC Santa Cruz faculty participated in three delegation visits to institutions in Mexico, the UK/Northern Ireland, and India to explore partnership opportunities.

Magy Seif El-Nasr appointed the UCSC Presidential Chair

Department Chair and Professor of Computational Media Magy Seif El-Nasr as the University's next Presidential Chair to lead three initiatives related to AI and education.

New exoplanets catalog showcases diverse, exotic worlds

Our understanding of exoplanets, those strange worlds that orbit stars beyond our solar system, is now broader and deeper thanks to separate studies published this week featuring the work of researchers at UC Santa Cruz.

A passionate voice for diversity and inclusion

Rachel Freeman-Cohen (Stevenson, ‘20, Feminist Studies) has turned a passion for student advocacy into a flourishing career at San Diego State University.

The UCSC Arts Division & Mary Porter Sesnon Art Gallery present 'Material Matters'

Once a year the art department hands out its most prestigious award, the William Hyde Irwin and Susan Benteen Irwin Scholarship. Every year twelve students receive this merit scholarship to help them create work that will be presented in the Mary Porter Sesnon Gallery. This year the 38th annual Irwan Exhibition runs from May 29 through June 15.

The UCSC Arts Division presents Los Mejicas annual Spring show ‘Grupo Folklorico’

As one of the oldest organizations on campus, Los Mejicas has over half a century of bringing people together to celebrate their Mexican heritage. Their upcoming annual spring show, which marks the 52nd anniversary of the groups existence, celebrates traditional dance forms from six different regions in Mexico.

Ukraine blackouts caused by malware attacks warn against evolving cybersecurity threats to the physical world

A new paper presents the first study of how two major malware attacks in Ukraine operated and interacted with the physical power system equipment to cause blackouts.

Sea otters use tools when feeding to survive a changing world

Sea otters are one of the few animals that use rocks and other objects to access their food, and a new study has found that individual sea otters that use tools—most of whom are female—can eat larger prey and reduce tooth damage when their preferred prey becomes depleted.

Compassion in action: Alumna Diane N. Nguyen leads with love through her philanthropic firm

From a young age, UCSC alumna and alumni councilor Diane Nguyen felt the desire to help others. Now as the founder of her own philanthropic firm, Lead with Love Consulting (LwL Consulting), Nguyen is at the forefront of impactful change.

Student Kristi Truong finds home in UCSC’s soccer program

Kristi Truong (Stevenson ’26, global community health) played soccer since she was seven years old. When choosing where to attend college, she overcame pressures to attend a school with a D1 program, and chose UC Santa Cruz.

UC Santa Cruz biologist tapped to contribute to national report on nature's role in society

For America's first-ever report on nature’s inherent worth, and its contributions to the economy, our health and well-being, UC Santa Cruz's Malin Pinsky will co-author a chapter on nature and climate change. He is a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and one of 10 authors contributing to the chapter.

In Memoriam: David Draper

Remembering Professor of Statistics David Draper.

UC Santa Cruz Arts Division presents "Iolanthe"

Iolanthe may not be Gilbert & Sullivan’s best known work but according to music lecturer Sheila Willey “I actually think the music is more interesting and a little bit more sophisticated, but not less accessible,” than their other productions. The upcoming performance of the operetta at UC Santa Cruz marks the first time in five years the music department has put on a Gilbert & Sullivan show since they did Pirates of Penzance in 2019.

UC Santa Cruz Arts Division Presents 'Find Your Path!'

Find Your Path! is a two-day experience that guides students through potential career pathways through both in person and online events.

Stem cell study reveals distinct population of ‘troublemaker’ platelet cells that appear with aging and lead to blood clotting, disease

Professor of Biomolecular Engineering Camilla Forsberg and her research group have discovered a distinct, secondary population of platelets that appears with aging and have hyperreactive behavior and unique molecular properties, which could make them easier to target with medication.

Championing Native American DNA

Kimberly TallBear, this year’s recipient of the University of California, Santa Cruz Distinguished Humanities Graduate Student Alumni Award, is being honored for her work in championing indigenous rights and protecting Native American DNA from exploitation.

DSAS appoints Laura Arroyo as the next Associate Vice Chancellor for Colleges, Housing, and Educational Services

The Division of Student Affairs and Success is pleased to announce Laura Arroyo has been named Associate Vice Chancellor for Colleges, Housing, and Educational Services (AVC CHES).

$1M grant to help prepare students for impactful careers in the arts

The UCSC entity Moving Image Lab, a new partnership between the Isaac Julien Lab and The Humanities Institute, will receive the prestigious Mellon Foundation funding that will provide the hands-on experience and career-building training in production, curation, and research and publication that distinguishes this project.

New study discovers cellular activity that hints recycling is in our DNA

Introns are perhaps one of our genome’s biggest mysteries. They are DNA sequences that interrupt the sensible protein-coding information in your genes, and need to be "spliced out.”

UCSC will lead a Regional Hub of the NSF Eddie Bernice Johnson INCLUDES Alliance: the Engineering PLUS Alliance to serve those underrepresented in STEM

The Baskin School of Engineering at UC Santa Cruz has been selected to lead the inaugural Western regional hub for the NSF Eddie Bernice Johnson INCLUDES Alliance: the Engineering PLUS Alliance to serve underrepresented academics in engineering.

Diane Gifford-Gonzalez elected to the National Academy of Sciences

Distinguished Research Professor Emerita of Anthropology Diane Gifford-Gonzalez was recently elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Gifford-Gonzalez is a trailblazer in the field of zooarchaeology, which uses animal remains to gain new insights into the deep history of humans and animals.

California State Board of Food and Agriculture visits campus

On April 30, California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Secretary Karen Ross and members of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture held their April Board meeting at the Hay Barn on the University of California, Santa Cruz campus.

UC Santa Cruz continues to pursue ambitious plan to increase student housing by 40 percent by 2030

Within walking distance to other UC Santa Cruz facilities and direct bus routes to the residential campus, the Delaware Avenue project will provide housing for about 400 upper-division undergraduate students and more than 60 employees.

