Staff News

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.

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). The forum drew over 500 attendees from around the country to discuss how our ecosystems can protect us from natural disasters.

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. UC Santa Cruz professors Dan Costa and Ari Friedlaender contributed their marine-mammal expertise to the study, which was published on March 10 in the journal Nature Communications.

New eye-tracking VR experience, Face Jumping, debuts at SXSW

The independent art and creative studio Tender Claws, co-led by Assistant Teaching Professor of Computational Media Samantha Gorman, will debut Face Jumping at the 2025 South by Southwest (SXSW) XR Experience Exhibition running March 9-11 in Austin, Texas.

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.

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 the division's highest honor for faculty achievement, recognizing combined excellence in research, teaching, and service.

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 function. By integrating AI, they are streamlining the process of aligning thin slices of mouse brain tissue with a reference atlas, helping to identify key details such as the brain region of origin more efficiently.

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 circadian-rhythms researchers, UC Santa Cruz’s Carrie Partch.

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.

UC Santa Cruz earns Integrated Pest Management Achievement Award

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 to begin accepting patient samples.

New way to activate UCSC Adobe Creative Cloud software

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

Newest Genome Browser features highlight the power of generative AI and machine learning for biology

The UCSC Genome Browser has added two new datasets that leverage the power of generative AI and machine learning to interpret information about genetic variants and more rapidly assess which ones might be harmful to human health

SlugCents offers free tax help to students through April 15

The SlugCents Financial Wellness Program is now offering free tax preparation assistance to students (domestic and international) and others who had income of $67,000 or less in 2024.

UC Santa Cruz astrophysicist explores the interconnectedness of art and science in 'Painting the Cosmos'

A new book by UC Santa Cruz astrophysicist and visual artist Nia Imara debuts tomorrow that explains the universe and traces how art has blended with science throughout human history.

Commitment to the UC Santa Cruz community

I write today acknowledging the uncertainty and anxiety that many members of our community are experiencing from the federal actions over these past weeks. I share these feelings and I want to reaffirm our commitment to our mission.

Phillip Crews honored with inaugural ASP Mentorship Award

Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Phillip Crews has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the American Society of Pharmacognosy (ASP) Phillip Crews Mentorship Award.

Notice of Campus Comment Period: UC Risk Transfer and Insurance Requirements

The University of California Office of the President invites comments on revisions to the policy on Risk Transfer and Insurance Requirements (BFB-63).

UC Santa Cruz students and SUBA partner to bring East Salinas businesses online

In East Salinas, where family-owned businesses are the backbone of the community, a collaboration is helping them build an online presence and reach more customers. Crown College’s GetVirtual program at UC Santa Cruz and the Salinas United Business Association (SUBA) have joined forces, with students leading the way.

Several labor strikes announced for Feb. 26-28

We anticipate the strikes will have noticeable impacts to the services provided by campus dining, transit, and health services.

Cosmic radiation from supernova altered virus evolution in Africa, study proposes

A new study led by recent undergraduate student Caitlyn Nojiri and co-authored by astronomy and astrophysics professor Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz and postdoctoral fellow Noémie Globus examined iron isotopes to identify a 2.5 million-year-old supernova. The researchers connected this stellar explosion to a surge of radiation that pummeled Earth around the same time, and they assert that the blast was powerful enough to break the DNA of living creatures.

Search launches for Vice Provost of Academic Affairs

UC Santa Cruz is launching an internal search for the next Vice Provost of Academic Affairs (VPAA).

Campus shares second quarter financial summary, revenue generation ideas, and budget committee framework

To keep the campus community informed about efforts to bring the core funds budget into balance, UC Santa Cruz has released a quarterly financial summary, revenue generation recommendations, and the framework used to determine the multiyear reduction plan.

Foraging seals enable scientists to measure fish abundance across the vast Pacific Ocean

A new study led by UC Santa Cruz marine biologist Roxanne Beltran to be published as the February 14 cover story for Science concludes that seals can essentially act as “smart sensors” for monitoring fish populations in the ocean’s eerily dim “twilight zone.”

New study documents California coyotes eating harbor seal pups

A paper published on February 12 in the journal Ecology details how the researchers used motion-triggered cameras placed at MacKerricher State Beach on California's North Coast during harbor seal pupping season in the spring of 2023 and 2024.

In Memoriam: Professor David Lee Cuthbert, Performance, Play and Design

David Lee Cuthbert, Professor of Performance, Play and Design (PPD), passed away unexpectedly on February 11, 2025. Cuthbert was a dedicated educator and designer, serving as part of the Theater Arts faculty for 25 years. His passing is a profound loss for the Arts Division and for UC Santa Cruz.

