News & Events
Constitution Day 2016
January 17, 2025
Student Resources
January 17, 2025
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.
A popular Humanities course is unwrapping the strange and fraught history and cultural afterlife of Egyptian mummies.
October 28, 2024
In their co-taught course, LIT 159M/HIS 159M: The Curse of the Mummy, UC Santa Cruz Associate Professor of Literature Renee Fox and Associate Professor of History Elaine Sullivan are looking into the strange pop-cultural afterlife of Egyptian mummies, which keep showing up as supernatural villains in movies and books.
Dolphins sense military sonar at much lower levels than regulators predict
October 23, 2024
For the first time ever, a team including several UC Santa Cruz scientists have directly measured the behavioral responses of some of the most common marine mammals to military sonar. And the finding that surprised them most was that these animals were sensitive to the sounds at much lower levels than previously predicted.
Ultra-small spectrometer yields the power of a 1,000 times bigger device
October 23, 2024
UC Santa Cruz researchers are designing new ways to make spectrometers that are ultra-small but still very powerful, to be used for anything from detecting disease to observing stars in distant galaxies
UC Santa Cruz receives NSF grant to transform diversity and inclusion in STEM graduate programs
October 23, 2024
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded nearly $1 million to researchers at UC Santa Cruz to advance equity and inclusion by fostering a more inclusive, culturally rich environment in STEM graduate programs.
New book California Catastrophes challenges coastal communities to confront reality
October 17, 2024
It's no secret that Californians live with the reality of earthquakes, landslides, wildfires, and other natural disasters. This confronts those who choose to stay, and the many who move here, with the equally ominous question: What can we do about it?
Former UC Santa Cruz physicist Michael Riordan honored for historical narratives of his field
October 17, 2024
The American Physical Society awarded former UC Santa Cruz physicist Michael Riordan on October 15 with its Abraham Pais Prize for History of Physics.
California Academy of Sciences Honors Dan Costa with Fellows Medal
October 17, 2024
The California Academy of Sciences presented UC Santa Cruz’s Dan Costa, distinguished professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, with its highest honor at an awards ceremony on October 15.
Dickens Project gets prestigious $200,000 NEH grant to host institute for high school teachers
October 16, 2024
A $200,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities is funding a new Dickens Project initiative, an in-person institute for 25 high school teachers from across the United States. The institute will help teachers consider bold new approaches to teaching Charles Dickens' classic 1861 novel Great Expectations
Understanding landslides: a new model for predicting motion
October 16, 2024
Along coastal California, the possibility of earthquakes and landslides are commonly prefaced by the phrase, “not if, but when.” This precarious reality is now a bit more predictable thanks to researchers at UC Santa Cruz and The University of Texas at Austin, who found that conditions known to cause slip along fault lines deep underground also lead to landslides above.
Science Division debuts ‘degree-defining experiences’ drawing on UC Santa Cruz’s unique strengths
October 15, 2024
The Science Division has received a $1 million donation to begin a major new program on “degree-defining experiences.” The program will pilot 17 projects across campus that aim to profoundly inspire undergraduate students and fill them with the kind of optimism that forever changes how they see their time at UC Santa Cruz and their future careers.
Genomics Institute provides seed funds for six multidisciplinary projects
October 15, 2024
The Genomics Institute has awarded grants of up to $50,000 to six multidisciplinary research projects in the inaugural year of its seed funding program
2024 CITRIS Interdisciplinary Innovation Program supports wide range of campus research
October 15, 2024
The CITRIS Interdisciplinary Innovation Program (I2P) provides UC Santa Cruz Principal Investigators with funding for projects focussed on developing information technology solutions to significant societal challenges.
Astronomy postdoc to develop technologies that mold starlight to better detect exoplanets
October 15, 2024
The Astronomy & Astrophysics Department welcomes postdoctoral scientist Emiel Por, who invents technologies that mold the starlight captured by ground- and space-based telescopes to improve imaging of planetary companions. His work will be supported by the Heising-Simons Foundation's 51 Pegasi b Fellowship program.
Global warming is happening, but not statistically ‘surging,’ new study finds
October 14, 2024
The new study, published on October 14 in the journal Nature Communications Earth & Environment, confirms the broad consensus that the planet is getting warmer, but at a statistically steady rate—not at a sufficiently accelerated rate that could be statistically defined as a surge.
UC Santa Cruz Humanities Division welcomes new Associate Dean of DEI Eric Porter
October 4, 2024
Eric Porter, a professor of History, History of Consciousness, and Critical Race and Ethnic studies at UC Santa Cruz, has a longstanding fascination with power and resistance. His approach to history will inform his new position as Associate Dean of DEI for the Humanities.
New policy essay: subsidies’ hidden costs for the environment
October 3, 2024
Government subsidies for business practices and processes should be approached with caution, even when they seem to be environmentally friendly, a team that includes a UC Santa Cruz researcher concludes in this week’s “Policy Forum” in the journal Science.
UC Santa Cruz neuroscientist to provide rapid-response expertise for AI policymaking
September 30, 2024
Assistant Professor Dan Turner-Evans will spend the 2024-25 academic year in Washington, D.C., providing expertise to lawmakers as they develop federal policies on artificial intelligence (AI) as part of the rapid-response cohort of Science & Technology Policy Fellows chosen by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
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
