News
ENVS Class of 2022
December 1, 2023
New book shares expertise from UC Santa Cruz and beyond on preparing students to tackle environmental justice issues
November 21, 2023
A new book developed by UC Santa Cruz faculty and staff offers teaching examples, strategies, and classroom tools to help integrate environmental justice into courses in ways that center equity.
Life Beyond the Redwoods: Noah Whitley reflects on the value of a UCSC degree one year later
November 20, 2023
One year after graduating from UCSC, Noah Whitley works as a legislative assistant for a political consulting firm that works closely with the California State Legislature.
Worldwide leaders convene to protect, advance global biodiversity
November 15, 2023
With a focus on sustaining and strengthening global biodiversity in the face of climate change, UC Santa Cruz hosted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation University Leaders' Forum, bringing together nearly 100 international leaders in education, industry, and government.
Multidisciplinary team will develop advanced rhizosphere carbon imaging for climate change research with support of major DOE grant
October 30, 2023
A team of researchers at UC Santa Cruz and Stanford University are leading a new project in which they aim to use dynamic imaging and modeling of carbon in the rhizosphere to answer longstanding questions about how carbon moves through the soil and plant root interface.
Three climate resilience projects supported by 2023 CITRIS Interdisciplinary Innovation Program
October 10, 2023
CITRIS and the Banatao Institute and the Innovation & Business Engagement Hub collaborated to fund three projects focused on climate resilience and that align with developing solutions that address some of the California's most pressing climate challenges.
System-wide leaders visit campus to discuss next steps in Agricultural Experiment Station designation
October 9, 2023
A group from University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources visited UC Santa Cruz to discuss implementation for the campus’s official designation as an Agricultural Experiment Station.
US Department of Agriculture visits UC Santa Cruz to learn about research and workforce development projects
September 28, 2023
UC Santa Cruz faculty, staff, and students shared information about USDA-funded research and education projects on campus with special guests from the USDA.
Research partnership will turn power plant emissions into fish feed
September 27, 2023
UC Santa Cruz’s ecological aquaculture research team will partner with the company Global Algae Innovations to test whether a microalgae grown using captured carbon dioxide emissions could be an effective feed ingredient for rainbow trout.
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.
Five UC Santa Cruz projects win California Climate Action Grant funding
August 31, 2023
Millions of dollars in new funding will support UC Santa Cruz and partners in tackling some of California's toughest climate change challenges through innovative research and community engagement.
Nearly $1 million in USDA grants will support 3 UCSC-led agricultural technology projects
August 17, 2023
Three UC Santa Cruz research teams led by engineering faculty will pursue innovative agriculture technology projects with the support of seed grants from the USDA's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative.
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.
UCSC’s Center for Coastal Climate Resilience awards over $4.6 million to support California coastal projects
June 28, 2023
The UCSC Center for Coastal Climate Resilience has awarded over $4.6 million in funding to 23 UC Santa Cruz research groups for pilot projects and implementation projects supporting efforts to fight climate change in coastal communities across California and beyond. Funds for these grant programs came from the California State Budget Act of 2022-23.
UC Santa Cruz receives $10 million grant to cultivate diverse food and agriculture professionals
June 22, 2023
The United States Department of Agriculture awarded the University of California, Santa Cruz a $10 million grant to lead a transformative five-year project. The funding will be leveraged to serve and uplift a broad range of students and community members, ensuring a lasting impact on the food and agriculture sector.
Interdisciplinary team wins Small Farm prize in first-ever Farm Robotics Challenge
June 15, 2023
An interdisciplinary team of students and researchers created an autonomous weeder which was recently recognized with the Small Farm prize at the inaugural Farm Robotics Challenge.
A network for the future
June 7, 2023
UCSC Student Serena Campbell’s senior thesis leads to a comprehensive network between critical environmental researchers on campus.
Crucial organic farming issue addressed by UC workshops, collaborations
May 31, 2023
UC Santa Cruz-based organic production specialist Joji Muramoto collaborated on a UC Cooperative Extension workshop series for organic vegetable and fruit growers on how to manage nitrogen.
