Scholars, students, and community working together for transformation at UCSC's All-In Conference More than 400 university scholars, students, community organizers, foundation representatives, artists, and activists came together in late October for a one-of-a-kind event to build collaborative partnerships for community-engaged research and meaningful social change at the UC Santa Cruz conference: All-In: Co-creating Knowledge for Justice.
Research Roundup: Summer/Fall 2022 Issue
December 19, 2022
Research Roundup highlights the work of faculty in the Division of Social Sciences. For ongoing coverage of UCSC research, please visit the UCSC Newscenter and Social Sciences News.
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.
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.
An Open Letter Regarding the “UCSC Anti-Racist Farm Now” petition
December 13, 2022
I want to reach out to the broader UCSC community and any signatories of the “UCSC ANTI-RACIST FARM NOW!” document to address some of the issues raised in the petition. I also thought it might be helpful to provide a little historical context. Most of the below information is also available as FAQs, published on the CfA website.
UC workforce innovation internship program returns summer 2023 for its second offering
December 12, 2022
The eight-week program offers UC students a unique opportunity to gain hands-on career experience in emerging fields of innovation.
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.
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 professor inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame
December 6, 2022
Judith Scott, UC Santa Cruz professor emerita of education, was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame on Dec. 1 at the Literary Research Association Conference. Scott was recognized and honored for her longstanding career and numerous contributions to teach education and research.
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.
Nick Fountain: On the (Planet) money
November 2022
The newest cohost of NPR’s Planet Money, Nick Fountain (Stevenson ’11, politics) covers smart and sometimes quirky stories that, nevertheless, offer some truth about the larger economy or the world.
Humanizing the metaverse
November 2022
A Humanities Institute fellowship brings trained humanists into high-tech companies, providing firms with creative and fluid thinkers while also giving scholars a view into how their expertise can be used in different positions.
Berta Campos-Anicetti: Spreading the health
November 2022
Public health and human services professional Berta Campos-Anicetti (Crown ’89, biology) was instrumental in helping to get the Latine community in Novato, Calif., vaccinated during the pandemic, among many other successful programs.
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.
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.
Laurie Garrett recounts public health failures in talk on COVID-19 and pandemic preparedness
November 14, 2022
Sponsored by UCSC’s Global and Community Health Program, Garrett’s talk highlighted the urgent need to strengthen public health infrastructure.
Scholars, students, and community working together for transformation at UCSC’s All-In Conference
November 10, 2022
More than 400 university scholars, students, community organizers, foundation representatives, artists, and activists came together in late October for a one-of-a-kind event to build collaborative partnerships for community-engaged research and meaningful social change at the UC Santa Cruz conference: All-In: Co-creating Knowledge for Justice.
UCSC researchers win NOAA grants to study climate change patterns in California’s marine sanctuaries
November 9, 2022
Two UC Santa Cruz researchers will be delving deeper into coastal and climate resiliency efforts within California’s marine sanctuaries as part of two recent grants from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
UC researchers use grant funding to investigate environmental crimes in Latin America
November 8, 2022
Thanks to a $180,000 grant from the Public Interest Technology University Network (PIT-UN), UC Santa Cruz will be able to further its focus on “using tech for social good” in collaboration with two other University of California institutions.
Federal grant to advance transfer student success at UC Santa Cruz
November 1, 2022
Advancing campus-wide efforts to achieve educational equity, UC Santa Cruz has earned a $3 million grant that will support Latinx community college students in transferring to campus and, while they’re here, contributing to research projects and preparing for graduate school.
Domhoff’s new book discusses developmental dimension of dreaming
October 28, 2022
UC Santa Cruz professor emeritus Bill Bomhoff’s new book, The Neurocognitive Theory of Dreaming: The Where, How, When, What, and Why of Dreams, takes a comprehensive look at the full use of neuroimaging findings in relation to spontaneous thought and dream content.
The Dolores Huerta Research Center for the Americas celebrates legacy, community at 30th anniversary naming event
October 21, 2022
UC Santa Cruz’s Research Center for the Americas celebrated 30 years of groundbreaking work with an official renaming for social justice icon Dolores Huerta on Thursday evening.
Food system researcher unpacks the narratives driving a race for new protein sources
October 20, 2022
UC Santa Cruz professor and food system expert Julie Guthman took a deep dive into the tech industry’s protein engineering efforts.
