News

December 21, 2024

UC Santa Cruz innovators recognized for impact at 2024 Santa Cruz Works Titans Awards

December 4, 2024

Two UC Santa Cruz faculty members, Richard (Ed) Green and Chris Benner, have been selected as awardees for the eighth annual Santa Cruz Works Titans Awards

Imperial Valley’s lithium reserves could power a global energy transition. But will they also fuel local economies?

November 18, 2024

Professor Chris Benner's latest book with coauthor Manuel Pastor, a professor at the University of Southern California, explores economic and environmental possibilities for a lithium boom in California's Imperial Valley.

Science and Social Justice: Jenny Reardon featured on Digital Science

November 4, 2024

Jenny Reardon, Professor of Sociology and the Founder of Science and Justice Research Center, on the problem of the politicization of science.

Publication: new "Race and Health" entry in Oxford Bibliographies

October 24, 2024

Sociology Associate Professor and SJRC Co-Director James Doucet-Battle publishes a new "Race and Health" entry in Oxford Bibliographies. The selected bibliography offers a genealogy of scholarship on the topic over the last century and a half.

Published in JRI: “A conjunctural analysis of the origins of ‘embedded ELSI’ in U.S. genomic medicine

October 22, 2024

A new open access publication in The Journal of Responsible Innovation is published by Sociology graduate student James Karabin and Sociology Professor Jenny Reardon with collaborators at Columbia, University of Washington, UCLA, and Harvard. They call for an embedded approach, where ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) researchers are situated within larger scientific research studies.

Social Sciences Division welcomes new faculty

October 7, 2024

UC Santa Cruz’s Social Sciences Division is welcoming 10 outstanding new faculty members this academic year.

Leading by listening: Marianas Fernandez’s journey to becoming a student leader

September 23, 2024

UCSC student Marianas Fernandez excels in academics, activism, and athletics, earning recognition and awards for her leadership and contributions.

Famed economist and Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz speaks out against right-wing notions of economic freedom

September 19, 2024

On Tuesday night, famed progressive economist Joseph Stiglitz drew a large and enthusiastic crowd to downtown Santa Cruz, where he took aim at neoliberal economics and called for more equitable alternatives. The event was co-sponsored by The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz.

New book explores the limits of technology in addressing food system problems

September 10, 2024

A new book from UC Santa Cruz Professor Julie Guthman warns that technological solutions are no match for structural problems in our food system. She hopes the book will help more people realize that we need to respond to these problems with social action.

From Forest to Culture to AI: Patkai's Jubilee lecture explores the contemporary Zeitgeist

August 10, 2024

Associate Professor of Sociology Sanjay Barbora delivered a lecture on the importance of educational institutions in imparting values that expand solidarity in militarised regions, such as Northeast India, at Patkai Christian College's golden jubilee celebrations

An overlooked side-effect of the housing crisis may be putting Californians at increased risk from climate disasters

July 29, 2024

In a new article for the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, UC Santa Cruz researchers laid out the foundation for their highly-anticipated upcoming study of how lack of affordable housing in urban areas of California may be driving increased development in and near wildlands, leading to more severe climate change impacts.

Cells and the city: The rise and fall of urban biopolitics in San Francisco, 1970–2020

July 23, 2024

Sociology Professor Jenny Reardon with graduate alumni published an article in Social Studies of Science examining how the logics of speculative revitalization imagine a future in which cities and biomedicine produce wealth and health harmoniously together.

2023-24 Excellence in Teaching Awards announced

July 22, 2024

Naya Jones, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Global and Community Health is elected to receive an Excellence in Teaching Award by UCSC's Academic Senate’s Committee on Teaching (COT).

The Humanities Institute receives Global Public Humanities Award

July 17, 2024

The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz was honored as one of the two inaugural winners of the “Public Humanities Award for Leadership in Practice and Community” at the Consortium of Humanities Centers and Institutes annual meeting in May 2024.

Guest Commentary | Unions benefit workers — and employers

July 16, 2024

Veronica Hamilton, a graduate student researcher for the Center for Labor and Community, and Teresa Ghilarducci, a researcher collaborating with the center, wrote an opinion article for the Santa Cruz Sentinel about the importance of labor unions. They write that union activity creates a "ripple effect" that ultimately "lifts living standards and promotes dignity in work across the economy."

G. William Domhoff and Catherine Cooper receive Dickson Emeriti Professorships

June 18, 2024

Distinguished Professor Emeritus G. William Domhoff, who was a member of both the psychology and sociology departments at UC Santa Cruz, and Professor Emerita of Psychology Catherine Cooper recently won Edward A. Dickson Emeriti Professorships.