Improved nutrition, sanitation linked to beneficial changes in child stress and epigenetic programming

A new study led by a global-health researcher at UC Santa Cruz provides some of the clearest and most comprehensive evidence to date on what is known about stress physiology and “epigenetic programming.”

UC Santa Cruz Arts Division presents "An Iliad"

Professor Patty Gallagher, in collaboration with other UCSC faculty, arranged an upcoming of 'An Iliad,' a retelling of Homer's classic. The show represents years of work, and has been showing around the world since 2022.

Preserving the past, embracing the future

An anonymous gift to UC Santa Cruz will help restore the historic cooperage building as a vibrant community hub and new campus gateway

Three University of California, Santa Cruz professors receive Mellon Foundation Affirming Multivocal Humanities grants

The Mellon Foundation has awarded three University of California, Santa Cruz, departments prestigious grants of $100,000 each for work that champions groundbreaking research in the realms of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality.

Three UC Santa Cruz faculty members elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Three professors at the University of California, Santa Cruz were elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honorary societies.

UC Santa Cruz students partner with community groups for a service-learning spring break

On March 23, fifteen students from UC Santa Cruz decided to redefine the essence of spring break. Opting out of traditional activities, they immersed themselves in a week-long critical service-learning experience, partnering with environmental and economic justice organizations in Watsonville as part of the Colleges Nine and John R. Lewis Alternative Spring Break program.

Anthropologists document how women and shepherds historically reduced wildfire risk in Central Italy

Fire management lessons from the past could help to improve resilience as the Mediterranean faces increased fire risk from climate change. UC Santa Cruz Anthropology Professor Andrew Mathews and his research partners show how traditional land management practices once dramatically reduced fuel for wildfires, and how these practices were forgotten, in part due to historical politics of classism and sexism.

Kresge Renewal Project honored with top Bay Area architecture award

Studio Gang, an architecture practice, received the Honor Award for the Kresge College renewal project at the San Francisco chapter of the American Institute of Architects's (AIA) 2024 Architecture Awards. The award, presented on April 18, is the highest accolade of the event.

UC Santa Cruz Arts Division presents Prahlad Singh Tipanya

University of California, Santa Cruz is happy to welcome Prahlad Singh Tipanya and his ensemble for a rare performance of Indian folk music featuring the poetry of singer-saint Kabir. The Sunday performance will include music that is rarely heard in the United States.

Slugcast rewind: Listen to episodes from the week of April 15

Hosted out of the Student Affairs and Success divisional office, Slugcast is the official UCSC podcast.

UC Santa Cruz researchers’ tool creates ‘synthetic’ images of cells for enhanced microscopy analysis

UC Santa Cruz researchers have developed a method to use an image generation AI model to create realistic images of  single cells, which are then used as “synthetic data” to train an AI model to better carry out single cell-segmentation. 

Slugcast rewind: Listen to episodes from the week of April 15

Hosted out of the Student Affairs and Success divisional office, Slugcast is the official UCSC podcast.

New research center studies interconnections between urbanism and the environment, with a focus on lessons from the Santa Cruz region

The Center for Critical Urban and Environmental Studies tackles converging 21st Century urban and environmental crises—like climate change and housing affordability—to show how the pursuit of sustainability and social justice are often intertwined.

UC Santa Cruz scientists reveal new path to increasing lactation for nursing mothers

Scientists at UC Santa Cruz have discovered a cellular process in the breast that can increase milk production by pregnant women, revealing a potential path to addressing lactation insufficiency syndrome—the inability of a nursing mother to produce sufficient milk to meet their infant’s nutritional needs.

Three UC Santa Cruz faculty members named 2023 AAAS fellows

Three UC Santa Cruz faculty members have been named 2023 fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science: Diane Gifford-Gonzalez, emerita distinguished research professor of anthropology; longtime journalist Robert Irion, emeritus director of UC Santa Cruz’s science communication master’s degree program; and acclaimed paleo-geneticist Beth Shapiro, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology.

UC Santa Cruz researchers receive grants for early-stage technology innovations and climate action solutions

Eight UC Santa Cruz research teams focusing on some of the most pressing issues of our time, such as cancer detection, data encryption, and climate change, received more than $350,000 in awards as part of this year’s Innovation Catalyst Grant program, administered by the university’s Innovation & Business Engagement Hub.

Looking back and moving forward: Alumni Reunion Weekend 2024

With nearly 200 alumni, family, and friends in attendance, Alumni Reunion Weekend, held April 14-15, was filled with reminiscing, rekindling, and reuniting.

New grant supports UC Santa Cruz-led multi-UC campus effort to build network of open source program offices

A $1.85 million grant from the Sloan Foundation will serve to institutionalize the OSPO approach in the UC system by creating coordinated activities that support local campus OSPOs and building a network that can leverage multi-campus efforts. 

Spring Give 2024 amplifies student success

The third annual Spring Give saw more than double the number of project team participation this year and triple the number of donors.

Slug 48: The new 48 hour film challenge for students

The Department of Film and Digital Media is introducing the first event of its kind, Slug 48. Participating undergraduates will have 48 hours to create a film from start to finish including script writing, filming, and post production. Students can participate in groups or sign up alone, it all starts this Friday April 19.

Humanities program provides rewarding research experience—and also crucial career prep

Employing Humanities–funded undergraduate students have begun working with faculty in paid research opportunities that connect their classroom curriculum with hands-on training.

Arts Division alumnus and artist, Fritz Chesnut, teaches art workshop for students

Recently, the University of California, Santa Cruz Arts Division hosted a workshop with alumnus and noted artist Fritz Chesnut. For three days Chesnut worked with a group of Art students teaching them a technique for applying paint distinctively to canvas using unexpected tools and materials as a new mode of creating abstract art.

Slugcast rewind: Listen to episodes from the week of April 8

Hosted out of the Student Affairs and Success divisional office, Slugcast is the official UCSC podcast.