UCSC faculty, staff, and students support Salton Sea restoration planning
October 19, 2022
An independent review panel supported by UC Santa Cruz recently completed its work evaluating restoration options for the Salton Sea, a shrinking lake in Southern California that has become one of the state’s most challenging environmental problems.
Building Community: AAPIRC’s Caz Salamanca
October 18, 2022
As the Director of UCSC’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Resource Center (AAPIRC), Caz Salamanca strives to provide meaningful space and community for students.
Nurturing a ‘home away from home:’ El Centro’s Xiomara Lopez
October 18, 2022
Eight years after graduating from UC Santa Cruz, Xiomara Lopez is the Director of Chicanx/Latinx resource center, El Centro, coming full circle to the center that transformed her undergraduate experience.
UC Santa Cruz Foundation awards $75K to help address student food insecurity
October 18, 2022
The UC Santa Cruz Foundation Board of Trustees has affirmed its commitment to reducing food and housing insecurity for students.
National Science Foundation grant will help establish ethics and equity best practices for emerging forms of science and technology
October 17, 2022
Sociology Professor Jenny Reardon, founding director of the Science & Justice Research Center at UC Santa Cruz, won a nearly $400,000 grant to study ethics and equity in the design of science and engineering projects.
micha cárdenas wins prestigious Gloria E. Anzaldúa Book Prize from National Women’s Studies Association
October 17, 2022
UC Santa Cruz Associate Professor and Associate Chair of Performance, Play and Design, and Associate Professor of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies Dr. micha cárdenas has been awarded the National Women’s Studies Association’s Gloria E. Anzaldúa Book Prize for her book Poetic Operations: Trans of Color Art in Digital Media.
Tahir Amin to speak about unequal access to medications and the global fallout from intellectual property wars: October 18 talk in downtown Santa Cruz
October 10, 2022
Tahir Amin, a critic of the power structures that result in the unequal distribution of desperately needed medications across the globe, will be the inaugural speaker of the Sawyer Series focusing on “Race, Empire, and the Environments of Biomedicine.”
Politics Professor Mark Fathi Massoud recognized nationally for teaching and mentoring, research excellence
October 10, 2022
Politics and Legal Studies Professor Mark Fathi Massoud won two awards during the recent American Political Science Association (APSA) annual meeting.
Transforming Futures: Amanda Safi
October 4, 2022
Transforming Futures— a pilot program launched by UC Santa Cruz’s Institute for Social Transformation—awarded seven first generation, underrepresented, and/or low-income UCSC students scholarships to pursue unpaid internships over the summer. Amanda Safi interned with the Office of Congressman Jimmy Panetta.
UCSC welcomes 41 outstanding new faculty members
October 4, 2022
With the start of the 2022-23 academic year, UC Santa Cruz welcomes 41 new senate faculty members. The research and creative scholarship and expertise brought to our campus by these new faculty colleagues will strengthen existing areas of work and open discovery opportunities.
UCSC’s Center for South Asian Studies positioned for exponential growth
October 3, 2022
Anuradha Luther Maitra and Thomas Kailath, longtime supporters and champions of the Center for South Asian Studies (CSAS) and the broader UCSC campus, have established the Anuradha Luther Maitra and Thomas Kailath Endowed Professorship in South Asian Studies.
Letter from the Director
September 29, 2022
As we launch into a new academic year, I’ve been reflecting on the importance of the Institute’s mission. We strive to be a critical intellectual and social hub for our community, connecting UCSC scholars and students with partners in the region and around the world as they work to develop research-based solutions to the big challenges we face.
Why do you donate to UC Santa Cruz?
September 29, 2022
UCSC supporters MR Macgill and Ho Nam made a gift to the Institute for Social Transformation in Spring 2022. Their generosity fully funded Transforming Futures— a pilot program which awarded seven first generation, underrepresented, and/or low-income UCSC students scholarships to pursue unpaid internships over the summer.
Expanding opportunity and Transforming Futures
September 29, 2022
Transforming Futures— a pilot program launched by UC Santa Cruz’s Institute for Social Transformation—awarded seven first generation, underrepresented, and/or low-income UCSC students scholarships to pursue unpaid internships over the summer.
Partnership across UC campuses will prepare the next generation of leaders in organic agriculture
September 23, 2022
A grant of more than $700,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will support a University of California collaboration to improve and expand undergraduate education in organic agriculture, with an emphasis on supporting underrepresented students.
