News
Fort Ord reserve inspires youth to consider careers in natural science, conservation
June 12, 2024
As the only full-time staff member at UC Santa Cruz's Fort Ord Natural Reserve, Director Joe Miller doesn't need to create more work for himself. And yet, he's managed to do just that by successfully partnering with a nearby charter high school that brings students onto the 610-acre property to teach them about local natural history and introduce them to career pathways in natural science and conservation.
The Harrisons' 'Survival Piece #5: Portable Orchard' on display at the Whitney
June 10, 2024
Survival Piece #5: Portable Orchard conceived and designed in 1972 by leading pioneers of the eco-art movement and UC Santa Cruz emeriti professors Helen Mayer Harrison (1927–2018) and Newton Harrison (1932–2022) will be exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York starting on June 29, 2024.
Sea otters use tools when feeding to survive a changing world
May 16, 2024
Sea otters are one of the few animals that use rocks and other objects to access their food, and a new study has found that individual sea otters that use tools—most of whom are female—can eat larger prey and reduce tooth damage when their preferred prey becomes depleted.
UC Santa Cruz biologist tapped to contribute to national report on nature's role in society
May 16, 2024
For America's first-ever report on nature’s inherent worth, and its contributions to the economy, our health and well-being, UC Santa Cruz's Malin Pinsky will co-author a chapter on nature and climate change. He is a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and one of 10 authors contributing to the chapter.
Ecological Society of America names Dan Costa a lifetime fellow
April 30, 2024
Dan Costa, distinguished professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and director of UC Santa Cruz's Institute of Marine Sciences, has been named a 2024 Fellow of the Ecological Society of America.
Three UC Santa Cruz faculty members named 2023 AAAS fellows
April 18, 2024
Three UC Santa Cruz faculty members have been named 2023 fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science: Diane Gifford-Gonzalez, emerita distinguished research professor of anthropology; longtime journalist Robert Irion, emeritus director of UC Santa Cruz’s science communication master’s degree program; and acclaimed paleo-geneticist Beth Shapiro, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology.
Balancing carbon sequestration and community benefits
March 15, 2024
UCSC student Cole Seither addresses the delicate balance between agroforestry, carbon sequestration, and community benefits in combating climate change. His research is supported by the Earth Futures Institute’s Frontier Fellows program.
The Center for Creative Ecologies presents "Nuclear Nows: Contemporary Art, Radiation, and Militarized Ecologies”
February 26, 2024
This two-part symposium is the work of Zoe Weldon-Yochim, a Ph.D. Candidate in Visual Studies, in collaboration with T.J. Demos, Professor in the Department of the History of Art and Visual Culture and Director of the Center for Creative Ecologies, and will discuss the intersection of contemporary art, militarized ecologies, and nuclear nationalism.
Two UC Santa Cruz scientists named 2024 Sloan Research Fellows
February 20, 2024
Assistant Professors Roxanne Beltran and Jacqueline Kimmey have been awarded Sloan Research Fellowships, one of the most prestigious honors bestowed on early-career scientists, each receiving $75,000 to delve into new areas of research in their respective fields of marine ecology and microbiology.
Student Gabriella Goss wins $500 Alumni Leadership Award from Ecology Project International
February 14, 2024
Her project draws inspiration from her Ecology Project International (EPI) course experience in the Galapagos Islands, where she witnessed the thriving wildlife in an ecosystem largely spared from human interference. This prompted her to explore the negative impact of human activities on animal habitats, specifically focusing on the millions of animals killed annually by vehicles.
Institute of Arts and Sciences announces new interdisciplinary initiative on climate change
January 24, 2024
A new multi-year initiative will bring together arts and science to start a conversation about marine biology and the effects of climate change. The new exhibit is set to premier in 2025, and the project is already in progress as the Friedlaender lab collaborates with nationally recognized artists.
Institute of the Arts & Sciences announces inaugural artists in the Coha Nowark Art + Science Residency Program
January 22, 2024
Terrie Williams honored with 2024 National Academy of Sciences Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal
January 22, 2024
The National Academy of Sciences will honor 20 individuals with awards recognizing their extraordinary scientific achievements in a wide range of fields spanning the physical, biological, social, and medical sciences. Among the esteemed awardees is Terrie M. Williams, a comparative ecophysiologist from the University of California, Santa Cruz, who will be honored with the 2024 NAS Award in the Evolution of Earth and Life - Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal.
Veteran students excel with Bruce Lane Memorial Scholarship
November 9, 2023
The Bruce Lane Memorial Scholarship was established to support veteran students at UC Santa Cruz. Devin Burkland and Dan Palance are this year's recipients.
Alumna Alexis Jackson takes the lessons from the Pacific Coast near UCSC to the environmental policy tables of California
November 6, 2023
FUTURE in Biology program receives NSF grant to explore field courses as a tool for equity
October 12, 2023
A group of researchers at UC Santa Cruz recently received a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to study the impacts of these field courses and develop best practices for making them more accessible.
UCSC iGEM 2023 addressing harmful algal blooms through synthetic biology
October 4, 2023
A team of UCSC undergraduate students is designing and assembling a plasmid that targets the toxic genes of a type of freshwater bacteria responsible for harmful algal blooms.
Eric Palkovacs is awarded the 2023 Excellence in Fisheries Education Award
September 19, 2023
Eric Palkovacs has been awarded the 2023 Excellence in Fisheries Education Award by the American Fisheries Society, the organization announced. This award is presented to an individual to recognize excellence in organized teaching and advising in some aspect of fisheries education.
2023 ARCS Foundation scholarships support UCSC graduate students in the sciences and engineering
September 11, 2023
Sixteen UC Santa Cruz graduate students have received scholarships worth a total of $175,000 from the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation for the 2023-24 academic year.
Kathleen Finlay brings UCSC education to the forefront in her fight for food sustainability and social justice
August 2, 2023
UC Santa Cruz alumna Kathleen Finlay is the president of the Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming in the Hudson Valley and founder of Pleiades.
Golden-crowned sparrows return to overwintering sites in part because of their friends
July 31, 2023
Golden-crowned sparrows return to the same wintering sites each year after migrating thousands of miles. But their precision — which is often within the tens of meters — depends in part on the return of their friends.
Plant scientist Jean Langenheim honored by Graduate Women in Science
January 11, 2012
The Graduate Women in Science organization Sigma Delta Epsilon has awarded its highest honor, national honorary membership, to UC Santa Cruz plant scientist Jean Langenheim in recognition of her outstanding achievements in scientific research.
QUEST TV profiles biologist Dan Costa
July 27, 2011
UCSC biologist Dan Costa is featured in a new episode of KQED's QUEST TV program.
Loss of large predators has caused widespread disruption of ecosystems
July 14, 2011
The decline of large predators and other "apex consumers" at the top of the food chain has disrupted ecosystems all over the planet, according to a review of recent findings.