Chancellor’s innovation awards honor excellence in research, creativity

The 2023 recipients include innovators who have created breakthroughs in knowledge and technology that are improving our world, creators bringing forgotten history to life by merging storytelling, augmented reality, and holographic filmmaking, and community partners transforming lives and providing nourishment through job training, transitional employment, and organic farming.

New study finds potential targets at chromosome ends for degenerative disease prevention

Published online today in Science, a new study finds that telomere lengths follow a different pattern than has thus far been understood. Instead of telomere lengths falling under one general range of shortest to longest across all chromosomes, this study finds that different chromosomes have separate end-specific telomere-length distributions.

UC Santa Cruz researchers value salt marsh restoration as a crucial tool in flood risk reduction and climate resilience in the San Francisco Bay

Salt marsh restoration can mitigate flood risk and bolster community resilience to climate change in our local waterways, according to a recent study published in Nature by a postdoctoral fellow with UC Santa Cruz’s Center for Coastal Climate Resilience (CCCR).

UC Santa Cruz Digital Arts and New Media program presents the 2024 MFA exhibition: "Embodiments"

The Digital Arts and New Media (DANM) program is showcasing the students’ best work in its annual MFA exhibition. Entitled Embodiments, the show features multimedia exhibits including visual novels, games and virtual reality as explorations into identity.

Scientists discover first nitrogen-fixing organelle

In two recent papers, an international team led by UC Santa Cruz scientists describe the first known nitrogen-fixing organelle within a eukaryotic cell. The organelle is the fourth example in history of primary endosymbiosis — the process by which a prokaryotic cell is engulfed by a eukaryotic cell and evolves beyond symbiosis into an organelle.

UC Santa Cruz expert helps to weigh costs and benefits of controversial research on a high-risk technology to fight climate change

Environmental Studies Professor Sikina Jinnah recently wrapped up almost three years of work co-chairing Harvard University’s SCoPEX Advisory Committee, one of the world’s first efforts to design and implement a governance framework for an outdoor solar geoengineering experiment.

Embracing identity: Tchad Sanger's advocacy and leadership at UC Santa Cruz

Tchad Sanger, UC Santa Cruz university registrar and alum, found his identity and purpose on campus. Now, he's an advocate for student rights and inclusivity. His journey from student to administrative leader reflects his commitment to the university's mission.

New diagnostic tool achieves accuracy of PCR tests with faster and simpler nanopore system

A new diagnostic tool developed by UCSC's Holger Schmidt and his collaborators can test for SARS-CoV-2 and Zika virus with the same or better accuracy as high-precision PCR tests in a matter of hours.

The Institute of Arts and Science & the San Jose Museum of Art present "Seeing Through Stone"

The Institute of the Arts and Sciences at UC Santa Cruz (IAS) and San José Museum of Art (SJMA) are pleased to present Seeing through Stone, a multi-sited exhibition bringing together works by international artists whose works engage a history of struggle against prisons and their harms.

UC Santa Cruz Arts Division presents “Search Party”

The Environmental Art & Social Practice (EASP) MFA looks at the intersection of the arts in terms of climate change and other systemic conflicts. This year’s MFA show is the second ever and features work from seven artists.

Art of hope: Celebrating the teaching and activism of Corita Kent

The latest exhibition at Cowell College’s Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery, "A Sign of Hope: The Art and Teaching of Corita Kent," reintroduces an artist who challenged societal norms and championed hope and love.

Global social change leaders gather at UC Santa Cruz for Right Livelihood International Conference

From April 23 through 27, UC Santa Cruz will host social change leaders and student activists visiting from around the world for the Right Livelihood International Conference, which includes a series of public events and will launch a new international student network and international research partnerships.

What is time?

The UC Santa Cruz Emeriti Association proudly presents the second annual Nauenberg History of Science Lecture on April 18. This exciting event features guest speaker, Peter Galison, the Joseph Pellegrino University Professor in history of science and physics at Harvard University, who is considered one of the foremost scholars in this field.

Ph.D. student takes gut-wrenching research to the stage

Natalie Pedicino, a Ph.D. student in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, will bolt up to San Francisco on May 3 to distill her past three years of research into a three-minute lightning talk that will test her stage presence and science-communication skills.

First results from DESI make the most precise measurement of our expanding universe

We now have the largest 3-D map of our cosmos ever created, thanks to DESI—a powerful instrument mounted atop a telescope in Arizona with a robotic array of 5,000 fiber-optic “eyes” that look into the night sky.

Santa Cruz County youth aim to improve community mental health through better support for immigrants

A three-year partnership between UC Santa Cruz and United Way to empower young change-makers is wrapping up this spring, with youth leaders from across Santa Cruz County preparing to distribute resource kits for local immigrants.

UCSC ranked #12 among top public colleges for high-paying tech salaries in new Wall Street Journal list

New rankings from the Wall Street Journal and the Burning Glass Institute place UC Santa Cruz as the number 12 school for high-paying tech salaries.

The Science Division announces recipients of Distinguished Alumni Awards

Dr. José de Jesús González, Dr. Maximiliano Mateo Cuevas, and Dr. Charles A. Lawson are this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award recipients for the Science Division.

Vice Chancellor Akirah Bradley-Armstrong to serve as 2025 NASPA Conference Chair

The Division of Student Affairs and Success proudly announces that Vice Chancellor Akirah Bradley-Armstrong will serve as the 2025 National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) annual conference chair.

Educator and champion: Professor Bruce Thompson inspires generations through teaching and philanthropy

Bruce Thompson has taught tens of thousands of students during his three-decade career at UCSC; now, he’s making an impact in a new way.

Championing inclusion: Nancy Kim’s leadership in UCSC’s resource centers

Nancy Kim graduated from UCSC in 1994, became the university’s founding Director of the Asian American/Pacific Islander Resource Center, and currently serves as the Executive Director of Resource Centers.