In Memoriam: Susanne Jonas (1941-2022)
September 22, 2022
UC Santa Cruz’s Latin American and Latino Studies Department celebrates the life and legacy of Susanne Jonas, a founding member of our department who began working as a lecturer at UCSC in 1986.
UC Santa Cruz’s Research Center for the Americas to be named in honor of Dolores Huerta
September 21, 2022
UC Santa Cruz will rename the Research Center for the Americas, which is celebrating 30 years of groundbreaking research, in honor of social justice icon Dolores Huerta, whose legacy has influenced the center’s work and values.
Creating a more just world is driving force for 2022 Outstanding Staff Awardee
September 13, 2022
Sarah Woodside Bury is the 2022 recipient of the UC Santa Cruz Outstanding Staff Award. The award recognizes staff members who provide distinguished service each day to the students, staff, and faculty of our campus.
Innovative climate resilience projects supported by 2022 CITRIS Campus Seed Funding awards
September 08, 2022
Four winning projects have been funded through the The Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) and the Banatao Institute at UC Santa Cruz’s Campus Seed Funding program.
UCSC researchers win big at American Sociological Association annual meeting
September 08, 2022
Professor emeritus Craig Reinarman was honored with the 2022 Senior Scholar Award by the ASA’s Drugs and Society Section, and Ph.D. student Michelle Gomez Parra received the Sociology of Sexualities Section’s Martin P. Levine Memorial Dissertation Fellowship. Politics Professors Eleonora Pasotti and Mark Massoud were celebrated for book awards.
UCSC partners in NSF research hub to use nature to protect coastal communities
September 07, 2022
A $20 million NSF grant funds the new Climate Risks and Equitable Nature-based Solutions Hub, focusing on coral reef and mangrove ecosystems.
HSI Team invites campus community to celebrate Hispanic-Serving Institution Week
September 02, 2022
Next week, UC Santa Cruz will join universities across the country in celebrating Hispanic-Serving Institution week. Read this letter from the HSI team about all the ways you can join the celebration!
New book explores citizenship rights and Black anti-racist politics in Italy
August 30, 2022
Associate Professor of Sociology Camilla Hawthorne’s latest book, Contesting Race and Citizenship, explores how Black Italians are fighting for change against the country’s restrictive citizenship laws.
UCSC selects Anju Reejhsinghani as Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
August 30, 2022
Anju Reejhsinghani has deep professional experience in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) work, both in the college classroom as an educator and as a senior administrator.
Political parties use gerrymandering to counteract shifting voter preferences in key battleground states
August 25, 2022
Research that focused on battleground states suggests that whichever party controls the redistricting process in the state legislature engineers an 11 percentage point increase in its probability of winning a U.S. House race in the next election. And these advantages often run counter to the will of voters.
New mural in Sinsheimer Laboratories building celebrates diversity in science
August 23, 2022
The mural by artist Paul Lewin was commissioned as part of the healing process after disturbing incidents of vandalism targeting Black Lives Matter posters.
Building communities to stand up against anti-black racism
August 22, 2022
This month, the Center for Racial Justice (CRJ) at UC Santa Cruz held its first-ever Summer Institute, “Political Education and Liberatory Knowledge,” complete with immersive, hands-on workshops that emphasized solidarity against systemic oppression and community-based strategies to fight anti-black racism and imperialism.
Economics Professor Robert Fairlie takes home the Bradford-Osborne Research Award for the second year in a row
August 19, 2022
The annual award recognizes the best peer-reviewed paper on diversity and entrepreneurship, and Fairlie was honored for his years-long research on the lack of access to capital for Black-owned startups compared to white-owned startups.
Envisioning food systems change with new Center for Agroecology Executive Director Darryl Wong
August 11, 2022
The UC Santa Cruz news team interviewed the Center for Agroecology’s new executive director, Darryl Wong, to learn more about the center’s goals for the future and the perspective he’ll bring to the role.
Incoming UC Santa Cruz class exemplifies academic excellence and diversity
August 10, 2022
UC Santa Cruz anticipates welcoming approximately 5,100 new Banana Slugs this fall, concluding an admissions cycle that reflected increased interest in the campus. Campus leaders are carefully managing student enrollment and working to provide more on-campus housing for students because of a statewide housing crisis that is particularly difficult in Santa Cruz.