Fathers at the Heart of Santa Cruz Exhibit Celebrating Early Filipino Farmworkers

June 14, 2024

The Watsonville is in the Heart Project, co-led by Sociology Professor Steve McKay, and the Tobera Project featured in exhibit 'Sowing Seeds: Filipino American Stories from the Pajaro Valley' at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History

Job: Everett Program Visiting Assistant Professor

June 11, 2024

The Sociology Department invites applications for a Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology to support the Everett Program.

Compassion in action: Alumna Diane N. Nguyen leads with love through her philanthropic firm

May 16, 2024

From a young age, UCSC alumna and alumni councilor Diane Nguyen felt the desire to help others. Now as the founder of her own philanthropic firm, Lead with Love Consulting (LwL Consulting), Nguyen is at the forefront of impactful change.

New research center studies interconnections between urbanism and the environment, with a focus on lessons from the Santa Cruz region

April 22, 2024

The Center for Critical Urban and Environmental Studies tackles converging 21st Century urban and environmental crises—like climate change and housing affordability—to show how the pursuit of sustainability and social justice are often intertwined.

Santa Cruz County youth aim to improve community mental health through better support for immigrants

April 4, 2024

A three-year partnership between UC Santa Cruz and United Way to empower young change-makers is wrapping up this spring, with youth leaders from across Santa Cruz County preparing to distribute resource kits for local immigrants.

UCSC student and two time scholarship recipient shares her transformative experiences

February 20, 2024

Lizeth Peña Sanchez (’24, education, democracy, and justice, Latin American and Latino studies, and sociology) received scholarships from The Institute for Social Transformation's Transforming Futures and Building Belonging Programs. She shares how those experiences prepared her for her future goals.

A network for the future

February 13, 2024

UCSC Student Serena Campbell’s senior thesis leads to a comprehensive network between critical environmental researchers on campus.

Job: Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of Community Studies

January 10, 2024

The Sociology Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz, is pleased to announce the following associate professor position to direct the Community Studies program.

MARKETPLACE: Inside the world of immigration scams

October 20, 2023

Assistant Professor of Sociology Juan Manuel Pedroza on the nature of these scams and how to deter them from happening.

Job: Everett Program Assistant Teaching Professor

September 25, 2023

The Sociology Department invites applications for an Assistant Teaching Professor of Community Engagement and Technology to support the Everett Program and other community engaged student learning in the department.

Media, News, and Events from Watsonville is in the Heart (WIITH)

June 12, 2023

A community-driven public history initiative with Professors Steve McKay and Kathleen Cruz Gutierrez.

KION News 46: Filipino history digital archive celebrates AAPI month

June 8, 2023

The Watsonville is in the Heart Project and the Tobera Project featured on KION News keeps the Filipino American history alive on the Central Coast.

Bullying, Harassment, and Harassing Speech

May 24, 2023

The UCSC Sociology Department issues a statement strongly condemning all such harassment, bullying, and harassing speech.

Empowering communities through partnership

May 17, 2023

In partnership with Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay, UC Santa Cruz’s Blum Center is working to compile data and stories on the impact of affordable housing in Santa Cruz.

"Why California? A Roundtable on the 2023 Report on Reparations for African Americans."

May 17, 2023

Professor of Sociology & Legal Studies Hiroshi Fukurai served on the May 17 panel discussion hosted by the Center For Racial Justice. Listen in to learn more about the task force's proposal.

Publication: "Materializing the metaphor: Theorizing the food desert as a sociospatial–legal instrument in the production of space" in Human Geography

May 16, 2023

The article, based on Sociology graduate student Erica Zurawski’s dissertation research, shows how food desert discourse "comingles with and co-constitutes the legal and spatial" through an analysis of the USDA's food financing and policy.

KPFK Los Angeles: "Banana Slugs and Black Panthers: Revolutionary Political Activism at UCSC and Beyond."

May 13, 2023

Professor of Sociology & Legal Studies Hiroshi Fukurai discusses his senior seminar with Freedom Now host and producer Gerald Horne on KPFK radio on May 13. Listen in at minute 32.

May 2, 2023

Wall Street Journal: Desperate College Students Compete for Spots in Trailer Park

May 1, 2023

Sociology Professor Steve McKay and the No Place Like Home study shows 44% of UCSC undergraduates are considered ‘obscenely rent burdened’.

National Endowment for the Humanities honors Watsonville Is In The Heart with a prestigious $75,000 project grant

April 18, 2023

The National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded a prestigious $75,000 Public Humanities Projects: Exhibitions Planning grant to Watsonville Is In The Heart (WIITH), a community-driven public history initiative to preserve and uplift stories of Filipino migration and labor in the Pajaro Valley.

Lookout Santa Cruz: John Brown Childs on why transcommunality resonates with Soledad prison students.

April 10, 2023

Sociology Professor Emeritus John Brown Childs teaches a course on transcommunality, his concept of peaceful conflict resolution, to men serving prison sentences at Soledad Correctional Training Facility.

