News & Events
Seismologists introduce new measure of earthquake ruptures
March 21, 2018
Seismologists have developed a new measurement of seismic energy release that can be applied to large earthquakes.
Marine researchers say recent sea star wasting disease epidemic defies prediction
March 20, 2018
Some sea star communities on the west coast could recover, but marine scientists still can’t pinpoint the environmental factors behind the unprecedented disease outbreak.
Soil fungi may help determine the resilience of forests to environmental change, according to UC Santa Cruz study
March 16, 2018
A major new study by Kai Zhu reveals that soil fungi could play a significant role in the ability of forests to adapt to environmental change.
NIH grant funds high-end instrument for shared biomedical research facility
March 15, 2018
UC Santa Cruz establishes a Bay Area facility in electron paramagnetic resonance with a $1.5-million grant from NIH's High-End Instrumentation program.
Four kinds of algal toxins found in San Francisco Bay shellfish
March 12, 2018
Researchers monitoring San Francisco Bay for algal toxins have found a surprising array of different toxins in the water and in mussels collected from the bay.
Antigen study supports new approach to vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus
March 9, 2018
RSV causes serious respiratory disease in infants and older adults, but past efforts to develop a vaccine have met with frustration and disappointment.
Campus receives Mellon Foundation grant to help create new forms of digital publication
March 5, 2018
UC Santa Cruz is the lead institution on a $100,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the National Historical Publications and Records Commission to help build a sustainable system for the digital publication and discovery of historical records.
Community Studies founder William H. Friedland dies at 94
February 28, 2018
William H. “Bill” Friedland, professor emeritus of community studies and sociology at UC Santa Cruz, whose life and career encompassed the major social movements of the 20th century, from labor struggles during and after World War II, to farm worker and youth movements of the 1960s, to the agriculture-food awareness of today, died at his Santa Cruz home Feb. 20 at age 94.
Fixing damaged ecosystems: How much does restoration help?
February 28, 2018
A new meta-analysis of 400 studies that document recovery from large-scale ecosystem disturbances worldwide suggests that while ecosystems can bounce back, they rarely mend completely, with the final stages of recovery being most difficult.
Tracking data reveal the secret lives of marine animals
February 26, 2018
Seals, whales, sharks, turtles, seabirds, and other marine vertebrates show similar patterns of movement in marine environments.
USDA funds efforts to bring underrepresented students into agriculture
February 23, 2018
A unique collaboration between UC Santa Cruz and the U.S. Department of Agriculture is supporting underrepresented students who are interested in agriculture-related fields.
Novel search strategy advances the hunt for primordial black holes
February 21, 2018
Researchers analyzing data from the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope for evidence of nearby primordial black holes put an upper limit on the number that might be lurking in the vicinity of Earth.
At the nexus of food, energy, and water: Elliot Campbell bridges the research gap
February 21, 2018
Elliott Campbell is an environmental engineer who is drawn to research at the nexus of food, water, and energy.
UCSC astronomer Alexie Leauthaud wins Sloan Research Fellowship
February 15, 2018
The Sloan Research Fellowships honor early-career scholars whose achievements mark them as among the very best scientific minds working today.
Analysis of major earthquakes supports stress reduction assumptions
February 14, 2018
After a major earthquake, the area where the fault slipped a lot is unlikely to slip again, seismologists say, but stress increases in surrounding areas.
State program funds lung cancer research at UC Santa Cruz
February 13, 2018
The California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program has awarded $1.8 million in grants and fellowships to UCSC biomedical researchers.
Acoustic imaging reveals hidden features of megathrust fault off Costa Rica
February 12, 2018
First detailed 3-D images of a megathrust fault show long grooves and other features in the fault surface that are likely to control how it slips in an earthquake.
Innovative restoration of coral reefs helps protect Caribbean islands
February 12, 2018
Study shows direct link between healthy coral reefs and shoreline stability and field-tests an innovative risk-reduction solution that combines engineering with reef restoration.
UCSC's SlugBot team chosen again to compete in Amazon's Alexa Prize Challenge
February 12, 2018
For the second year in a row, a team of computer science students has won sponsorship from Amazon to develop a "socialbot" that can converse with humans.
Arts professor to premiere film at 2018 Berlin International Film Festival
February 8, 2018
UC Santa Cruz film and digital media professor Irene Lusztig will premiere her new film, 'Yours in Sisterhood,' at the 2018 Berlinale, running February 15-25 in Berlin, Germany.
Monetary economist Carl Walsh to deliver 52nd annual UC Santa Cruz Faculty Research Lecture on February 22
February 8, 2018
Carl Walsh, distinguished professor of economics at UC Santa Cruz, will deliver the 52nd annual Faculty Research Lecture on Thursday, February 22.