STEM Diversity Programs grows team to support graduate student success

STEM Diversity Programs welcomes two new team members, including a graduate advisor and program coordinator.

New research reveals steps California must take to capture more jobs from lithium battery boom

A new study from the UC Santa Cruz Institute for Social Transformation, New Energy Nexus, and the UC Berkeley Labor Center demonstrates the need for strategic investments and policy approaches to encourage build-out of the lithium supply chain within California in an environmentally friendly and economically inclusive manner.

50+ years of memories: UC Santa Cruz Alumni Reunion Weekend

Alumni classes 1965-74 are invited to return to UCSC for a weekend filled with events, gatherings, and reconnecting. The class of 1974 will be celebrating their 50th anniversary milestone.

Ten UC Santa Cruz speakers shine bright in TEDxSantaCruz lineup

Ten speakers affiliated with the University of California, Santa Cruz join the TEDxSantaCruz lineup on Saturday, April 13, 2024, at the Crocker Theater, on the Cabrillo College campus.

Research on understudied lung cancer drivers may improve treatments

Angela Brooks has been awarded a $2.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s prestigious R01 program to study how gene isoforms impact cancer progression and what treatments might be most effective or lead to drug resistance.

Kat Gutierrez wins LEAD California's 2024 Richard E. Cone Award for Emerging Leaders in Community Engagement

In acknowledgment of her dedication to community engagement, LEAD California awarded Kat Gutierrez, assistant professor of history at the University of California, Santa Cruz, the prestigious 2024 Richard E. Cone Award for Emerging Leaders in Community Engagement.

UC Santa Cruz names new, rare succulent species from Orange County

A new, rare species of succulent plant from Orange County has been named by Stephen McCabe, a researcher with the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum, with Kristen Hasenstab-Lehman and Matt Guiliams of the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. The naming of new species is part of an effort by multiple entities to help conserve the many threatened species in the genus Dudleya, which are also known, ironically, as liveforevers.

Diana Hernandez: From Hartnell College to UC Santa Cruz

Meet Diana Hernandez, a student parent who transferred to UC Santa Cruz from Hartnell College. Diana is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in literature, psychology, and Latin American and Latino Studies. In this Q&A, she discusses how she balances academics and parenting while staying involved in research and the Student Parent Organization on campus.

Career Clothing Closet opens doors to students

The Career Clothing Closet operates as a business casual clothes pantry, providing students with diverse professional clothing items such as blazers, dress shirts, slacks, skirts, and shoes.

April in Santa Cruz Creative Music and Arts Festival 2024: "A Time For Change"

The annual month-long celebration of the arts is back at UC Santa Cruz. There will be a dozen performances by talented professionals in art forms including dance, animation and much more.

The Hindustani music concert featuring Uday Bhawalker accompanied by Sukhad Manik Munde

As a part of the (unofficially titled) Indian Music Series, University of California, Santa Cruz is welcoming Uday Bhawalkar to campus for a concert on Friday, April 12. The renowned vocalist will be performing Dhrupad music, one of the oldest musical genres in the Hindustani tradition.

Slugcast rewind: Listen to episodes from the week of March 11

Hosted out of the Student Affairs and Success divisional office, Slugcast is the official UCSC podcast.

Slugcast rewind: Listen to episodes from the week of March 11

Hosted out of the Student Affairs and Success divisional office, Slugcast is the official UCSC podcast.

Shaping tomorrow: Earth Futures Institute’s Frontier Fellows program amplifies student-led innovation

UCSC’s Earth Futures Institute's Frontier Fellows Program, wrapping up its second year, supported six undergraduate students engaging in groundbreaking interdisciplinary research aimed at improving the planet's future. The program is made possible through the generosity of multiple donors.

Frontier Fellows Program propels student's research, paving the way for sustainable solutions to carbon emissions

UCSC student Jennifer Valadez spearheads pioneering research on carbon sequestration in California coastal prairies, exploring the crucial role of restoration in recovering soil carbon stocks with the help of the Frontier Fellows Program.

Student leads innovative campus composting initiative for sustainable waste management

UCSC student Gabriel Schiering, supported by Earth's Future Institute's Frontier Fellows program, leads the innovative Oakes Community Composting Project, demonstrating a model for decentralized composting systems on campus.

Innovating agriculture for a greener world

UCSC's Earth Futures Institute's Frontier Fellows Program, wrapping up its second year, supported six undergraduate students engaging in groundbreaking interdisciplinary research aimed at improving the planet's future. Eric Vetha uses his passion for robotics to hone in on soil moisture management practices.

Balancing carbon sequestration and community benefits

UCSC student Cole Seither addresses the delicate balance between agroforestry, carbon sequestration, and community benefits in combating climate change. His research is supported by the Earth Futures Institute’s Frontier Fellows program.

Equity, civic-mindedness drive UC Santa Cruz’s Global and Community Health Program

Many of UC Santa Cruz’s core values are embodied in the Global and Community Health Program, which draws students who seek to study real-world problems encountered locally and worldwide, preparing them for a career in health care, policy, research or advocacy.

UCSC Alumna Carolina Ixta debuts first novel

UCSC alumna Carolina Ixta debuts her powerful novel, Shut Up, This Is Serious: a coming-of-age story following two Latina teens in East Oakland.

Deep Read 2024 gears up

With book giveaways, email explorations, salons, community conversations, and more, The Humanities Institute is preparing an immersive experience with its latest Deep Read selection, the bestselling and Pulitzer Prize–winning novel Trust.

Slugcast rewind: Listen to episodes from the week of March 4

Hosted out of the Student Affairs and Success divisional office, Slugcast is the official UCSC podcast.

Advancing diversity and writing excellence: Oakes College’s new leadership

The Division of Undergraduate Education at UC Santa Cruz, is pleased to announce the appointment of two new associate provosts of Oakes College, Xavier Livermon and Jody K. Biehl. The appointments, in effect since December 2023 and January 2024, respectively, offer Oakes College with leaders who will bring unique perspectives and experiences to their roles.

