News
November 27, 2023
STARS Workshops
November 27, 2023
STARS at UCSC
November 27, 2023
Environmental toxicologist Don Smith receives Outstanding Faculty Award
November 21, 2023
Don Smith, distinguished professor of microbiology and environmental toxicology, has been awarded the 2022-2023 Outstanding Faculty Award from the Division of Physical and Biological Sciences. The annual award is the division’s highest honor for faculty achievement, recognizing combined excellence in research, teaching, and service.
UC Santa Cruz faculty member elected president of Sociologists for Women in Society
November 21, 2023
Associate Professor of Latin American and Latino Studies (LALS) Sylvanna Falcón was recently elected president of Sociologists for Women in Society (SWS). Falcón’s term in the position will start at the beginning of 2024.
New book shares expertise from UC Santa Cruz and beyond on preparing students to tackle environmental justice issues
November 21, 2023
A new book developed by UC Santa Cruz faculty and staff offers teaching examples, strategies, and classroom tools to help integrate environmental justice into courses in ways that center equity.
Fishing chimpanzees found to enjoy termites as a seasonal treat
November 17, 2023
A UCSC-led research team that copied chimpanzee tools and techniques showed that chimpanzees living in western Tanzania can only reliably fish for termites in the early wet season.
François Monard honored with Calderón Prize for inverse problems work
November 17, 2023
University of California, Santa Cruz professor of mathematics François Monard has received the prestigious Calderón Prize for his work in the field of inverse problems.
UCSC doctoral graduate wins prestigious Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists
November 16, 2023
Jessica Kendall-Bar, who received her Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology last year from UC Santa Cruz with co-advisors Terrie Williams and Dan Costa, was named a recipient of the prestigious Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists for her research on elephant seal sleep habits while they are at sea.
Brain-inspired AI code library passes major milestone, new paper offers perspective on future of field
November 16, 2023
UCSC Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Jason Eshraghian's open source code library for brain-inspired deep learning, called “snnTorch,” has surpassed 100,000 downloads and is used in a wide variety of projects. A new paper details the code and offers a perspective on the future of the field.
UC Santa Cruz will lead new systemwide basic needs consortium to bring together researchers and practitioners
November 16, 2023
UC Santa Cruz’s Blum Center on Poverty, Social Enterprise, and Participatory Governance will become the UC Santa Cruz Center for Economic Justice and Action, taking on a new leadership role in University of California basic needs efforts that enhance students’ access to food, housing, and other essential resources.
A major new site expansion at Lick Observatory is on the horizon
November 14, 2023
Lick Observatory's positioning in the Northern Hemisphere enables observation of a substantial portion of the Milky Way galaxy where there are a multitude of stars, billions of potential sites for life. Making Lick Observatory a perfect home for PANOSETI, or "Panoramic SETI or Pulse All-sky Near Infrared Optical SETI."
Central Coast K-16 Education Collaborative receives $18.1 million grant to revolutionize student pathways and bridge equity gaps
November 14, 2023
The Central Coast K-16 Regional Collaborative has been awarded an $18.1 million, three-year grant through California’s Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) to establish new or expand existing pathways for career opportunities and to address long-standing equity gaps for students across the region.
Communication, connection and inclusion are priorities for 2023 Outstanding Staff Awardee
November 7, 2023
Monique Leduc has been a valued member of the UC Santa Cruz community for 34 years, starting as an assistant analyst in the Financial Aid office in 1989. Six years later, she moved to the office that became Financial Affairs and has worked there ever since.
UC Santa Cruz students win three categories at Orange County Sustainability Decathlon
November 7, 2023
An interdisciplinary team of UC Santa Cruz students, many from the Rachel Carson College Sustainability Minor program, designed and built EcoHus, an innovative, affordable, net-zero house. The EcoHus team was selected to receive a $100,000 grant to participate in the 2023 Orange County Sustainability Decathlon (OCSD) held on Oct. 5-15, where they won first place in three categories, and secured second and third place in other categories.
True or false? How uncertainty about the accuracy of information affects learning
November 2, 2023
UC Santa Cruz postdoctoral scholar Karen Arcos, Assistant Professor of Psychology Hannah Hausman, and Department Chair of Psychology Benjamin Storm published new research that explores how the process of guessing whether information is true or not might affect learning.
Immigrants targeted by scams are seeking justice. Here’s how to help them get it
November 1, 2023
Assistant Professor of Sociology Juan Manuel Pedroza's research has identified trends in what types of justice immigrants who have been targeted by scams are seeking and offers recommendations for policymakers and law enforcement agencies on how to expand access to justice.
Irene Lusztig’s Film Richland Explores a Town Grappling with its Ties to the Atomic Bomb
November 1, 2023
Irene Lusztig's latest film, Richland, tells the story of the town of the same name. The film opened at Tribeca and at the prestigious International Documentary Festival Amsterdam, it was selected to be part of the program "Signed."
Seeing “One Too Many Racist Musicals” is What Led Preston Choi to be a Playwright
November 1, 2023
Rebecca Wear, professor of Performance, Play and Design, will direct the student production of "You'll Get Used to It" at UC Santa Cruz on Nov. 3-12, 2023.
Coral reefs identified as national natural infrastructure
October 31, 2023
The U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) approved a resolution on Oct. 26 that designates coral reefs along U.S. states and territories as national infrastructure. This resolution makes it easier to direct federal funding, particularly infrastructure, hazard mitigation, and disaster recovery monies, to reef conservation and restoration to protect people, property, and livelihoods.
Scientists use Hawaiian fossils to study the past and future of climate change
October 31, 2023
This month, an international team of researchers returned to shore after a two-month-long ocean expedition exploring fossil coral reefs off the coast of Hawai’i. The fossils provide a record of past climate conditions, so scientists are using them to learn about environmental changes throughout geologic history and make predictions about the future.
Multidisciplinary team will develop advanced rhizosphere carbon imaging for climate change research with support of major DOE grant
October 30, 2023
A team of researchers at UC Santa Cruz and Stanford University are leading a new project in which they aim to use dynamic imaging and modeling of carbon in the rhizosphere to answer longstanding questions about how carbon moves through the soil and plant root interface.
Bacteria can enhance host insect’s fertility with implications for disease control
October 24, 2023
New research led at UC Santa Cruz reveals how the bacteria strain Wolbachia pipientis enhances the fertility of the insects it infects, an insight that could help scientists increase the populations of mosquitoes that do not carry human disease.
Following decades in a harsh coastal climate, blue whale skeleton undergoes 3D scan prior to safety-related descent to the ground
October 24, 2023
For nearly half a century, Ms. Blue–an 87-foot-long whale skeleton—has welcomed over a million visitors to Long Marine Laboratory and the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, spurring interest in marine science. After decades of exposure in harsh coastal conditions, the metal structures supporting Ms. Blue have deteriorated to an unsafe condition.
Remembering the grave injustices to Japanese-Americans in the 1940s through female activism
October 24, 2023
On Tuesday, Oct. 3, Cowell College’s Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery launched a two-month exhibition entitled “Never Again is Now: Japanese American Women Activists and the Legacy of the Mass Incarceration.” The exhibit — on display through Dec. 2 — features artwork and historical renderings of women’s memories surrounding this time period, including challenges to racial and gender stereotypes, promotions of intergenerational ties, and developed coalitions of years past.