Turning awareness into action
August 08, 2022
After years of working to bring feminist history and thought to a young audience through her popular Rad Women series, author Kate Schatz (Stevenson ’03, literature and creative writing) moves to turn teaching history into teaching practice and show adults what they can do to combat racism.
Locally supportive climates may do little to aid mental health for LGBTQ+ youth amidst broader societal stigma
August 08, 2022
New research shows little difference in mental health outcomes for LGBTQ+ youth between some of California’s most and least supportive communities for sexual and gender diversity. The findings also indicate factors that may contribute to this trend.
With a focus on student success and research impact, UC President Michael V. Drake visits UC Santa Cruz
August 05, 2022
The daylong visit included meetings with faculty, staff, and students to learn more about research, teaching, and learning at UC Santa Cruz—and the important work that supports the university’s mission as a Hispanic-Serving research university centered on student success.
Two UCSC grad students are finalists for prestigious Knauss Marine Policy Fellowships
August 04, 2022
The finalists for the John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship program include UCSC graduate students Austen Stovall and Ellen Willis‑Norton.
New book traces the scientific and technological development of militarized border
July 29, 2022
In her new book, Professor of Feminist Studies and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies Felicity Amaya Schaeffer draws stunning connections between indigenous ways of life and relationships to the land with modern-day, militaristic border surveillance technologies.
Establishing traditions, Cowell alumni organize to give back
July 21, 2022
UC Santa Cruz alumni Florence Nelson (Cowell ’72, psychology) , Stephen Klein (Cowell ’72, religious studies) and Nadene Thorne (Cowell ’72, literature) are at the forefront of alumni volunteering at Cowell College.
UC-HBCU grants support UCSC faculty collaborations with HBCUs
July 18, 2022
A summer research program and a historical archaeology course won funding from a UC initiative to support partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
New study dives deep into the sustainability of an alternative aquaculture feed ingredient
July 12, 2022
Researchers at UC Santa Cruz developed a new life cycle sustainability assessment documenting the environmental benefits and impacts of using the marine microalga Schizochytrium sp. to replace fish oil as an ingredient in aquaculture feed.
Two from UC Santa Cruz awarded Fulbright grants
July 06, 2022
Two PhD candidates at UC Santa Cruz have been offered prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program grants for the 2022-2023 academic year.
Research Roundup: Winter/Spring 2022 Issue
June 30, 2022
Continuing effects of the COVID pandemic and the ethics of community-engaged research are just some of the wide-ranging topics investigated by Social Sciences faculty and published in Winter and Spring 2022.
Autistic adults have become increasingly visible in media, books, television, and more in the past decade, but challenges with representation persist
June 29, 2022
Researchers documented a shift toward more numerical representation for adults in popular portrayals of autism, which have historically focused on children.
These red flags can let you know when you’re in an online echo chamber
June 28, 2022
Researchers at UC Santa Cruz have identified specific elements of tone and style in online speech that are linked to hyperpartisan echo chambers. These language markers could also prove useful for flagging spaces where disinformation may be likely to emerge.
Campus recognizes innovative, dedicated teachers
June 27, 2022
The Academic Senate’s Committee on Teaching (COT) in collaboration with Chancellor Larive and CP/EVC Kletzer, Cruz celebrated UCSC’s innovative and dedicated teachers with a gathering at the Cowell Provost House in early June.
Supreme Court decision revokes fundamental civil rights
June 24, 2022
We are deeply dismayed by the U.S. Supreme Court opinion issued this morning that revokes the rights of millions of Americans to make private, personal, informed choices about their health care and ultimately their lives.
Grant funding will support university-community partnership on inclusive economic development in neighboring city of Salinas
June 15, 2022
UCSC’s Institute for Social Transformation will partner with the Salinas Inclusive Economic Development Initiative in an effort to reduce economic inequality and improve financial stability and quality of life for local families.
Graduate student’s research helps environmental organizations better serve coastal communities of color
June 8, 2022
Coastal Science and Policy Program graduate student Kalina Browne led development of a new research report on behalf of Green 2.0, a national watchdog organization focused on diversity and equity in the environmental sector.
Social Sciences Division recognizes students at annual awards event
June 8, 2022
The annual Student Awards Luncheon honors undergraduates and graduate students across the Social Sciences Division for excellence in scholarship and creativity.
UC Santa Cruz named No. 2 public university for ‘making an impact’
June 6, 2022
Princeton Review has named UC Santa Cruz the No. 2 public university in the nation for students focused on making an impact on the world. The honor underscores the university’s commitment to encouraging positive social impact and is an increase from last year’s No. 3 spot.
