In the Media
Scholars at UC Santa Cruz take an unflinching look at the forces that shape our world. Here are some highlights of UC Santa Cruz change-makers in the media.
San Jose immigrants suffer from growing economic divide
June 13, 2021 – The Washington Post interviewed Assistant Professor of Sociology Juan Pedroza and Sociology Professor and Director of the Institute for Social Transformation Chris Benner about factors contributing to economic inequality in San Jose.
How to save the Salton Sea: Proposal to import seawater across California desert is biggest since Hoover Dam
June 11, 2021 – USA Today and The Desert Sun produced an in-depth feature article on the Salton Sea, including Environmental Studies Professor Brent Haddad’s role leading a panel to evaluate water importation proposals.
California’s community colleges took a massive hit during the pandemic
June 09, 2021 – Associate Professor of Economics George Bulman and Professor of Economics Robert Fairlie’s latest research demonstrating the pandemic’s impact on higher education was featured in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Democrats displace border crisis onto Central America
June 09, 2021 – Emerita history professor Dana Frank was interviewed on KPFA about a visit by Vice President Kamala Harris to Central America and the border crisis. She was also quoted in a Los Angeles Times story about Harris and U.S. policy in the region.
UCSC study reveals that virtual reality can alter time perception
June 07, 2021 – Good Times interviewed Grayson Mullen, a cognitive science alumnus, and Psychology Professor Nicolas Davidenko about their research documenting a “time compression” effect in virtual reality.
Three soft skills leaders need for hybrid work environments
June 03, 2021 – Fast Company discussed research by Ph.D. student Andrew Guydish and Psychology Professor Jean E. Fox Tree on the importance of understanding “conversation reciprocity” for teams in hybrid and remote work environments.
UC Santa Cruz senior seizes dreams despite early challenges
June 02, 2021 – A Santa Cruz Sentinel profile featured Alyssa Tamboura, an upcoming 2021 legal studies and philosophy graduate who founded the Walls to Bridges program.
At Shul, We Drink Single Malt: On “A Fortress in Brooklyn”
May 26, 2021 – The Los Angeles Review of Books featured an article about a “groundbreaking new book, A Fortress in Brooklyn: Race, Real Estate, and the Making of Hasidic Williamsburg,” co-authored by history professor Nathaniel Deutsch.
Small Businesses Have Surged in Black Communities. Was It the Stimulus?
May 24, 2021 – Economics Professor Rob Fairlie spoke with The New York Times about how unemployment has influenced entrepreneurship trends in the wake of the pandemic.
When DNA Research Doesn’t Benefit All of Us
May 21, 2021 – Professor of Sociology Jenny Reardon, who is the founding director of the Science & Justice Research Center, was interviewed by The Pulse radio show on Philadelphia station WHYY about lessons learned from the last quarter century of efforts to study variation in human genomes.
AAPI Heritage: Remembering the Watsonville Riots of 1930
May 20, 2021 – Associate Professor of Sociology Steven McKay was interviewed alongside history doctoral candidate Meleia Simon-Reynolds and history undergraduate Nick Nasser for a KSBW story about efforts to preserve the history of Watsonsville’s first Filipino immigrants.
Muslim women are using Sharia to push for gender equality
May 18, 2021 – Politics and Legal Studies Professor Mark Fathi Massoud wrote an article for The Conversation based on research from his forthcoming new book.
UC Santa Cruz undergrads provide books to kids with incarcerated family member
May 16, 2021 – Santa Cruz Sentinel interviewed legal studies undergraduate Matt Sioson about his recent Strauss Foundation award win, which will support his work with the Walls to Bridge Book Project. KSBW also interviewed Sioson and other UC Santa Cruz students and alumni about this story.
The Surprisingly Complex History Behind 90 Day Fiancé
May 06, 2021 – Feminist studies professor Felicity Amaya Schaeffer was featured in The Atlantic magazine’s The Experiment podcast in a segment about what a guilty-pleasure reality show teaches us about immigration and democracy in America.
Why people with disabilities are at greater risk of going hungry – especially during a pandemic
May 06, 2021 – Anthropology Professor Melissa Caldwell wrote for The Conversation about how food insecurity affects people with disabilities.
Tamál Húye: Coast Miwoks Fight for Recognition of Point Reyes’ Indigenous History
May 05, 2021 – Assistant Professor of Anthropology Tsim Schneider spoke with the Pacific Sun about the ways in which traditional anthropology narratives have erased the resilience and survival of Coast Miwok people.
Experimenting With Mushrooms To Try And Heal Toxic Burn Scars In Santa Cruz
May 05, 2021 – KAZU interviewed Environmental Studies professor Greg Gilbert about the ability of mushrooms and other fungi to remove toxins from a landscape.
Gig work could change under Biden’s Labor secretary. Here’s how
May 04, 2021 – Marketwatch discussed research on gig workers in the Bay Area by Chris Benner, a professor of sociology and environmental studies and the director of the Institute for Social Transformation.
Installing solar panels over California’s canals could yield water, land, air and climate payoffs
May 03, 2021 – Environmental studies postdoctoral researcher Brandi McKuin coauthored an article for The Conversation on the potential benefits of installing solar panels over California’s system of water conveyance canals.