Sara Ruhl’s Eurydice is the perfect play for a college campus
October 24, 2023
In Sarah Ruhl’s play, Eurydice, coming to the UC Santa Cruz on November 10, the story is about the title character.
Working to improve clarity for patients assessing their genetic breast cancer risk
October 23, 2023
A project to expedite the analysis of variants on the BRCA 1 and 2 genes, the most commonly affected genes in breast cancer cases, will help more people to better understand their cancer risk.
Creative Technologies, new online major in Arts Division, first of its kind on any UC campus
October 23, 2023
The Arts Division’s new Creative Technologies online major is the first of its kind on any UC campus.
Rebates can offer solutions to California’s groundwater woes
October 18, 2023
Many aquifers in California and around the world are being drained of their groundwater because of the combined impacts of excess pumping, shifts in land use, and climate change. However, a new study by scientists at UC Santa Cruz and UC Berkeley, published on Oct.18 in Nature Water, may offer a solution - it describes the development and operation of a novel incentive program that uses water rebates to pay for some of the costs of getting stormwater runoff into the ground. The program is called recharge net metering (ReNeM).
Recognizing outstanding faculty and staff in the Division of Social Sciences
October 18, 2023
The Social Sciences Division’s annual fall breakfast gathered faculty and staff to celebrate the winners of four major divisional awards.
Long-term plan to end use of fossil fuels at UCSC is released
October 17, 2023
The Decarbonization and Electrification (D&E) Task Force has released a long-term campus plan to end the use of fossil fuel at UC Santa Cruz and move to 100 percent clean and renewable energy sources.
Slugworks welcomes students across campus to new creative space
October 16, 2023
Slugworks, a new creatorspace on campus located in the Jack Baskin Engineering building, is open to the campus community.
FUTURE in Biology program receives NSF grant to explore field courses as a tool for equity
October 12, 2023
A group of researchers at UC Santa Cruz recently received a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to study the impacts of these field courses and develop best practices for making them more accessible.
Three climate resilience projects supported by 2023 CITRIS Interdisciplinary Innovation Program
October 10, 2023
CITRIS and the Banatao Institute and the Innovation & Business Engagement Hub collaborated to fund three projects focused on climate resilience and that align with developing solutions that address some of the California's most pressing climate challenges.
Cal-Bridge awarded $4 million to diversify STEM
October 9, 2023
The Cal-Bridge program, which supports students from historically underserved backgrounds in STEM, was recently awarded $4 million in the 2023-2024 California state budget. The funding will provide scholarships, mentorship and professional development opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students around the state in physics and astronomy, computer science, and math.
System-wide leaders visit campus to discuss next steps in Agricultural Experiment Station designation
October 9, 2023
A group from University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources visited UC Santa Cruz to discuss implementation for the campus’s official designation as an Agricultural Experiment Station.
UCSC iGEM 2023 addressing harmful algal blooms through synthetic biology
October 4, 2023
A team of UCSC undergraduate students is designing and assembling a plasmid that targets the toxic genes of a type of freshwater bacteria responsible for harmful algal blooms.
From tech to arts, new leaders elected to join UC Santa Cruz Foundation Board of Trustees
October 4, 2023
The UC Santa Cruz Foundation has elected six new trustees who are established leaders across a range of industries, from fiber optics and scientific operations to media, arts, and community service.
UC Santa Cruz releases new strategic plan, forms implementation executive committee
October 3, 2023
Marking the culmination of a year-long campuswide conversation to craft a shared vision for the future, UC Santa Cruz today is launching "Leading the Change: The UC Santa Cruz Strategic Plan" and has formed an executive committee to guide and support its implementation.
Biotech founder and hero of the Human Genome Project joins UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute as Executive Director
October 2, 2023
The UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute has selected scientist, entrepreneur, and executive Lauren Linton as their new Executive Director.
Genome study reveals 30 years of Darwin’s finch evolution
October 2, 2023
A study led by UC Santa Cruz postdoctoral scholar of Genomics & Bioinformatics Erik Enbody paints a dynamic picture of how species adapt to changing environments.
Anthropology faculty members partner on new National Science Foundation Center for Braiding Indigenous Knowledges and Science
September 28, 2023
UC Santa Cruz anthropology faculty members Tsim Schneider and Jon Daehnke received a more than $500,000 subaward through a new National Science Foundation (NSF) center that aims to address climate change by equitably combining insights from Indigenous knowledges and mainstream "Western" sciences.
US Department of Agriculture visits UC Santa Cruz to learn about research and workforce development projects
September 28, 2023
UC Santa Cruz faculty, staff, and students shared information about USDA-funded research and education projects on campus with special guests from the USDA.
UCSC’s David Deamer and Mark Akeson honored for invention of nanopore sequencing
September 27, 2023
UCSC's David Deamer and Mark Akeson won the AAAS Golden Goose award for the invention of nanopore sequencing, a transformational technology for reading DNA and RNA.
Research partnership will turn power plant emissions into fish feed
September 27, 2023
UC Santa Cruz’s ecological aquaculture research team will partner with the company Global Algae Innovations to test whether a microalgae grown using captured carbon dioxide emissions could be an effective feed ingredient for rainbow trout.
UC Santa Cruz welcomes new faculty to campus
September 26, 2023
UC Santa Cruz welcomes 54 new faculty members to campus who bring a wide array of expertise in research and creative scholarship that will open new areas of investigation and expression and expand existing areas of work.
Innovation Catalyst Grants help early-stage innovators with resources, training, and financial support
September 19, 2023
Two UC Santa Cruz research teams that can make impactful advancements in drug discovery and human health outcomes have been chosen as recipients of the university’s inaugural Innovation Catalyst Grants program. These new grants, administered by the Innovation & Business Engagement Hub, are designed to support and propel early-stage technology innovations developed by UCSC researchers.
CITL and Online Education are now the Teaching and Learning Center
September 19, 2023
UC Santa Cruz Computer Game Design program ranked top five in the nation by U.S. News and World Report
September 18, 2023
The Computer Game Design program at the University of California, Santa Cruz, was listed in the top five best game/simulation development programs in the nation according to rankings released today by U.S. News and World Report.
2023 ARCS Foundation scholarships support UCSC graduate students in the sciences and engineering
September 11, 2023
Sixteen UC Santa Cruz graduate students have received scholarships worth a total of $175,000 from the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation for the 2023-24 academic year.
Student mural at Porter envisions a future without police
September 7, 2023
A mural by Irene Juarez-O’Connell, addressing community safety and policing, is now on display at the Porter Study Center at Porter College.
Novel device combines nanopores with electronic signals for disease detection
September 6, 2023
Research led by UC Santa Cruz Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Marco Rolandi shows the power of bioprotonic nanopores for disease detection.
Campus leaders showcase innovation, entrepreneurship efforts to special Regents committee
September 5, 2023
UC Santa Cruz Chancellor Cynthia Larive and other campus leaders showcased the university’s innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives to a group of UC regents and external advisors on Monday.
New blood test for noncoding RNA significantly improves cancer detection
August 31, 2023
Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Engineering Daniel Kim and his lab are developing more accurate and powerful liquid biopsy technologies that take advantage of signals from RNA “dark matter,” an understudied area of the genome.
Seismologists use deep learning to forecast earthquakes
August 31, 2023
A team of researchers at UC Santa Cruz and the Technical University of Munich created a new model that uses deep learning to forecast aftershocks.
