From move-in activities to a first-ever spirit rally, UC Santa Barbara kicks off a new year with a week’s worth of fun.
UCSB — The Current — ‘Welcome home, Gauchos’ and more news, events
Tag: University of California at Santa Barbara
The Current — ‘UCSB-designed soft robot intubation device could save lives’ and more news, events
The innovative tool, designed specifically for non-expert users, improves airway access and raises survival odds in critical medical emergencies.
UCSB — The Current — ‘Scientists tune in to the surf’s hidden signals’ and more news, events
UCSB — The Current — ‘Town hall highlights impact of federal budget cuts on research’ and more news, events
Budget cuts for science research were the topic of discussion at a meeting sponsored by the United Academic Workers local 4811 along with the campus, and featuring a visit by Rep. Salud Carbajal and comments from Vice Chancellor for Research Rachel Segalman.
UCSB — The Current — ‘Years after an earthquake, rivers still carry the mountains downstream’ and more news, events
A sediment surge after the Wenchuan Quake offers clues to mountain-building mechanics and reveals long-term hazards.
UCSB — The Current — ‘University of California Annual Commitment to Address Discrimination and Harassment’ and more information
UCSB — The Current — ‘Some young suns are aligned with their planet-forming disks, others are born tilted’ and more news, events
“All young stars have these disks, but we’ve known little about their orientations with respect to the spin axis of the host stars,” said associate physics professor Brendan Bowler, senior author of a study published in Nature.
UCSB — The Current — ‘Both flexibility and persistence make some birds successful in human-made environments’ and more news, events
Corina Logan and her team tease apart the role of behavioral flexibility in great-tailed grackles’ ability to flourish in human-made environments.
UCSB — The Current — ‘How to build global community through Mexican literature’ and more news, events
Distinguished professor Sarah Poot Herrera has built a cross-border scholarly network through her research on Mexican literature, fostering collaboration, mentorship and cultural dialogue across generations and geographies.
Read more about her work
UCSB — The Current — ‘Dr. Dennis Assanis appointed as UC Santa Barbara’s next chancellor,’ and more news, events
Assanis comes to UC from the University of Delaware, where he has served as president since 2016. He will assume his role at UCSB on Sept. 1, 2025.
UCSB — The Current — ‘A nuanced model of soil moisture illuminates plant behavior and climate patterns’ and more news, events
The patterns captured in a newly developed non-linear model reveal whether plants are ‘water savers’ or ‘water spenders.’
UCSB — The Current — Could America break apart? UCSB expert explores the possibility
In his latest book, political economist Benjamin Cohen examines the global and domestic pressures driving nations, including the U.S., toward fragmentation.
UCSB — The Current — ‘Student-led sports-waste recycling initiative takes off at UCSB’ and more news, events
Thanks to a student-led sports-waste recycling program, Gauchos and visiting community members can recycle their old sports gear in the drop-off bin at the Rec Cen.
Read more about the program
UCSB — The Current — ‘What does it mean to be ‘Hapa?’ Artist Kip Fulbeck reflects on 25-year identity project’ and more news, events
An expanded exhibition at San Diego’s Museum of Us revisits Fulbeck’s landmark portraits and the evolving identities behind them.
UCSB — The Current — ‘College of Engineering named for former dean, Robert Mehrabian’ and more news, events
Mehrabian, who served as the fourth engineering dean at UCSB from 1983-1990, was responsible for major growth and advancement of the relatively young college during his tenure.
UCSB — The Current — ‘The atmosphere’s growing thirst is making droughts worse, even where it rains’ and more news, events
Warmer air can suck up more moisture in dry regions and dump more rain in wet regions. New research reveals that the atmosphere’s drying capacity is outpacing increases in rainfall.
UCSB — The Current — UC Santa Barbara commencement events to celebrate 7,460 graduates for 2024–2025
More than 7,400 students — a combination of both undergraduate and graduate — have declared their candidacy to earn degrees in 2025. And they’ll all be honored across nine official events over eight days.
UCSB — The Current — ‘Gender-sensitive data brings more depth to marine spatial planning’ and more news, events
New research shows that, globally, men and women tend to use the ocean in different ways, with implications for how marine spaces are used and valued.
