News & Events
Constitution Day 2016
March 9, 2025
Student Resources
March 9, 2025
Student-built app slashes weeks off brain mapping to speed up neuroscience research
March 6, 2025
UC Santa Cruz neuroscientists aiming to better understand how specific brain connectivity contributes to perception, thoughts, and behavior are leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance their study of brain function. By integrating AI, they are streamlining the process of aligning thin slices of mouse brain tissue with a reference atlas, helping to identify key details such as the brain region of origin more efficiently.
Explaining how our biological clocks work and how to better regulate our circadian rhythms
March 5, 2025
As anticipation builds for the longer days that follow this weekend’s switch to daylight savings time, the moment seemed ideal to turn to one of the nation’s leading circadian-rhythms researchers, UC Santa Cruz’s Carrie Partch.
New biology study reveals four novel genes required for male fertility in mice
March 3, 2025
The pioneering research of UC Santa Cruz’s Upasna Sharma to determine how a father’s life experiences and environment can influence the health and wellbeing of his children moves forward with the recent discovery of four genes required for male fertility and the creation of specific RNA molecules in sperm.
Clinical pediatric cancer lab at UC Santa Cruz is cleared to accept and test patient samples
March 3, 2025
The UC Santa Cruz Colligan Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory has received its CLIA certificate of registration from the California Department of Public Health, which clears the way for it to begin accepting patient samples.
UC Santa Cruz ocean scientist Adina Paytan honored for international research leadership
February 28, 2025
Adina Paytan, a professor in the Earth and Planetary Science Department and the Institute of Marine Science, has been awarded the Tommy and Yvette Edmondson Distinguished Service Award by the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography.
UC Santa Cruz welcomes future STEM leaders for annual MESA Day competitions
February 26, 2025
Pre-college students to showcase STEM skills through a day of hands-on challenges and interactive learning on March 1.
UC Santa Cruz astrophysicist explores the interconnectedness of art and science in 'Painting the Cosmos'
February 24, 2025
A new book by UC Santa Cruz astrophysicist and visual artist Nia Imara debuts tomorrow that explains the universe and traces how art has blended with science throughout human history.
Turning opportunity into impact
February 21, 2025
UCSC student Cali Kimura is pursuing a career in women’s health and finds motivation with Weiss Family Scholarship award
Phillip Crews honored with inaugural ASP Mentorship Award
February 21, 2025
Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Phillip Crews has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the American Society of Pharmacognosy (ASP) Phillip Crews Mentorship Award.
Cosmic radiation from supernova altered virus evolution in Africa, study proposes
February 18, 2025
A new study led by recent undergraduate student Caitlyn Nojiri and co-authored by astronomy and astrophysics professor Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz and postdoctoral fellow Noémie Globus examined iron isotopes to identify a 2.5 million-year-old supernova. The researchers connected this stellar explosion to a surge of radiation that pummeled Earth around the same time, and they assert that the blast was powerful enough to break the DNA of living creatures.
Foraging seals enable scientists to measure fish abundance across the vast Pacific Ocean
February 13, 2025
A new study led by UC Santa Cruz marine biologist Roxanne Beltran to be published as the February 14 cover story for Science concludes that seals can essentially act as “smart sensors” for monitoring fish populations in the ocean’s eerily dim “twilight zone.”
New study documents California coyotes eating harbor seal pups
February 13, 2025
A paper published on February 12 in the journal Ecology details how the researchers used motion-triggered cameras placed at MacKerricher State Beach on California's North Coast during harbor seal pupping season in the spring of 2023 and 2024.
Economically, culturally important marine species vulnerable to changing climate, new study shows
February 12, 2025
Dungeness crab, Pacific herring, and red abalone are among the marine species most vulnerable to the changing climate's effect on California's coastal waters, a new study led by UC Santa Cruz researchers finds.
AAAS names UC Santa Cruz organelle discovery most outstanding paper in 2024
February 11, 2025
The discovery by UC Santa Cruz researchers of a new organelle within single-celled algae that converts nitrogen gas into ammonia continues to be celebrated by the science community, this time by winning the prestigious AAAS Newcomb Cleveland Prize.
NIH awards Kellogg Lab nearly $3 million to continue research on molecular mechanisms that control cell growth, size
February 11, 2025
Doug Kellogg, professor of molecular, cell, and developmental biology at UC Santa Cruz, has been awarded $2.95 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study control of cell growth and size in normal cells—and how it goes wrong in cancer.
SCIPP scientist Simone Mazza honored with international physics award
February 7, 2025
Simone Mazza, an assistant research scientist at the Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics (SCIPP), has won an international award that recognizes contributions in the fields of fundamental interactions of matter. Mazza received the 2024 INFN Bruno Toushek Award from the Italian Scientists and Scholars of North America Foundation.
UC Santa Cruz scientists slither into the history books with first complete genome of a banana slug
February 4, 2025
Not only is the banana slug the endearing mascot for UC Santa Cruz — making the project fitting for campus researchers — but the slugs’ unique slime was a particularly challenging undertaking for UCSC’s experts in genomics.