Pulitzer Prize-winning climate journalist Elizabeth Kolbert warns of the complications, perils, and potentials of environmental interventions at Deep Read talk on campus
May 23, 2023
In her on on-stage discussion with New York Times columnist, podcaster and UCSC alumna Ezra Klein, Elizabeth Kolbert spoke about the efforts to roll back the effects of climate change. The talk was part of The Humanities Institute's fourth annual Deep Read series.
UCSC environmental governance expert named to NASEM committee addressing methane gas emissions
May 1, 2023
Environmental Studies Professor Sikina Jinnah has been appointed as a member of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Committee for Atmospheric Methane Removal to assess viable technological options for reducing a powerful greenhouse gas.
In Memoriam: Margaret I. Fitzsimmons
April 17, 2023
Coming to Fruition
April 13, 2023
UCSC alumni Tallula Preston and David Purgason founded Watsonville based Fruition Brewing in 2019. Four years later, the duo’s establishment is a staple in the Santa Cruz and Watsonville communities.
Colombian all-female team uncovers naturalist Elizabeth Kerr’s long-forgotten legacy
April 11, 2023
Many fields of study have long been dominated by men but a team of eight female Colombian researchers are committed to uncovering the story of naturalist pioneer Elizabeth Kerr, whose legacy had remained invisible despite her vast contributions to ornithology.
Humans and housing density are the leading cause of death for local pumas
March 27, 2023
Two new studies involving UC Santa Cruz researchers are shedding light on the challenges facing local pumas where humans are encroaching on their natural habitats.
Grant funds Sarker's aquaculture sustainability research
March 25, 2023
Pallab Sarker received a foundation grant fund from the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation, amounting to $170,947 over three years to strengthen his lab’s ecological aquaculture work.
Where is your squid coming from? Most likely unregulated waters, according to a new international study
March 10, 2023
Scientists and policymakers have voiced growing concerns about the decline of global squid stocks, but little has been done to date to target squid fishing activities that are expanding into unregulated spaces, according to a new international study.
Indigenous land management focus of this year’s Conversations on Climate Justice
March 7, 2023
Wildfires. Flooding. Drought. The nation has faced these climate issues for centuries. Yet, there’s still a lot that can be learned from pre-colonial indigenous food and land management techniques to combat our current climate problems, according to Dr. Lyla June Johnston, the keynote speaker for UC Santa Cruz’s third annual Conversations on Climate Justice event, coming up this Monday, March 13.
Leaf wetness sensor will enable better plant disease forecasting and management
March 2, 2023
An interdisciplinary team of researchers created a new type of sensor for more accurately measuring leaf wetness which will enable better plant disease forecasting and management.
Sanya Cowal: Resilience and agency
January 30, 2023
Sanya Cowal was awarded the Jessica Roy Memorial Scholarship in 2022. Learn more about how scholarships support students at UC Santa Cruz.
Five student teams embark on tech for social good projects
January 23, 2023
Five student teams will take on tech for social good projects with funding from the UCSC CITRIS and the Banatao Institute and the UCSC Institute for Social Transformation.
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.
Why It's Time To Think About Self-Driving Cars In Regards To Parking
May 28, 2019
Associate Professor Adam Millard-Ball hypothesizes that autonomous vehicles will be commonplace within the next 5-20 years, invariably increasing road congestion.
ENVS BA Nathalie Martin publishes Field Guide to Plants of UC Santa Cruz
April 29, 2019
Explore the "superbloom" in Santa Cruz County with Nathalie Martin's field guide to campus plants.
Millard-Ball: Self-driving cars could more than double traffic in San Francisco
February 4, 2019
Associate Professor Adam Millard-Ball hypothesizes that autonomous vehicles will be commonplace within the next 5-20 years, invariably increasing road congestion.
Environmental Studies student analyzes the impacts of ride hailing on the environment
September 22, 2018
Recent article for City on a Hill Press about the environmental impacts of ride-hailing services features the work of ENVS graduate Lyndel Fusello.
Opinion: Why industry should be forced to clean up its messes
August 10, 2018
An Op-ed by UCSC Environmental Studies Professor Karen Holl about a recent policy allowing corporations to use federal public land without covering for any damage caused.
San Jose Mercury reports on student Rico Ruiz's work with monarch mortality
May 7, 2018
UCSC senior internship student Rico Ruiz has been working with Groundswell Coastal Ecology to better understand what has been killing western monarch butterflies along the Central Coast.