Five UC Santa Cruz projects win California Climate Action Grant funding
August 31, 2023
Millions of dollars in new funding will support UC Santa Cruz and partners in tackling some of California's toughest climate change challenges through innovative research and community engagement.
Coastal fisheries show surprising resilience to marine heatwaves
August 30, 2023
Researchers found that fish biomass often increased or was unaffected in the year following a marine heatwave.
Scientists release the first complete sequence of a human Y chromosome
August 23, 2023
Scientists have completed the first full sequence of a human Y chromosome, completing the set of end-to-end human chromosomes and helping researchers to better understand human reproduction, evolution, and population change.
Campus acts to protect rare cave habitat
August 22, 2023
Earlier this month, as part of a new approach to protect this unique habitat, a crew from the campus carpentry shop installed a wildlife-friendly gate across the Empire Cave entrance. Access is now limited to education, research, and the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band.
Nearly $1 million in USDA grants will support 3 UCSC-led agricultural technology projects
August 17, 2023
Three UC Santa Cruz research teams led by engineering faculty will pursue innovative agriculture technology projects with the support of seed grants from the USDA's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative.
UCSC computer science student selected into Major League Hacking’s top 50 list
August 15, 2023
Rising second-year computer science student Marina Lee was chosen out of a community of 150,000 hackers for her outstanding work in developing accessible STEM education programming and building an inclusive hacking community.
UC Santa Cruz’s Institute of the Arts and Sciences presents West Coast Premiere of Maria Gaspar: Compositions
August 15, 2023
UC Santa Cruz’s Institute of the Arts and Sciences, is opening a new exhibition beginning on September 26, 2023 that goes through March 3, 2024. Entitled Maria Gaspar: Compositions, it is the first West Coast solo exhibition by the Chicago-based, Guggenheim-winning artist.
Marine scientists explore the future of open data science
August 15, 2023
Alexa Fredston, an assistant professor of ocean sciences considers open science to be a vital part of their academic career and a key way to make the field of marine science more transparent and inclusive. They recently published an article in the journal Annual Review of Marine Science about improving open data science practices within marine science.
Researchers’ tool finds bias in state-of-the-art generative AI model
August 10, 2023
UCSC researchers introduce a new tool to measure bias in text-to-image AI generation models, which they have used to quantify bias in the state-of-the-art model Stable Diffusion.
UC Santa Cruz welcomes vibrant and talented incoming class
August 8, 2023
The University of California, Santa Cruz is preparing to welcome more than 5,500 new Banana Slugs to campus this fall, reflecting its commitment to providing equitable access and a transformational experience.
A childhood cancer survivor becomes a cancer researcher
August 7, 2023
This summer, 15-year-old Robert McCabe helped to sequence and analyze a tumor sample in the lab of the UC Santa Cruz Treehouse Childhood Cancer Initiative.
Student-supported global research compares regional relationships with Big Pharma
August 3, 2023
Recent UC Santa Cruz graduates helped to author a study on the strategies governments use to attract and manage the biopharmaceutical industry, focusing in particular on the different types of economic value and health value that these efforts provide, or fail to provide, to citizens.
UCSC students behind bus tracking app selected as only U.S. team in Google Solution Challenge’s top 10
July 31, 2023
The competition, which invites thousands of students worldwide to compete, tasks students to come up with technical solutions that contribute to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development goals.
Golden-crowned sparrows return to overwintering sites in part because of their friends
July 31, 2023
Golden-crowned sparrows return to the same wintering sites each year after migrating thousands of miles. But their precision — which is often within the tens of meters — depends in part on the return of their friends.
Engineering faculty take on innovative climate resilience projects
July 28, 2023
Engineering professors are leading three major projects to address climate crisis issues with funding from UCSC’s newly launched Center for Coastal Climate Resilience.
Latin American & Latino Studies students win big in awards, fellowships
July 28, 2023
Four doctoral candidates in the Latin American and Latino Studies Department received awards that will help propel them forward in their graduate trajectory.
First DNA analysis of Machu Picchu residents offers insight into Inca society
July 26, 2023
DNA analysis, conducted largely at UC Santa Cruz's Paleogenomics Lab and led by Anthropology Professor Lars Fehren-Schmitz, suggests that servants at Machu Picchu were a uniquely diverse group, and the geographic extent of ancestral origins may even challenge historical narratives about how and when the Inca Empire expanded.
St. Baldrick’s Foundation grant will expand pediatric cancer research at UCSC
July 25, 2023
A new $100,000 grant from the St. Baldrick’s Foundation will provide UC Santa Cruz’s Treehouse Childhood Cancer Initiative funding to expand efforts to study rare pediatric cancers.
New data science project seeks to span disciplines and create community
July 19, 2023
Pedro Morales-Almazan leads a new data science project that will provide professional development and facilitate cross-discipline collaborations.
To support Hispanic women in STEM, UC Santa Cruz hosts inaugural HSRU Alliance conference
July 13, 2023
Convened by the Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities, an inaugural cohort from universities, government, foundations, and industry met at UC Santa Cruz to discuss and develop a framework to support the advancement of Hispanic women in their academic and professional STEM careers.
UC Santa Cruz’s global impact grows as campus becomes next leader of Right Livelihood College network
July 6, 2023
As the Global Secretariat of the Right Livelihood College, UC Santa Cruz students and faculty to work directly with some of the world’s leading advocates in social justice and sustainability on education, scientific research, and practical activities that spread and upscale their work.
Study shows significant decline of snow cover in the Northern hemisphere over the last half century
June 29, 2023
Professor and Statistics Department Chair Robert Lund collaborated on a new study that uses rigorous mathematical models and statistical methods and finds declining snow cover in many parts of the northern hemisphere over the last half century.
UC Santa Cruz models accessible and inclusive admissions
June 29, 2023
The University of California, Santa Cruz has long employed holistic methods to recruit, evaluate, and support applicants through the decision making process, aiming to enroll a student body that reflects the diverse population of California to prepare alumni to become global citizens.
UCSC’s Center for Coastal Climate Resilience awards over $4.6 million to support California coastal projects
June 28, 2023
The UCSC Center for Coastal Climate Resilience has awarded over $4.6 million in funding to 23 UC Santa Cruz research groups for pilot projects and implementation projects supporting efforts to fight climate change in coastal communities across California and beyond. Funds for these grant programs came from the California State Budget Act of 2022-23.
White House cites economist Rob Fairlie’s research on Native American entrepreneurship
June 27, 2023
The Biden-Harris Administration cited research by UC Santa Cruz Economics Professor Rob Fairlie on the coronavirus pandemic’s impact for Native American-owned businesses.
Q&A with John MacMillan, vice chancellor for research
June 27, 2023
After nearly two years as the interim Vice Chancellor for Research (VCR) for UC Santa Cruz, John MacMillan was appointed to the permanent VCR role on June 1, 2023, after a nationwide search. Here he discusses his vision for UC Santa Cruz and its research enterprise.
UCSC Arboretum to conduct vegetation surveys under $2.6M state contract
June 26, 2023
A team of UCSC botanists will carry out surveys for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in support of a statewide vegetation classification and mapping program.
UC Santa Cruz receives $10 million grant to cultivate diverse food and agriculture professionals
June 22, 2023
The United States Department of Agriculture awarded the University of California, Santa Cruz a $10 million grant to lead a transformative five-year project. The funding will be leveraged to serve and uplift a broad range of students and community members, ensuring a lasting impact on the food and agriculture sector.