‘Crossing Latinidades’ program selects UC Santa Cruz faculty and graduate students for national research and mentoring collaboration
June 3, 2022
Two UC Santa Cruz faculty were awarded $310,000 grants to lead national research working groups, and two doctoral students have been selected for one-year research fellowships and a summer institute focused on interdisciplinary research methods.
UC Santa Cruz recognizes Brittany Caldwell, a Ph.D. in Education
May 31, 2022
Caldwell specializes in early (pre-K through third grade) mathematics instruction with emergent bilinguals (EBs). Her dissertation, Mathematics Instruction for Emergent Bilinguals in Early Grades: Drawing on Young Learners’ Assets, focuses on teachers’ beliefs and practices around mathematics, mathematics teaching, and student thinking.
UC Santa Cruz recognizes Maxwell Ward, a HAVC and Anthropology major
May 31, 2022
Since he was 6 years old, Maxwell Ward has always wanted to be an archeologist. During his time at UC Santa Cruz, Ward took advantage of as many opportunities as he could, serving as a student mentor and chair’s advisory board member for the History of Art and Visual Culture Department. He also served as head writing tutor for the Anthropology Department.
UC Santa Cruz recognizes Candy Martinez, a Ph.D. in Latin American and Latino Studies
May 31, 2022
The daughter of Oaxacan migrants, Candy Martinez has found a meaningful way to reconnect with her roots, investigating the ways in which Indigenous communities process and heal grief and trauma.
Learning about learning. A Research group at UCSC highlights the learning strengths of underserved children and students
May 27, 2022
That’s the focus of UC Santa Cruz’s New Gen Learning, an interdisciplinary research consortium. The group, now in its third year, puts faculty members and graduate students from various fields together to highlight the learning strengths of underserved children and students.
UC Santa Cruz Celebrates distinguished alumni Eric Becerra: InInnovative wall-breaker
May 25, 2022
Eric Becerra earned a B.A. in sociology from UC Santa Cruz’s Rachel Carson College in 2003, an M.S. from San Diego State University in 2010, and an Ed.L.D. in educational leadership from Harvard in 2021.
Sociology doctoral candidate wins national fellowship for research on travel programs that teach youth about the African diaspora
May 25, 2022
Theresa Hice-Fromille was one of five top scholars selected nationwide for the American Sociological Association’s 2022-2023 Minority Fellowship program. Funding from this and other recent awards will support her dissertation research on travel abroad programs led by Black women that teach youth about the African diaspora.
Fellowships support graduate students studying queer movies, Mau Mau Uprising
May 24, 2022
Raed El Rafaei is examining queer movies made by artists from Lebanon and the diaspora, and Christian David Alvarado is investigating how the Mau Mau Uprising, which ran through the 1950s in Kenya, fits in with the larger processes of decolonization in Africa.
Politics doctoral candidate wins Newcombe Fellowship for research on women’s testimony against sexual violence
May 19, 2022
Natali Levin-Schwartz is one of 22 winners of a national fellowship award for scholars working on ethical or religious issues. Her dissertation research focuses on how women resist and organize against sexual violence and the role that testimony plays in that process.
A public dedication in the name of civil rights
May 10, 2022
Hundreds of campus and regional community members gathered beneath the redwoods encircling Quarry Amphitheater to watch the former College Ten make history, rededicating itself as John R. Lewis College in memory of the legendary civil rights leader.
Research video brings attention to an inspiring way of learning
May 10, 2022
“Learning by Observing and Pitching In” is featured in a National Science Foundation video contest May 10-17; viewers can vote for their favorite video
John Brown Childs earns UC’s highest system-wide award for emeriti
May 4, 2022
UC Santa Cruz Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Sociology John Brown Childs is a 2021-2022 recipient of the Constantine Panunzio Distinguished Emeriti Award, which recognizes exceptional legacies of research, teaching, and service.
Q&A: Exploring the Global Classrooms student experience
May 04, 2022
The Global Classrooms Initiative, launched by the Division of Global Engagement in 2020, endeavors to increase opportunity and access to global learning. In an effort to explore the impact Global Classrooms might have on a student’s personal and academic growth, two students were interviewed.
