This month in science:
Our researchers honored at Breakthrough Prize ceremony; Trump disrupts biomedical research, affects Santa Cruz; three faculty members named 2024 AAAS fellows, and more.
The Breakthrough Prize Foundation, established by Silicon Valley luminaries including the tech icons behind Google and Facebook, named UC Santa Cruz astrophysicist Rebecca Jensen-Clem and former postdoctoral researcher Maaike van Kooten as co-recipients of the early-career New Horizons in Physics Prize. In addition, 17 researchers from the Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics were among those honored with the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics.
Undergraduates at all UC campuses roll up their sleeves to learn by doing. In fact, 70 percent participate in research, creative projects, internships or service learning during their time at UC. “Doing research has given me real-world experience, but also a real perspective on what I can do with my degree and the steps I need to take in order to get there,” said Klaus Stephenson, an astronomy and astrophysics major at UC Santa Cruz.
Like most endeavors, fisheries science benefits from different perspectives. The annual "Diverse Voices" seminar series hosted by our Fisheries Collaborative Program ensures that, featuring speakers from various disciplines and communities, discussing topics ranging from advocacy art and business impact to indigenous issues.
Weather and the Whale is a major exhibition project featuring immersive displays of original science research and newly commissioned contemporary artworks. Working at the intersections of art and science to connect people to the impacts of climate change, the project brings leading artists into collaboration with marine ecologists. The exhibition is the culmination of a two-year collaboration between the Institute of the Arts and Sciences and the Friedlaender Lab at UC Santa Cruz. Join us for the
opening celebration on May 23, 2025, from 6–8 p.m.
MAY 16 | 2–5:30 p.m. | SEYMOUR MARINE DISCOVERY CENTER
Twenty-five years ago, the Human Genome Project released the first draft of the human genome sequence, a moonshot accomplishment that UC Santa Cruz played a
heroic role
in getting over the finish line. It is also the anniversary of the UC Santa Cruz Genome Browser, one of the most widely used resources for genomics worldwide. Celebrate these milestones with a half-day symposium about the exciting future of genomics in medicine and conservation, hosted by the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute.