Katia Obraczka appointed director of CITRIS at UC Santa Cruz
June 15, 2023
Katia Obraczka, professor of Computer Science and Engineering, has been appointed director of the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) and the Banatao Institute at UC Santa Cruz
Interdisciplinary team wins Small Farm prize in first-ever Farm Robotics Challenge
June 15, 2023
An interdisciplinary team of students and researchers created an autonomous weeder which was recently recognized with the Small Farm prize at the inaugural Farm Robotics Challenge.
Novel deep learning-based software detects and tracks individual cells with high precision
June 13, 2023
Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Engineering Ali Shariati and doctoral student Abolfazl Zarageri together with several student researchers in the Shariati lab have developed and released a new deep learning model called “DeepSea,” one of the only tools with the ability to segment cells, track them and detect their division to follow lineages of cells.
UC Santa Cruz joins Hillel International’s Campus Climate Initiative
June 8, 2023
The initiative provides campus leadership with a comprehensive program to foster a campus climate in which Jewish students feel comfortable expressing their identity free of antisemitism, harassment, or marginalization.
UCSC team wins third place in first-ever Amazon SimBot challenge
June 8, 2023
A team of UC Santa Cruz computer science and engineering (CSE) Ph.D. students won third place in the first-ever Amazon Alexa Prize SimBot Challenge, a university competition focused on advancing virtual assistant technology.
Astronomers observe giant tails of helium escaping Jupiter-like planet
June 7, 2023
Heat from the host star is evaporating the atmosphere from a “hot Jupiter” exoplanet, creating some of the longest gas tails ever observed around a planet.
Annual awards recognize outstanding students in the Social Sciences Division
June 6, 2023
The Division of Social Sciences’ annual Student Awards Luncheon was held on June 2 at College Nine’s Namaste Lounge.
New exhibitions at the Institute of the Arts and Sciences bring innovative, socially engaged art to the Central Coast
June 6, 2023
Carolina Caycedo and David de Rozas: The Blessings of the Mystery and Sadie Barnette: Family Business, a multi-sited exhibition with the San José Museum of Art, will be on view at the Institute of the Arts and Sciences April 28 - September 3, 2023.
UC Santa Cruz announces recipients of Chancellor’s Innovation Impact Awards
June 2, 2023
The Chancellor’s Innovation Impact Awards celebrate the university’s talented faculty, researchers, staff, students, and community partners for their outstanding contributions to innovation and creativity.
Study identifies boat strikes as a growing cause of manatee deaths in Belize
June 1, 2023
Belize is a stronghold of the Antillean manatee population, but increasing boat traffic poses a growing threat to this endangered relative of the Florida manatee
UC Santa Cruz now offers graduate degrees in materials science and engineering
June 1, 2023
The interdisciplinary program will serve students interested in developing new materials for next-generation technologies.
Astronomers map temperatures and find traces of water in a super-hot gas giant’s atmosphere
May 31, 2023
Astronomers used the Webb Telescope to make a temperature map of the “hot Jupiter” exoplanet WASP-18b, revealing dramatic temperature gradients in its atmosphere.
Crucial organic farming issue addressed by UC workshops, collaborations
May 31, 2023
UC Santa Cruz-based organic production specialist Joji Muramoto collaborated on a UC Cooperative Extension workshop series for organic vegetable and fruit growers on how to manage nitrogen.
Judit Moschkovich joins two national leadership programs for mathematics education
May 31, 2023
Moschkovich is now a member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's U.S. National Commission on Mathematics Instruction and a co chair of the National Academy of Education's Equity in Math Education Research Grants (EMERG) Program.
UC Santa Cruz engineers join major transportation cybersecurity project
May 23, 2023
Researchers from UC Santa Cruz will play an important role in protecting the United States’ transportation systems against cybersecurity threats as part of a new national center
Karen Miga named 2023 Searle Scholar to study uncharted regions of the human genome
May 18, 2023
Karen Miga, assistant professor of biomolecular engineering at UC Santa Cruz, has been named a 2023 Searle Scholar.
Study reveals key molecular interaction that sets the timing of our biological clocks
May 18, 2023
New findings point toward a promising target for the development of therapies for sleep disorders, jet lag, and other effects of clock disruption.
Comb jellies proven to be the sibling group to all other animals
May 17, 2023
New research proves comb jellies are a unique lineage or “sibling group” whose ancestors diverged before the common ancestor of all other animals.
Salmon documentary produced by UCSC team to air on KQED
May 17, 2023
‘Southern Range’ was directed by Soc Doc alumnus Kyle Baker and produced by the Seymour Center and the Fisheries Collaborative Program at UCSC.
Mark Fathi Massoud awarded Berlin Prize
May 16, 2023
Massoud's Berlin Prize fellowship will allow him to focus on research about perceptions and experiences of shari‘a in the United States.
Meeting with California lawmakers, UC Santa Cruz leaders highlight impact of teaching, research
May 16, 2023
UC Santa Cruz leaders met last week with California lawmakers to highlight the University of California's critical role in educating the state's students, conducting cutting-edge research, and ensuring the state remains a worldwide economic powerhouse.
Summer programs draw visitors to Lick Observatory for music and stargazing
May 16, 2023
The Summer Series program at UC's Lick Observatory draws concert fans and astronomy devotees to the summit of Mt. Hamilton for live music, evening astronomy lectures from world-renowned scientists, and the opportunity to view celestial objects through historic telescopes.
Astronomers observe the first radiation belt seen outside of our solar system
May 15, 2023
High-resolution imaging of radio emissions from an ultracool dwarf show a double-lobed structure like the radiation belts of Jupiter.
UC Santa Cruz ranked No. 2 Best Public University for Making an Impact by Princeton Review
May 12, 2023
For the second year in a row, UC Santa Cruz has been ranked as the No. 2 Best Public University for Making an Impact by Princeton Review.
Human pangenome reference will enable more complete and equitable understanding of genomic diversity
May 10, 2023
UC Santa Cruz scientists, along with a consortium of researchers, have released a draft of the first human pangenome—a new, usable reference for genomics that combines the genetic information of 47 individuals from different ancestral backgrounds to allow for a deeper, more accurate understanding of worldwide genomic diversity.
UC Santa Cruz to lead data collection center for major federal project on genetic underpinnings of neurological conditions
May 9, 2023
The UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute will run the Data Coordination Center for the Scalable and Systematic Neurobiology of Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Disorder Risk Genes (SSPsyGene) Consortium.
UC Santa Cruz honored for innovative online Orientation Course
May 9, 2023
UC Santa Cruz’s online summer Orientation Course has been recognized for its innovative and inclusive approach to preparing entering students. The Orientation Course was awarded the 2023 Regional II Innovative Program Award from the Association for Orientation, Transition and Retention in Higher Education.
UCSC part of regional partnership bringing bike share to Santa Cruz County
May 9, 2023
UC Santa Cruz community members will soon have access to a new bike share system that stretches across the county. Starting this June, e-Bikes will be available to rent through the Regional Electric Bike Share Program.
Center for Agroecology will support new USDA Regional Food Business Center
May 4, 2023
The University of California, Santa Cruz will support the establishment of a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Regional Food Business Center to support resilient food systems.
Ed Green named QB3-Santa Cruz Scientific Director
May 3, 2023
Richard (Ed) Green, professor of biomolecular engineering, has been selected to serve as the next director of the California Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3) at UC Santa Cruz.
