Social Sciences
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UCSC’s Genomics Institute settles into new Delaware Avenue headquarters
The move to 2300 Delaware Ave. coincides with the formal establishment of the Genomics Institute as an Organized Research Unit at UC Santa Cruz.
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Major NSF grant supports research on soil fungi
Kai Zhu, an assistant professor of environmental studies, has received a $700,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to study the biodiversity and distribution of soil fungi across North America.
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Massaro introduces app to boost literacy
Dominic Massaro, a professor emeritus of psychology, has developed a new iPhone app designed to help children learn to read.
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Strawberries: The tasty fruit with a tainted environmental legacy and an uncertain future
Are the glory days of California’s strawberry industry gone for good? That’s the conclusion of Julie Guthman, author of the new book, Wilted: Pathogens, Chemicals, and the Fragile Future of the Strawberry Industry.
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CASFS embarks on yearlong effort to refresh programming
With more than 50 years of leadership in developing and creating a socially just food system, the center will chart a course for the decades ahead
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Master gardener Orin Martin authors new book, Fruit Trees for Every Garden
The beautifully illustrated and lovingly written new book Fruit Trees for Every Garden is not your standard how-to book.
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Psychology Ph.D. student receives AAUW fellowship
Christine Rosales, a Ph.D. student in psychology, has been awarded a 2019-20 fellowship from the American Association of University Women (AAUW).
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Scholars weigh in on new ideas about autism
The authors of a provocative new paper maintain that many of the behaviors common to autism—including low eye contact, repetitive movements, and the verbatim repetition of words and phrases—are misinterpreted as a lack of interest in social engagement. On the contrary, they say, many people with autism express a deep longing for social connection.
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While the cat’s away: Predators’ fear of humans ripples through wildlife communities, emboldening rodents
A new study indicates that pumas and medium-sized carnivores lie low when they sense the presence of humans, which frees up the landscape for rodents to forage more brazenly.
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UC Santa Cruz establishes interdisciplinary Southeast Asia research center
A $1 million grant from the Henry Luce Foundation will establish a new Center for Southeast Asian Coastal Interactions (SEACoast) at UC Santa Cruz that will bring together scholars from the social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences to address the region’s challenges.
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Three UC Santa Cruz faculty honored with Dickson Emeriti Professorships
Leta Miller, professor emeritus of music, Linda Burman-Hall, research professor in cultural musicology and Diane Gifford-Gonzalez, distinguished research professor of anthropology, were each awarded Edward A. Dickson Emeriti Professorships in recognition of their outstanding achievements in scholarship and teaching.
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Phil Hammack helps shape Exploratorium’s exhibition about identity
Psychology Professor Phil Hammack was thrilled to be invited to help plan a new exhibition at the Exploratorium about identity.