Economically, culturally important marine species vulnerable to changing climate, new study shows

Dungeness crab, Pacific herring, and red abalone are among the marine species most vulnerable to the changing climate's effect on California's coastal waters, a new study led by UC Santa Cruz researchers finds.

AAAS names UC Santa Cruz organelle discovery most outstanding paper in 2024

The discovery by UC Santa Cruz researchers of a new organelle within single-celled algae that converts nitrogen gas into ammonia continues to be celebrated by the science community, this time by winning the prestigious AAAS Newcomb Cleveland Prize.

NIH awards Kellogg Lab nearly $3 million to continue research on molecular mechanisms that control cell growth, size

Doug Kellogg, professor of molecular, cell, and developmental biology at UC Santa Cruz, has been awarded $2.95 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study control of cell growth and size in normal cells—and how it goes wrong in cancer.

UC Santa Cruz sets fossil-free date

The University of California, Santa Cruz has announced it will reduce fossil fuel emission by 90% by 2045. The date was set based on recommendations from the Decarbonization and Electrification (D&E) team.

UC Santa Cruz celebrates Teaching Week 2025 with Symposium, AI Discussion, and Distinguished Teaching Award Lecture

UC Santa Cruz will host Teaching Week 2025 from Feb. 24 to Feb. 28, celebrating innovative and equity-minded teaching practices across campus.

SCIPP scientist Simone Mazza honored with international physics award

Simone Mazza, an assistant research scientist at the Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics (SCIPP), has won an international award that recognizes contributions in the fields of fundamental interactions of matter. Mazza received the 2024 INFN Bruno Toushek Award from the Italian Scientists and Scholars of North America Foundation.

New UC website on federal policies

The rapid shift in federal policy and priorities is creating uncertainty for UC Santa Cruz, our UC system and universities across the country.

UC Santa Cruz scientists slither into the history books with first complete genome of a banana slug

Not only is the banana slug the endearing mascot for UC Santa Cruz — making the project fitting for campus researchers — but the slugs’ unique slime was a particularly challenging undertaking for UCSC’s experts in genomics.

Second annual Slow Fashion Week, Feb. 10-14

Slow Fashion Week is a new tradition for the Student Sustainability Advisor team in the Sustainability Office. Started last year by Student Sustainability Advisor Khalilah Hamid, Slow Fashion week encourages reducing clothing waste and taking a step back from the fast fashion industry among the student community.

New research and art installation demonstrate the viability of using fog as a water source

In a state known for its droughts, where the southern half recently experienced devastating fires, understanding California’s natural water sources is more important than ever. Three University of California, Santa Cruz professors have teamed up to create a multipart scientific and artistic research study, Art+Fog as a collective,

Resources for undocumented members of our campus community

We write today to reaffirm our support and care for undocumented members of the UC Santa Cruz community.

New grant funds effort to uncover therapeutic targets for neuropsychiatric disorders

A $10.3 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the state’s stem cell agency, will fund a multi-UC effort to better understand neuropsychiatric disorders.

Explorer society honors Roxanne Beltran for advancing scientific field research, education equity

Roxanne Beltran, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz, is among 50 people from around the world being honored this year for “doing remarkable work to promote science and exploration.”

Innovative techniques aim for climate-safe restoration of Ms. Blue

A new project is underway to give Ms. Blue another life, this time enabling her to teach the community about the power of climate-safe innovation

The Institute of Arts and Science curates two revolutionary exhibitions

The Institute of the Arts and Sciences (IAS) is starting the new year with two imaginative and heartfelt exhibitions exploring liberation and justice. EDELO and Our Bedrock, both of which run from Jan. 31 – April 20

Climate change reshuffles species like a deck of cards, new study finds

A new study led by UC Santa Cruz ecology and evolutionary biologist Malin Pinsky finds that temperature changes due to climate change have a doubly detrimental impact: Not only do they destabilize animal populations, but the impacts accelerate as temperatures change more rapidly.

UC Santa Cruz AgTech Alliance launches to support interdisciplinary collaboration

Building on the long history of innovation in agriculture at the campus, the AgTech Alliance will support research, education, events, and workforce development related to advancing agricultural technology in order to create more formalized opportunities for collaboration within the university and beyond.

Decarbonization & Electrification Town Hall #4

The Decarbonization & Electrification Initiative will hold its fourth town hall gathering on February 10, 2025.

UC Santa Cruz Innovation Catalyst Grant program propels research into real-world solutions

UC Santa Cruz has announced the Innovation Catalyst Grant proof-of-concept program awardees, showcasing the campus’s commitment to fostering transformative research with significant societal benefits.