New gifts launch projects and experiential learning in Sikh studies

Two new gifts to UC Santa Cruz will raise awareness and understanding of Sikhism through two distinct projects. Each project includes paid internships for students.

From start to finish: Alumni Association Scholarship paves the way for students in financial need

The UCSC Alumni Association Scholarship Fund stands as a steadfast pillar of support, offering comprehensive financial assistance to students in need from their first year through graduation, ensuring every student's journey at UCSC is marked by opportunity.

Scientists find unexpected proteins in bacteria motors

A team of scientists, co-led by Karen Ottemann, a professor of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, recently found three unexpected proteins while studying the motors that power the flagella of a species called Helicobacter pylori. The proteins, which are normally found in another type of appendage on a separate group of bacteria, seem to exert control over the motion of the flagella. These proteins, known as PilN, PilO, and PilM, had never been found associated with a flagella before.

Industrial fishing poses greater risk to marine life due to untracked activity, UC Santa Cruz researchers find

A new study led by a scientist at UC Santa Cruz's Institute of Marine Sciences finds that blue whales, tunas, and other top predators in the northeast Pacific Ocean face greater risk of harm from industrial fishing than previously thought.

‘Digital twins’ project will help clean up space junk, repair and decommission spacecrafts

Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Ricardo Sanfelice and a team of researchers have been awarded $2.5M to model complex aerospace engineering problems.

UC Santa Cruz breaks records with increased applications for Fall 2024

The University of California, Santa Cruz has once again received a record number of applications highlighting the desirability of the educational experience the campus provides. Leading at the intersection of innovation and social justice, UC Santa Cruz is actively fostering a community of forward-thinkers committed to driving positive change. The campus draws a diverse and accomplished applicant pool, comprising scholars poised to catalyze positive change worldwide.

Slugcast rewind: Listen to episodes from the week of Feb. 25

Hosted out of the Student Affairs and Success divisional office, Slugcast is the official UCSC podcast.

Dining Services wins big at annual Clam Chowder Cook-Off

UCSC Dining Services competed in the professional division of the 43rd annual Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Clam Chowder Cook-Off, the country's largest and longest-running clam chowder competition. UCSC’s two teams brought back three awards, including the coveted first-place People’s Choice award for Manhattan clam chowder.

Center for Coastal Climate Resilience signs 4-year, $2.75 million agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for work on nature-based solutions

Coastal communities face escalating risks from climate change, natural disasters, and the loss of coastal habitats, such as salt marshes, mangroves, and coral reefs, and the outlook is particularly dire for many of our most vulnerable communities. In response to these pressing issues, the UC Santa Cruz Center for Coastal Climate Resilience (CCCR) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Engineering With Nature program recently signed a 4-year, $2.75 million cooperative agreement. They aim to address these challenges with equitable, nature-based solutions.

UC Santa Cruz-based center leads system-wide commitment to White House food security initiative

The Center for Economic Justice and Action (CEJA) at UC Santa Cruz will lead the University of California’s participation in the White House Challenge to End Hunger and Build Healthy Communities.

United for Equity: Central Coast K-16 Regional Collaborative launch event celebrates a groundbreaking collaboration

On Feb. 9, leaders from the Central Coast K-16 Regional Collaborative, representing 30-plus educational institutions and industry partners across the Central Coast, gathered to launch an initiative aimed at addressing long-standing inequities and streamlining educational and career pathways.

Dean Celine Parreñas Shimizu launches her new book: "The Movies of Racial Childhoods"

To celebrate, Shimizu will be hosting a book launch on the University of California, Santa Cruz Campus at the Sesnon Gallery, where the book will be available for purchase from Two Birds Books. The book will be discussed in conversation with Shimizu and the Sesnon Gallery director Valeria Miranda.

Open Educational Resources cut student costs and increase engagement

Many students face a financial challenge when it comes to covering the cost of course materials each quarter. To help reduce this financial burden, a growing number of instructors at UC Santa Cruz are using Open Educational Resources (OER).

Center for Research in Open Source Software welcomes James Davis as new faculty director

Professor of Computer Science and Engineering is the new faculty director of the Center for Research in Open Source Software (CROSS).

Planned gift bolsters Año Nuevo's perpetual impact

Año Nuevo is part of the University of California Natural Reserves System and one of the five reserves overseen by UC Santa Cruz. John Fox is including UC Santa Cruz in his estate plans to benefit the reserve far into the future.

Alumnus James Dawes thrives in sustainable contracting and remodeling business with focus on reclaimed materials

UCSC alum James Dawes, founder of the successful contracting, demolition, and remodeling business PlaceMakers, takes pride in utilizing reclaimed materials and minimizing waste. Dawes credits his environmentally conscious business approach to the mindset cultivated during his college years.

Cultivating community treasures

Chancellor’s Associate Francis Garcia shares his connection to UCSC

Two History of Consciousness professors named to lead prestigious political journal

University of California, Santa Cruz History of Consciousness Professors Banu Bargu and Massimiliano Tomba have been named co-editors of the influential scholarly journal Political Theory.

The Center for Creative Ecologies presents "Nuclear Nows: Contemporary Art, Radiation, and Militarized Ecologies”

This two-part symposium is the work of Zoe Weldon-Yochim, a Ph.D. Candidate in Visual Studies, in collaboration with T.J. Demos, Professor in the Department of the History of Art and Visual Culture and Director of the Center for Creative Ecologies, and will discuss the intersection of contemporary art, militarized ecologies, and nuclear nationalism.

The UCSC Music Department presents "The World Making Aura of Sonic Blackness" with Moor Mother & James Gordon Williams

On Wednesday, March 6, 2024, the University of California, Santa Cruz Music Department presents a very special performance by guest artist Moor Mother (Camae Ayewa) and James Gordon Williams, assistant professor of music composition at UC Santa Cruz in the Recital Hall of the Music Center.