Nearly 30 years of conservation in Santa Cruz, alumna stays connected to the university and invests in students
May 3, 2022
UCSC alumna Jodi McGraw (Rachel Carson ’94, Environmental Studies and Biology) founded her conservation consulting firm in 2001 and has since hired upwards of 15 UCSC graduates and has sponsored almost 50 UCSC interns.
Alumni cover breaking news and document humanitarian efforts in Ukraine
May 3, 2022
UCSC alumni and New York Times reporter Andrew Kramer (Cowell ’94, history) and award-winning filmmaker Cary Joji Fukunaga (Rachel Carson ’99, history) are on the ground in Ukraine, breaking news and photographing humanitarian efforts.
Center for Agroecology welcomes Darryl Wong as new executive director
May 2, 2022
The UC Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology will welcome Darryl Wong as its new executive director next month. Wong will work alongside Faculty Director Stacy Philpott to lead the center in its work to advance agroecology and equitable food systems through experiential education, participatory research, agricultural extension, and public service.
International stages to the Quarry, alumna Terisa Siagatonu returns for dedication ceremony
May 2, 2022
UCSC alumna and award-winning poet, Terisa Siagatonu (John R. Lewis ’11, community studies), will be a keynote speaker at the John R. Lewis College dedication ceremony on May 6.
Wisdom Cole: Paving the way for a new generation of Black leaders
May 2, 2022
National Director of the NAACP Youth & College Division and UCSC alumnus Wisdom Cole (Oakes ’15, chemistry) will be a keynote speaker at the John R. Lewis College dedication ceremony on May 6.
New global and community health majors available this fall
April 29, 2022
UC Santa Cruz students who want to build a future with better, more equitable health outcomes will have the option to declare one of two new global and community health majors, starting in fall 2022.
New Google-funded research project applies computer science to aid bird conservation
April 28, 2022
Two faculty members have begun a new collaboration to use machine learning models to create continent-wide maps of bird habitat connectivity for conservation purposes, and they have recently received a $60,000 Google Research Scholar award to fund this work
CITRIS drone program lands $1 million grant from James Irvine Foundation
April 25, 2022
The UC Santa Cruz CITRIS Initiative for Drone Education and Research (CIDER) along with several partners has received a $1 million, 15-month planning grant to support regional drone education and workforce development from The James Irvine Foundation.
10 questions all funders should ask before supporting tree-planting campaigns
April 25, 2022
Environmental Studies Professor Karen Holl is concerned that widespread enthusiasm for tree-planting may be leaving restoration best-practices by the wayside. But a new set of research-based questions can help potential funders determine which reforestation campaigns are poised for success.
New study examines ethics of community-engaged research from the perspective of community partners
April 20, 2022
Even the most collaborative research models come with ethical challenges, a new study shows. This highlights the importance of equity-centered approaches.
The UC in Washington program launches political career
April 18, 2022
The UCDC program launched alumnus Ricky Le’s (Rachel Carson, Politics ’99) career in national politics.
Politics professor’s book challenging Western notions of Sharia wins global acclaim
April 14, 2022
In the past year, Politics and Legal Studies Professor Mark Fathi Massoud’s latest book has earned him a series of award recognitions, speaking engagements around the globe, and an invitation to a closed session with resident representatives of the United Nations Development Program.
Watsonville Filipino history digital archive now available for public viewing
April 12, 2022
The Watsonville is in the Heart Digital Archive is now viewable online and features oral history recordings, original documents, photos, and family artifacts highlighting Filipino history in the Pajaro Valley.
2022 PIT-UN Network Challenge funding open for submissions
April 11, 2022
The Public Interest Technology – University Network (PIT-UN) has opened the call for proposals for the 2022 Network Challenge funding opportunity. The PIT-UN Network Challenge seeks to encourage new ideas, foster collaborations, and incentivize resource- and information-sharing among network members.
Sarah Peelo named 2022 Social Sciences Division Distinguished Graduate Student Alumna
April 7, 2022
Sarah Peelo (Ph.D. Anthropology ’09) has been named UC Santa Cruz’s Social Sciences Division Distinguished Graduate Alumna. The awards ceremony for the 2022 cohort will take place on April 23 of Alumni Weekend.
Ricky Bluthenthal announced as 2022 social sciences distinguished alumni award recipient
April 4, 2022
The Social Sciences division is proud to announce trailblazing health equity researcher and advocate Ricky Bluthenthal (Merrill ’86, History and Sociology) as the recipient of the 2022 Social Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award.
