Social Justice & Community
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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.
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A legacy of hope and healing
Barrios Unidos Founder and UCSC alumnus Daniel “Nane” Alejandrez is a pillar of activism and champion of nonviolence in Santa Cruz County
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Building a better Santa Cruz: UCSC alumna Susan True shapes community philanthropy
As the CEO of Community Foundation Santa Cruz County and UCSC Foundation board member, Susan True cultivates transformative change
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Prominent trans rights advocate and bestselling author Jennifer Finney Boylan will deliver Peggy Downes Baskin Ethics Lecture
Jennifer Finney Boylan, a celebrated author, LGBTQ+ advocate, and prominent voice in the transgender rights movement, will invoke the spirit of American aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart during her Peggy Downes Baskin Ethics Lecture on Tuesday, March 4. Boylan is currently Scholar In Residence at The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz.
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Tools and training combat health impacts on farmworkers that are worsened by climate change
A UC Santa Cruz-led project has launched a new bilingual app allowing the public to assess and anonymously report climate-related health risks in agricultural communities statewide. Over 50 newly trained community health advisers will use the app and other tools to teach farmworkers about health risks worsened by climate change and the remedies available through…
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Rooted in community
Alumna Dora Maria Beyer (Merrill ’09, Latin American & Latino studies, politics) was recently named one of Silicon Valley Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 for her work assisting low-income communities as director of community development with Excite Credit Union.
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Turning opportunity into impact
UCSC student Cali Kimura is pursuing a career in women’s health and finds motivation with Weiss Family Scholarship award
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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.
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Opera performance highlights Spanish music and Chicanx culture
Lecturer in Music Sheila Willey is bringing Spanish-language opera to the stage. The upcoming Opera and Zarzuela Scenes performance on March 13, 2025 at the Music Center Recital Hall on campus, will bring a wider cultural look at the artform from several Spanish-speaking countries.
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New book explores historical lessons on racial equity issues in the U.S.
The latest book from UC Santa Cruz Professor Emeritus of Politics Michael K. Brown takes a look back over a century of American history to explore how shortcomings in political philosophy have kept racial inequality problems stuck in place in the United States.
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Young workers in Santa Cruz County may be poised to lead a ‘union boom’
Santa Cruz County has already been gaining national attention for groundbreaking unionization efforts led by young workers, including at local Starbucks and REI locations. Now, new survey data show why that trend is likely to continue.
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Genomics Institute faculty and staff help create non-profit to center Indigenous Knowledge while accelerating conservation genomics research
Several current and former UC Santa Cruz faculty and staff have joined with leading experts in the field of conservation genomics to launch Wise Ancestors, a non-profit centering Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities as co-creators of biodiversity conservation projects