May 02, 2021 – Associate professor of history Juned Shaikh was featured in India’s daily newspaper, Mid-Day, for a story on how a city that’s hailed as cosmopolitan is not just one of haves and have-nots, but one steeped in caste prejudices too.
From the Spice Girls to Malala: Media portrayals of “girl power” should be more nuanced
April 30, 2021 – Latin American & Latino Studies Professor Jessica Taft discussed her recent paper on media portrayals of girl activists with Voices of Monterey Bay.
Filler words: From pause fillers to elements of discourse
April 28, 2021 – Psychology Professor Jean E. Fox Tree’s research on the importance of filler words was discussed in an article by Die Zeit, one of German’s most widely read newspapers.
April 28, 2021 – Distinguished Professor of Economics Nirvikar Singh wrote an opinion piece for Financial Express about the growth of companies valued over $1 billion in India.
Arbor Day should be about growing trees, not just planting them
April 27, 2021 – Environmental Studies Professor Karen Holl coauthored an article for The Conversation about the need to shift the focus from tree-planting to tree-growing in order to maximize benefits.
Three UC Santa Cruz professors elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
April 26, 2021 – KION-TV ran a story about professors Angela Davis, James Estes, and Barbara Rogoff joining the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
The Unlikely Success of Fish Sticks
April 23, 2021 – Hakai Magazine interviewed environmental studies researcher Brandi McKuin about the carbon footprint of Alaska pollock used to produce fish sticks. This story was also published in Smithsonian Magazine and The Atlantic.
‘Solar Canals’ In California Could Save Water, Fight For Climate Change
April 23, 2021 – CBS Sacramento interviewed environmental studies researcher Brandi McKuin about her recent paper analyzing the economic feasibility of covering California’s canals with solar panels.
Solar panels on California’s canals could save water and help fight climate change
April 22, 2021 – The Los Angeles Times featured research from Brandi McKuin and Elliott Campbell on canal-spanning solar systems in their “Boiling Point” weekly climate change and environmental newsletter. This research was also featured recently on KSRO and The Independent.
Saving the Super Bloom: Why California’s Wildflowers Are Under Siege
April 22, 2021 – A Vogue article about California wildflowers cited research on “solar canals” by environmental studies postdoctoral researcher Brandi McKuin and Professor Elliott Campbell as an example of how renewable energy could be developed while preserving wildflower habitat.
UCSC Climate Conference Will Address Food Security
April 22, 2021 – Good Times interviewed Environmental Studies Professor Stacy Philpott about UCSC’s upcoming seventh annual Confronting Climate Change Conference.
Four Ways To Spark Watercooler Moments For Your Remote Team
April 22, 2021 – Forbes cited research from psychology Ph.D. student Andrew Guydish and Psychology Professor Jean E. Fox Tree in an article about the challenges of remote work. Guydish was also interviewed for a recent article in The Walrus.
‘She Coughs When She’s Sleeping’: Life In Polluted Pacoima
April 22, 2021 – Recent environmental studies alumnus Aaron Ortiz was featured in LAist for his efforts to monitor air pollution in his hometown of Pacoima.
Why forests in the Andes are crucial to fighting climate change
April 21, 2021 – Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Kai Zhu commented on a new study about the carbon sequestration effects of Andean forests for an article in Popular Science.
In Vermont, Isolating Inmates Kept Covid at Bay, but at a Price
April 21, 2021 – Psychology Professor Craig Haney weighed in on the effects of pandemic-era isolation policies in prisons in Vermont for an article in The New York Times.
My Students Started a Discord Server. Now What?
April 21, 2021 – Sociology lecturer Megan McNamara coauthored an article with Associate Director for Instructional Design and Development Aaron Zachmeier for Inside Higher Ed.
Narco in Chief: How America enables corruption in Honduras
April 20, 2021 – Harper’s Magazine cited a passage from emerita professor of history Dana Frank’s recent book, The Long Honduran Night, in a story about the long history of U.S. support for corruption in Honduras.
An ‘insane’ covid lockdown two miles from the Capitol, with no end in sight
April 19, 2021 – Psychology Professor Craig Haney spoke with The Washington Post about the effects of pandemic lockdown conditions at the Washington D.C. jail.
Asian-American businesses suffer outsized pandemic toll
April 14, 2021 – Reuters cited research by Economics Professor Rob Fairlie in an article about the pandemic’s disproportionate impact on Asian-American business owners.
Congressman Panetta holds meeting with AAPI community on anti-Asian hate crimes
April 08, 2021 – History professor Alice Yang was quoted in a KION-TV news story about a virtual meeting with Central Coast Asian American and Pacific Islander community members to address the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes locally and nationally.
California spends $12.8M more on the Salton Sea, finally appoints analyst to study seawater importation
April 08, 2021 – The Palm Springs Desert Sun shared the news that Environmental Studies Professor Brent Haddad is expected to lead a review of proposals to rewater the Salton Sea for the state Natural Resources Agency.
Watching flames turn to forests
April 02, 2021 – Environmental studies Ph.D. candidate Justin Luong spoke with Good Times about a new project with the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, the California Native Plant Society, and citizen scientists to monitor ecosystem recovery following the CZU Lightning Complex fires.
