UC Santa Cruz

Carrie Partch, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UC Santa Cruz, is among 26 top scientists chosen by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) to be HHMI investigators and receive the support needed to move their research in creative new directions and make groundbreaking discoveries.

A member of UC Santa Cruz’s faculty since 2011, Partch has been recognized many times over for her contributions to the molecular understanding of circadian rhythms: by the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms in 2016, the Biophysical Society in 2017, and the National Academy of Sciences in 2022. She has published over 60 peer-reviewed journal articles on research and reviews.

Her lab strives to understand the molecular basis of circadian timekeeping by studying the structure, dynamics, and interactions of dedicated clock proteins and
aims to build on a molecular understanding of biological clocks to develop innovative strategies to treat a broad spectrum of human diseases.

Congrats Professor Partch!

https://bit.ly/4cPDqU3

“We’ve always been a family of helpers, all the way back to my great-grandfather. It was very much instilled in us that if you’re given opportunities and access, you should help others, mentor those coming up, and create opportunities.”

UC Santa Cruz alumna Jasmine Nájera (Oakes ’97, history) was honored to recently accompany Congressman Jimmy Panetta as a guest at President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address in March. Nájera has been working in social work for 3 decades and is an integral part of the Santa Cruz County community serving as the CEO of Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance, a program that serves children, youth and families in the Pajaro Valley region by providing health education, mental health and substance-use services, and family-centered programming.

Nájera credits her aunt -- a UC Santa Cruz anthropology professor -- and her family for leading her down the path of social work.

Read more about Nájera's story in the new issue of UC Santa Cruz Magazine: https://bit.ly/3XUngUO

The full schedule for Return To The Redwoods -- a one-of-a-kind, weekend-long event that invites all UCSC alumni and their friends and families to come back to campus -- is now live!

Key events include:
⭐ Stars ‘n’ S’mores on the East Field
🌅 Sunrise Yoga at Porter College
🌻 Campus farm tour & flower arrangement workshop
🌲 Guided campus hikes
and more!

Join us August 16 - August 18th and come back to where it all began.

Registration is now live: https://alumni.ucsc.edu/events-programs/return-to-the-redwoods/

UC Santa Cruz alum Ayo Banjo (Oakes ’21, politics) aims to develop a vision of transforming communities. He was the youngest student body president in UCSC history. He founded the university’s chapter of the NAACP, positioning it as a pivotal force in the Black Lives Matter movement in Santa Cruz.

Banjo has worked with the UCSC Admissions Office to create a new role to enhance retention among African, Black, and Caribbean students, at Santa Cruz Black as the director of programming, and served as head the NAACP’s Youth & College Division across California and Hawaii.

Now, he started Banjo Strategies Consulting Group, offering marketing and consulting services to various clients, including the city of Santa Cruz and Climatize, a micro-investing platform focused on climate projects.

Read more about Banjo's story and his time at UC Santa Cruz: https://bit.ly/4btKIvk

In 1977, The Talking Heads played at Kresge Hall in what would become an iconic moment in UC Santa Cruz history. Fast forward to 2023 and the band’s 1984 concert film "Stop Making Sense" is remastered by A24 thanks to UC Santa Cruz alumnus James Mockoski who currently works for the Francis Ford Coppola Archives.

Now The Talking Heads return to UC Santa Cruz with a screening of the "Stop Making Sense" remaster at Quarry Amphitheater on July 13th! Mockoski will also be a part of a Q&A about the movie.

Along with being a fun event, it will also be beneficial for the students and locals. Part of the proceeds for Stop Making Sense will go to Second Harvest Food Bank which helps provide food and resources to those in need in the greater Santa Cruz area.

Join us!

https://bit.ly/3VMk5vL

“I wanted to come back to my community, and talk about our history as communities of color and do it in a way that was relatable and engaging in the community, like with arts. I also wanted to make sure it was grounded on something.....If we don’t tell our own stories or reclaim them, we are not going to be included in archives, or be included in history."

UC Santa Cruz alumna Abigail Lopez-Byrd (Porter ’13, fine studio arts and sociology)
always pictured a life of giving back to her community.