Closer water monitoring needed as wildfires increase

UC Santa Cruz researchers warn that wildfires can change the chemistry of nearby streams that people and wildlife depend on for drinking water. But they found that the baseline water-chemistry data needed to detect such changes aren’t always available.

Scientists begin to crack open climate-change riddles hiding in ancient coral

An international team of researchers on an expedition co-led by UC Santa Cruz Professor Christina Ravelo collected cores of fossil coral off the coast of Hawai'i to look for signs of climate and sea-level change over the past half million years.

Stranger Things VR game co-written by UCSC’s Samantha Gorman launches in partnership with Netflix, Meta

A new virtual reality (VR) game set in the world of Netflix’s hit series Stranger Things launches today — and UC Santa Cruz Assistant Teaching Professor of Computational Media Samantha Gorman is a key creative mind behind it as the game’s co-writer and narrative director.

Kimberly Lau appointed provost of College Nine and John R. Lewis College

The Division of Social Sciences has selected Literature Professor Kimberly Lau as the new provost of College Nine and John R. Lewis College.

Net wins

The UC Santa Cruz table tennis team, an informal group formed only in 2022, quickly began finding success at tournaments—but its biggest wins may be the community, friendship, and leadership skills the team has built along the way.

Upcoming exhibition will shine a light on vibrant Filipino American life on the Central Coast

Sowing Seeds: Filipino American Stories from the Pajaro Valley will run from April 12 through August 4 at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art And History in downtown Santa Cruz, highlighting the vitality, struggles, and resilience of the Central Coast’s Filipino migrant community

UCSC student and two time scholarship recipient shares her transformative experiences

Lizeth Peña Sanchez (’24, education, democracy, and justice, Latin American and Latino studies, and sociology) received scholarships from The Institute for Social Transformation's Transforming Futures and Building Belonging Programs. She shares how those experiences prepared her for her future goals.

UC Santa Cruz awarded SEA Change Bronze Award for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

UC Santa Cruz has been awarded a 2024 STEM Equity Achievement (SEA) Change Initiative Institutional Bronze Award. The award recognizes the university’s commitment to long-term, sustainable institutional transformation in support of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM) through self-assessment.

Slugcast rewind: Listen to episodes from the week of Feb. 12

Hosted out of the Student Affairs and Success divisional office, Slugcast is the official UCSC podcast.

Chemists use peptides from Alzheimer’s and Type II diabetes to describe five new rippled beta-sheets

Scientists from the University of California, Santa Cruz, synthesized peptides from proteins associated with Alzheimer’s and Type II Diabetes and described five new rippled beta-sheet structures.

Community Voices Series event remembers Santa Cruz's fourth Chinatown

The second UC Santa Cruz Community Voices Series event featured a conversation between UC Santa Cruz Community Archivist Rebecca Hernandez and local philanthropist and developer George Ow Jr.

Two UC Santa Cruz scientists named 2024 Sloan Research Fellows

Assistant Professors Roxanne Beltran and Jacqueline Kimmey have been awarded Sloan Research Fellowships, one of the most prestigious honors bestowed on early-career scientists, each receiving $75,000 to delve into new areas of research in their respective fields of marine ecology and microbiology.

Lessons from COVID reveal how monopoly power in the biopharmaceutical industry is evolving

In his latest paper, Politics Professor Matt Sparke and his coauthor use the case of COVID to demonstrate both the enduring problem of bio-pharmaceutical monopolies and the ways they have been extended and entrenched through complex market-state interconnections.

Legal Studies major Lauren Elscott found her passion with music and events on campus

Lauren Elscott is senior in the legal studies program whose true passion lies in music and events. At UC Santa Cruz she discovered the electronic music minor and how to be involved on campus.

UC Santa Cruz earns national acclaim: awarded NAFSA’s 2024 Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization

In recognition of excellence in internationalization efforts, the University of California, Santa Cruz has been selected to receive the prestigious 2024 Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization from NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

Alumna and award-winning author empowers the next generation

Renowned author and UCSC alumna Reyna Grande, recipient of multiple literary awards, traces her extraordinary journey to becoming a bestseller. Grande, now giving back to her alma mater through the Reyna Grande Scholarship, hopes to inspire Latinx students to pursue creative projects and amplify their cultural heritage.

Slugs in love: Celebrating love stories from UCSC alumni

Fourteen alumni share how they found love as students at UC Santa Cruz.

Student Gabriella Goss wins $500 Alumni Leadership Award from Ecology Project International

Her project draws inspiration from her Ecology Project International (EPI) course experience in the Galapagos Islands, where she witnessed the thriving wildlife in an ecosystem largely spared from human interference. This prompted her to explore the negative impact of human activities on animal habitats, specifically focusing on the millions of animals killed annually by vehicles.

Distinguished Emerita Professor Angela Davis receives the Ada Louise Huxtable Prize for her contributions to architecture

University of California, Santa Cruz Distinguished Professor Emerita Angela Davis has been honored with the Ada Louise Huxtable Prize for her influence on architectural culture.

Protein designer awarded $2.5M to develop bioluminescent protein for deep tissue imaging

Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Engineering Andy Yeh was awarded a nearly $2.5 million grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to develop completely artificial enzymes that can produce bioluminescence in the body for deep tissue imaging.

UC Santa Cruz Physicist Joel Primack wins 2024 AAAS Abelson Prize

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has awarded the prestigious 2024 Philip Hauge Abelson Prize to Joel R. Primack, distinguished professor of physics emeritus at the University of California, Santa Cruz and a key architect of the Cold Dark Matter theory.

Now streaming: Slugcast, UCSC's official podcast

Hosted out of the Student Affairs and Success divisional office, Slugcast is the official UCSC podcast.

Now streaming: Slugcast, UCSC's official podcast

Hosted out of the Student Affairs and Success divisional office, Slugcast is the official UCSC podcast.

Now streaming: Slugcast, UCSC's official podcast

Hosted out of the Student Affairs and Success divisional office, Slugcast is the official UCSC podcast.

