News & Events
Department News
ARCS Foundation scholarships support 14 outstanding graduate students in science and engineering for 2025-26
The scholarships are awarded to students who show exceptional promise of making a significant contribution to the scientific and technological strength of the country.
A Lifeline for Salmon: UCSC and NOAA Join Forces to Secure a Future for California’s Most Iconic Fish
A decades-long collaboration is giving Central California’s dwindling coho salmon population a fighting chance.
From nanopore sequencing to neutron stars, UC Santa Cruz research advances our understanding, wellbeing
The federal government has been—and must remain—a critical partner in foundational technological innovation and research breakthroughs.
Star light, world bright
Exploring remote planets with extreme light-bending inventions
Get to know our researchers
Meet some of the passionate people leading our impact and innovation. Public support and federal funding make this work possible.
Protecting NASA funding ensures breakthroughs in space science and benefits in daily life continue
From GPS to innovations in computing and optics, technologies developed for space research touch nearly every aspect of modern life
Rooted in education, expanding opportunity
Inspired by a shared love of learning and a family of educators, alumnus Roger Koopmann (Stevenson ’80, economics) and his late husband, Tom Bullen (Ph.D. ’86, Earth sciences), established scholarships that give UC Santa Cruz students the chance to pursue research and study abroad experiences.
UC Santa Cruz ranks among top 25 global public universities in new rankings
UC Santa Cruz’s high placement underscores a growing influence on the global research stage and strengths in areas with significant scientific and societal impact.
Faculty, fellows among global leaders at 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference
University of California, Santa Cruz, and the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience represented at recent international climate meetings
Department Spotlight
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Andy Fisher wins the NEXTies “Brainwave Award”
The “Brainwave Award” recognizes groundbreaking research, innovation, or scientific discovery. It was awarded to Andy Fisher in 2025 for his research into urban flooding, saltwater intrusion, and freshwater supply in the Pajaro River Valley.
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Alum Richard Gordon awarded the 2025 Walter H. Bucher Medal by the American Geophysical Union
The Walter H. Bucher Medal is given annually to a senior scientist in recognition of original contributions to the basic knowledge of crust and lithosphere.
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Graduate Student Tessa Holzmann Awarded Seed Funding by UCSC Science Division
Tessa Holzmann, a Ph.D. student in the Earth & Planetary Sciences Department advised by Distinguished Professor Paul Koch, has received $6,010 in seed funding for her project “Unlocking Ancient Marine Ecosystem Structure and Evolution through Calcium Stable Isotopes.”