UC Santa Cruz Science

It was wonderful to be able to see our graduates cross the stage during Slug Crossing this weekend! Congratulations again to all of our 2020 and 2021 graduates We can't wait to see what you do next.

Watch a moray eating on land, caught on video for the first time! While most fish need water to feed, a new study by UC Santa Cruz researcher Rita Mehta has found that snowflake moray eels have an extra set of jaws in their throats that allows them to grab & swallow prey on land. https://news.ucsc.edu/2021/06/moray-feeding.html

Happy commencement! "Without exaggeration, I can say that studying at Santa Cruz has changed my life’s trajectory." 2021 graduate and Chancellor’s Award winner Ishana Shukla worked in seven different labs at UC Santa Cruz, participated in six internships, and even taught a seminar on undergraduate research.... Read her story: https://science.ucsc.edu/student-spotlight-ishana-shukla/

Happy commencement, Science graduates! 2021 graduate Simayijiang "Sherin" Xirenayi had a rocky transition from Xinjiang, China, to De Anza College and then UC Santa Cruz, but her life turned a corner when she met with a campus adviser. Read how: http://bit.ly/SherinUCSC

Countdown to commencement continues! First Generation UCSC student Nabeela Ariqat's family moved from Jordan to the U.S. one month before 9/11. After facing discrimination and multiple barriers, she found a home at UC Santa Cruz and will be graduating with a degree in molecular, cell, and developmental biology. Read her incredible story: http://bit.ly/AriqatUCSC

Science student Olivia Ross has won the Steck Award! Ross’s project, which she worked on with faculty mentor Stefano Profumo, studies the possibility of detecting primordial black holes (PBHs) using pulsars. Olivia says of her time at UC Santa Cruz : "I came to UCSC as a transfer student in 2018 and immediately felt right at home. The physics major is intense, but doing it in the middle of a redwood forest made everything bearable. I’ve made some lifelong friends and I’ve ...had the honor of working with some truly incredible mentors. All in all, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Ross graduated Magna Cum Laude in summer 2020, and is headed to Cornell University’s Ph.D. program in astronomy in the fall. Congratulations to Olivia and all our other Dean's and Chancellor's Award winners!