Innovation at the intersection: An alum’s trailblazing ventures in tech, film, and social change

Dr. Kortney Ryan Ziegler is an award-winning tech entrepreneur, a filmmaker and producer, a social justice advocate, and a scholar.

Widespread machine learning methods behind ‘link prediction’ are performing very poorly, study shows

New research from UC Santa Cruz Professor of Computer Science and Engineering C. “Sesh” Seshadhri published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences establishes that the metric used to measure link prediction performance is missing crucial information, and link prediction tasks are performing significantly worse than popular literature indicates.

After Man: Alterhuman Ethics and Poetics at the Climate Change Tipping Point

Join associate professor micha cárdenas for her talk about the meeting point between the end of humanity and contemporary art.

The UCSC’s African American Theater Arts Troupe presents Clyde’s by Lynn Nottage

Light-hearted comedy captures the struggles of the formerly incarcerated staff as they hope for a better life

UCSC Central Asian Ensemble honors traditional Uzbek music with special guest master dutarist Rozibi Khodjaeva

UC Santa Cruz is home to the only Western dutar ensemble. They will be playing along with Rozibi Khodjaeva, a master dutar player who is visiting from her home in Uzbekistan. Under the instruction of associate music professor Tanya Merchant, the show will be a culmination of what her students have learned so far.

Bioelectronics enable precise control of organoids for better understanding of neuro diseases, neuron circuits

UC Santa Cruz researchers have developed a new plug-and-play bioelectronics system that enables researchers to precisely control neuronal activity in cortical organoids, which will help unlock new discoveries on how brains form neural circuits and the underpinnings of neurodevelopmental and degenerative diseases.

To plan a sustainable future for seafood access in small island developing states, researchers highlight solutions hiding in plain sight

To better understand how fisheries-based food systems might respond to change, a research team led by UCSC Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Katherine Seto took a deeper look at the strategies that people in the small island developing state of Kiribati currently use to access seafood.

The future of Wikipedia in an era of AI

Maryana Iskander, Chief Executive Officer of the Wikimedia Foundation, is the featured speaker at this year’s Peggy Downes Baskin Ethics Lecture on Thursday, February 22, at the Cowell Hay Barn.

Undergraduate Public Fellows Program connects humanities studies with real-world impact

The Humanities Institute's Public Fellows Program offers a mutually enriching opportunity for students to bring the humanities skills and knowledge they acquire in their university courses to diverse roles at non-profit organizations, museums, cultural institutions, and publishing venues.

Bryant Terry touts power of food and community at 2024 Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation

Food justice advocate, chef, and author Bryant Terry called on people to seek alternatives to the industrialized food system during his keynote address for UC Santa Cruz’s 40th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation.

The Department of Performance, Play, and Design depends on crucial funds from Measure 11

Many are hoping for an adjustment to Measure 11, which dictates the quarterly ticket price for all shows. If the measure makes it onto the ballot and passes it will bring in hundreds or thousands of dollars in revenue.

Crafting smiles and setting records on the track: An alumnus’s unique dual-pursuit

Alumnus Leo Merle is juggling two major life goals: graduate from the University of Michigan with a doctorate in dentistry, and be the first American with cerebral palsy to run the 1,500 meter race in less than four minutes at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

We are all in this together: Favianna Rodriguez and the ecology of social movements

The redwood trees that tower over the UC Santa Cruz campus are glorious manifestations of an ecosystem built on symbiotic relationships. The mighty redwoods, the iconic banana slug, the small sorrel are all interwoven in their existence and survival.

Renowned Sitarist Nishat Khan playing at UC Santa Cruz

The classical Indian musician will play at Music Center Recital Hall along with tabla player Nitin Mitta. The two are internationally recognized musicians. We will be welcoming Khan back after he last played in 2015.

Music Professor Russell Rodriguez wins the Américo Paredes Prize

The American Folklore Society awarded UC Santa Cruz professor Russell Rodriguez the annual Paredes prize in recognition of his work in the arts with the local community and his contributions to folklore and tradition.

The Center For Public Philosophy garners national recognition for its unique Outreach Invitational High School Ethics Bowl

UC Santa Cruz's Center For Public Philosophy is being honored for its Outreach Invitational High School Ethics Bowl program, which has received the Prize for Excellence and Innovation in Philosophy Programs/

Do tree-planting campaigns follow best practices for successful forest restoration?

Environmental Studies Professor Karen Holl's latest research reviewed publicly available information to see if there have been improvements in recent years in whether tree-planting organizations apply best practices for successful reforestation.

Coastal Science & Policy Program celebrates five years at UC Santa Cruz

Coastal Science and Policy Program Director Anne Kapuscinski reflects on the last five years and looks ahead to the future.

Institute of Arts and Sciences announces new interdisciplinary initiative on climate change

A new multi-year initiative will bring together arts and science to start a conversation about marine biology and the effects of climate change. The new exhibit is set to premier in 2025, and the project is already in progress as the Friedlaender lab collaborates with nationally recognized artists.

National Endowment for the Humanities gives $60,000 award to two UCSC faculty members

The National Endowment for the Humanities included two UC Santa Cruz professors in their most recent round of grants and awards. Drs. Jennifer Derr and Stacy Kamehiro are using their newly awarded funding to continue in the projects that focus on diverse groups and global impacts.

Renowned chef, food activist Bryant Terry to deliver keynote address at 40th Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation

Acclaimed chef, author, and food justice advocate Bryant Terry will deliver the keynote address at UC Santa Cruz’s 40th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation. The event, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 31, at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Institute of the Arts & Sciences announces inaugural artists in the Coha Nowark Art + Science Residency Program

Innovative PET technology will enable precise multitracer imaging of the brain

UC Santa Cruz Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Shiva Abbaszadeh is developing technology that will enable precise multitracer positron emission tomography imaging of the human body’s most complex organ with the support of a $4 million NIH grant.

Three historians to share their insights on slavery’s origins in America at on-campus panel discussion.