Recess Is Good For Kids. Why Don’t More States Require It? CA Senate Bill 291 is open.

March 23, 2023

Professor of Sociology Rebecca London calls for a return to recess around the country and a stop to the ill practices of withholding recess as punishment that disproportionately affects Black, Latino and Native American students, especially boys. A hearing for SB291 is set for April 12.

The Science History Institute's Distillations, Innate: "The Vampire Project"

February 28, 2023

Sociology Professor Jenny Reardon, founding director of the Science & Justice Research Center at UC Santa Cruz, is one of those featured in podcast episode 4 of the Innate series on "How Science Invented the Myth of Race" a project exploring the historical roots and persistent legacies of racism in American science and medicine.

When recess is the hardest part of the day

February 8, 2023

Recess isn’t carefree for every child. Sociology Professor Rebecca London on how schools can make it better.

Published in CellPress: Trustworthiness matters: Building equitable and ethical science

February 1, 2023

Sociology Professor Jenny Reardon, founding director of the Science & Justice Research Center at UC Santa Cruz, with collaborators at Columbia, University of Washington, UCLA, and Harvard launch an initiative that seeks to revolutionize STEM research in a manner that centers questions of ethics, justice and the public good.

University launches new center, Campus + Community, to facilitate engaged scholarship

January 31, 2023

After more than 50 years of engagement in the region, UC Santa Cruz is launching a new center to coordinate campus and community connections for action-oriented scholarship that advances social justice.

UCSC new multicampus initiative: the ‘Social Networks and Health among Indigenous Californians Research Collaborative’

January 23, 2023

Alicia Riley, assistant professor of sociology, is part of the Collaborative led by UC Merced.

CITL Spotlight: Theresa Hice-Fromille On Teaching For Black Girls

January 20, 2023

Learn how Ph.D. candidate Theresa Hice-Fromille (Sociology, CRES, and Feminist Studies) advocates for justice-oriented teaching practices and more robust professional development for graduate student educators.

Planetary Urbanization and Imperialism: A View from Guåhan/Guam

January 19, 2023

Sociology graduate alum Kyle Galindez draws from his dissertation in a powerful and path-breaking article published in the International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, a preeminent journal in urban studies.

Oneirology (DREAMS) a podcast interview with Dr. G. William Domhoff

January 3, 2023

UC Santa Cruz professor emeritus Bill Domhoff discussed his new book, The Neurocognitive Theory of Dreaming: The Where, How, When, What, and Why of Dreams, which takes a comprehensive look at the full use of neuroimaging findings in relation to spontaneous thought and dream content.

Harper’s Magazine | Boomtown: A solar land rush in the West

December 20, 2022

Associate Professor of Sociology Hillary Angelo’s front page visionary essay on solar farming in Nevada.

UC strike leads to thousands of withheld grades for UCSC students

December 12, 2022

Associate Professor of Sociology Steve McKay, co-chair of the UCSC Faculty Association, on the rights of faculty and instructors and what they are doing about grades.

The University of California Strike Is Approaching Crunch Time

December 9, 2022

Associate Professor of Sociology Steve McKay sites co-authored No Place Like Home study describing the rental conditions around UC Santa Cruz as being “one of the least affordable metropolitan areas in the United States and globally to live.”

Humanizing the metaverse

November 30, 2022

Sociology Ph.D. candidate Theresa Hice-Fromille—a THI Summer Public Fellow—draws lessons and observations from fiction envisioning supernatural, futuristic, and other imaginative realms, and translating those reflections into considerations for Meta as it develops technologies.

UCSC Sociology Faculty Statement on the UC-Wide Academic Worker Strike

November 18, 2022

Academic workers at the University of California organized within UAW 5810, UAW 2865 and SRU-UAW united to demand for a fair workplace. UCSC Sociology Faculty issued a support statement.

Young Investigator 2022 Awarded to Camilla Hawthorne

November 7, 2022

Associate Professor of Sociology Camilla Hawthorne was awarded the 2022 Italian Scientists and Scholars in North America Foundation Young Investigator Award for Innovation in the Study of Italian Culture.

Domhoff’s new book discusses developmental dimension of dreaming

October 28, 2022

UC Santa Cruz professor emeritus Bill Domhoff's new book, The Neurocognitive Theory of Dreaming: The Where, How, When, What, and Why of Dreams, takes a comprehensive look at the full use of neuroimaging findings in relation to spontaneous thought and dream content.

In the heart: Preserving and sharing Watsonville's rich Filipino heritage

October 27, 2022

A community-driven public history initiative with Professors Steve McKay and Kathleen Cruz Gutierrez.

STARS celebrates National Transfer Week; shines the spotlight on nine Transfer Excellence Leaders

October 18, 2022

National Transfer Week is October 17 - 21. To help celebrate, STARS is shinig the spotlight on nine transfer excellence leaders. Read their stories!