UCSB — The Current — ‘Ceramic artist connects Taiwan and California with Mingei folk art traditions’ and more news, events
Meiya Sidney ???, a fourth-year College of Creative Studies and art honors student, shares her ceramic practice shaped by summers in Taiwan.
UCSB — The Current — ‘Community science helps reveal population growth among SoCal’s endangered giant sea bass’ and more news, events
Photos from the diving community document around 1,200 adult giant sea bass as the species slowly recovers from decades of overfishing.
UCSB — The Current — ‘Making automation more human through innovative fabrication tools’ and more news, events
With support from a new NSF CAREER Award, Jennifer Jacobs is developing more intuitive, human-centered digital fabrication tools.
UCSB — The Current — ‘Jason De León to speak on May 15,’ and more news, events
The scholar and National Book Award-winning author explores the human consequences of U.S. immigration policies and shares stories of hope and resilience from the border.
UCSB — The Current — ALL-VIDEO EDITION: Press Play on Our Research Rewind
Restoring Dunes to Protect Shores
Marine Science Institute researchers have found that restored dunes at Santa Monica Beach can help protect that section of California’s coast from the severe storms and sea-level rise that come with a warming ocean.
Watch to learn about dune restoration
UCSB — The Current — ‘Coralations’ Q&A with author Melody Jue and more news, events
Author Melody Jue, an associate professor of English, departs from common coral narratives in her new collection of essays.
Read more about the book
UCSB — The Current — ‘Alcohol marketing ushered in a golden age of drinking in America’ and more news, events
Cultural historian Lisa Jacobson’s new book tells the complicated and fascinating story of how alcoholic beverages morphed from disreputable habit to ubiquitous facet of American life.
UCSB — The Current — UCSB to host second annual AI Spring Symposium and more news, events
The virtual sessions, which are open to anyone, will tackle topics like chatbots, AI in clinical medical practice and college students’ use of ChatGPT.
UCSB — The Current — Giovanni Batz wins book prize for ‘The Fourth Invasion’ for more news, events
Distilling more than a decade of ethnographic research, the book examines ongoing resource exploitation in Guatemala by multinational corporations that fund and operate hydroelectric projects.
Read more about the “invasion”
UCSB — The Current — ‘New microCT machine unites biologists and materials scientists’ and more news, events
World Music Series
Wednesday, April 16
Los Catanes del Norte will perform music from different regions in Mexico including corridos, rancheras, and boleros norteños.
UCSB — The Current — ‘Scientists discover that fruit fly larvae can sense electric fields’ and more news, events
New research demonstrates that fruit fly larvae navigate toward the negative electric potential using a small set of sensory neurons in their head.
UCSB — The Current — ‘Transparency in government is good for global health’ and more news, events
A field experiment conducted with cities in China demonstrates that an increase in government transparency causes decreases in pollution, with meaningful effects on health.
UCSB — The Current — ‘Sharks are dying at alarming rates, mostly due to fishing. Retention bans may help’ and more news, events
A team led by UCSB researchers highlights the importance of monitoring shark populations and combining different strategies for managing their numbers.
UCSB — The Current — ‘Award-winning documentary explores the unfinished tale of DDT’ and more news, events
The film details Professor David Valentine’s discovery and investigation, with Los Angeles Times reporter Rosanna Xia, of toxic waste dumping off the Southern California coast.
Read more about “Out of Plain Sight”
UCSB ‘The Current’ — ‘Avocado cultivation’s ancient origins hold lessons for a changing climate’ and more news, events
Anthropologists Amber VanDerwarker and Doug Kennett present new research about the history of avocado domestication, highlighting a popular tree crop of major economic importance.
UCSB — The Current — ‘Empathic education’ may unlock STEM learning success for all and more news
Professor Sharon Tettagah demonstrates how considering learner preferences for receiving educational content can create a more inclusive and effective educational experience.
UCSB — The Current — ‘Topological quantum processor marks breakthrough in computing’ and more news, events
Microsoft team led by UC Santa Barbara physicists unveils first-of-its-kind topological qubit, paving the way for a more fault-tolerant quantum computer.