Environmental Studies professor Chris Wilmers featured in The Mercury News
March 8, 2018
Chris Wilmers, director of the Santa Cruz Puma Project at UC Santa Cruz, discusses how a high-speed rail could doom mountain lions and other wildlife in the Santa Cruz Mountains with The Mercury News.
New book edited by environmental studies professor examines historical context of BRICS nations
January 25, 2018
Co-edited by Ravi Rajan, The Great Convergence: An Environmental History of BRICS shows how Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa can come together to deal with environmental challenges
Environmental Studies research and education coordinator Damian Parr featured in Modern Farmer
January 23, 2018
Damian Parr discusses the current state of agricultural education with Modern Farmer.
Environmental Studies professor Jeffrey Bury featured in The New York Times
November 26, 2017
Jeffrey Bury discusses the effects of climate change and their study of glacier melt on Peruvian agriculture with The New York Times.
Environmental Studies professor Michael Loik featured in Newsweek
November 6, 2017
Environmental Studies professor Michael Loik discusses how smart greenhouses can generate solar power and grow crops at the same time with Newsweek.
“March for Science” marches on, thanks to a donation to UC Santa Cruz’s Inquiry Learning Gift Fund
October 9, 2017
Using the March for Science donation, the Inquiry Learning Gift Fund plans to support students from low-income families to participate in science fairs at the county and state level.
Chris Wilmers featured in BeProvided Conservation Radio
September 26, 2017
Environmental Studies professor and Chris Wilmers discusses his involvement with the Santa Cruz Puma Project, a research lab group that studies the impacts of humans on pumas.
Santa Cruz Sentinel reports on USDA grant awarded to UCSC
August 31, 2017
The Santa Cruz Sentinel reported on a $2.5 million USDA grant that will extend the reach of new strategies being developed by Environmental Studies Professor Carol Shennan to fight soil diseases in commercial strawberry production.
Exploring the UCSC Farm & Garden’s history through faculty research
August 02, 2017
Faculty and students in the division of social sciences show how the farm plays a crucial role in their research at farm and garden’s recent First Fifty Celebration.
Karen Holl publishes column in the Santa Cruz Sentinel
April 15, 2017
Environmental Studies Professor Karen Holl authored an op-ed for the Santa Cruz Sentinel about her participation in the April 22 March for Science, calling on others to join her as advocates for the free and open flow of scientific information that is not financed by corporate interests.
Karen Holl publishes blog for the Union of Concerned Scientists
April 13, 2017
Karen Holl writes a blog for the Union of Concerned Scientists, titled “Restoring California’s Coastal Ecosystems.” In her blog, she writes about the need to restore coastal ecosystems in California.
Daniel Press featured in National Geographic article
April 11, 2017
Environmental Studies professor and director of the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS) Daniel Press was featured in the National Geographic article Top 10 Most Endangered Rivers in the U.S.
Research Roundup: Winter 2017 Issue
April 04, 2017
Some of the diverse topics covered by faculty in the Social Sciences Division in Winter 2017 include predicting college success, models for sustainable development, the psychological impact of President Donald Trump, his proposed military budget, and more.
Climate change experts focus on solutions in face of shifting U.S. policy
February 28, 2017
UCSC Climate Conference brought together top climate scientists and policy experts for a series of talks and panel discussions.
Understanding the drought and deluge in California
February 21, 2017
Environmental studies professor Michael Loik talks about how the current weather system is impacting the state’s ecology.
Professor Karen Holl publishes article in Science magazine
February 3, 2017
"Restoring tropical forests from the bottom up," is the latest article authored by Holl.
Daniel Press interviewed for Mother Jones
December 19, 2016
Environmental Studies Professor Daniel Press was interviewed in the progressive news magazine Mother Jones for a feature about president-elect Donald Trump's stance on green energy.
Professors Holl and Loik share climate research with local students
December 16, 2016
The Santa Cruz Sentinel featured environmental studies professors Karen Holl and Michael Loik's participation at the San Lorenzo Valley High School’s environmental conference.
Research Roundup: Fall 2016 Issue
December 15, 2016
Clean energy, gerrymandering, self-driving cars, bear populations, microagressions, water rights, and the youth vote are just some of the diverse topics faculty in the social sciences at UC Santa Cruz are researching.