Deep neural network provides robust detection of disease biomarkers in real time
May 2, 2023
Holger Schmidt's lab has developed a deep neural network that improves the accuracy of their unique devices for detecting pathogen biomarkers.
UC Santa Cruz and United Way invest in youth perspective in researching mental health throughout local communities
May 2, 2023
Beginning in early 2021, UC Santa Cruz partnered with the United Way of Santa Cruz County’s Youth Action Network, seeking to support youth empowerment and leadership. As part of that vital work, the partners were recognized as the United Way Partner of the Year.
Meet UCSC’s new Chief of Police Kevin Domby
May 2, 2023
UC Santa Cruz’s newly appointed Executive Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police Kevin Domby credits his high school art teacher with introducing him to the idea of a career in public service. "Throughout my career, whether it was when I was a teacher or as a peace officer, I've enjoyed mentoring, training and teaching," Domby said.
UCSC environmental governance expert named to NASEM committee addressing methane gas emissions
May 1, 2023
Environmental Studies Professor Sikina Jinnah has been appointed as a member of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Committee for Atmospheric Methane Removal to assess viable technological options for reducing a powerful greenhouse gas.
Genome of famed sled dog Balto reveals genetic adaptations of working dogs
April 27, 2023
Still a good boy nearly 100 years after historic sled run, Balto has now helped scientists explore the genetics of working dogs and demonstrate the power of comparative genomics.
As the California sea lion population got bigger, so did male sea lions
April 27, 2023
Unlike other marine mammals, male California sea lions have gotten bigger over the past 50 years as their population has grown.
UCSC Chemical Screening Center symposium features drug discovery talks
April 26, 2023
The center will hold a Grand Reopening Celebration and Research Symposium on Friday, May 5, marking a major upgrade with new state-of-the-art equipment.
Electrical engineer wins award to support improvement of efficient, low-cost agricultural soil sensor systems
April 24, 2023
UC Santa Cruz Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Colleen Josephson is a recipient of the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research’s (FFAR) 2022 New Innovator in Food & Agriculture Research Award.
New stable isotope map of Angola helps archaeologists trace individual life histories across the African Diaspora
April 21, 2023
UCSC researchers' methods could provide significantly more detail and certainty in identifying first-generation enslaved individuals in the Americas and tracing back their origins within Africa than was previously possible through strontium isotope analysis work or genetic analysis.
Elephant seals drift off to sleep while diving far below the ocean surface
April 20, 2023
Brainwave patterns show elephant seals take short naps while holding their breath on deep dives, averaging just 2 hours of sleep per day while at sea.
Two film and digital media faculty receive 2023 Guggenheim Fellowship Awards
April 18, 2023
Sharon Daniel and Anna Friz were among 171 artists, scholars, scientists and writers selected from nearly 2,500 applicants for the award.
Annual climate change event takes aim at heat and human health for 2023
April 17, 2023
The ninth annual Confronting Climate Change event gathered top scholars to discuss the health impacts of climate change and the social and economic transformations needed to address them.
Banana Slugs seek to advance conversational AI in all three Amazon Alexa Prize challenges
April 17, 2023
Three teams of UC Santa Cruz Baskin School of Engineering students are developing next-generation, multimodal AI-powered systems for a chance to win $500,000 or more per challenge.
Rebecca London testifies in support of bill that would guarantee recess for California students
April 14, 2023
Associate Professor of Sociology Rebecca London testified before the California State Senate Education Committee on April 12 in support of SB 291, which would guarantee at least 30 minutes of recess per day for California students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
Study pushes back the emergence of African grasslands by more than 10 million years
April 13, 2023
An international team of scientists has documented the earliest evidence for local abundance in eastern Africa of the types of grasses that now dominate grassland and savannah ecosystems in tropical and subtropical regions around the world.
Naming system for transfer RNA fragments will increase research productivity, standardization
April 12, 2023
UC Santa Cruz Professor of Biomolecular Engineering Todd Lowe and his group created a new naming scheme for tRNA fragments aimed at standardizing research.
Colombian all-female team uncovers naturalist Elizabeth Kerr’s long-forgotten legacy
April 11, 2023
Many fields of study have long been dominated by men but a team of eight female Colombian researchers are committed to uncovering the story of naturalist pioneer Elizabeth Kerr, whose legacy had remained invisible despite her vast contributions to ornithology.
Two major stem cell research projects supported with more than $2.6 million in funding
April 6, 2023
The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) will provide more than $2.6 million in total funding for two major stem cell research projects led by scientists at UC Santa Cruz, the organization announced.
Food system researcher Julie Guthman wins distinguished career award
April 5, 2023
Professor of sociology and community studies Julie Guthman was recognized with the Distinguished Career Award by the Cultural and Political Ecology speciality group of the American Association of Geographers.
April in Santa Cruz Music Festival goes beyond the norm
April 4, 2023
This year's April in Santa Cruz Contemporary Music Festival takes up forces of dedication and imagination featuring wide-ranging musicians. The festival opens on Thursday, April 13, 2023 and continues with performances on April 14, 17, 21 in the UC Santa Cruz Music Center Recital Hall, and closes on April 30th at The Lab in San Francisco. All live, in-person performances are free and open to the public.
Milestone land acknowledgement event brings campus, local tribe and community members together
April 4, 2023
On Wednesday, April 12, the campus will host its first Land Acknowledgment event, recognizing the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band and its place in the local history of the land and the creation of UC Santa Cruz. The event will aim to answer the community’s questions about land acknowledgments, and the importance of such events moving forward.
White House cites Rob Fairlie’s research in annual economic report
April 4, 2023
Economics Professor Rob Fairlie’s research on race and ethnicity in higher education was cited in the 2023 Economic Report of the President.
NASA’s search for life in the cosmos is focus of April 17 lecture and discussion
April 3, 2023
‘Whispers from Other Worlds,’ a public lecture and discussion at the Rio Theater, features NASA’s Thomas Zurbuchen and science journalist Nadia Drake.
New program advises UCSC Ph.D. students on their path to entrepreneurship and venture capital
March 30, 2023
Many student-led innovations never make it out of the lab. A new program at UC Santa Cruz aims to change that by mentoring Ph.D. students in the life sciences on alternative career pathways outside academia: entrepreneurship and venture capital.
Humans and housing density are the leading cause of death for local pumas
March 27, 2023
Two new studies involving UC Santa Cruz researchers are shedding light on the challenges facing local pumas where humans are encroaching on their natural habitats.
JWST’s first direct spectrum of planetary-mass object reveals dynamic atmosphere
March 22, 2023
The most detailed spectrum ever for a planetary-mass object outside our solar system covers an unprecedented range of wavelengths, providing a wealth of new insights.
Computer engineering research prompts bug fixes, updates to major GPU frameworks
March 21, 2023
A new suite of GPU tests developed by Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Engineering Tyler Sorensen and his students led to changes to an important GPU framework for programming web browsers.
Center for Labor and Community opens on UC Santa Cruz campus
March 21, 2023
Scholars studying the economic and social impacts of a variety of labor and employment issues facing workers in Santa Cruz and the Monterey Bay Area just announced the opening of a new center on campus that will provide timely and policy-relevant labor research, will educate the next generation of labor and community leaders and will advance labor, community, and occupational health initiatives.