She is the founder and executive director of Color Compton—an arts and history organization grounded on theories and concepts of art making, storytelling, identity, community, and history—and the co-founder of the Compton Art and History Museum, the first and only art and history museum in the city.

Read more about her journey and time at UC Santa Cruz in the latest issue of UC Santa Cruz magazine. https://bit.ly/3W6sbk0

Mike Beck -- head of the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience at UC Santa Cruz -- has spent his career helping communities understand how and why their shorelines are changing, and what to do about it. Now he and other UC researchers across the system are focused on understanding and protecting our coast.

Read more about what Beck and other UC researchers are doing to help save the California coastline: https://bit.ly/3zgMPFa

Big congrats to UC Santa Cruz alumna Brenda Avila-Hanna (Kresge ‘13) who has been accepted to the prestigious Sundance Institutes Producer Program for her most recent film "How to Clean a House in 10 Easy Steps."

The fellowship, which first began in 2008, brings together producers on independent films and gives them the support and networking opportunities they need.

Read more about Brenda and her work: https://bit.ly/4eC4N5j

A new study by UC Santa Cruz researchers suggests that lower-temperature vents, common across Earth's seafloor, may help create life-supporting conditions on "ocean worlds" in our solar system.

Using computer models, researchers simulated fluid circulation finding potential for long-term sustainability even with low gravity. These findings underscore implications for future planetary exploration and the search for extraterrestrial life.

https://bit.ly/3KWSuD4

UC Santa Cruz’s Center for Coastal Climate Resilience and Black in Marine Science have announced a formal partnership to meet shared aims to expand opportunities for Black scholars, particularly for understanding risks to coastal communities from climate change and identifying solutions that reduce these risks.

The new partnership includes support for a shared graduate scientist and engagement with the UCSC Teaching and Learning Center to create communications materials focused on coastal climate risk, content for the BIMS TV channel to increase environmental literacy in impacted communities, and educational materials on nature-based solutions for broad audiences.

The partnership also includes collaborative work with UCSC’s California Environmental DNA lab to expand the use of their eDNA Explorer, a powerful tool established to unite eDNA projects across the globe, and support of BIMS Week in December 2024.

UC Santa Cruz’s Center for Coastal Climate Resilience partners with BIMS to incorporate perspectives from Black marine scientists Today, UC Santa Cruz’s Center for Coastal Climate Resilience (CCCR) and Black in Marine Science (BIMS) announce a formal partnership to meet shared aims to expand opportunities for Black scholars, particularly for understanding risks to coastal communities from climate change and identifying solut...

UC Santa Cruz received a $1 million grant from the Mellon Foundation to establish new public archives documenting the legacy of social justice activist Dolores Huerta, in partnership with the Dolores Huerta Foundation.

UCSC will hire a project archivist and two new postdoctoral scholars to develop Huerta’s archives and to produce related research and education materials that engage with Huerta’s formidable legacy.

https://bit.ly/4cvDtDM

🎓Our Voices Will Change the World, Part 4🎓
Rakshya Sharma (B.S., Computer Science, Bioinformatics minor)

How do you feel your major has prepared you for the future?
My major in Computer Science with a minor in Bioinformatics has given me a strong base in technology and biology. The classes I’ve taken have taught me how to use computers to solve complex biological problems. My research experiences at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, the Broad Institute, and UCSC have helped me learn how to think critically, solve problems, and communicate my findings.

What are your plans after graduation?
I will be working at UCSF as Bioinformatician. I want to pursue a Ph.D. in Biological and Medical Informatics to learn more about how we can use computers to understand diseases and improve healthcare.

How do you envision your career path in the next five years?
Working towards my Ph.D. in Biomedical Informatics and focusing on genomics and precision medicine. I want to develop new computational tools to help understand the genetic causes of diseases and find better ways to treat them.

Are there any specific goals or dreams you hope to achieve?
One of my big goals is to create open-source tools that researchers around the world, especially in developing countries, can use to study genetics and improve healthcare. I also want to mentor young scientists from underrepresented communities and help them succeed in STEM fields.