Now hiring: Coastal Governance Assistant Professor
October 24, 2016
Applications are now open for the Coastal Governance Assistant Professor position. Apply by December 19, 2016 to ensure full consideration by the committee.
Now hiring: Landscape Ecology/Climate Adaptation Assistant Professor
October 24, 2016
Applications are now open for the Landscape Ecology/Climate Adaptation Assistant Professor position. Apply by December 19, 2016 to ensure full consideration by the committee.
High-tech sensors monitor ecosystems in climate change research program
October 21, 2016
UC Santa Cruz scientists lead a UC-wide consortium using the Natural Reserve System as a climate impacts laboratory.
Lions, Leopards, and Pumas (Oh My!) - Chris Wilmers to talk at the Rio Theatre on May 18
May 6, 2016
The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History invites the community to attend a lecture by Chris Wilmers at the Rio Theatre on three of the world’s Big Cats: Lions, Leopards, and Pumas.
Research Roundup: Winter 2016 Issue
March 24, 2016
From biodiversity in California to power relations in Tanzania, faculty and researchers in the Division of Social Sciences published a wide range of issues and ideas in winter quarter.
Rick Flores, Curator, Graduate Student
March 17, 2016
After assisting an indigenous group's pursuit of revitalization, Rick Flores decided he wanted to learn more - and do more - about it.
Environment Studies professor Michael Loik will discuss the drought at "Naturalist Night" on March 15
March 9, 2016
Loik will deliver a talk as part of Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History "Naturalist Night." He will discuss the current El Niño conditions of the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean, and how these events affect our lives here in California.
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition honors UC Santa Cruz alumnus and sustainability champion, Mark Lipson
February 05, 2016
The award was made to honor Lipson’s years of service to the organic and sustainable agriculture movement, and his groundbreaking work on Capitol Hill shepherding in historic changes.
Going global: USAID Fellow Stephanie Web to work with WorldFish in Egypt
February 2, 2016
Stephanie Webb, a UC Santa Cruz Ph.D. candidate in environmental studies, received a UC-USAID fellowship.
Upcoming 'Science on Tap' event will feature Professor Michael Loik
November 2, 2015
On November 18th, Professor Loik will deliver a talk titled "The Great California Drought of 2012-2015. Will El Niño Save Us.
Graze Under Fire
October 29, 2015
The weekly Santa Cruz newspaper Good Times has featured Environmental Studies doctoral student Alicia Calle's research on sustainable cattle farming in Colombia.
Drones could make forest conservation monitoring significantly cheaper
October 5, 2015
Study published in Biological Conservation wins Elsevier’s Atlas award
Norris Center leads the way for natural history
April 22, 2015
Read more about the dedication and plans for the center.
Inside the Center for Integrated Spatial Research: one of UC Santa Cruz’s innovative labs
April 21, 2015
An inside look into how UCSC tackles issues from climate change to global inequality using spatial data
Multicultural Urban Agroecology Research Exchange in Chiapas, Mexico
April 6, 2015
During Spring Break, ENVS faculty, staff, and students traveled south for an intense and rewarding experience in urban garden agroecological research and multicultural interaction in the colonial, highland town of San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas.
Join us on April 25 for the Ken Norris Center for Natural History Dedication
April 2, 2015
Join us during UCSC’s 50th anniversary alumni weekend to celebrate the grand opening of the Kenneth S. Norris Center for Natural History and the 50th anniversary of the UC Natural Reserve System.
Professor Gregory S. Gilbert to talk on April 29 about how to harness evolution to solve environmental problems
March 25, 2015
Professor Gregory S. Gilbert is the featured presenter at the Science on Tap event.
Karen Holl to talk on Wed 2/25 about tropical forest restoration
February 17, 2015
Dr. Karen Holl is the featured presenter at the Science on Tap event at the Crepe Place from 7-8:30pm this coming Wednesday, 2/25/15.
Endowed fund created in honor of beloved ENVS undergraduate Annais Rittenberg
February 17, 2015
UCSC Norris Center manager Chris Lay shares future plans for the Annais Rittenberg fund.
Seeking Symbiosis, an Art & Environmental Studies collaboration, graces the hallways of ISB
February 17, 2015
Seeking Symbiosis, the art show, is a collaboration between Juniper Harrower, a PhD student in the Environmental Studies Department, and Dr. Geoffrey Thomas, a Research Associate in the Art Department.