New research and art installation demonstrate the viability of using fog as a water source
February 3, 2025
In a state known for its droughts, where the southern half recently experienced devastating fires, understanding California’s natural water sources is more important than ever. Three University of California, Santa Cruz professors have teamed up to create a multipart scientific and artistic research study, Art+Fog as a collective,
Explorer society honors Roxanne Beltran for advancing scientific field research, education equity
January 31, 2025
Roxanne Beltran, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz, is among 50 people from around the world being honored this year for “doing remarkable work to promote science and exploration.”
Innovative techniques aim for climate-safe restoration of Ms. Blue
January 30, 2025
A new project is underway to give Ms. Blue another life, this time enabling her to teach the community about the power of climate-safe innovation
Climate change reshuffles species like a deck of cards, new study finds
January 29, 2025
A new study led by UC Santa Cruz ecology and evolutionary biologist Malin Pinsky finds that temperature changes due to climate change have a doubly detrimental impact: Not only do they destabilize animal populations, but the impacts accelerate as temperatures change more rapidly.
UC Santa Cruz Innovation Catalyst Grant program propels research into real-world solutions
January 27, 2025
UC Santa Cruz has announced the Innovation Catalyst Grant proof-of-concept program awardees, showcasing the campus’s commitment to fostering transformative research with significant societal benefits.
Pushing the boundaries of biotechnology
January 24, 2025
Unnatural Products, a Santa Cruz-based biotech company founded by UC Santa Cruz alumni Cameron Pye and Joshua Schwochert breaks new ground in the biotech landscape.
Students make winning videos about importance of federal support for science research
January 21, 2025
Impactful scientific discovery isn't possible without funding to support the research, and three UC Santa Cruz students have created short videos that took top prizes in a national competition held by the Science Coalition, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to sustaining the federal government’s investment in basic scientific research.
UCHRI grants advance Humanities research on campus
January 17, 2025
This year, UC Santa Cruz researchers are advancing cutting-edge projects that tackle critical issues such as antiracist education, environmental resilience, and the intersections of identity and power, with critical funding from the University of California Humanities Research Institute (UCHRI).
Hubble Telescope images combined into giant mosaic of neighboring Andromeda Galaxy
January 17, 2025
Astronomers are celebrating the completion of a 2.5-billion-pixel panoramic picture of the entire Andromeda Galaxy. The team includes several UC Santa Cruz researchers who made significant contributions to the enormous photomosaic that combines some 600 snapshots taken by the Hubble Space Telescope over more than a decade and 1,000 orbits.
American Astronomical Society honors four UC Santa Cruz affiliates at national meeting
January 17, 2025
At this week's AAS national meeting, the society named UC Observatories Director Bruce Macintosh and two alumni, Laura Lopez and Mark Phillips, among the 24 new fellows chosen for 2025.
Building the tools to explore new worlds
January 16, 2025
UC Santa Cruz Engineering Fellowship supports alumnus Michael Gonzales’ role with SCALES
Coral-reef restoration can be cost-effective for saving lives, money
January 15, 2025
A new study co-led by the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience (CCCR) at UC Santa Cruz shows coral reef restoration in Florida and Puerto Rico could save thousands of lives and prevent hundreds of millions of dollars in damage and economic interruption each year.
Honoring UCSC’s 2024 Alumni Awards recipients
January 13, 2025
Six alumni were honored on Oct. 25 at the Alumni Awards Celebration dinner. Learn more about each recipient and watch their video feature.
Researchers link mysterious cosmic signals to collapsed stars
January 10, 2025
An international team of scientists has provided the clearest evidence yet that some fast radio bursts (FRBs)—enigmatic, millisecond-long flashes of radio waves from space—originate from neutron stars, the ultra-dense remnants of massive stars that have exploded in a supernova.
A ‘remelting’ of lunar surface adds a wrinkle to mystery of Moon’s true age
December 18, 2024
In an "idea paper" published on December 18 in Nature, UC Santa Cruz Professor Francis Nimmo and his co-authors propose a "remelting" of the Moon's surface 4.35 billion years ago due to the tidal pull of Earth causing widespread geological upheaval and intense heating.
Scientists collaborate on immersive technology to address climate challenges
December 17, 2024
The UC Santa Cruz Center for Coastal Climate Resilience (CCCR) and a team of scientists and science communicators at UC San Diego have developed an initiative focused on immersive technology that uses advanced hardware and software to simulate environments and experiences.
Mangroves save $855 billion in flood protection globally, new study shows
December 5, 2024
Mangroves have been shown to provide $855 billion in flood protection services worldwide, according to a new study from the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience at UC Santa Cruz. The research is featured in the World Bank's 2024 edition of The Changing Wealth of Nations.