What advice would you give to incoming freshmen?
Don’t be afraid to take on challenges—they’re opportunities to grow. Get involved in research early because it will give you practical skills that are valuable. Ask questions and seek out mentors. Stay curious and passionate about what you’re studying, as that passion will keep you motivated. Perseverance and a positive attitude are key to overcoming obstacles and reaching your goals.

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The Our Voices Will Change the World series profiles 2024 UC Santa Cruz graduating students detailing how their experiences at UC Santa Cruz will go on to help change the world! Congrats to all the grads!

🎓Our Voices Will Change the World, Part 3🎓
Zoë Shmidt (BA, Anthropology, Biology minor)

How do you feel your major has prepared you for the future?
My anthropology major has thoroughly prepared me for the future by fostering a deep understanding of global cultures, diverse perspectives, and biocultural connections. It has sharpened my observational skills and heightened my awareness of cultural influences on human behavior and biology.

What are your plans after graduation?
After graduation, I plan to apply for graduate programs in biological anthropology and genetics. In the meantime, I am seeking a research or medical field position to gain more experience before graduate school. Over the summer, I intend to relax and enjoy my final months in Santa Cruz.

How do you envision your career path in the next five years?
In the next five years, I envision earning a master’s degree and possibly a PhD or MD/PhD. I aim to pursue a long-term career in academia studying biology, anthropology, and genetics.

Are there any specific goals or dreams you hope to achieve?
My goal is to identify a unique research niche that significantly impacts the world and advances our scientific understanding. Ultimately, I want to contribute to both helping people and expanding our scientific knowledge base. I also hope my studies allow for travel opportunities!

What advice would you give to incoming freshmen?
My advice to freshmen is to focus on building your academic network. Connect with faculty members whose work interests you and engage with peers in both similar and different fields of study. Attend club meetings, office hours, and workshops. Apply for jobs and enrichment opportunities, even if the odds seem against you. Approach these opportunities with curiosity and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Embrace the unfamiliarity and be authentic in your pursuit of knowledge; we all start somewhere!
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The Our Voices Will Change the World series profiles 2024 UC Santa Cruz graduating students detailing how their experience at UC Santa Cruz will go on to help change the world! Stay tuned for one more profile.

🎓 GRAD PHOTO ROUND UP '24 PART TWO 🎓 🎓

Commencement starts tomorrow!

1. Izzy Zazueta (Politics, John R. Lewis College)
2. Natalie Reyes (Cognitive Science & Biology, Crown College), Miguel Sedano (Cognitive Science, Merrill College), Brian Pham (Biology, Cowell College)
3. Zoë Siman-Tov (Earth Science & Geophysics, Crown College)
4. Landon Southard (Politics & Language Studies- Japanese, College 9)
5. Azarely Bedolla (Environmental Sciences and Environmental Studies, Porter College)
6. Renata Lopez (Computer Science, Oakes College)
7. Celeste Shen (Computer Science and Engineering, Graduate student)
8. Ashley Hernandez (Sociology, Kresge College)
9. Rosalie Lansing (Sociology & Spanish Studies, Rachel Carson College)

Our Voices Will Change the World, Part 2
Keaton Wood (B.S., Ecology and Evolutionary Biology)

1. How do you feel your major has prepared you for the future?
Majoring in ecology and evolutionary biology has given me critical thinking skills and scientific literacy that will help me solve problems related to wildlife management.

2. What are your plans after graduation?
First, I’m going off the grid and joining Robert Fisher's lab in the San Diego office of the US Geological Survey for a reptile and amphibian survey in the deserts of Anza Borrego for two weeks. Then, I’m going to work for UC Santa Cruz’s California State Summer School of Science and Mathematics as a course assistant. Lastly, I am going to go to Costa Rica for a sea turtle conservation biology course. I’m also currently in the process of applying to master's programs for fall 2025.

3. How do you envision your career path in the next five years?
Going to graduate school to get a Masters degree and then starting a PhD in natural resource management.