Director of the Gorongosa Lion Project joins Chris Wilmers' Lab
February 17, 2015
Paola Bouley, Director of the Gorongosa Lion Project, joins the Global Change and Wildlife Ecology lab of Dr. Chris Wilmers as a PhD student
Field Experiences in the Amazon
February 13, 2015
Chris Kane, this year’s Terence Freitas Memorial Scholarship winner reflects on his experiences among Indigenous peoples in the Amazon.
Graduate student Elissa Olimpi's research recognized
February 10, 2015
ENVS graduate student, Elissa Olimpi's high school mentee, Alex Wayne of Aptos, presented a poster on part of Olimpi's research on bat activity at the American Geophysical Union semi-annual Meeting at the Moscone Center in December. Wayne participated in last summer's UCSC High School Summer Internship Program, funded by the National Science Foundation with Olimpi as his mentor.
CISR receives recognition from the White House for Coastal Resilience Efforts
November 7, 2014
The Center for Integrated Research was recognized by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Environmental Systems Research Institute, and the White House Council on Environmental Quality for developing new software focusing on developing coastal resilience.
American Sociological Association honors Environmental Studies Chair Andrew Szasz
October 31, 2014
Andrew Szasz was selected as the recipient of the 2014 Environmental Sociology Teaching and Mentorship Award from the Environment & Technology Section of the American Sociological Association (ASA).
Food for Thought
October 23, 2014
UC Santa Cruz—'The Mothership' of organic agriculture—has much to offer the ambitious new UC Global Food Initiative
Alumni Profile with Suzi Eszterhas: Eye on the wild
October 23, 2014
For over a decade, Suzi Eszterhas ('99, Environmental Etudies) has captured stunning moments from the lives of animals around the world that few of us would see without her photographs.
Environmental Studies professor Jeff Bury receives 2014 Golden Apple Teaching Award
October 15, 2014
Daniel Press quoted in UC President Napolitano's Global Food Initiative news release
July 1, 2014
Daniel Press of CASFS talks to UC President Janet Napolitano about new Global Food Initiative on food security, health and sustainability.
Major NSF grant to study how plant roots cycle carbon in soils
April 21, 2014
ENVS soil scientist, Weixin Cheng, is the lead researcher on a new a 3-year, $800,000 grant. The grant will investigate how the activities of living plant roots break down organic matter in soil to better understand the release rate of carbon dioxide which has implications for climate change.
Annais Rittenberg Scholarship
April 21, 2014
Scholarship honors the memory of Field Quarter 2013 student, Annais Rittenberg. The goal is to establish an endowed scholarship (a minimum of $25,000) to help students in need and who embody the qualities that made Annais a gifted educator, naturalist, and activist.
Search for New Alternatives to Oil Extraction in Amazonian Forests
November 8, 2013
Ecuador's Yasuní-ITT Initiative and the search for new alternatives to oil extraction in Amazonian forests: ENVS faculty member and UCSC students take a closer look.
Students Working at the Icy Edge of Climate Change
November 8, 2013
During a recent research expedition to the Peruvian Andes, ENVS students Anna Medina, Camila Bobroff and Adam French assessed the challenges of adapting to a world without glaciers.
Mind To Matter Donates to Experiential Learning
August 20, 2013
Alumnus' foundation makes generous donation to ENVS experiential learning endowment
Undergraduate's Op-Ed Published in Santa Cruz Sentinel
May 21, 2013
Erin Linney suggests energy-efficiency measures for Santa Cruz rental properties
PhD Alumni's Start Up In The News
May 15, 2013
UCSC Review Magazine Features ENVS Internship Office
May 15, 2013
Campus Farm and The Puma Project Make Headlines, April 2013
April 23, 2013
The two programs were featured in the San Francisco Chronicle.
WaterLab Research on Water Recycling
April 15, 2013
Eli Weintraub talks about wastewater recycling, and the future of water research.
New Positions for ENVS Graduate Alumni
April 9, 2013
Donations from Alumni Keep NHFQ Going in 2014
April 9, 2013
Thank you alumni and other donors for your support of the Natural History Field Quarter course!
Coastal Commission funds projects at UCSC Arboretum and Seymour Center
February 26, 2013
The California Coastal Commission has awarded grants to fund two coastal restoration and education projects at UCSC.