What A Decade Of Counting Seeds Tells Us About Future West Coast Forests
April 02, 2021 – KAZU visited UCSC’s Forest Ecology Research Plot to learn about long-term monitoring efforts with Environmental Studies Professor Greg Gilbert, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Kai Zhu, and ecology and evolutionary biology student Ishana Shukla.
New York Will End Long-Term Solitary Confinement in Prisons and Jails
April 01, 2021 – Psychology Professor Craig Haney spoke with The New York Times about changes to solitary confinement policies. This story was also covered by Courthouse News Service.
US prisons start to resume allowing visits to inmates, with added virus precautions
March 28, 2021 – The New York Times interviewed Psychology Professor Craig Haney about the reinstatement of prison visitation and what this experience may be like for incarcerated people and their families.
Biden administration looks at why migrants flee Honduras
March 26, 2021 – Emerita history professor Dana Frank was interviewed for stories on Public Radio International’s “The World” program and NPR, BBC News Mundo and the Financial Times about corruption in Honduras and the Biden administration’s response to migrants fleeing that country.
The ‘Cult’ and Contradictions of the American Flag
March 26, 2021 – Film and Digital Media Professor Sharon Daniel was interviewed on NBC-LX news for a story about the shifting meanings of the American flag in a divided country.
California Condor Recovery Plans to Expand to the Pacific Northwest
March 25, 2021 – Environmental toxicologist Myra Finkelstein was quoted in a Courthouse News Service story about California condor recovery plans.
What The Shade-Grown Label Means on Your Coffee
March 24, 2021 – Environmental studies postdoctoral scholar Estelí Jiménez-Soto talked with Discover Magazine about the tensions between environmental benefits and working conditions in shade-grown coffee production.
Sexual and Gender Diversity in an Era of Radical Authenticity
March 24, 2021 – Psychology Professor Phil Hammack kicked off his new column for Psychology Today with an article about how a new generation is leading a revolution in how we think about sexual and gender diversity.
Amazon was supposed to kill Instacart. Instead Instacart became a mini-Amazon
March 23 2021 – CNN Business interviewed Sociology and Environmental Studies Professor Chris Benner about how online retail is changing the grocery industry.
The Deep American Roots of the Atlanta Shootings
March 20, 2021 – A New York Times piece about the recent violent attacks on Asian women cited a passage from the book “Unbound Feet” by the late UCSC historian and emerita professor of American studies, Judy Yung.
Why covering canals with solar panels is a power move
March 19, 2021 – WIRED interviewed Brandi McKuin, an environmental studies postdoctoral researcher, about her new paper with Environmental Studies Professor Elliott Campbell that showed the potential benefits of covering California’s water conveyance canals with solar panels.
One year later: How COVID killed small businesses
March 17, 2021 – Economics Professor Rob Fairlie spoke with Bay Area television station KTVU about how businesses have fared a year into the pandemic.
Exhibits convey incarcerated artists’ spirit: ‘No matter what I did … there’s beauty inside me’
March 17, 2021 – A story in the San Francisco Chronicle spotlighted Barring Freedom, an exhibition co-curated by UCSC’s Institute of Arts and Sciences.
As Uber avoided paying into unemployment, the federal government helped thousands of its drivers weather the pandemic
March 16, 2021 – Sociology Professor Chris Benner was quoted by The Washington Post as part of an article documenting how app-based workers fell back on federal pandemic aid intended for small businesses.
‘Revolutionary’ federal stimulus bill could cut California child poverty by half
March 10, 2021 – CalMatters interviewed Sociology Professor Chris Benner about how funding through the child tax credit extension could alleviate financial anxiety and allow parents to seek new economic opportunities.
Keeping youth politically engaged after they voted in record numbers last year
March 10, 2021 – Associate Professor of Sociology Veronica Terriquez talked with San Francisco public radio station KALW about what it might take to keep young voters politically engaged following their high turnout rates in the 2020 elections.
Study Finds Climate Change Alters West Coast Trees
March 08, 2021 – Good Times Santa Cruz talked with Environmental Studies Professor and Founding Director of the Forest Ecology Research Plot Greg Gilbert and Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Kai Zhu about how data collected by student interns is contributing to larger studies of climate change impacts on forests.
Foreign ownership of U.S. farmland is growing. A Missouri lawmaker wants to ban it in the state
March 03, 2021 – An article on foreign investor ownership of U.S. farmland by The Counter quoted Assistant Professor Madeleine Fairbairn’s book Fields of Gold: Financing the Global Land Rush.
Asian-owned small businesses saw an outsized pandemic impact last year
March 03, 2021 – CNBC cited Economics Professor Rob Fairlie’s research in a story about how Asian-owned businesses have struggled to recover since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
How not to reform the economy — Political strength should not lead to intellectual weakness in designing economic reforms
March 03, 2021 – Distinguished Professor of Economics Nirvikar Singh wrote an article for Financial Express examining what went wrong with agricultural reforms in India that led to farmer protests.
OPINION-Dana Frank: Biden must end U.S. policy shoring up the corrupt and authoritarian regime in Honduras
March 03, 2021 – The Washington Post featured an op-ed by history professor Dana Frank urging the Biden administration to end years of U.S. support for a corrupt regime in Honduras led by a repressive dictator.
Planting trees helps fight climate change—but we need billions more seedlings
March 02, 2021 – Environmental Studies professor Karen Holl was interviewed by National Geographic about the importance of planning for survival in tree-planting efforts.