4. Are there any specific goals or dreams you hope to achieve?
I grew up watching Steve Irwin the crocodile hunter and I’ve always dreamed of becoming a herpetologist. I want to follow in his footsteps by dedicating my life to protecting wildlife and educating the public on natural systems. Steve Irwin said it best: “I want to have the purest oceans, I want to be able to drink water straight out of that creek, I want to stock the ozone layer, I want to save the world.”

5. What advice would you give to incoming freshmen?
No matter what you choose to study here, do not give up on your dreams. I was a computer science major when I first transferred to UCSC but I wasn’t happy studying it. To switch to studying ecology and evolutionary biology I had to take a year's worth of chemistry over a summer. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done but I’m so glad I did it. Be persistent. Do things that make YOU, not others, happy.
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The Our Voices Will Change the World series profiles 2024 UC Santa Cruz graduating students detailing how their experience at UC Santa Cruz will go on to help change the world! Stay tuned for more profiles all this week.

🎓 🎓 GRAD PHOTO ROUND UP '24 🎓 🎓

We are excited to celebrate all of our graduating Slugs this weekend!

1. Michelle Vega (Sociology and Latin American and Latino Studies, Oakes College)
2. Edgar (Danny) Cruz (Biomolecular Engineering, Porter College)
3. Samantha Phan (Psychology, College 9)
4. Liv Fragiacomo (Environmental studies, Spanish studies minor, College 9)
5. Lindsey Yep (Marine Biology, Kresge College)
6. Kately Rodriguez (Business Management Economics & Legal Studies, John Lewis College)
7. Donna Harel (Biology, Stevenson College)
8. Neo Peng (Biomolecular Engineering, Porter College)
9. Chelsea Mitchell (Politics, Stevenson College)

🎓Our Voices Will Change the World, Part 1🎓
Nathann Latimore (M.S., Games and Playable Media)

How do you feel your major has prepared you for the future?

My Games & Playable Media M.S. has helped me grab hold of exactly where I want to be and serves as a helpful compliment to my C.S. Game Design B.S. degree. The networking opportunities I gained in the graduate community helped me land an internship last summer that has accelerated my growth as a game designer.

What are your plans after graduation?

I am starting work as a full-time game designer at Respawn Entertainment, a studio responsible for titles like Apex Legends, Titanfall, and the Star Wars Jedi series! I’ll work alongside a talented group of teammates to craft meaningful gameplay experiences and tell new stories. I will join Respawn’s Jedi team and couldn't be more psyched for it!

How do you envision your career path in the next five years?

I will hone my particular craft – “Encounter Design,” a discipline that intersects multiple creative and technical practices, like level design, combat design, and narrative design. I intend to push this craft as far as I can during my career.

Are there any specific goals or dreams you hope to achieve?

I want to create and give more guest lectures on game design and industry readiness for aspiring devs and share my stories and experiences. At UCSC, I'm particularly proud that I was able to host a lecture and discussion called “Blackness in Gaming.” It was fulfilling to be able to discuss a subject matter that was close to my heart and identity with aspiring devs, who I imagine will all soon be defining this space with me! I intend to continue this conversation in the future.

What advice would you give to incoming freshmen?

Take in your new environment and connect with the folks around you whenever you can. The kinds of experiences I gained from just getting to know the people around me have enriched my professional and personal life. I know I can make better games now because of all the friends I've come across and been inspired by.

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The Our Voices Will Change the World series profiles 2024 UC Santa Cruz graduating students detailing how their experience at UC Santa Cruz will go on to help change the world! Stay tuned for more profiles all this week.

After multiple internships, research opportunities, and contributing to the campus Chicanx and Latinx community, Renata Lopez (Oakes ‘24, computer science) is ready to leave the Santa Cruz redwoods for Seattle and start her new role with Amazon.

Lopez, a first-generation, computer science fourth-year student, was heavily involved in El Centro, UCSC’s Chicanx and Latinx Resource Center as a program coordinator and eventually an MC of their annual Dia de los Mu***os Celebration.

In addition to the resource center, Lopez was a member of UCSC’s GANAS Career Internship program which supports students in finding internships and paid opportunities. GANAS helped Lopez secure her first internship with the Santa Cruz County Health Department. She also worked with Professor Scott Beamer assisting with algorithm coding.

