March 2025 News Archive

Astronomy Ph.D. candidate researching mysteries of sub-Neptune planets wins fellowship

UC Santa Cruz astronomy Ph.D. candidate Sagnick Mukherjee has received one of the most sought-after postdoctoral awards in the field: the prestigious 51 Pegasi b Fellowship. In its

Three UC Santa Cruz faculty members named 2024 AAAS fellows

Three UC Santa Cruz faculty members have been named new fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. AAAS awarded the lifetime honor to professors David

Cynthia Lewis named 2025 Fellow of the American Educational Research Association

The American Educational Research Association (AERA) has named Cynthia Lewis, professor emerita of education at the University of California, Santa Cruz, as one of its 2025 AERA Fellows.

Porter College's EnCore celebrates student voices and vision

Each year, Porter College hosts EnCore, a culminating exhibition of student projects from Porter 1, the college’s core course. The event features multimedia art and handmade books exploring

Alumna named to Inc.’s Female Founders 500 List

Cassi Janakos recognized for leading workplace lactation

Engineering undergrad is fastest to solve national codebreaker challenge for the second year in a row

For the second year in a row, UC Santa Cruz undergraduate computer engineering student Astra Tsai was the fastest student to solve the National Security Administration’s (NSA) codebreaker

Labor strikes announced for Tuesday, April 1

The University of California has been notified of a one-day systemwide labor strike on Tuesday, April 1 at all UC campuses and medical centers.

Artist Talk provides a deep dive into dance as rebellion

Many have seen the newest mural on campus, Danza a la Rebeldía (Dance as Rebellion), but now is the chance to learn more about it. On April 15

Virtual communications remain essential to modern workflows. Here’s what psychology research says about implications and best-practices.

As more companies and governments issue often unpopular return-to-office mandates, there’s still very little evidence about how remote work compares to in-person settings, especially when it comes to

Six UC Santa Cruz professors awarded 2025 NEH Grants for groundbreaking research on AI, colonial violence, and social justice

Six UC Santa Cruz professors have received prestigious 2025 National Endowment for the Humanities awards this year, advancing scholarship on topics ranging from colonial violence to the ethical

Save the Date: Communicating Climate Solutions Symposium, Sept. 15-17

UC Santa Cruz's Science Communications Program and the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience is hosting the Communicating Climate Solutions Symposium, taking place September 15–17, 2025, at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center.

Important updates about UCSC Adobe Creative Cloud software

As a reminder, if you need to use Adobe Creative Cloud software (including Acrobat Pro installed on your device), you must activate your license using your UCSC account and reactivate quarterly.

Equity and Equal Protection replacing Bias Response Reporting form

The Office of Equity and Equal Protection (EEP) is now managing all complaints of discrimination or harassment on the basis of protected characteristics for all community members, including students.

‘Find Your Path!’ opens doors for successful careers in the arts

Professionals in arts disciplines know there is always a way to make a living doing what you love, and the award-winning faculty and alumni from UC Santa Cruz

New eye-tracking VR experience, Face Jumping, wins XR Audience Award at SXSW

After debuting at South by Southwest (SXSW) 2025, Face Jumping won the conference’s XR Experience audience award among the 15 creators working at the intersection of technology and

Scientists program stem cells to mimic first days of embryonic development

Using CRISPR-based engineering methods to prompt stem cells to organize into embryo-like structures, scientists at UC Santa Cruz were able to create “programmable” cellular models of embryos without

Long-accepted theory explaining the nature of our universe may need updating, new analysis indicates

The standard model of how the universe works involves the widely accepted theory that dark energy is a fundamental constant of nature that drives the accelerating expansion of

Staff Appreciation Picnic - Save the Date and Tabling Information

Please save the date - Thursday, May 8 - for our annual Staff Appreciation Picnic and Raffle.

New lactation spaces open for nursing mothers on campus

Across the UC Santa Cruz campuses, nursing mothers now have access to 21 lactation rooms where they can express milk and nurse their babies. The spaces on the

UCSC Dining Serves Up Success at Clam Chowder Cook-Off

UCSC Dining Services showcased their culinary talents at the 44th annual Clam Chowder Cook-Off, earning three awards—including 1st Place People’s Choice for Manhattan Clam Chowder—and celebrating a total

Lactation room opens at Humanities One, with help from donor funds and a proud Banana Slug

A new lactation room is now open in Humanities One at Room 228, thanks to an anonymous donor, and in collaboration with Cassi Janakos, ( Porter '11, business

In Memoriam: Carlos Garita-Alvarado

The UC Santa Cruz community is deeply saddened to share the sudden and unexpected passing of Carlos Garita-Alvarado on March 9 at his home in Santa Cruz at

Workshop aims to create speech AI for all

To address the poor performance of speech AI systems for this community, a team of researchers is studying and seeking solutions to the technical and design challenges of

Teaching Week 2025 Recap

The Teaching and Learning Center and the Academic Senate held the 3rd Annual Teaching Week at UC Santa Cruz in late February.

Student Health Services Welcomes New Medical Leadership, Reaffirms Commitment to Student Healthcare

Read an important message from John Bollard, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Health and Wellness and Chief Well-being Officer, about Student Health Services’ ongoing commitment to accessible, high-quality

Sketch of suspect in sexual battery incidents

In an effort to find the suspect connected with two sexual battery incidents on campus, the UC Santa Cruz Police Department has released a sketch based on witness descriptions.