Long read sequencing reveals more genetic information while cutting time and cost of rare disease diagnoses

A new study shows that long-read sequencing has the potential to improve the rate of diagnosis while reducing the time to diagnosis from years to days — in a single test and at a much lower cost.

Professor Patty Gallagher reimagines Comedy of Errors in a new era

Shakespeare is coming to the University of California, Santa Cruz. The upcoming February performances of Comedy of Errors at the Theater Arts eXperimental Theater embody comedy and heartfelt performances.

Five student projects funded through the 2024-25 CITRIS Tech for Social Good Program

The Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) at UC Santa Cruz has selected five student projects for funding through the 2024-25 CITRIS Tech for Social Good Program.

Breaking records and feeding hope, once again!

UCSC community has broken our own record of generosity in this year's Second Harvest Holiday Food & Fund Drive - for the fourth year in a row!

Hubble Telescope images combined into giant mosaic of neighboring Andromeda Galaxy

Astronomers are celebrating the completion of a 2.5-billion-pixel panoramic picture of the entire Andromeda Galaxy. The team includes several UC Santa Cruz researchers who made significant contributions to the enormous photomosaic that combines some 600 snapshots taken by the Hubble Space Telescope over more than a decade and 1,000 orbits.

American Astronomical Society honors four UC Santa Cruz affiliates at national meeting

At this week's AAS national meeting, the society named UC Observatories Director Bruce Macintosh and two alumni, Laura Lopez and Mark Phillips, among the 24 new fellows chosen for 2025.

New exhibition explores Afrofuturism through a look at the past

The newest exhibition at the Mary Porter Sesnon Gallery explores African history and Afrofuturism through the art of current PhD candidate Aaron Samuel Mulenga. Ukupupuka: An Exploration of Transcendence integrates Mulenga’s doctoral dissertation research on World War I porters called TengaTenga with the concept of the Afronaut to explore concepts of mobility, transcendence and divinity.

Annual notice on employees responsible for reporting discrimination, sexual violence, or sexual harassment

UC Santa Cruz strives to create and sustain an equitable environment for students, staff, and faculty.

Coral-reef restoration can be cost-effective for saving lives, money

A new study co-led by the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience (CCCR) at UC Santa Cruz shows coral reef restoration in Florida and Puerto Rico could save thousands of lives and prevent hundreds of millions of dollars in damage and economic interruption each year.

2024 Outstanding Staff Award honoree seeks to lift campus educators as leaders driving equitable change

Kendra Dority, director of graduate student and postdoc professional development at the Teaching and Learning Center, has been awarded the 2024 Outstanding Staff Award. "I am proud to be part of a team that is so dedicated to supporting the teaching community at UC Santa Cruz,”

Stay informed and prepared for emergencies

The UC Santa Cruz Office of Emergency Management (OEM) regularly engages with our local and statewide partners to ensure we are aware and prepared for emergencies that may impact our community. To help us reach you quickly during emergencies, please take a moment to verify that your CruzID contact information is up-to-date. This ensures that you’ll receive important campus messages across your devices.

CIDER to train 45 new commercial drone pilots during Winter and Spring Quarters

The CITRIS Initiative for Drone Education and Research (CIDER) is starting its fourth year of training new drone pilots through the CIDER Pilot Training Program.

Rick Flores named Executive Director of Arboretum & Botanic Garden

Rick Flores has been appointed as the new Executive Director of the Arboretum & Botanic Garden at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Multiyear framework to balance core-funds budget

The campus Budget Advisory Committee (BAC), formed in February 2024, has provided a multiyear framework for closing our structural budget gap that already incorporates the 7.95% state budget reduction for FY 2025–26.

Supporting those affected by the Los Angeles-area wildfires

Our thoughts are with all those impacted by the horrific wildfires that continue to burn in and around Los Angeles.

Basketball great, mental health champion to headline MLK Convocation

WNBA Hall of Famer Chamique Holdsclaw, an Olympic gold medalist and mental health advocate, will address the 41st annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Convocation on January 30.

Researchers to develop technology for improving berry monitoring, harvesting, shipment

To investigate innovative methods to support the berry growing and harvesting process, UC Santa Cruz Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Ricardo Sanfelice is launching a new agricultural technology project.

Enhancing street safety for the UC Santa Cruz community

UC Santa Cruz is committed to fostering a safe and welcoming environment for everyone. To enhance safety, the campus is implementing a variety of new initiatives on campus roads.

Complete survey for CPEVC development assessment

In accordance with University policy (Regents Policy 7702), I have appointed a confidential committee to conduct the five-year leadership development assessment of Campus Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor (CP/EVC) Lori Kletzer, an office that she has held since June 1, 2020.