UCSC names astronomer Bryan Gaensler dean of Physical and Biological Sciences
March 20, 2023
UC Santa Cruz has appointed internationally recognized astronomer Bryan Gaensler to serve as dean of the Division of Physical and Biological Sciences, effective August 15.
Young Supernova Experiment releases first set of transient survey data
March 15, 2023
UC Santa Cruz astronomers organized the survey, which has discovered thousands of cosmic explosions and other transient events of interest to astronomers and astrophysicists.
Researcher solves nearly 60-year-old game theory dilemma
March 14, 2023
Dejan Milutinovic has solved a nearly 60-year-old game theory dilemma called the wall pursuit game, with implications for better reasoning about autonomous systems such as driverless vehicles.
Local educators shared expertise at the first STEM Education Central Coast Conference
March 14, 2023
The conference, which was organized by California State University Monterey Bay in collaboration with UC Santa Cruz, was designed by and for local educators in science, technology, engineering and math. The goal was to share expertise.
Minke whales are as small as a lunge-feeding baleen whale can be
March 13, 2023
Research on the feeding behavior of Antarctic minke whales found that a smaller whale could not capture enough food to survive using the lunge-feeding strategy of baleen whales.
Where is your squid coming from? Most likely unregulated waters, according to a new international study
March 10, 2023
Scientists and policymakers have voiced growing concerns about the decline of global squid stocks, but little has been done to date to target squid fishing activities that are expanding into unregulated spaces, according to a new international study.
New project will develop safer, highly accurate GPS alternative
March 9, 2023
Ricardo Sanfelice, UCSC professor of electrical and computer engineering, and his team of graduate students and researchers are designing a new and resilient Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) system.
First images released from James Webb Space Telescope’s largest general observer program
March 9, 2023
Mosaic images from the COSMOS-Web program offer a treasure trove of early galaxies, including dazzling examples of spiral galaxies, gravitational lensing, and evidence of galaxy mergers.
Marine mammal reproduction rests on a precarious tipping point of ocean resources
March 8, 2023
A study of northern elephant seals reveals a threshold at which a small decrease in the amount of prey females can find during foraging migrations could lead to a sudden drop in reproductive success.
Indigenous land management focus of this year’s Conversations on Climate Justice
March 7, 2023
Wildfires. Flooding. Drought. The nation has faced these climate issues for centuries. Yet, there’s still a lot that can be learned from pre-colonial indigenous food and land management techniques to combat our current climate problems, according to Dr. Lyla June Johnston, the keynote speaker for UC Santa Cruz’s third annual Conversations on Climate Justice event, coming up this Monday, March 13.
SpikeGPT: researcher releases code for largest-ever spiking neural network for language generation
March 7, 2023
Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Jason Eshraghian and two students recently released the open-sourced code for the largest language-generating spiking neural network ever, named SpikeGPT.
Graphene quantum dots show promise as novel magnetic field sensors
March 6, 2023
Physicists found that speeding electrons trapped in circular loops in graphene quantum dots are highly sensitive to external magnetic fields.
Leaf wetness sensor will enable better plant disease forecasting and management
March 2, 2023
An interdisciplinary team of researchers created a new type of sensor for more accurately measuring leaf wetness which will enable better plant disease forecasting and management.
Shrinking age distribution of spawning salmon raises climate resilience concerns
February 27, 2023
Study suggests changes in hatchery practices could help increase population stability for Sacramento River fall-run Chinook salmon, the backbone of California’s salmon fishery.
UC Santa Cruz sees record number of first-year applications
February 24, 2023
The University of California, Santa Cruz has begun the process of building the fall 2023 class of students seeking to learn and thrive at an institution that leads at the intersection of innovation and social justice. The competition to earn a spot at UC Santa Cruz remains strong this year, with a record number of applications received.
MLK Convocation speaker points way to STEM success
February 23, 2023
The key to persevering in STEM careers is to find joy in the struggle, discover yourself in the process and lead with passion and purpose, Talithia Williams said at UC Santa Cruz’s online 39th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Convocation Feb. 21.
Major expansion of Lick Observatory education programs will benefit Bay Area students
February 21, 2023
Scientific Teaching through Astronomy Research (STARs), a suite of new outreach and education programs at UC’s Lick Observatory, will reach a diverse population of K-12 and college-age students.
RNA Rescue challenge invites players to solve puzzles and advance RNA therapeutics
February 21, 2023
Researchers at UC Santa Cruz have developed a new puzzle challenge for the online game Eterna, enlisting players to help design a novel RNA drug to treat hemophilia A.
Researcher wins inaugural NHGRI award for DEIA Innovation in the Genomics Workforce
February 21, 2023
Ann Mc Cartney received the National Human Genome Research Institute’s (NHGRI) inaugural Staff Award for DEIA Innovation in the Genomics Workforce.
UCSC professor building collaborations to shape future minds through ethnic studies
February 15, 2023
Many believe we are at a pivotal moment in this country regarding anti-racist reforms, police abolition, and restorative justice. And according to Rekia Jibrin, an assistant professor in critical studies of education within UC Santa Cruz’s Education Department, engaging local communities is vital to bringing about transformative change.
Arts Division to break ground on new state-of-the-art Social Documentation Lab
February 13, 2023
UC Santa Cruz’s Division of the Arts will soon begin construction of a world-class production and post-production facility in support of its Social Documentation (SocDoc) MFA program.
Big data expert to headline MLK Convocation
February 10, 2023
Dr. Talithia Williams, a mathematician and big data expert who seeks to “STEMpower” underrepresented groups to enter STEM fields, will address the 39th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Convocation, a virtual event on February 21.
Bots and Broadway: Technology and theater go hand-in-hand for UCSC professor
February 9, 2023
Using AI-generated text to produce dialogue during a live performance may seem like a wild idea to some, but not to performance and new media professor Marianne Weems. Weems, co-founder and artistic director of New York-based multi-dimensional theater company The Builders Association, is used to pushing the envelope with her ground-breaking work at the intersection of technology, media, and theater arts.
Legal Studies Program, Santa Cruz County Public Defender’s Office partner for National Public Defense Summit
February 9, 2023
Interested in learning about the importance of public defense and criminal law? The UC Santa Cruz Legal Studies Program, in partnership with the Santa Cruz County Office of the Public Defender, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), and the National Association for Public Defense, will host its first-ever National Public Defense Summit on February 24-25 at the Stevenson Event Center.
UCSC joins FAA/ UAS Collegiate Training Initiative
February 7, 2023
UC Santa Cruz is now the first UC- or CSU-member of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)/ Unmanned Aircraft Systems’ (UAS) Collegiate Training Initiative program.
Campus safety strengthened with new programs, services
February 7, 2023
Restoring the late-night Safe Ride program, forming a mobile crisis intervention team, and increasing security patrols are just a few of the changes this academic year.
Astronomers observe light bending around an isolated white dwarf
February 2, 2023
The first detection of gravitational lensing for a single, isolated star other than our sun comes 100 years after a landmark experiment using the sun to confirm Einstein’s prediction.
Three UCSC faculty win prestigious NSF CAREER awards
February 1, 2023
The CAREER Awards are NSF's most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.
Three UCSC faculty named 2022 AAAS fellows
January 31, 2023
Three UC Santa Cruz professors received the distinction of 2022 fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the association announced today.
UCSC alumna and special advisor to the chancellor earns international recognition for contributions to science, community building
January 31, 2023
Matlock, a cognitive science professor at UC Merced and special adviser at UC Santa Cruz, studies language use in real world contexts, including climate change, politics, technology, and health.