Watsonville Filipino history archive set to launch at April 9th public event
April 1, 2022
The Watsonville is in the Heart Digital Archive will be publicly unveiled during a launch event at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History. The archive features oral history recordings, original documents, photos, and family artifacts highlighting Filipino history in the Pajaro Valley.
Celebrating 50 years of immersive natural history education at UC Santa Cruz
March 28, 2022
In June, an event will gather UC Santa Cruz alumni, faculty, staff, current students, and community members to honor the legacy of Ken Norris and natural history at UCSC, including the 50th anniversary of Natural History Field Quarter.
Local pumas don’t sense danger in places where they’re most often killed by humans
March 28, 2022
A new study led by UC Santa Cruz researchers suggests that pumas in the Santa Cruz Mountains don’t make accurate assessments of where they are most likely to be killed by humans, especially when it comes to the threat of being killed in retaliation for loss of livestock.
Seed funding grants for early-stage research, creative projects given to 19 awardees
March 28, 2022
The UCSC Office of Research has awarded funds this month to 19 projects through its inaugural Seed Funding for Early Stage Initiatives program.
Annual Confronting Climate Change Conference focuses on local impacts and solutions
March 24, 2022
UC Santa Cruz offers a weekend of free events at the Seymour Center to spark conversation and inspire action.
Economics Professor Rob Fairlie testifies before committee in U.S. House of Representatives to share research on Paycheck Protection Programe
March 21, 2022
Fairlie testified on his latest research, which showed that changes to the Paycheck Protection Program in 2021 helped to improve racial equity in loan distribution.
UC Santa Cruz lecturer and alumna contributes to IPCC’s 2022 report on global climate change
March 18, 2022
Pam Rittelmeyer, a lecturer in the Department of Environmental Studies and College Nine, is a contributing author on the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Keeping the stoke fresh
March 10, 2022
Alumnus David Schulkin, who has taught surfing to UC Santa Cruz students for more than two decades, is ‘all about joy and about passing on the joy of surfing.’
UC Santa Cruz to implement strategic plan for internationalization
March 10, 2022
UC Santa Cruz is advancing comprehensive internationalization to ensure that the members of the campus community are prepared and encouraged to study, teach, conduct research, and work in a global context, and that institutional policies, programs, and initiatives are aligned to achieve this shared goal.
Institute For Advanced Studies selects environmental sociologist Hillary Angelo as a member
March 04, 2022
UC Santa Cruz Associate Professor of Sociology Hillary Angelo was selected among a group of 25 world-leading researchers and academics who will focus on the theme “Climate Crisis Politics” as 2022-2023 members of the IAS School of Social Sciences.
Danielle Dadiego named recipient of 2022 Society for American Archaeology Dissertation Award
March 02, 2022
UCSC Danielle Dadiego (M.A. Anthropology, ’17; Ph.D. Anthropology, ’20) has worked in the archeology field for nearly two decades. Her dissertation, Beads, Bullets, and Brokerage: Exploring Economic Agency in Eighteenth-Century West Florida, has been nationally recognized by one of the most prestigious awards in the archeology field.
Exposing the racist underpinnings of ‘neutral’ technology
February 28, 2022
In her keynote speech at the all-virtual 38th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Convocation, sociologist Ruha Benjamin warned of the “neutral” veneer of tech, and how it can often disguise oppressive practices.
UC Santa Cruz joins Social Science Research Council
February 25, 2022
The campus is now a member of the Social Science Research Council’s College and University Fund for the Social Sciences, which will offer new opportunities for UC Santa Cruz to help shape research priorities across the field.
‘John Lewis’s legacy will imbue all we do’
February, 2022
Once considered a ‘scrappy upstart,’ College Ten—to be named John R. Lewis College following an endowment gift—plans to continue and expand upon the strong programs that led to the naming after the late congressman and civil rights icon
Vic Thasiah: Protecting the Earth in the long run
February, 2022
Psychology alum Vic Thasiah, now an environmental humanities professor at California Lutheran University, started Runners for Public Lands to promote environmental stewardship.
Opening doors for those in need
February, 2022
UCSC anthropology and education alum Ernesto Ruiz establishes endowment to benefit EOP students.
Katie Morrow: Limitless drive
February, 2022
UCSC community studies alum Katie Morrow is the founder of Santa Cruz-based internantional nonprofit Limitless Horizons.
