Office of Research

  • UC Santa Cruz scholar warns against mixing religion and foreign policy

    Gary Lease-interim dean of humanities at UC Santa Cruz and an internationally recognized expert on the history of religion-has been studying the relationship between politics and religion for more than two decades. He recently returned from Tokyo where he presented his research at a conference of the International Association for the History of Religions. “I’ve…

  • Are Santa Cruz beaches destined to shrink?

    Wide sand beaches are a prized feature of Santa Cruz and other communities along the northern coast of Monterey Bay. But are they just a temporary aberration, destined to shrink in the years to come? That is the hypothesis championed by Gerald Weber, lecturer emeritus in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of…

  • MEDIA ADVISORY: Reporters invited to cover a landmark meeting of members of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE)

    Reporters are invited to cover a landmark meeting of members of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) at UC Santa Cruz, taking place on Friday, April 22. The invitation-only retreat of charter members of TiE will include “Understanding Our World,” an open window into several areas of research excellence at UCSC. Details are as follows: Time: 3…

  • Computer scientist Darrell Long appointed to the Kumar Malavalli Endowed Chair in Storage Systems

    The University of California, Santa Cruz, has appointed Darrell Long, professor of computer science, to the Kumar Malavalli Endowed Chair in Storage Systems. Long is the first faculty member to hold the endowed chair, established in 2004 with a $1 million gift from Kumar Malavalli, cofounder of Brocade Communications and cofounder and CEO of InMage…

  • $1.8 million NSF grant funds UCSC prof’s research on science learning in museums

    For many parents, taking the kids to the aquarium or a hands-on science museum combines fun and learning. Like parents, education researcher Doris Ash sees facilities like the Exploratorium, Seymour Marine Discovery Center, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium as pathways that help all cross sections of the community learn about science while having a good…

  • Biologist Melissa Jurica earns prestigious grant from Searle Scholars Program

    The Searle Scholars Program has awarded Melissa Jurica, assistant professor of molecular, cell, and developmental biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, a three-year, $240,000 grant to support her research. Jurica, who studies the complex system by which human cells process genetic information, is one of just 15 young scientists awarded the prestigious grants…

  • UCSC to lead ambitious multidisciplinary research project on wireless communication networks

    Researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, are leading a major collaborative effort to develop the technology for complex wireless communication networks that can be set up in rapidly changing environments such as battlefields and emergency situations. Faculty in UCSC’s Baskin School of Engineering will head a multidisciplinary team of scientists at seven major…

  • Ecologist Erika Zavaleta receives prestigious Mellon Foundation grant

    Erika Zavaleta, an assistant professor of environmental studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has received a prestigious grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to investigate the ecological impacts of the loss of plant species in California ecosystems. Through a program that supports the research projects of outstanding junior faculty, Zavaleta has been…

  • Study shows introduced foxes transformed vegetation on Aleutian Islands from lush grassland to tundra

    Huge colonies of seabirds accustomed to nesting on islands free of predators began disappearing when fur traders started introducing foxes onto islands in the Aleutian archipelago in the 18th century. The ground-nesting birds made easy meals for the foxes. A study published this week in the journal Science now shows that the effects of the…

  • UCSC engineering dean Steve Kang appointed to blue ribbon panel on nanotechnology

    Steve Kang, dean of the Jack Baskin School of Engineering at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has been appointed to the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Nanotechnology (BRTFN), a joint federal-state venture to benefit Silicon Valley and promote California as the premier center for nanotechnology research, development, and commercialization. The BRTFN is cochaired by…

  • Survey finds silver contamination in North Pacific waters, probably from industrial emissions in Asia

    The highest levels of silver contamination ever observed in the open ocean turned up in samples collected during a survey of the North Pacific in 2002. Researchers from the University of California, Santa Cruz, measured silver concentrations 50 times greater than the natural background level. Though still well below levels that would be toxic to…

  • Scientists concerned about potentially harmful algae persisting in Monterey Bay

    A species of microscopic algae that caused “red tides” in Monterey Bay last summer, discoloring the water and killing mussels, is still present in water samples from the bay and has the potential to cause more serious problems, according to scientists involved in a Central Coast ocean monitoring program. “This species has been seen before…

Last modified: Mar 18, 2025