The university invites campus community to come together for SlugUnity: A Space for Healing
January 31, 2023
In the wake of numerous, horrific acts of violence that have recently unfolded across the country, UCSC invites students, staff, and faculty to gather together in the Quarry Amphitheater this Thursday, February 2 from noon to 1 p.m..
Learning-Aligned Employment Program Launches; provides 100% funding for on-campus, student research positions
January 31, 2023
LAEP is a nine-year, state-funded, work-based learning program similar to federal work-study. The program offers eligible students the opportunity to earn money to help defray their educational costs while gaining education-aligned, career-related employment.
John Bollard named associate vice chancellor for student health and wellness and chief well-being officer; joins Division of Student Affairs and Success
January 31, 2023
The Division of Student Affairs and Success is excited to announce John Bollard has been hired as the associate vice chancellor for student health and wellness and chief well-being officer. He will begin his appointment Thursday, February 2.
Improving the student experience: aligning Colleges, Housing, and Educational Services within the Division of Student Affairs and Success
January 31, 2023
In an effort to improve the student experience, Colleges, Housing, and Educational Services (CHES) is moving from the Division of Finance, Operations, and Administration (FOA) to the Division of Student Affairs and Success (DSAS).
University launches new center, Campus + Community, to facilitate engaged scholarship
January 31, 2023
After more than 50 years of engagement in the region, UC Santa Cruz is launching a new center to coordinate campus and community connections for action-oriented scholarship that advances social justice.
NIH grant funds research on a powerful new approach to drug development
January 30, 2023
A new NIH MIRA grant funds biochemist Scott Lokey’s efforts to develop complex, membrane-permeable molecules as next-generation therapeutic agents.
Two new species of rare succulents found in Mexico named by UCSC botanist
January 30, 2023
A retired staff botanist at the UCSC Arboretum & Botanic Garden studied the rare plants found on an island off the coast of Baja California and identified two new species of dudleya.
Five student teams embark on tech for social good projects
January 23, 2023
Five student teams will take on tech for social good projects with funding from the UCSC CITRIS and the Banatao Institute and the UCSC Institute for Social Transformation.
Study reveals influence of krill availability on humpback whale pregnancies
January 23, 2023
Data from Antarctica show more humpback whales get pregnant after years with abundant krill than after years when krill were less plentiful.
Vulnerability of red sea urchins to climate change depends on location
January 20, 2023
Scientists found that red sea urchin populations are adapted to local environments, but some populations will suffer more than others as conditions change in the future.
UC Santa Cruz’s Institute of the Arts and Sciences to open new, off campus galleries
January 17, 2023
The state-of-the-art facility will showcase the Institute of the Arts and Sciences’ groundbreaking exhibitions and programs, highlighting the work of major national and international artists working to address the most pressing issues of our day at the intersection of the arts and social justice.
Researchers produce first-ever toolkit for RNA sequencing analysis using a ‘pantranscriptome’
January 17, 2023
Researchers at UC Santa Cruz introduce the first-ever method for analyzing RNA sequencing data genome-wide using a “pantranscriptome.”
Study finds active galactic nuclei are even more powerful than thought
January 16, 2023
A new study indicates that scientists have substantially underestimated the energy output of active galactic nuclei powered by supermassive black holes because their light is dimmed by dust.
Sensorium, a new project of UC Santa Cruz’s Center for the Study of the Force Majeure, to be an unprecedented experience of the world ocean
January 12, 2023
A new project in development by UC Santa Cruz’s Center for the Study of the Force Majeure will give the public a transformative opportunity to interact with the world’s ocean ecosystem in a fully immersive work of environmental art entitled Sensorium.
Earth scientist James Zachos honored for climate change research
January 11, 2023
The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the Climate Change category recognizes Zachos and fellow paleoclimatologist Ellen Thomas of Yale University.
Astronomers find the most distant stars in our galaxy halfway to Andromeda
January 9, 2023
A search for variable stars called RR Lyrae has found some of the most distant stars in the Milky Way’s halo a million light years away.
UC Santa Cruz Cal Teach program connects area STEM majors with local public schools
January 3, 2023
Established in fall 2005, the UCSC Cal Teach program is one of nine in the UC system, with a goal to recruit and support undergrads in the STEM field to become teachers in K-12 schools.
Bering Land Bridge formed surprisingly late during last ice age, study finds
December 26, 2022
By reconstructing the sea level history of the Bering Strait, scientists found that the strait remained flooded until around 35,700 years ago, not long before humans began migrating into the Americas.
UC Santa Cruz earns a top three spot at national codebreaker challenge
December 20, 2022
More than 440 universities competed in the 2022 National Security Agency (NSA) Codebreaker Challenge, where students are challenged to expand their reverse engineering and other skills necessary for careers in cybersecurity.
UCSC researcher explores drug use, harm reduction in San Francisco’s Latino/x community
December 17, 2022
It’s no secret that the opioid epidemic has devastated our country, especially within communities of color. Latino/xs have seen some of the highest drug addiction rates, which have only increased due to the rise of synthetic opioids like fentanyl and the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, San Francisco was the county with the third-highest opioid-related death rate among Latinos in California.
New study presents vision of machine learning leveraged for precision medicine
December 16, 2022
In a new perspective published in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science, Associate Professor of Applied Mathematics Marcella Gomez details a vision for how the field can move beyond static data to create systems that measure and monitor the real-time responses of the body to a variety of factors and use a machine learning algorithm to produce, and even in some instances carry out, a treatment plan.
UCSC Genome Browser selected to first-ever Global Core Biodata Resource List
December 15, 2022
The UCSC Genome Browser is now part of the first list of Global Core Biodata Resources—a collection of 37 resources whose long-term funding and sustainability is critical to life science and biomedical research worldwide.
Biochemist Laura Sanchez receives Allen Distinguished Investigator award
December 15, 2022
Sanchez is among 16 new Allen Distinguished Investigators awarded a total of $10 million in research funding to support cutting-edge projects in protein lifespan and nutrient sensing.
Breaking up is hard to do: Separation of Fiji and Vanuatu tied to Samoan seamounts
December 14, 2022
New analyses of volcanic rock samples collected in the 1980s link the geologic histories of these South Pacific islands to explain their current locations and character.
UCSC selects Edward Reiskin as next Vice Chancellor for Finance, Operations and Administration
December 13, 2022
UC Santa Cruz has chosen Edward D. Reiskin as its next Vice Chancellor for Finance, Operations and Administration and Chief Financial Officer. He will start in early February 2023.
De Acker selected to serve as campus ombuds
December 13, 2022
De Acker will serve as the UC Santa Cruz ombuds, providing impartial, informal, independent and confidential resolution services to faculty, staff, and students.
UC Santa Cruz scholar receives major new grant to support inclusive community development throughout California
December 13, 2022
As state and federal agencies are investing increasing funding in pandemic recovery, infrastructure development and initiatives to address climate change, a collaboration of renowned scholars led by UC Santa Cruz are working with community groups to ensure equity and inclusion are at the heart of these efforts.
Report provides guide to funding for coral reef restoration projects for risk reduction
December 12, 2022
The report from a multi-agency working group led by UCSC scientists supports communities seeking funding for projects to reduce flood risks by restoring coral reefs for storm hazard mitigation and climate adaptation.