California Is Confronting Its Student-Housing Woes. But There’s No Quick Fix.

September 29, 2022

Associate Professor Steve McKay quoted in The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Assistant Professor of Sociology Jaimie Morse awarded the 2022 David Edge Prize from 4S

September 21, 2022

Morse was awarded the 2022 David Edge Prize from the Society for Social Studies Science for her Osiris article, “The Geopolitics of ‘Rape Kit’ Protocols: Historical Problems in Translation as Humanitarian Medicine Meets International Law,” that traces the global circulation of the “rape kit” and its attendant protocols.

Support Sociology@UCSantaCruz Scholarships on campus fundraising day: November 2

September 20, 2022

This Giving Day we are raising funds for student research. Help support our students and their continued work in challenging dominant social norms and structures.

Agricultural Work and the Benefits to Well-being on the Homeless Garden Project Farm

August 31, 2022

One Sociology student’s journey with HGP.

‘This is a starting point for me’: UCSC alumni react to student loan forgiveness plan

August 29, 2022

Sociology undergraduate alumni featured in Lookout Santa Cruz.

UC Santa Cruz faculty and staff demand more housing initiative

May 22, 2022

Associate Professor Steve McKay interviewed on KSBW News Channel 8.

Population Research and Policy Review: Housing Instability in an Era of Mass Deportations

May 11, 2022

Sociology Assistant Prof. Juan Pedroza finds the burdens of mass deportations (measured as housing instability) fall very unevenly on the shoulders of mixed-status families at highest risk of exposure to immigration enforcement.

An ‘anchor baby’ yearns for a feminist of colour and decolonial sex education

May 8, 2022

Dedicated to her mother and other poor and working class mothers of color, Sociology graduate student Michelle Gomez Parra publishes article in the Journal of Sex Education.

“Legal exhaustion” and the crisis of human rights

April 29, 2022

Sociology Assistant Professor Jaimie Morse co-authored piece in the Journal of Human Rights traces legal mobilization against sexual violence and torture of Kurdish women in state custody in Turkey since the 1990s.

“Everyone Gets the Same 24 Hours a Day”: An Intersectional Approach to Understanding the Time and Life Lost For Black Men and Boys.

April 22, 2022

Sociology Graduate Student Uriel Serrano co-authored a chapter in Getting Real About Inequality: Intersectionality in Real Life exploring how Black men and boys experience gendered anti-Blackness and highlighting community work that is transforming their lives and communities.

KION: Filipino history digital archive is unveiled at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History

April 9, 2022

Sociology Associate Professor Steve McKay speaks with KION News 5/46 on how the archive helps promote the importance of family and acts as preservation for the history of the families involved.

“We Are About Life-Changing Research”: Community Partner Perspectives on Community-Engaged Research Collaborations

March 31, 2022

A new article in the Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement by Rebecca A. London, Ronald David Glass, Ethan Chang, Sheeva Sabati, and Saugher Nojan

KSBW: Santa Cruz Starbucks unionization push follows national trend of increased union approval

March 16, 2022

Sociology Associate Professor Steve McKay speaks with KSBW Action News 8 on the difficulty workers face because of the challenging union avoidance industry.

The Foundry: Race, Contagion, and the Nation

March 9, 2022

The third installment of a series of dialogues on COVID-19 and Racism of the SJRC’s Theorizing Race After Race working group is live! Race, Contagion, and the Nation is a dialogue with four scholars from around the Americas discussing how COVID-19 has revivified or changed existing debates about race and racism in different trans/national contexts.

Politico Weekly Agriculture: An Instagram account is making waves on Capitol Hill

February 7, 2022

Sociology Ph.D. candidate and Science & Justice Fellow Erica Zurawski on the congressional staffer testimonies of food insecurity from the @Dear_White_Staffers Instagram page and their relationship to food policy legislation.

CITRIS Tech for Social Good 2021-22 student teams awarded funding

January 27, 2022

CITRIS and the Banatao Institute at UC Santa Cruz has chosen three new student projects and two events for funding through the 2021-22 Tech for Social Good (TSG) Program.

“A Dollar a Day, Ten Cents a Dance”: Film screening to commemorate 1930 Watsonville Race Riots

January 26, 2022

Sociology Associate Professor Steve McKay, co-lead researcher for Watsonville is in the Heart, celebrates the film screening with a discussion with the film’s director, a local historian, and an advocate for the local Filipino community.

Making Noncitizens’ Rights Real: Evidence from Immigration Scam Complaints

January 22, 2022

Assistant Professor of Sociology Juan Pedroza publishes a new paper in Law & Policy on the potential benefits of investing in immigrant integration efforts, especially access to the safety net and access to justice.

