Social Sciences
-

Shedding light on one of environmental policy’s most under-the-radar strategies
Associate professor of environmental studies Sikina Jinnah studies the environmental provisions contained within trade agreements and wants to help policymakers better navigate this space.
-

Research partnership explores bonds between mothers and nonspeaking autistic children
Researchers at UC Santa Cruz and the University of Virginia have been collaborating to better understand behaviors and beliefs that may strengthen relationships between mothers and children with nonspeaking autism.
-

Surge in online grocery shopping brings a quantity-over-quality jobs shift
The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated emerging labor market trends associated with e-commerce in the grocery industry, creating mixed implications for jobs, according to a new report led by UCSC professor Chris Benner.
-

Campus publishes sixth edition of “inquiry@UC Santa Cruz” research magazine
The stories, crafted by alumni of the world-renowned UC Santa Cruz Science Communication Master’s Program, cover projects across the five academic devisions.
-

National Academies report on sustainability education features UC Santa Cruz expertise
UC Santa Cruz professor Anne Kapuscinski chaired the committee that developed the report, and campus initiatives were highlighted within as examples of innovative sustainability education.
-

Psychology research shows ‘water cooler talk’ can have big benefits
In settings where people are working together on a task, making time for small talk allows for a newly-described behavior called “reciprocity in conversation,” which is associated with higher levels of task enjoyment.
-
Two UC Santa Cruz programs win funding for public interest technology
The Human Rights Investigations Lab and Everett Program at UC Santa Cruz will receive new grant funding through the Public Interest Technology University Network.
-

Research breakthrough achieves fish-free aquaculture feed that raises key standards
A new aquaculture feed formula eliminates conventional fish meal and fish oil ingredients by combining ingredients derived from two species of marine microalgae.
-

The 2020 new Slug reality: Handling adversity and transitioning to a virtual learning experience
Remote learning has its challenges, but the newest class of Banana Slugs is making the most out of this uncharted experience.
-

Quantitative ecologist wins Tansley Medal for plant science contributions
Environmental studies assistant professor Kai Zhu was recently chosen from a global field as one of two recipients of the Tansley Medal for Excellence in Plant Science, presented by the journal New Phytologist.
-

Big Ideas contest offers up to $20,000 for big ideas in social innovation
Big Ideas contest, open to all UC students, seeks student-led, early-stage projects or ideas with a social impact focus.
-

MacArthur ‘genius’ grant winner reflects on early influences at UC Santa Cruz
Forrest Stuart has built his career pursuing burning questions about the societal underpinnings of poverty and criminalization across disciplines. Stuart said his research focus has been influenced both by his childhood and the formative experiences of his undergraduate education at University of California, Santa Cruz, where he earned his bachelor’s in politics in 2004.