Scientists report big improvements in HIV vaccine production
February 5, 2018
Technical advances in vaccine production should shorten the time to clinical trials, breaking the logjam of promising new candidate vaccines waiting to be tested.
Polar bears finding it harder to catch enough seals to meet energy demands
February 1, 2018
As climate change alters their environment a growing number of polar bears are unable to catch enough fat-rich prey to meet their energy needs.
Breakthrough leads to sequencing of a human genome using a pocket-sized device
January 29, 2018
Nanopore sequencing technology, based on concepts pioneered at UC Santa Cruz, has revealed parts of the genome scientists had been unable to sequence before.
Karen Yamashita's memoir explores Japanese-American internment
January 24, 2018
Award-winning author and UC Santa Cruz literature professor Karen Tei Yamashita will read from her new memoir on Thursday, February 1, as part of the 2018 winter installment of the Living Writers Series.
Elliott Campbell appointed to chair in water resources and food system sustainability
January 18, 2018
Elliott Campbell, associate professor of environmental studies, was honored as the inaugural holder of the Stephen R. Gliessman Presidential Chair in Water Resources and Food System Sustainability.
Judge relies heavily on Haney's testimony in case banning solitary confinement
January 18, 2018
In a landmark court ruling that prohibits solitary confinement in Canada, a Canadian judge relied heavily on expert testimony by Psychology Professor Craig Haney.
Study finds convergent evolution of gene regulation in humans and mice
January 18, 2018
Molecular biologists have found evidence of convergent evolution in an important mechanism of gene regulation in humans and mice.
New book, The Postgenomic Condition: Ethics, Justice, and Knowledge After the Genome, assesses progress since 2000
January 17, 2018
Sociologist Jenny Reardon evaluates the promise and pitfalls of genomics in her new book The Postgenomic Condition: Ethics, Justice, and Knowledge After the Genome (University of Chicago Press, 2017).
New catalyst for hydrogen production is a step toward clean fuel
January 16, 2018
A novel material developed at UC Santa Cruz has shown impressive performance as a catalyst for the electrochemical splitting of water to produce hydrogen.
New name, enduring vision
January 16, 2018
Irena Polić, Managing Director, and Nathaniel Deutsch, Director, The Humanities Institute — Since its founding, The Humanities Institute has been committed to cultivating humanities research by supporting hundreds of individual faculty, graduate, and undergraduate fellows, as well as collaborations across campus and with other universities around the world.
Earliest galaxies in the universe spin like the Milky Way
January 10, 2018
Astronomers looking back to a time soon after the big bang have discovered swirling gas in some of the earliest galaxies to have formed in the universe.
Unraveling the mechanisms that control cell growth and size
January 2, 2018
Scientists studying how cells control their size and growth rate are closing in on fundamental mechanisms that are common to all cells and are disrupted in cancer.
Supermassive black holes control star formation in large galaxies
January 1, 2018
Astronomers found a close correlation between the mass of a galaxy's central black hole and its star formation history.
Heart monitors on wild narwhals reveal alarming responses to stress
December 7, 2017
As sea ice melts, new findings add to concerns about the effects of ocean noise and increased human activity on deep-diving Arctic whales.
Study finds variation within species is a critical aspect of biodiversity
December 5, 2017
Researchers compared the ecological consequences of variation within species and among species, and found similar effects in many cases.
State innovation funds supported hundreds of startups
December 1, 2017
With its share of AB 2664 funding, UC Santa Cruz developed a multifaceted innovation and entrepreneurship program.
Big data for social good: Tri-county initiative will benefit K-12 students
November 29, 2017
Rod Ogawa and Rebecca London are helping launch a data-sharing initiative that will benefit K-12 students in Santa Clara, San Mateo, and Santa Cruz counties.
A horse is a horse, of course, of course—except when it isn’t
November 28, 2017
An analysis of ancient DNA has revealed a previously unrecognized genus of extinct horses that once roamed North America.
Researchers seek clues to tropical biodiversity in study of spiral gingers
November 28, 2017
Biologist Kathleen Kay leads an investigation into the origins of plant diversity in the tropics with funding from the National Science Foundation.
Video tags reveal surprising details of blue whale feeding behavior
November 20, 2017
Like most vertebrates, blue whales tend to be 'right-handed,' but they roll to the left when attacking from below to feed on patches of krill near the surface.
UC Santa Cruz aims for startup hub with funding, incubator, tech partners
September 29, 2014
Scott Brandt is used to Silicon Valley tech firms like Apple and Yahoo turning to him and his students for an infusion of low-cost tech innovation. So he is spearheading the local portion of a new UC-wide initiative to more effectively commercialize academic breakthroughs with market value — a proposition that stands to boost the school's bottom line after years of public budget cuts