African American Theater Arts Troupe Celebrates 30th Anniversary
March 02, 2021 – The Santa Cruz Good Times published a cover story about the three-decade history of UCSC’s African American Theater Arts Troupe.
1 in 6 Gen Z adults are LGBT. And this number could continue to grow
February 24, 2021 – Psychology Professor Phil Hammack talked with The Washington Post about a new survey from Gallup that shows one in six adults in Generation Z identifies as LGBT.
Bay Area Author Tommy Orange on the Mythmaking of History
February 23, 2021 – The Santa Cruz Good Times featured a cover story about acclaimed author Tommy Orange and the Humanities Institute’s Deep Read program.
The Ones That Never Reopened: The Pandemic’s Impact On Local Businesses
February 23, 2021 – Economics Professor Rob Fairlie talked with KAZU about the pandemic’s impacts for a story about local businesses that have not been able to reopen.
Rhiana Gunn-Wright talks Green New Deal, Climate Policy, and Environmental Justice
February 20, 2021 – City on a Hill Press discusses the “Changing Climate: The Role of Environmental Justice” event that featured a Q&A between climate justice expert Rhiana Gunn-Wright and moderator Sikina Jinnah, associate professor of environmental studies.
Black Grief, White Grievance: Artists Search for Racial Justice
February 18, 2021 – The New York Times featured a story about an exhibition co-curated by arts professor Mark Nash at the New Museum.
Do looks matter for success in economics? Actually, they’re pretty important
February 18, 2021 – Marketplace interviewed Economics Professor Galina Hale about her recent paper documenting that levels of attractiveness can affect career success for economists. Hale says this demonstrates the importance of strategies to correct for implicit bias.
Prepare for gridlock if future of autonomous vehicles is plentiful cheap journeys
February 18, 2021 – Forbes discussed the findings of a paper on the potential traffic and environmental impacts of autonomous vehicles that was produced by Associate Professor Adam Millard-Ball through UCSC’s Environmental Studies Department.
African American Theater Arts Troupe celebrates 30 years with live online performance
February 17, 2021 – The Santa Cruz Sentinel featured a story about UCSC’s Cultural Arts & Diversity Resource Center’s public gala celebrating the 30th anniversary of its flagship theater ensemble, the African American Theater Arts Troupe.
Shopify’s Secret Weapon Is Thousands of New Business Owners
February 16, 2021 – Economics Professor Rob Fairlie was interviewed by The Wallstreet Journal about e-commerce trends and the risks of business startup failure during the pandemic.
Santa Cruz County substance use disorder experts highlight growing overdose concerns
February 14, 2021 – Sociology Professor Emeritus Craig Reinarman spoke with Santa Cruz Sentinel about factors contributing to a recent uptick in certain types of overdose deaths within Santa Cruz County.
Why “noncitizen” is a better word than “alien”
February 12, 2021 – The Monterey County Weekly interviewed linguistics professor Jaye Padgett for a story about the push to replace “alien” with “noncitizen” as a word to identify a foreigner or immigrant.
Kamala Harris: The exodus of women from the workforce is a national emergency
February 12, 2021 – Vice President Kamala Harris’s recent op-ed for The Washington Post cited research by Economics Professor Rob Fairlie that documented closures of women-owned businesses resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.
UCSC Researchers Win Grant to Develop More Sustainable Aquaculture
February 11, 2021 – Environmental Studies Professor Anne Kapuscinski and Associate Research Professor Pallab Sarker talked with Good Times about their new aquaculture research facility at the UCSC Farm and shared what’s next in their work to develop more sustainable aquaculture feed.
9 million U.S. small businesses fear they won’t survive pandemic
February 09, 2021 – CBS Moneywatch quoted Economics Professor Rob Fairlie’s recent testimony before the House Committee on Small Business and shared his updated numbers on small business ownership rates through the end of 2020.
‘The landscape of fear’: Big cats pay a price for avoiding areas now inhabited by humans
February 09, 2021 – Environmental Studies Professor Chris Wilmers talked with Lookout Santa Cruz about new research with Barry Nickel, director of the Center for Integrated Spatial Research. The team documented changes to puma ranges.
Honduran president target of U.S. investigation, court filings show
February 08, 2021 – Emeritus history professor and Honduras expert Dana Frank was quoted in a number of news outlets, including Reuters, The Guardian, and U.S. News & World Report, about new investigations into corruption by Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez.
Racial (in)justice and the UC budget crisis
February 08, 2021 – Dean of Social Sciences Katharyne Mitchell co-authored an article about the fear the budget crunch could lead the UC to fail to deliver on the soaring hopes for social mobility for underrepresented minority students.
In lockdown, ‘weak-tie’ friendships are the ones we’re really missing most
February 07, 2021 – Psychology Ph.D. student Andrew Guydish was quoted in The Telegraph discussing his research on “conversation reciprocity.”
Amid a health and economic crisis, some local grocery stores offload their delivery drivers
February 05, 2021 – Los Angeles Magazine interviewed Sociology Professor Chris Benner about his new research documenting the rise of gig work within the grocery industry during the pandemic.
Planting trees sounds like a simple climate fix. It’s anything but.