Critical Engagement: Deepening Partnerships for Justice

January 14, 2022

Sociology Associate Professor Steve McKay publishes an article on Sociology and the Potential of Community-Engaged Scholarship in Footnotes, a magazine of the American Sociological Association.

Research for, by, and about the People

January 14, 2022

Sociology Associate Professor Rebecca A. London publishes an article on Sociology and the Potential of Community-Engaged Scholarship in Footnotes, a magazine of the American Sociological Association.

CER in Contentious Times: Some Reflections

January 14, 2022

Sociology Professor Miriam Greenberg publishes an article on Sociology and the Potential of Community-Engaged Scholarship in Footnotes, a magazine of the American Sociological Association.

Ethnographic Diaries: Capturing the Everyday in Crisis

January 12, 2022

Sociology Graduate Student Aida Mukharesh's collaborative diary project on everyday experiences of crisis in Lebanon.

Global Racial Justice: a Cornell Migrations podcast

December 6, 2021

Assistant Professor of Sociology and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies Camilla Hawthorne speaks about the racialization of migrants, how racism against migrants is a global issue, and how creative practice plays a role in her work.

How a Coalition Creates Paths to Healing for Young Men of Color

December 2, 2021

Sociology Graduate Student Uriel Serrano co-authored a PBS SoCal article on how community healing rooted in radical love and care is central to the Brothers, Sons, Selves (BSS) coalition.

New episode: Poverty Research and Policy Podcast

November 17, 2021

Assistant Professor of Sociology Juan Pedroza speaks with the Institute for Research on Poverty about immigrant health, place, and the pandemic.

The Queerness of Black Matriarchal Praxis

November 11, 2021

Sociology Graduate Student Theresa Hice-Fromille authors an Hypatia article based on her dissertation research in which she discusses the leadership praxis embodied by Black women youth workers.

Giving thanks!

November 4, 2021

On November 3rd we raised funds for student research. Thank you for supporting our students and their continued work in challenging dominant social norms and structures.

Support Sociology@UCSantaCruz Scholarships on campus fundraising day: Nov 03

October 21, 2021

On November 03, 2021 UC Santa Cruz will host its annual Giving Day campaign, a 24-hour online fundraising event.

Social Sciences Division convenes for awards ceremony

October 15, 2021

Sociology Professor Craig Reinarman accepts the Distinguished Social Sciences Emeriti Award, Sociology Manager Jessica Lawrence presented with the Outstanding Staff Award.

The case of Sparkle Rai: A violent patriarchal narrative of conspiratorial kinship and race

October 13, 2021

In a new Feminist Anthropology article Assistant Professor of Sociology James Doucet-Battle argues that patriarchal affinities can often work beyond cultural, religious, or racial differences in reproducing gender and anti-Blackness.

UCSC professors studying Santa Cruz housing crisis look to eviction moratorium expiration

September 30, 2021

Sociology Professors Miriam Greenberg and Steve McKay on the local, state, and federal drivers we need to be looking at.

Geographically targeted COVID-19 vaccination is more equitable and averts more deaths than age-based thresholds alone

September 29, 2021

New Science Advances study co-authored by Assistant Professor of Sociology and Global and Community Health Alicia Riley uses data on two different states--California and Minnesota-- showing COVID-19 vaccination prioritized lower-risk white people above higher-risk people of color.

The Foundry: Metrics, Enumeration, and the Politics of Knowledge in Estimating Racial Health Disparities in the COVID-19 Pandemic

September 22, 2021

The 2nd installment from SJRC’s Theorizing Race After Race Collective with Alexis Madrigal, Co-Founder of The Atlantic’s COVID Tracking Project on the politics of knowledge production and how data can advance racial justice.

Solving the Housing Crisis: A talk with Prof. Steve McKay

September 17, 2021

Sociology Professor Steve McKay speaks with KSQD about the extent of and solutions for the current housing crisis in Santa Cruz.

Insights on the severe housing crisis in Santa Cruz, California

September 16, 2021

The No Place Like Home report—produced by Sociology faculty and students and their community-based partners—offers important insight on the severe housing crisis for policy makers, planners, researchers, and affordable housing advocates in Santa Cruz and beyond.

National Academy of Sciences Heeds Call to Analyze the Use of Race, Ethnicity and Ancestry as Population Descriptors in Genomic Research

September 11, 2021

Following a call made in a Science editorial--to which Sociology Professor Jenny Reardon is signatory—the National Academy of Sciences will form a national commission on the use of race, ethnicity, and ancestry as population descriptors in genomic research.

Emerging Youth Power in the Inland Empire

August 18, 2021

Professor of Sociology Veronica Terriquez and Sociology Undergraduate Student Jazmine Miles have co-authored a report on key youth-serving organizations in California’s Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Multiracial boom reflects US racial, ethnic complexity

August 13, 2021

Assistant Professor of Sociology Juan Pedroza on how the changing boundaries of race are reflected in the 2020 census.