Next week’s on-campus panel discussion, “What Actually Happened In 1619,” will provide a deeper understanding of the year 1619 as a turning point in slavery’s history. This talk takes place Thursday, February 1 at the Music Recital Hall on campus.

Terrie Williams honored with 2024 National Academy of Sciences Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal

The National Academy of Sciences will honor 20 individuals with awards recognizing their extraordinary scientific achievements in a wide range of fields spanning the physical, biological, social, and medical sciences. Among the esteemed awardees is Terrie M. Williams, a comparative ecophysiologist from the University of California, Santa Cruz, who will be honored with the 2024 NAS Award in the Evolution of Earth and Life - Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal.

Duke University Press publishes Arts Dean Celine Parreñas Shimizu’s new book: The Movies of Racial Childhoods

UC Santa Cruz’s Dean of the Arts Division, award-winning filmmaker and author publishes her fourth sole-written book, exploring contemporary representations of Asian American youth.

Historian Benjamin Breen explores the troubled birth of psychedelic science in acclaimed new book, Tripping On Utopia. 

UC Santa Cruz Associate History Professor Benjamin Breen will read from his new book about the fraught history of Cold War-era psychedelic science at Bookshop Santa Cruz this Tuesday.

UC Santa Cruz’s Center for Coastal Climate Resilience partnering with EY on Open Science Data Challenge on Coastal Resilience for students

Climate change is here, and so are its impacts on our communities. Globally, coastal hazards produce increasing costs, often to the most vulnerable populations. That’s why UC Santa Cruz’s Center for Coastal Climate Resilience (CCCR) and the University of California Disaster Resilience Network (UCDRN) are partnering with EY on its 2024 Open Science Data Challenge, focused on coastal resilience. CCCR will be hosting an event on campus on Jan. 25 for interested undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty to learn more about this significant opportunity.

UC Santa Cruz will lead development of next-generation telescope alignment system

The National Science Foundation recently awarded $3.9 million to researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz as the lead institution for the development of a next-gen telescope alignment system. The researchers will work with an international team to build and test systems in Santa Cruz and eventually install the final designs in seven telescopes at three ground-based observatory sites around the world.

Students search for hidden black hole activity

When stars get too close to the supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies, the black holes shred them apart in a process called a tidal disruption event (TDE). These TDEs cause bright flashes, but recent models suggest that scientists should see more of them than have been observed.

Insights from UCSC-made COVID-19 tracking tool will guide the future of studying pathogens in real time

A new paper by a team of UCSC pathogen genomicists offers guidance for the future of web tools for tracking pathogen evolution.

Smarter Balanced Unveils Initiative with IBM Consulting to Promote Responsible Use of AI in Educational Measurement

Today, Smarter Balanced announced a new initiative to develop measurement-focused principles and guidelines for the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in educational assessments. With experience creating scalable, trustworthy AI strategies, IBM Consulting will collaborate with Smarter Balanced to build a foundational AI framework that can help accelerate enhancements in accessibility, accuracy, and fairness while minimizing bias.

STEM Education Central Coast Conference connects teachers with each other and a wealth of local resources

UC Santa Cruz faculty and staff helped to organize an upcoming conference that will share strategies for student success in STEM and connect teachers from 11 local school districts and offices of education with more than 20 local organizations to exchange ideas on region-specific science topics to engage students.

On the frontlines of change

David B. Goldberg solidified his passion for organizing at UC Santa Cruz. Now, he is the president of the California Teachers Association, the largest teacher’s union in the state.

Alumni and professor authors return to UCSC

Ten alumni authors and two former professors will be featured in the Creative Writing Program’s Living Writers Reading Series in Jan. through March.

UC Santa Cruz Humanities Division secures $1 million grant for Employing Humanities initiative

Investment from the Mellon Foundation will propel new program focused on experiential learning and career readiness for humanities students.

Training program helps prevent harassment in fieldwork environments

Fieldwork often puts researchers and students in remote environments that have unique challenges. The unusual setting of fieldwork can make sexual harassment and assault more likely, and it also calls for distinct approaches to prevent and respond to it. To address this systemic problem, University of Santa Cruz scientists developed a sexual harassment prevention and awareness training program specifically tailored to fieldwork environments.

Sage Michaels (Rachel Carson, ‘22, Intensive History) is sharing her passion for history

Sage Michaels discovered her passion for history while taking Humanities courses at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Now she works as an interpretive guide at two Massachusetts museums, where she’s focusing on the American Revolutionary War while getting ready to start graduate school.

Finding her voice: Farnaz Fatemi's poetry explores language, borders and selfhood with an emphasis on her Iranian American identity

Farnaz Fatemi (Porter ’91, American studies), UCSC alumna, Lecturer in Writing, and Santa Cruz County Poet Laureate for 2023 and 2024, talks about embracing her identity, her career at UCSC, and her current work as poet laureate.

UC Santa Cruz Division of Undergraduate Education appoints Soraya Murray as new Provost of Porter College

The Division of Undergraduate Education at UC Santa Cruz is pleased to announce the appointment of Soraya Murray as the new Provost of Porter College, effective July 1, 2024. Murray, an esteemed interdisciplinary scholar with a passion for mentorship, will bring a unique perspective to her new role.

UC Santa Cruz Division of Undergraduate Education appoints Shelly Grabe as new Provost of Rachel Carson College

The Division of Undergraduate Education at UC Santa Cruz proudly announces the appointment of Shelly Grabe as the new Provost of Rachel Carson College, effective July 1, 2024. Dr. Grabe, a Professor of Social Psychology at UC Santa Cruz, brings a depth of experience in research, activism, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Global study shows extreme short-term drought has even greater impacts on grasslands and shrublands than previously thought

UC Santa Cruz scientists supported a new global study showing that the effects of extreme short-term drought have been greatly underestimated for grasslands and shrublands.

Pioneering perspectives

UCSC alumnus Bob Dodge belonged to the inaugural graduating class of UC Santa Cruz. He attests that the time he spent at UCSC was among the most transformative periods of his life.