Social Sciences dean wins prestigious research award, visiting fellowship in Germany
December 9, 2022
Social Sciences dean Katharyne Mitchell will be busy packing her bags for the holidays, but not for the reason you may think. She’s heading to Göttingen, Germany, as a visiting scholar for the next six months at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Economic Diversity.
Astronomers report most distant known galaxies, detected and confirmed by Webb telescope
December 9, 2022
Spectroscopic observations with the James Webb Space Telescope confirm four early galaxies dating back to less than 400 million years after the Big Bang, three of which are the most distant confirmed to date.
J.J. Garcia-Luna-Aceves elected to the 2022 National Academy of Inventors
December 8, 2022
J.J. Garcia-Luna-Aceves, distinguished professor and chair of the computer science and engineering department, has been named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.
Colombia, a global biodiversity hotspot, faces rising threats to bird species from expanding human footprint
December 7, 2022
A new study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters used satellite mapping data to analyze how changes in human footprint on the landscape between 1970 and 2018 overlapped with distributions of 1,469 Colombian bird species. The study is the first of its kind to expand focus from forested regions, like the Amazon and Chocó, to all of Colombia’s terrestrial habitats.
UC Santa Cruz innovators among Santa Cruz Works 2022 Titans of Tech
December 6, 2022
Aviv Elor, alumnus and co-founder of Immergo Labs, and Nada Miljkovic, alumna, entrepreneur, and UCSC educator, are among the 11 Santa Cruz Works Titans of Tech finalists.
Computer engineer embarks on bold project for a new vision of distributed shared memory
December 6, 2022
With the support of a new NSF grant, Professor of Computer Science and Engineering Peter Alvaro is embarking on a project, called Memory at Scale On Networks (MaSON), to achieve a bold vision for a novel operating system and network that support a new overall model for programming big data systems.
Central Coast K-16 Education Collaborative secures planning grant for six-county region
December 6, 2022
Spurred by California’s Regional K-16 Education Collaborative Grant Program, educational leaders from Santa Cruz to Ventura formed the Central Coast K-16 Education Collaborative to address the urgent, systemic educational inequities and economic needs in the region.
Undergraduates in UC Santa Cruz’s Human Rights Investigations Lab fight for migrant rights
December 6, 2022
UC Santa Cruz’s Human Rights Investigations Lab, housed in the Dolores Huerta Research Center for the Americas, has been assisting those seeking asylum in the United States and fighting back against the controversial Title 42 immigration policy.
Biologist Needhi Bhalla awarded ASCB Prize for Excellence in Inclusivity
December 5, 2022
Bhalla was recognized for her research endeavors and high-impact diversity, equity, and inclusivity actions over the years.
Integrated platform promises to accelerate drug discovery process
December 1, 2022
Novel approach integrates complex datasets from screening of natural products libraries, improving characterization of bioactive molecules and their mechanisms of action.
Long-standing genomic mystery about the origins of introns explained in new study
November 29, 2022
A new study led by scientists at UC Santa Cruz and published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) points to introners, one of several proposed mechanisms for the creation of introns, as an explanation for the origins of most introns across species.
Braingeneers develop novel method to automate the growth of brain tissue organoids on a chip
November 28, 2022
A team of engineers and scientists at UC Santa Cruz has developed a new method for remote automation of the growth of cerebral organoids – miniature, three-dimensional models of brain tissue grown from stem cells.
Recruitment for campus police chief underway
November 28, 2022
Initial screening interviews of highly qualified candidates will take place via Zoom in the coming weeks, and the top ranked candidates from those interviews will be invited for on campus visits and additional interviews.
New JWST data reveal more details of exoplanet WASP-39b's atmosphere
November 22, 2022
A 'mystery molecule' seen in the initial spectrum has been identified as sulfur dioxide produced by photochemical reactions in the planet's atmosphere.
Batalha testifies at Congressional hearing on the initial scientific findings of the JWST
November 22, 2022
The James Webb Space Telescope is the largest and most powerful telescope humans have sent to space and, Batalha asserts, it is ushering in a new era of exoplanet science.
Growing Our Own - From research opportunities to the professoriate
November 22, 2022
Solidifying its commitment to increasing the diversity of its faculty, both underrepresented minorities and female faculty, last year, the University of California launched the Growing Our Own initiative.
Film by Arts Division Dean continues to gain recognition and spark conversation
November 22, 2022
Since its premiere in May, 80 YEARS LATER, a feature film by Dr. Celine Parreñas Shimizu, UC Santa Cruz’s Dean of the Division of the Arts, continues to garner praise during the 80th anniversary year of the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans in World War II.
Kresge College renewal to nearly triple amount of student housing
November 21, 2022
With a mix of new construction and renovation, UC Santa Cruz is building more housing, constructing new classroom space, and ultimately strengthening the student experience.
UCSC's 2022 iGEM team brings home gold medal, earns nomination for best therapeutics project
November 18, 2022
This year's UCSC iGEM team engineered a yeast-based Type 2 diabetes therapeutic.
Offshore wind farms may harm seabirds, but scientists see potential for net positive impact
November 17, 2022
A new study presents a framework for assessing and mitigating the impacts of offshore wind energy development on marine birds.
UC Santa Cruz earns Agricultural Experiment Station designation
November 16, 2022
The designation marks more than 50 years of industry-leading research in organic agriculture and sustainable farming practices at the campus and opens doors to expand community impact.
StoryCruz: A feeling of home
May 4, 2016
Founder of UC Santa Cruz's Smith Renaissance Society talks with two alumni of the group about their experiences and moving on to his next project
Are you game? Get swept up in the spirit of Giving Day
May 2, 2016
May 11 marks UC Santa Cruz's first-ever Giving Day, a 24-hour online fundraising event.
Student interest in UC Santa Cruz reaches another all-time high
January 11, 2016
Campus boosts applications from underrepresented students to continue having a student body that reflects the diversity of California
Save the date for the 9th annual Santa Cruz Chocolate Festival
November 24, 2015
Save the date for the 9th annual Santa Cruz Chocolate Festival on January 17, 2016 at the Boardwalk's Cocoanut Grove in Santa Cruz
University of California streamlines paths for community college transfer students
July 7, 2015
The University of California today (July 7) introduced a new academic roadmap for California Community College students who plan to apply to transfer to UC campuses, a major step in an effort to simplify the transfer process and help students better prepare for admission to the university.
State grants aid low-income, middle-class UCSC students
April 10, 2015
For students entering the University of Califonia system this fall, more financial aid may be available soon — a factor to consider as they decide on colleges this month.
AAUW scholarships provide access for Santa Cruz County women and girls
March 16, 2015
AAUW scholarships provide access for Santa Cruz County women and girls
The Silver Slug Scholarship
March 12, 2012
Student veterans were in the spotlight during the UCSC Retirees Association Soup Social, held March 6 at the Arboretum. Twelve scholarships of $500 each were awarded to current UCSC students who have served in the US military....
The University House Event
February 1, 2012
Fifty staff and faculty members turned out to support and honor UCSC’s veteran students at an afternoon reception last Thursday at the University House...
The Honor Flight (WWII female veteran)
November 8, 2010
On the eve of Veterans Day, UC Santa Cruz will host a special event this Wednesday featuring local World War II veteran Charlton "Charlie" Scarborough and her daughter, Judy. The pair will share experiences from their recent Honor Flight journey in Washington, D.C...