All of Lopez’s experiences gave her the confidence to apply for an internship with Amazon. After completing the internship, she was offered a full-time position as a cloud support associate in Seattle upon graduation.

Congrats Renata!!

https://bit.ly/4b18TkA

Izzy Zazueta (John R. Lewis ’24, politics) will be the first in their family to graduate from college this spring. A third year, dean’s honors, and first-generation student, Zazueta will leave UC Santa Cruz with extensive research experience, involvement with nearly a dozen organizations, and acceptances into the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Sociology Ph.D. program and the University of New Mexico’s Sociology Ph.D. program.

Zazueta’s research focuses on fashion and aesthetics for Chicanx and Mexican women, specifically Mestizaje identifying women. Mestizaje refers to people of mixed European (usually Spanish or Portuguese) and Indigenous American ancestry. Over the summer of 2023, Zazueta studied abroad in Mexico to conduct their research. They collected fashion magazines from family-owned secondhand bookstores dating back to 1948 and frequented highly populated areas to observe fashion trends.

After earning their Ph.D., Zazueta hopes to become a professor and eventually pursue an MFA in cosmetology with a focus on hair and makeup.

https://bit.ly/3KyrgCw

Ever wondered what it takes to create 21st-century Mammoths, Dodos, and Thylacines? A conversation with paleogeneticist Beth Shapiro, the new chief science officer at Colossal Biosciences, speaks on the technological considerations needed to see these proxies of extinct species walk the Earth. Read more about it here: https://ow.ly/T2xY50RYMUm

John Rickford (Stevenson, ‘71, sociolinguistics) is the recipient of this year’s UC Santa Cruz Humanities Distinguished Undergraduate Alumni Award! Rickford was the first to earn an undergraduate degree in sociolinguistics, studying the relationship between language and society and how people use language in different social contexts.

Rickford’s time at UC Santa Cruz prepared the groundwork for his long and distinguished career as a linguistics professor at Stanford University, where he taught for 40 years until his retirement five years ago. He is a world-renowned scholar, champion of African-American Vernacular English, also known as Black Talk, and a high-profile advocate for the rights of vernacular language speakers.

Humanities Distinguished Undergraduate Alumni Award recipient John Rickford is a world-renowned scholar of Black Talk and social justice advocate John Rickford (Stevenson, ‘71, sociolinguistics), this year’s Humanities Distinguished Undergraduate Alumni Award recipient, is a world-renowned scholar and champion of African-American Vernacular English (AAVE), also known as Black Talk.

June marks the start of Pride Month – a celebration of the accomplishments and triumphs that the LGBTQIA2S+ community has had in creating a world where all are treated with equity and respect, and provided equal opportunities inclusive of all gender and sexual diversities.

Pride is more than a hashtag, slogan on a t-shirt, social media filter, or rainbow stamp on a pair of sneakers. Our commitment to protect the fundamental rights of the LGBTQIA2S+ community’s crucial especially as numerous efforts — including legislation across the country — seek to roll back basic human rights, many targeting transgender people. In the face of these challenges, this Pride Month — and all year long — let us lift up trans and q***r joy by celebrating the many ways LGBTQIA+ individuals enrich our community from competing on our athletic teams to teaching across the curriculum to serving in the dining halls to raising their voices in rallying for liberatory justice.

Pride goes beyond acknowledging the histories of and challenges faced by the LGBTQIA2S+ community; it encompasses the cultivation of transformative moments filled with q***r joy and a deep sense of belonging within the lively LGBTQIA+ community.

The work towards equity for LGBTQIA2S+ individuals is ongoing. We recognize and lift up the work of the Lionel Cantú Q***r Resource Center, various LGBTQIA+ groups such as Lavender Club and OSTEM, and the many q***r and trans folks who help transform UCSC into a place where connection, community, and care are infused in our slug pride.

This month in addition to their annual Lavender Graduation celebration, the Cantú Center also led the UC Santa Cruz contingency at Santa Cruz Pride — the third oldest Pride Parade and Festival in California — on June 2nd.

“This discovery is completely unanticipated and is likely to be seen as the most significant extragalactic discovery with JWST to date."