February 05, 2021 – Environmental Studies Professor Karen Holl talked with The Huffington Post about the long-term commitments and careful planning it takes to truly utilize tree-planting as part of a climate change mitigation strategy.
Is the pandemic making our social skills decay? Psychologists think so
February 05, 2021 – Psychology Professor Craig Haney talked with Salon about how isolation during the pandemic may be affecting social skills.
Wildlife corridors aren’t a new idea, but taking human resistance into account makes them much more effective
February 04, 2021 – Popular Science cited a new paper by Environmental Studies professor Chris Wilmers and Center for Integrated Spatial Research Director Barry Nickel as an example of how the “landscape of fear” impacts animal movements.
UCSC economist warns Congress of ‘alarming’ reversal in small business recovery
February 04, 2021 – Lookout Santa Cruz covered Economics Professor Rob Fairlie’s testimony before the House Committee on Small Business. Fairlie shared his latest research on the pandemic’s economic impacts.
Minority-owned businesses struggle to access credit during pandemic, Fed survey finds
February 03, 2021 – Reuters cited research by Economics Professor Rob Fairlie documenting inequalities in the distribution of loans through the Paycheck Protection Program.
Who’s afraid of who? Mountain lions fear and avoid humans
February 03, 2021 – Anthropocene Magazine covered new research from Environmental Studies Professor Chris Wilmers and Center for Integrated Spatial Research Director Barry Nickel, which showed how the energetic cost of avoiding humans affects habitat use among local pumas.
How Black Lives Matter Came to the Academy
February 01, 2021 – The New Yorker magazine published an article by alumna Kristal Brent Zook (PH.D. History of Consciousness) about the progress in fighting decades of racial bias on college campuses.
The pandemic has erased entire categories of friendship
January 27, 2021 – Psychology Ph.D. student Andrew Guydish talked with The Atlantic about his recent research on “conversation reciprocity” and what it may tell us about the challenges of maintaining relationships while working remotely.
The U.S. Must Do More to Care for Its Caregivers
January 24, 2021 – Professor Catherine S. Ramírez coauthored an opinion piece for The Atlantic that highlights the disparities in coronavirus-related benefits and support received by older Americans, compared to their caregivers—home health aides and nursing assistants who are often immigrants.
Saving The Endangered Languages Of The Monterey Bay Area
January 21, 2021 – Monterey Bay NPR affiliate KAZU interviewed linguistics professor Maziar Toosarvandani for a story about how UCSC linguists are working to preserve indigenous languages spoken by communities originally from Mexico that are now living in the Monterey Bay area.
How the Biden administration can take action for biodiversity conservation
January 20, 2021 – Biologist Erika Zavaleta was quoted in a ScienceLine article about environmental policy and the Biden administration.
Santa Cruz County NAACP hosts virtual MLK Day march
January 19, 2021 – Associate professor of history David Anthony was quoted in a Santa Cruz Sentinel story about the decades-long struggle for social justice and equity by black communities across the country.
Some California jobs lost to COVID will never be the same. Here’s what experts say
January 14, 2021 – The Sacramento Bee launched a new series on the future of work in California, and the first article included professor Chris Benner’s insights on how the rise of gig work is affecting job quality in sectors like grocery retail as the pandemic fuels e-commerce.
Death row inmate designs garden installation by instructing university students through letters
January 08, 2021 – The Art Newspaper featured a story about the Barring Freedom initiative and Solitary Garden art installation at UCSC, quoting Rachel Nelson, director of the Institute of the Arts and Sciences.
11 Books & Podcasts About Coups That Are Extra Relevant Right Now
January 08, 2021 – Bustle magazine included emeritus history professor Dana Frank’s recent book, The Long Honduran Night: Resistance, Terror and the United States in the Aftermath of the Coup, for a story about books that can help you make sense of the attack on the U.S. Capitol.
At Google, Hundreds Of Workers Formed A Labor Union. Why? ‘To Protect Ourselves’
January 08, 2021 – NPR’s recent reporting on the development of a new labor union at Google included professor Chris Benner’s insights on labor trends in the tech sector.
Albertsons is laying off employees and replacing them with gig workers, as app platforms rise
January 06, 2021 – Professor Chris Benner was interviewed by The Washington Post about the influences of Prop 22 in Albertsons’ recent decision to replace employees with gig workers.
Has 2020’s spike in support for Black-owned business carried through to the holidays?
December 24, 2020 – Marketplace interviewed economics professor Rob Fairlie about trends affecting Black-owned businesses since the start of the pandemic.
Hispanic Serving Institutions: What to Know
December 16, 2020 – UC Santa Cruz is among the 10 highest-ranked National Universities in the 2021 U.S. News Best Colleges rankings with HSI status, according to a story from U.S. News and World Report.
Civil rights activist Angela Davis launches fashion collaboration with LA label
December 15, 2020 – A story in The Guardian reported that UCSC professor emerita Angela Davis is co-launching a “Heroes of Blackness” line of clothing featuring artwork by independent Black artists.
Nature’s 10: ten people who helped shape science in 2020
December 14, 2020 – Genome scientist Karen Miga was featured among the “Ones to watch in 2021” in a Nature article about the top 10 people who helped shape science in 2020.