Out in Space: Difference and Abstraction in Planetary Urbanization

August 10, 2021

Assistant professor of Sociology Hillary Angelo argues how it enforces a multi-scalar and non-city-centric view of local phenomena in the International Journal of Urban and Regional Research.

Recess to the rescue: COVID means school play for kids is more important than ever

August 8, 2021

Assistant Professor of Sociology Rebecca Londons on how rethinking recess and creating safe and inclusive playtime in schools can help children heal from the collective trauma of the pandemic.

CES Special Issue: Border Regimes Around the World

July 28, 2021

Assistant Professor of Sociology and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies Camilla Hawthorne coedited a special issue of the Critical Ethnic Studies Journal, which conceptualizes and challenges the emerging approaches in the field of border studies.

Navigating race: intersectional boundary-making onboard transnational ships

July 14, 2021

Sociology Professor Steve McKay publishes a new article in a Special Issue of Ethnic and Racial Studies: New Racism and Migration: Beyond Colour and the ‘West’.

Library’s new Community Archiving Program to broaden scope of Regional History Project

July 06, 2021

The University Library has announced the establishment of a new Community Archiving Program that will build on the foundation of its decades-old Regional History Project. 

Doctoral student wins Sociologists for Women in Society scholarship

June 17, 2021

Roxanna Villalobos recently won a Sociologists for Women in Society scholarship to support her research on the gender and racial subjectivities of working-class Latina girls living and working in rural, farm-working communities in California’s Central Valley!

San Jose immigrants suffer from growing economic divide

June 13, 2021

Sociology professors Chris Benner and Juan Pedroza explain the Silicon Valley narratives to the Washington Post.

The Black Mediterranean: Bodies, Border, and Citizenship

May 31, 2021

Assistant Professor of Sociology and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, Camilla Hawthorne publishes a co-edited volume, The Black Mediterranean: Bodies, Border, and Citizenship (Palgrave 2021).

Original Nation Approaches to Inter-National Law

May 25, 2021

Professor of Sociology and Legal Studies Hiroshi Fukurai, publishes a new book, "Original Nation Approaches to Inter-National Law: The Quest for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Nature in the Age of Anthropocene (Palgrave 2021)".

AAPI Heritage: Remembering the Watsonville Riots of 1930

May 21, 2021

Sociology Professor Steve McKay on the slow erasure of that history.

When DNA Research Doesn’t Benefit All of Us

May 21, 2021

SJRC Founding Director and Professor of Sociology Jenny Reardon was interviewed by The Pulse on WHYY PBS NPR about some of the lessons learned from the last quarter century of efforts to study variation in human genomes.

Campus announces 2021 Accessibility Champions

May 12, 2021

The Accessibility Champions award program was launched in 2021 to acknowledge faculty who go the extra mile to create inclusive and welcoming learning environments.

Intersectional Alliances in Soledad Prison: The Exemplary Life of John Brown Childs

April 26, 2021

The contribution of scholar-activist and Black Native American sociologist who played an important role in producing and developing “trans-communality” theory and practice.

Be Like Water: An Abolitionist Relationality

April 8, 2021

Sociology graduate student Ki′Amber Thompson publishes a beautiful meditation, thinking with water as part of abolitionist praxis, written in prose and poetry in Edge Effects.

Migrations: A World on the Move

April 6, 2021

Assistant professor of sociology Camilla Hawthorne in conversation on global racial justice and migrations with poet and activist Shailja Patel in a podcast by Cornell University's Migrations initiative.

In Memoriam: Dr. Dennis Loo, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, Cal Poly Pomona.

April 1, 2021

Dr. Dennis Loo, received a Ph.D. in Sociology at UCSC, earning a prestigious paper award from the Society for the Study of Social Problems.

2021 Leonardo Awards: Camilla Hawthorne

March 23, 2021

Assistant Professor of Sociology and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies Camilla Hawthorne is recipient of the 2021 Leonardo Da Vinci Society Humanities Award for Early-Career Italian-American Researchers and Scholars.

Creating Inclusive Spaces for Queer and Trans Youth of Color: Lessons from Grassroots Youth Organizations

March 2, 2021

Professor of Sociology Veronica Terriquez and Sociology Graduate Student Koda Sokol have co-authored a report on Queer and Trans Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (QTBIPOC) inclusive youth organizing practices.

Graduate Student Spotlight: Theresa Hice-Fromille

February 10, 2021

On gendered aspects of diasporic travel, broadly, and organized, community-based roots tourism.

Women of 2020: Camilla Hawthorne

January 11, 2021

Assistant professor of sociology Camilla Hawthorne is nominated as #20 of the "110 Women of 2020" by the Corriere della Sera, one of Italy's oldest and largest newspapers.