UCSB — The Current — ‘California artists reimagine language, state’s identity in new exhibition’ and more news, events
“Public Texts: A Californian Visual Language” at the Art, Design & Architecture Museum explores how artists use text to challenge perception, critique culture and reflect California’s evolving identity.
UCSB — The Current — ‘Postdoc scholar (Daniela Soto) receives competitive award to investigate the genetic changes that shaped the human mind’ and more news, events
Daniela Soto has earned a prestigious fellowship with eight years of funding to study the evolution of human brains from a genomic perspective.
UCSB — The Current — ‘Manuel Muñoz wins Luis Leal Award for Distinction in Chicano/Latino Literature’ and more news, events
Recognized for his stories of farmworker families in the vast and complex Central Valley of California, Muñoz is also a past recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship.
UCSB — The Current — ‘Three student-made environmental documentaries to screen this week’ and more news, events
A trio short films by undergraduates — “Not Just Water,” “quwa’” and “The Kelp We Breathe” — will be featured during the festival’s Santa Barbara Documentary Shorts programming.
UCSB — The Current — ‘Professor David Tilman awarded National Medal of Science for revealing the importance of biodiversity’ and more news, events
“It feels special because it’s my nation saying that my life’s work is appreciated. And that is an amazing feeling,” said Tilman, a distinguished professor at Bren School of Environmental Science & Management.
UCSB — The Current — ‘Leah Stokes receives the prestigious Schneider Award for Outstanding Science Communication’ and more news, events
The associate professor, an expert in energy, climate and environmental politics, was recognized for her exceptional contributions and public engagement.
UCSB — The Current — ‘Sara Miller McCune Arts Library opens for study, research and learning resources’ and more news, events
Culminating a multiyear effort to unite library collections and services in a central, state-of-the-art space, the newly opened facility also represents the vision of its namesake, a longstanding donor to campus
UCSB — The Current — ‘UC Santa Barbara heads to State Street’ and more news, events
Intending to have a larger presence in the downtown area, and to support the revitalization of Santa Barbara’s primary business corridor, the university will acquire property on State Street.
Read more about the university’s plans
UCSB — The Current — ‘Campus events honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s struggle for equality’ and more news, events
Back-to-back events will kick off celebrations for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including a free documentary screening and a silent march through campus.
UCSB — The Current — ‘Program addresses need for bilingual and culturally responsive school psychologists’ and more news, events
Facing a nationwide shortage of school psychologists and a growing need for services for increasingly diverse student bodies, the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education launches a new effort to train bilingual school psychologists.
Plus: Chicana and Chicano studies scholar discusses her new book, “The Children of Solaga: Indigenous Belonging across the U.S.-Mexico Border,” in this Interdisciplinary Humanities Center event.
UCSB — The Current — ‘It’s all about expression’ and more news, events
Professor Soojin Yi leads a study of how gene expression in the human brain reveals cell types becoming more specialized, not just more numerous.
UCSB — The Current — ‘Season’s greetings from our home to yours’
Wishing you gorgeous sunsets and bright horizons
Before signing off for the year, check out our Most Viewed Stories of 2024. Then meet us right back here on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, when The Current will return to your inbox with more research news, features and exciting UC Santa Barbara content.
UCSB — The Current — ‘Apparel industry leaks millions of tons of plastic into environment each year’ and more news, events
Global apparel consumption resulted in over 20 million tons of plastic waste in 2019, creating an economic and environmental burden that “falls disproportionately upon the developing economies of the world.”
UCSB — The Current — ‘Humanities Decanted: Daina Sanchez on Jan. 21, 2025’ and more news, events
The Chicana and Chicano studies professor discusses her new book, “The Children of Solaga: Indigenous Belonging across the U.S.-Mexico Border.”
UCSB — The Current — ‘Historian Tsuyoshi Hasegawa writes definitive account of the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II’ and more news, events
The emeritus professor’s new book unpacks how inept leadership by the Russian ruler precipitated the fall of the Romanovs.