An international team of astronomers today announced the discovery of the two of the earliest, most distant galaxies discovered with James Webb Space Telescope! The galaxies date back to 300 million years after the Big Bang.

These galaxies mark a major milestone in the study of the early universe and were discovered by the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) team, co-led by UC Santa Cruz astronomer Brant Robertson.

https://bit.ly/3yOF3lC

Kristi Truong (Stevenson ’26, global community health) has played soccer since she was seven years old. She comes from a family of soccer players; her dad played collegiately and her sisters are also passionate about the sport. For Truong, the decision to continue to play in college felt natural. The bigger question was where she would play.

Like many high school athletes, Truong felt pressured to attend a university with a D1 soccer team, but after a visit to UC Santa Cruz and meeting some of her potential future teammates, she chose to commit to UCSC, which has a D3 soccer program.

“They were really sweet, welcoming, and I felt included,” Truong said. “They showed me that I didn't need to listen to what everyone else was saying because ultimately it was my decision to make....My team is like my second family, like my siblings, and they're a big reason why I continue to play and why I continue to love the sport."

Now when prospective soccer students visit UCSC, she gives them the same advice she heard three years ago: decide for yourself.

In addition to her studies, Truong is part of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee comprised of multiple students from different campus sports teams who work together to improve student athletics and recreation experience.

https://bit.ly/4ay1poC

UC Santa Cruz's Malin Pinsky, an associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, will co-author a chapter on nature and climate change for America's first-ever "National Nature Assessment" (NNA). Announced on Earth Day, the NNA aims to evaluate nature’s contributions to the economy, health, and well-being, under the direction of University of Washington Professor Phil Levin. Managed by the U.S. Global Change Research Program and set for completion in 2026, the assessment will include input from over 150 experts nationwide.

The NNA will integrate scientific expertise, indigenous knowledge, and diverse perspectives to understand and communicate the value of nature to different people, and to explore future benefits.

Pinsky, recognized for his research on ocean life adaptation to climate change, has published over 100 works in renowned journals and is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He received the Peter A. Larkin Award from the University of British Columbia for his work on sustainable marine fisheries.

UC Santa Cruz biologist tapped to contribute to national report on nature's role in society 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 ...

Kimberly TallBear (Ph.D. ’05, history of consciousness) is this year’s recipient of the University of California, Santa Cruz Distinguished Humanities Graduate Student Alumni Award!

Tallbear is honored for championing indigenous rights and protecting Native American DNA from exploitation. Her work spans academia, activism, and storytelling, addressing the exploitation of genetic research on Indigenous peoples.

TallBear's multidisciplinary approach combines humanities and science, fostering equity and community engagement. She promotes Indigenous representation in genomics and co-founded initiatives like SING USA. Her efforts extend to literature and live storytelling, reflecting a commitment to decolonization and empowering Native communities.

https://bit.ly/44GmhJg

🧬 DNA DAY! 🧬 Today was UCSC Genomics Institute’s annual DNA celebration where our campus community can learn about the science of DNA.

Today’s event included a poster session highlighting all the great research RMI labs are doing, a photo booth, hands-on strawberry DNA extraction, and other fun learning activities.

DNA DAY is a popular and inclusive event attended by students, faculty, research staff, and other members of the UCSC community.

Until next year! 👋🏾

On March 23, fifteen students from UC Santa Cruz decided to redefine the essence of spring break by immersing themselves in a week-long critical service-learning experience, partnering with environmental and economic justice organizations in Watsonville as part of the Colleges Nine and John R. Lewis Alternative Spring Break program.

Alternative Spring Break is a critical service-learning program, that deepens its commitment to community and social justice. It is designed to showcase justice efforts in Watsonville and South County and encourage undergraduates to work alongside community members and leaders in varying capacities.

This year, students helped families with planting at Calabasas Community Garden in Watsonville, helped local entrepreneurs prepare and assemble food options at the El Pájaro Community Development Corporation Kitchen Incubator, and painted a mural at Calabasas Elementary School in Watsonville.

Read more about their experience here: https://bit.ly/49Z6VAl