Taking fish out of fish feed can make aquaculture a more sustainable food source
December 14, 2020 – Pallab Sarker, an associate research professor in environmental studies, wrote an article for The Conversation about the recent breakthrough in sustainable aquaculture feed that he and professor Anne Kapuscinski made from their ecological aquaculture lab.
Female workers could take another pandemic hit: to their retirements
December 11, 2020 – The New York Times cited an article coauthored by economics professor Rob Fairlie that shows how the COVID-19 labor market downturn has disproportionately affected unemployment rates for women, particularly those with school-aged children.
10 women breaking glass ceilings in the gaming industry
December 10, 2020 – Arts professor Robin Hunicke was featured in a Times Lifestyle story about the female executives, players, and innovators who are helping revolutionize the gaming industry and opening doors for other young, diverse gamers.
Global panel discusses India’s transformation into a ‘fascist state’ under Modi
December 09, 2020 – A story in The Express Tribune noted that associate feminist studies professor Anjali Arondekar, co-director of UCSC’s Center for South Asian Studies, spoke at a global conference in Australia’s Parliament about caste-based politics in India and the oppression and marginalization of minorities. The story also appeared in Pakistan’s Daily News and Dawn newspapers.
Researchers fear gig work will spread to grocery industry as demand for delivery surges
December 09, 2020 – MarketWatch broke the news about a new report on e-commerce labor trends in the grocery retail industry that was led by Chris Benner, an environmental studies and sociology professor and director the Institute For Social Transformation.
UC Santa Cruz offers new MFA program
December 07, 2020 – KION-TV news reported about a new M.F.A. degree program in Environmental Art and Social Practice offered by the Art Department.
December 04, 2020 – The editors of the business and policy-themed DealBook Newsletter from The New York Times included a new paper from economics professor Rob Fairlie in a collection of their favorite academic research from the past week. Fairlie’s new paper, which documents inequalities in access to capital for minority-owned startups, was also featured in The Hutchins Roundup from The Brookings Institution.
Trade-offs for growth revival: Why India’s policymakers need a new roadmap
December 04, 2020 – Economics professor Nirvikar Singh comments on economic reforms in India through an opinion piece in Financial Express.
California’s open Senate seat prompts guessing game
December 01, 2020 – Politics professor Daniel Wirls talked with KAZU host Doug McKnight about the factors that may affect who Governor Newsom chooses to fill Kamala Harris’ open Senate seat.
In rebuilding Big Basin, which history do we want to remember?
November 30, 2020 – History professor Dana Frank contributed an op-ed to the San Francisco Chronicle about racism, imperialism, and the rebuilding of Big Basin State Park.
Holiday gift-givers want their money to matter. Companies, large and small, are taking notice.
November 28, 2020 – CNBC cited research by economics professor Rob Fairlie in their coverage about consumers choosing to support Black-owned businesses this holiday season.
Will California’s small businesses survive another COVID-19 surge without more help?
November 24, 2020 – Economics professor Robert Fairlie was quoted in a Los Angeles Times article about the strain that the latest COVID-19 surge is putting on small businesses.
UC Santa Cruz Rhodes Scholar talks about process, future plans
November 23, 2020 – Spring 2020 graduate Garima Desai talks with NBC Bay Area anchor Terry McSweeney about her recent Rhodes Scholar win. Garima was also interviewed by ABC 7 News and featured in articles by the Santa Cruz Sentinel and Lookout Local.
Researchers found signs of human pollution in animals living six miles beneath the sea
November 19, 2020 – Ocean scientist Carl Lamborg was quoted in a Popular Science article about high mercury concentrations found in fish in the Mariana Trench.
As Broad Shutdowns Return, Californians Ask ‘Is This the Best We Can Do?’
November 19, 2020 – Infectious disease expert Marm Kilpatrick was quoted in a U.S. News story about the course of the pandemic in California.
A Critical View of the Criminal Justice System, Through Artists’ Eyes
November 18, 2020 – UCSC’s Institute of the Arts and Sciences director Rachel Nelson was interviewed in Hyperallergic for a story about Barring Freedom, an exhibition about art, prison, and justice that she co-curated at the San Jose Museum of Art.
At YBCA, Art is a Powerful Tool for Envisioning a Less Complacent Future
November 18, 2020 – A KQED story about a multimedia group exhibition at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts highlighted Sin Sol / No Sun, an augmented reality game by assistant professor of Art and Design: Games and Playable Media, micha cárdenas.
Policing Blackness: It happened again. This time it was in Discovery Bay
November 18, 2020 – History professor Dana Frank was quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle for a story about an incident of policing blackness for innocuous behavior.
A New PBS Series Shows How Underserved Latino Communities Are Fighting To Protect Themselves During COVID-19
November 17, 2020 – A Time magazine story about a new PBS series of documentary shorts, Latinos Are Essential, described a film by associate film and digital media professor Jennifer Maytorena Taylor included in the series.
UC Santa Cruz researchers develop environmentally sustainable fish feed
November 16, 2020 – Environmental Studies Department faculty members Anne Kapuscinski and Pallab Sarker were interviewed in the Santa Cruz Sentinel about a research breakthrough from their ecological aquaculture lab.