Making Black Lives Matter in Italy: A Transnational Dialogue

December 11, 2020

In an epistolary exchange, Camilla Hawthorne and Angelica Pesarini discuss the impacts of the Black Lives Matter movement in Italy following the death of George Floyd.

Toward a political economy of public safety power shutoff: Politics, ideology, and the limits of regulatory choice in California

December 8, 2020

Researcher Leslie Guliasi publishes article in the journal of Energy Research & Social Science

Sociologist Jenny Reardon on Indiana Public Media: Profiles

November 29, 2020

SJRC Founding Director and Professor of Sociology Jenny Reardon was interviewed by Indiana Public Media on the ways that genetics and genomics shape, and in turn are shaped by, ideas of race and justice, listen now.

Undocumented and Pregnant: Why Women Are Afraid to Get Prenatal Care

November 22, 2020

Assistant Professor of Sociology Juan Pedroza and Prof. Krista Perreira document consequences of exclusion and calls for more research on efforts and pro-immigrant policies to mitigate harm.

Theorizing Race After Race: Black Geographies of Quarantine

November 20, 2020

The first installment of a series of dialogues on COVID-19 and Racism of the SJRC’s Theorizing Race After Race working group is now live! Check out Black Geographies of Quarantine: A Dialogue with Brandi Summers, Camilla Hawthorne, and Theresa Hice Fromille.

Giving thanks!

October 1, 2020

On September 30th we raised funds for student research. Thank you for supporting our students and their continued work in challenging dominant social norms and structures.

Support Sociology@UCSantaCruz Scholarships on campus fundraising day: Sept 30

September 10, 2020

This Giving Day we are raising funds for student research. Help support our students and their continued work in challenging dominant social norms and structures.

Daily Beast Interview - Diversity in COVID-19 Vaccine Trials

July 27, 2020

James Doucet-Battle, assistant professor of sociology and interim director of the Science and Justice Research Center on the glaring race problems COVID-19 vaccine trials have.

Social Sciences Research Council Insights: V is for Veracity

June 4, 2020

According to Jenny Reardon, professor of sociology and the founding director of the Science and Justice Research Center, creating trust-worthy knowledge that can foster a more just world requires attending to both COVID-19 pandemic and the deep inequalities and fissures in the polity that this pandemic has laid bare.

Why and How Bioethics Must Turn toward Justice: A Modest Proposal

May 10, 2020

SJRC Founding Director and Professor of Sociology Jenny Reardon published a special report with The Hastings Center on Why and How Bioethics Must Turn toward Justice

California Immigration Research Initiative Research Brief: Muslim Students’ Perceptions of Campus Climates

April 10, 2020

Saugher Nojan, a PhD candidate in sociology and fellow of the University of California National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement, publishes assessment of religious and racial campus climates for Muslim students.

SF survey addresses gig workers' concerns amid COVID-19 pandemic

March 25, 2020

Conducted by the city’s Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) and led by professor Chris Benner, the study is targeting at least 500 gig workers who perform services for 12 of the most popular platforms.

American Sociological Association's Minority Fellowship Program

March 24, 2020

Uriel Serrano, a PhD candidate in sociology is recipient of the prestigious award for the 2020-2021 school year.

Solidarity Economics—for the Coronavirus Crisis and Beyond

March 23, 2020

Chris Benner, director of the Institute for Social Transformation, and professor of sociology and environmental studies, on how mutuality matters—not only morally but economically in the long term, not just in the current emergency.

These Are the Impacts of Trump's Coronavirus Fumbles—and How to Protect Yourself

March 12, 2020

Jenny Reardon, professor of sociology and the founding director of the Science and Justice Research Center, on the collective response required to address public health issues.

Genetics and genomics shape, and in turn are shaped by, ideas of race and justice

March 8, 2020

Jenny Reardon, professor of sociology and the founding director of the Science and Justice Research Center, speaks with Carl Pearson on WFIU Public Radio.

Support Sociology@UCSantaCruz Scholarships on campus fundraising day: April 22

February 28, 2020

[POSTPONED] This Giving Day we are raising funds for student research. Help support our students and their continued work in challenging dominant social norms and structures.

Knowing and caring for the prairie

February 10, 2020

Jenny Reardon, professor of sociology and the founding director of the Science and Justice Research Center, speaks with UCSC Politics Professor Ronnie Lipschutz and host of Sustainability Now about her project biking through Kansas on Santa Cruz local radio Station KSQD.

Advancing the study of health inequality: Fundamental causes as systems of exposure

February 7, 2020

In a new Social Science and Medicine-Population Health article, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Global and Community Health Alicia Riley highlights ways to overcome common pitfalls in applying Fundamental Cause Theory to study health inequities.