An interview with Jennifer Finney Boylan: Celebrated trans author and advocate visits UC Santa Cruz during a critical moment for trans rights

Bestselling author Jennifer Finney Boylan, one of the nation’s most influential and recognizable advocates for trans rights, is currently serving as scholar-in-residence at UC Santa Cruz during a

Forum captures urgency to use ecosystems now to keep people safe from looming natural disasters

The National Practice Forum on Nature-Based Solutions was held in Irvine on February 4 and 5, and sponsored by UC Santa Cruz’s Center for Coastal Climate Resilience (CCCR).

Research Corporation for Science Advancement honors Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz

Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz has been named a recipient of the Research Corporation for Science Advancement’s (RCSA) Robert Holland Jr. Award, which honors outstanding contributions to research, leadership, and mentorship

New study shows how microalgae could help advance sustainable trout farming

Researchers at UC Santa Cruz created a successful experimental aquaculture feed formulation for rainbow trout that fully replaces traditional fishmeal ingredients sourced from wild-caught fish with leftover marine

Supporting early career alums: Finding hope in challenging times

In a time of uncertainty, where environmental challenges grow more complex and the future feels unpredictable, two UC Santa Cruz alumni share their insights on adapting to professional

Whale waste helps health of oceans by funneling nutrients to the tropics, new study shows

New research shows that whales move nutrients thousands of miles—in their pee and poop—from as far as Alaska to Hawaii, supporting the health of tropical ecosystems and fish.

UCOP FAQ about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the University of California

The UC Office of the President has issued a document providing more detail and a UC-specific compilation of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) containing preliminary guidance and references to relevant federal and state law and University policy.

Critical Imagination in Crisis Times: A Conference on the power of the Humanities at UC Santa Cruz

In times of growing inequality, political upheaval, and climate crisis, how do we imagine a different future, one that breaks free from the cycles of crisis and oppression? 

Biologist Erika Zavaleta receives Science Division’s Outstanding Faculty Award

The Science Division has announced that Erika Zavaleta, a professor in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, has won its 2023-24 Outstanding Faculty Award. The annual prize is

Jose Ramirez is helping one UC at a time

The University of California, Santa Cruz Arts Division is putting its mission into action with Art Matters, an upcoming event in Los Angeles that underscores the transformative power

Matt O’Hara and Katia Obraczka appointed interim provosts of Cowell and Crown for 2025-26

The Division of Undergraduate Education is proud to announce the appointment of Professor Matt O’Hara as interim provost of Cowell College and Professor Katia Obraczka as interim provost

Planned power outage during spring break - March 24–27

In order to address critical infrastructure needs, there will be multiple planned high-voltage electrical shutdowns on the main residential campus during Spring Break.

Student-built app slashes weeks off brain mapping to speed up neuroscience research

UC Santa Cruz neuroscientists aiming to better understand how specific brain connectivity contributes to perception, thoughts, and behavior are leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance their study of brain

UCSC Arts Dean Celine Parreñas Shimizu to join UCLA

Arts Dean and Distinguished Professor of Film and Digital Media Celine Parreñas Shimizu will become the next dean of the School of Theater, Film, and Television (TFT) at UCLA. She will step down from her position at UC Santa Cruz in June 2025.

Explaining how our biological clocks work and how to better regulate our circadian rhythms

As anticipation builds for the longer days that follow this weekend’s switch to daylight savings time, the moment seemed ideal to turn to one of the nation’s leading

AI chatbots perpetuate biases when performing empathy, study finds

A new study explores how GPT-4o, the latest model from OpenAI, evaluates and performs empathy compared to humans, and finds major gaps exist.

Timely Warning Crime Bulletin: Burglary

The UCSC Police Department and/or Title IX became aware on March 4, 2025, of three incidents potentially related to a violation of California Penal Code 647.

Initial review date for Vice Provost of Academic Affairs applicants is March 14

UC Santa Cruz has launched an internal search for the next Vice Provost of Academic Affairs (VPAA). UCSC candidates can apply through UC Recruit, with an initial review date of Friday, March 14, 2025.

2025 CITRIS Multi-Campus Seed Funding Program open for submissions

The CITRIS Seed Funding Program issues competitive awards that advance information technology research for societal benefit and catalyze proof-of-concept results that can lead to transformative solutions for industry and the public sector.

Join the 2025 International Freezer Challenge

The UC Santa Cruz Office of Sustainability is excited to announce campus participation in the 2025 International Laboratory Freezer Challenge, a global initiative promoting sustainable cold storage practices. This is a fantastic opportunity for labs across UCSC to reduce energy use, improve efficiency, and contribute to our campus sustainability goals.

Parking will be limited in Hahn Lot (Lot 101) from April 1 – 11

UC Santa Cruz will welcome more than 10,000 admitted and prospective students and their families to campus between April 1 and April 11, as they consider saying “Yes to UCSC.” This is an opportunity for all of us to share what is special about UC Santa Cruz.

UC Santa Cruz earns Integrated Pest Management Achievement Award

New biology study reveals four novel genes required for male fertility in mice

The pioneering research of UC Santa Cruz’s Upasna Sharma to determine how a father’s life experiences and environment can influence the health and wellbeing of his children moves

Clinical pediatric cancer lab at UC Santa Cruz is cleared to accept and test patient samples

The UC Santa Cruz Colligan Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory has received its CLIA certificate of registration from the California Department of Public Health, which clears the way for it

New way to activate UCSC Adobe Creative Cloud software

There is a new way to activate UCSC Adobe Creative Cloud accounts.