Visualizing abolition: UCSC series explores a society without police, prisons
November 12, 2020 – Feminist studies professor Gina Dent was featured in the Santa Cruz Sentinel for an extensive article about Visualizing Abolition, a year-long campus lecture series she put together in collaboration with UCSC’s Institute of the Arts and Sciences.
Will Trump’s efforts to attract Indian American voters pay off?
November 02, 2020 – Associate feminist studies professor Anjali Arondekar, director of UCSC’s Center for South Asian Studies, was featured in a Los Angeles Times video about how both Democrats and Republicans are trying to recruit Indian American voters in the U.S. presidential election.
Thanks to Trump, U.S. no longer in denial of racism
November 02, 2020 – Emeritus history professor Dana Frank was quoted in a San Francisco Chronicle story about how President Trump “has made racism OK for many white people to practice.”
“We Don’t Protest”: Borough Park’s Mask-Burning Orthodox Jewish Demonstrators
November 01, 2020 – History professor Nathaniel Deutsch, director of the Center for Jewish Studies at UCSC, was quoted in a New Yorker magazine article about resistance to public health measures by traditional Orthodox Jewish communities in New York.
Prisons’ pandemic response: throw the infected into the hole
October 29, 2020 – Psychology professor Craig Haney was quoted discussing the adverse psychological and health effects of solitary confinement in an article by The American Prospect.
U.S. Black-Owned Firms Make Surprise Comeback to Pre-Covid Level
October 28, 2020 – Black-owned businesses, dealt a crippling blow in the first months of the COVID-19 crisis, have rebounded to their pre-pandemic numbers, according to research based on U.S. Census Bureau data collected by Economics Professor Robert Fairlie.
Philly Group Tackling Trash Through Art
October 27, 2020 – A story in Next City, about a Philadelphia neighborhood organizing to mobilize residents about a garbage problem, noted that they used the “implosion method,” a concept from humanities emeritus professor Donna Haraway, as an educational tool.
White House announces Sudan Israel deal
October 25, 2020 – UC Santa Cruz politics and legal studies professor Mark Fathi Massoud talked with BBC World News about the implications of a recent Trump administration deal to normalize relations between Sudan and Israel.
Science Friday Book Club: Conjuring An Alternate History Of Colonization
October 16, 2020 – Catherine S. Ramirez, a professor in the Latin American and Latino Studies Department, joined NPR’s Science Friday to discuss Chicanofuturism as part of a book club series exploring New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color.
October 12, 2020 – The New York Times editorial board cited a study led by Professor Chris Benner that showed workers performing the majority of app-based ride hailing and delivery services in San Francisco are typically working full time. Benner is director of the Institute for Social Transformation and a professor of environmental studies and sociology.
California Will Keep Burning. But Housing Policy Is Making It Worse
October 02, 2020 – Propublica reporters turned to Environmental Studies Professor Adam Millard-Ball for a discussion of California housing policy that forces people closer to the edge of wilderness areas for affordable housing and how that impacts the effects of wildfires on property.
How the Coronavirus Got to Donald Trump
October 02, 2020 – Infectious disease expert Marm Kilpatrick was quoted in a Wired news story about President Donald Trump’s coronavirus infection.
Why New Mexico’s 1680 Pueblo Revolt Is Echoing in 2020 Protests
October 01, 2020 – Film and digital media professor John Jota Leaños was quoted in a New York Times article about why indigenous groups in the Southwest are commemorating the 340-year-old Pueblo Revolt, one of Spain’s bloodiest defeats in its colonial empire, in their current activism.
To beat Trump, Democrats must mobilize young people
September 19, 2020 – Veronica Terriquez, an associate professor of sociology, wrote an op-ed for The Hill website that covers Capitol Hill, with advice to Joe Biden and Kamela Harris, the Democratic ticket for president and vice president, to reach out to young people of color.
The Effect of COVID-19 on CO2 Emissions
August 18, 2020 – Economics Professor Galina Hale wrote an article in Econofact about recession-related reductions in CO2 emissions are not going to have a measurable impact on the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere — the driver of climate change.
When a Family Separation Becomes Permanent
August 02, 2020 – The Atlantic quoted psychology professor Regina Day Langhout in an article about a West African man who was imprisoned by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for nearly a year, leading to his wife’s suicide.
We must invest in the University of California, not cut core instruction
July 31, 2020 – Cal Matters published an op-ed by dean of social sciences Katharyne Mitchell about the social sciences at UC Santa Cruz – and quite likely throughout the University of California – standing at the edge of a fiscal precipice.
Congresswomen of color have always fought back against sexism
July 29, 2020 – The Washington Post published an op-ed by history professor Dana Frank about how the first woman of color in Congress, Rep. Patsy Takemoto Mink, fought back for gender equality 50 years ago, paving the way for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s recent unflinching response to a verbal attack by Rep. Ted Yoho on the Capitol steps.
Lyft drivers accuse company of not providing enough protective gear
July 23, 2020 – CNN cited a recent study on San Francisco’s ride-hailing and delivery workers by Chris Benner.
When children return to school, don’t skip recess
July 16, 2020 – Professor of sociology Rebecca London co-authored an op-ed for EdSource about the importance of California’s elementary schools prioritizing outdoor recess and play time when schools physically reopen.
White backlash to Black Lives Matter was swift. It was also expected
July 9, 2020 – Professor of history Dana Frank was quoted in a San Francisco Chronicle piece about the expected hostility now beginning toward the racial uprising that has energized the country.