Generous gifts help UCSC shatter fundraising records in holiday food drive
February 22, 2022
UC Santa Cruz smashed all previous records during its participation in the annual Second Harvest holiday food and fund drive, raising the equivalent of 376,099 meals.
‘Abolition. Feminism. Now.’ earns national praise
February 17, 2022
The book, authored by Professor Emerita Angela Y. Davis and Associate Professor Gina Dent, is garnering national attention for its pathbreaking examination of abolition and feminism in the 21st century.
First nationwide study of scams targeting immigrants shows local social context may help or hinder reporting
February 10, 2022
Assistant Professor of Sociology Juan Manuel Pedroza’s latest research offers insights that may help improve access to justice for vulnerable communities.
UC Santa Cruz announces ambitious investment to hire 100 additional faculty over decade, part of broader effort to advance student success and research excellence
February 08, 2022
To advance its place as an international leader at the intersection of innovation and social justice, UC Santa Cruz announced today its intention to prioritize faculty hiring by adding 100 additional faculty over the next decade.
UC Santa Cruz tops ranking of women in leadership at R1 universities
February 07, 2022
UC Santa Cruz is first in the nation for racial and gender diversity in leadership, according to a new report by the Women’s Power Gap Initiative at the Eos Foundation,
An advocate for menstrual equity
February 04, 2022
Politics Student Amanda Safi helped get a new California law passed that requires public schools to stock restrooms with free menstrual products—a move activists say is a first step toward rectifying the discrimination, stigma, and financial, educational, and health consequences faced by those who menstruate.
Equity gaps in COVID-19 deaths closed for some racial and ethnic groups, widened for others during vaccine rollout in California
February 03, 2022
New research from UC Santa Cruz, Stanford University, and UC San Francisco shows how racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 deaths across California changed as the rollout process for vaccines began.
Distinguished sociologist and founding director of Ida B. Wells JUST Data Lab to headline MLK Convocation
February 01, 2022
Ruha Benjamin, an incisive scholar of tech-reinforced racism, will address the 38th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Convocation, a virtual event on February 23.
Climate action planning misses equity opportunities in many California cities
January 31, 2022
A new study led by UC Santa Cruz analyzed 170 climate action plans across California to find out how cities are incorporating equity into their efforts to curb emissions and address climate change impacts.
CITRIS Tech for Social Good 2021-22 student teams awarded funding
January 27, 2022
CITRIS and the Banatao Institute at UC Santa Cruz has chosen three new student projects and two events for funding through the 2021-22 Tech for Social Good (TSG).
The struggle to protect voting rights must go on. Lessons from the Civil Rights Movement can help
January 25, 2022
Distinguished professor emeritus John Brown Childs shares his opinion on the U.S. Senate’s recent blockage of voting rights legislation and reflects on lessons he learned during the Civil Rights Movement that may help voting rights activists today.
Rebecca Hernandez to serve as campus’s first community archivist
January 20, 2022
Rebecca Hernandez, who previous served as the director of the American Indian Resource Center, will seek out partnerships with community organizations and leaders to support the preservation of community history, with a particular focus on reaching out to traditionally underrepresented communities.
Economics professor takes deep dive into challenges and opportunities of climate change
January 13, 2022
The widespread impacts of climate change raise urgent and critical questions.
Appetite for entrepreneurship leads alum to launch successful meal-prep business
January 13, 2022
Economics alumnus Andy Sartori, a Sacramento Business Journal 40 under 40 honoree, helps people eat with purpose.
Undergraduate Pearl Ibeanusi wins national scholarship in honor of late U.S. Rep. Patsy Takemoto Mink
January 06, 2022
Pearl Ibeanusi, who’s double majoring in community studies and education, justice, and democracy, recently won a nationally competitive scholarship award from the Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation.
Legal studies major Aissata Ba looks back on the “whirlwind” of meeting Michelle Obama at recent event
January 05, 2022
Aissata Ba was among the students who asked a question as part of a conversation last year with Michelle Obama. The event was recorded and will air later this month on BET.
Undergraduate Tommy Alejandrez won a $20,000 Leadership Opportunity Award
January 04, 2022
Tommy Alejandrez, studying sociology and Latin American and Latino studies, recently won a Karl Pister award. Alejandrez was experiencing homelessness when he met former NFL player Zack Follet, sparking a friendship that changed both their lives.
Year in review: Giving voice to the challenges of our time December, 2021
A collection of prominent UCSC news stories from 2021.