Genomics Institute faculty and staff help create non-profit to center Indigenous Knowledge while accelerating conservation genomics research
December 3, 2024
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
Physics experiment proves patterns in chaos in peculiar quantum realm
December 2, 2024
Where do you see patterns in chaos? It has been proven, in the incredibly tiny quantum realm, by an international team co-led by UC Santa Cruz physicist Jairo Velasco, Jr. In the journal Nature, the researchers detail an experiment that confirms a theory first put forth 40 years ago stating that electrons confined in quantum space would move along common paths rather than producing a chaotic jumble of trajectories.
Magnetic tornadoes create Earth-size spots discovered at Jupiter's poles
December 2, 2024
While Jupiter’s Great Red Spot has been a constant feature of the planet for centuries, a team of astronomers have discovered equally large spots at the planet’s north and south poles that appear and disappear seemingly at random.
UC Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay Aquarium lead collaboration on kelp conservation
November 26, 2024
In May 2024, UC Santa Cruz and the Monterey Bay Aquarium convened a workshop aimed at bridging the gap between scientific research and the practical application of evolutionary resilience concepts for kelp.
Professor J. Xavier Prochaska to deliver December 4 Kraw Lecture
November 25, 2024
The Kraw Lecture Series aims to help audiences better understand the big picture behind scientific research at UC Santa Cruz and the broader trends at play. This tradition continues with the December 4 talk on how artificial intelligence (AI) is accelerating the scientific pursuit.
24 in 2024: list of most highly cited researchers includes UC Santa Cruz scientists and engineers
November 25, 2024
In a notable recognition of scholarly achievement, 24 scientists and engineers from UC Santa Cruz have earned a spot on the 2024 Highly Cited Researchers list, recently unveiled by Clarivate.
2024 iGEM team’s foundational science project tackles infant formula affordability
November 22, 2024
The 2024 UC Santa Cruz iGEM team won a silver medal at the international Jamboree for a project focused on addressing the high cost of infant formula through a foundational synthetic biology approach.
Fewer than 7% of global hotspots for whale-ship collisions have protection measures in place
November 21, 2024
A UC Santa Cruz scientist who specializes in research at the intersection of big data and marine-life conservation has contributed to a new study that shows the vast majority of “hotspots” where ships collide with whales in the world’s oceans lack protections for the majestic giants.
$7.5 million awarded to UC Santa Cruz to support leadership in salmon-recovery science
November 13, 2024
UC Santa Cruz has received nearly $7.5 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) to vault scientific research on imperiled Pacific salmon populations into one of the nation’s most powerful collaborations between the agency and academia to save the vital species.
Team discovers ultra-massive galaxies in early Universe that challenge standard cosmology
November 13, 2024
An international team of astronomers has identified three ultra-massive galaxies—each nearly as massive as the Milky Way—already in place within the first billion years after the Big Bang. The discovery is surprising because it indicates that the formation of stars in the early Universe was far more efficient than previously thought, challenging current models of galaxy formation.
Physics Department improves undergraduate experience for non-majors
November 12, 2024
These fundamental teaching strategies—of making room for failure, and being explicit and transparent about how students’ knowledge will be assessed—combine to create an atmosphere that is more conducive to learning than traditional forms of physics instruction.
New chemical process makes biodiesel production easier, less energy intensive
November 8, 2024
UC Santa Cruz chemists have discovered a new way to produce biodiesel from waste oil that both simplifies the process and requires relatively mild heat. This discovery has the potential to make the alternative fuel source much more appealing to the massive industrial sectors that are the backbone of the nation’s economy.
American Mathematical Society names Professor Chongying Dong a 2025 Fellow
November 5, 2024
Chongying Dong, distinguished professor of mathematics at UC Santa Cruz, is among 41 mathematical scientists around the world who were recently named to the American Mathematical Society’s class of fellows for 2025.
Legacy of helping minoritized students thrive in STEM careers faces uncertain future
November 1, 2024
If ultimately fully funded, the MPC2SC Program will start by identifying 10 students at the community college during their freshman year. They will then be guided through a targeted curriculum that will prepare them to transfer to UC Santa Cruz the fall of their junior year.
How researchers can maximize biological insights using animal-tracking devices
October 30, 2024
Biologgers allow us to see with unprecedented precision how animals move and behave in the wild. But that's only part of the picture, according to a UC Santa Cruz ecologist renowned for using biologging data to tell the deeper story about the lives of marine mammals in a changing world.
Teri Greeves, Oakes '95
January 25, 2016
Craft becomes art for celebrated Kiowa artist and alumna
Lasting friendship, enduring inspiration: J. Herman Blake and Don Rothman move crowd at forum
April 30, 2012
Blake, founding provost of Oakes College, and Rothman, emeritus writing lecturer, spoke of interdisciplinary learning, empathy and the value of listening
Lasting friendship, enduring inspiration: J. Herman Blake and Don Rothman move crowd at forum
April 30, 2012
Blake, founding provost of Oakes College, and Rothman, emeritus writing lecturer, spoke of interdisciplinary learning, empathy and the value of listening