Airbnb Layoffs Expose Inequities in a Two-Tiered Workforce
June 26, 2020 – Chris Benner, professor of sociology and director of the Institute for Social Transformation, was quoted in a Bloomberg Businessweek article about layoffs at Airbnb that have exposed its two-tiered workforce.
Can We Trust the Police to Intervene in Fellow Officer Misconduct?
June 20, 2020 – Anjuli Verma, assistant professor of politics, co-authored an op-ed for The Jurist about whether the police can be trusted to intervene in cases of misconduct by fellow officers.
Be not dismayed when feeling helpless in today’s America
June 20, 2020 – John Brown Childs, professor emeritus of sociology, published an op-ed in the Santa Cruz Sentinel about reasons to feel hopeful during these troubling times.
Why Some Black-Owned U.S. Businesses Are Hardest Hit by Coronavirus Shutdowns
June 16, 2020 – Economist Rob Fairlie’s work on the impact of the pandemic on black-owned businesses continues to get widespread media attention, including from Reuters, The Financial Times, PBS Newshour, CBS News, USA Today, Bloomberg News, the Wall Street Journal, the BBC, Vox, The Hill, and the Associated Press.
Artist-Made Tools Resist Algorithmic Racism and Empower Communities
June 10, 2020 – KQED ran a story about activist art that included work by assistant professor of digital art and new media micha cárdenas and Arts Division grad students Abram Stern and Dorothy Santos.
Angela Davis on Abolition, Calls to Defund Police, Toppled Racist Statues & Voting in 2020 Election
June 9, 2020 – UCSC emerita professor Angela Davis discusses with Democracy Now the worldwide uprising against police brutality and racism.
Thousands of scientists worldwide to go on strike for Black lives
June 9, 2020 – Physicist Brittany Kamai was featured in news stories in Nature and the New York Times about the #ShutDownSTEM event she helped organize.
Elon Musk: An Eccentric Visionary?
June 7, 2020 – Chris Benner, professor of sociology and environmental studies and director of the Institute for Social Transformation, was interviewed by German public television for a story about Elon Musk.
Peruvians cry out for oxygen as coronavirus takes its toll
June 5, 2020 – Economist Kristian Lopez Vargas was quoted on CNN in a story about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Peru.
The black-white economic divide is as wide as it was in 1968
June 4, 2020 – Research by Economics Professor Rob Fairlie was featured in a Washington Post story about the wealth gap between black and white Americans, which is as wide today as it was in 1968.
Want to Fix Urban Sprawl? Ditch the Cul-de-Sac
May 31, 2020 – Adam Millard-Ball of Environmental Studies had his work about urban sprawl featured in Wired magazine.
How a plan to welcome 100 Syrian refugees divided a town and changed one woman’s life
May 27, 2020 – CBC Radio (Canada) ran a feature story about a new documentary film by associate professor of film and digital media Jennifer Maytorena Taylor that premieres at the Toronto Hot Docs Film Festival. Stories about the film also appeared in the Toronto-based magazine, The Gate, and IndieWire.
Peru: Coronavirus spreads despite strict and early measures
May 26, 2020 – Economist Kristian Lopez Vargas was featured in CNN‘s coverage of the coronavirus pandemic in Peru.
May 25, 2020 – The Washington Post reported new findings by economist Rob Fairlie about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on black-owned businesses.
How literature can capture the essence of life in a pandemic
May 20, 2020 – Humanities dean Tyler Stovall contributed an op-ed to the San Francisco Chronicle about literature and the pandemic.
Coronavirus Makes Juvenile Jails Look Like Adult Prisons
May 18, 2020 – Psychology Professor Craig Haney was quoted in a Ms. magazine article about the conditions facing incarcerated juveniles around the country since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
Fear sent her Chinatown restaurant spiraling. The challenges to reopening feel ‘just impossible.’
May 16, 2020 – Research by economist Robert Fairlie was cited in a Washington Post article about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Asian-owned businesses.
Elon Musk reflects Silicon Valley’s ‘move fast and break things’ culture
May 15, 2020 – Chris Benner, professor of sociology and environmental studies, coauthored an op-ed for the San Francisco Chronicle about the risks workers face in Silicon Valley’s culture of radical innovation.
Gig workers in San Francisco are mostly people of color and many are immigrants, according to survey
May 5 2020 – Among the outlets covering the results of a unique survey of gig workers that was led by Chris Benner of Sociology are Tech Crunch, Vice, Science Daily, EurasiaReview, Eater SF, CFI.co, and Broke-Ass Stuart.
Voices from the Middle East: The Future of the Hirak Movement in Algeria
May 1, 2020 – Assistant professor of history Muriam Haleh Davis interviewed Algerian journalist Selma Kasmi in the Middle East Report about how the pandemic is affecting the Hirak protest movement in Algeria.
The New Wealth Test for Immigrants Is Un-American
February 24, 2020 – Read more on The New York Times
How parents can support the young activists in their lives
January 29, 2020 – Read more on Mashable
When Big Money Votes, Wealth Gaps Widen
November 13, 2019 – Read more on Capital & Main
When Solitary Confinement Is A Death Sentence
August 29, 2019 – Read more on HuffPost