Why ethnic studies? Building critical consciousness among middle school students

February 4, 2020

Saugher Nojan, a PhD candidate in sociology and fellow of the University of California National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement, publishes article in the peer-reviewed Middle School Journal.

‘Finding home’: campus racial microclimates and academic homeplaces at a Hispanic-Serving Institution

January 23, 2020

Uriel Serrano, a PhD candidate in sociology and American Sociological Association's Minority Fellow publishes paper in peer-reviewed journal, Race, Ethnicity and Education.

Wellbeing and Resilience Across Generations: Afghan Refugees “Doing Culture” and Resisting Anti-Muslim Racism

January 6, 2020

Saugher Nojan, a PhD candidate in sociology and fellow of the University of California National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement, awarded a Critical Refugee Studies Collective grant for project.

Science & Justice: Call for Undergraduate Researchers

December 13, 2019

The Science & Justice Research Center calls for students researchers to inform collaborative projects, developing blogs, papers and proposals related to Center Themes (ie: forensic genomics, queer ecology, CRISPR, data and privacy, health care and incarceration, the future of public goods, artificial intelligence and ethics, reproducibility and diversity in research).

SPECIAL REPORT: The Importance of School Recess

November 14, 2019

KION NEWS reporting from the field how, Assistant Professor of Sociology Rebecca Londons' new book, 'Rethinking Recess: Creating Safe and Inclusive Playtime for all Children in School', outlines eight steps schools can follow to help them build a healthy recess.

Sociology@UCSantaCruz announces 2019-2020 Undergraduate Peer Advisors

November 4, 2019

Now in its fifth year, the Sociology Undergraduate Peer Advisor Program welcomes newly assigned peer advisors, Bianca, Emily, Nyereath and Jesus!

THE RIGHT TO PLAY: Eliminating the opportunity gap in elementary school recess

October 29, 2019

In a new article, Assistant Professor of Sociology Rebecca London, provides a call to action for creating equitable access to recess for all elementary school students.

Hannah Arendt in St. Peter’s Square

October 15, 2019

In a bioethics forum essay at The Hastings Center, Jenny Reardon, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Science & Justice Research Center, discusses the need for building institutions that support the arts of collective judgment in science and medical education.

Debates on the wild frontier of genomics reveal where the real frontier lies

October 1, 2019

In the UC Santa Cruz Magazine, Jenny Reardon, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Science & Justice Research Center, releases article on ‘Debates on the wild frontier of genomics reveal where the real frontier lies’.

For Vulnerable Populations, the Thorny Ethics of Genetic Data Collection

September 30, 2019

In Undark, genome scientists and Jenny Reardon, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Science & Justice Research Center, reflect on unresolved dilemmas about representation and inclusion in human genetic variation research.

New Book! How Mediation Works: Resolving Conflict Through Talk (Studies in Interactional Sociolinguistics)

September 16, 2019

Sociology Alum, Angela Cora Garcia, Professor of Sociology at Bentley University in Massachusetts publishes a new book on mediation.

The greening imaginary: urbanized nature in Germany‘s Ruhr region

September 13, 2019

Assistant Professor of Sociology, Hillary Angelo, publishes an article in the journal Theory and Society providing a sociological explanation for urban “greening,” the normative practice of using everyday signifiers of nature to fix problems with urbanism.

Sociology Professors Greenberg, London and McKay publish their pedagogical approach (CISER) in the ASA journal Teaching Sociology

September 11, 2019

Drawing on a multiyear local research project on the affordable housing crisis, their model for Community-Initiated Student-Engaged Research creates meaningful partnerships between university researchers, undergraduate students, and community-based organizations.

Policy Brief! Deportation Discretion: Where are County Jails Most Likely to Cooperate with Federal Immigration Officials?

September 1, 2019

Sociology@UCSantaCruz Assistant Professor Juan Pedroza's policy recommendations to ensure continued oversight and monitoring of enforcement activities and the equal protections for all, regardless of citizenship status.

PEN & INQ: Genomic (R)Evolution

August 7, 2019

In her book, The Postgenomic Condition: Ethics, Justice and Knowledge after the Genome, Professor of Sociology and Director of The Science & Justice Research Center, Jenny Reardon, empowers readers to talk about genomics and biotechnology

Agents of Hope: Tackling the Golden State’s Poverty Crisis

August 6, 2019

Three new studies examined different aspects of the wealth gap: income, affordable housing, and access to financial services. Sociology@UCSantaCruz Professors Chris Benner, Miriam Greenberg, and Steve McKay on how to make life more equitable.

Report: robots won’t kill but will displace the Bay Area’s job growth

August 5, 2019

While growth in jobs will likely outstrip losses from automation, in the five-county Bay Area plus Marin and San Benito counties, Hispanic and African-American workers in less-skilled industries are most at risk of automation.

Central Valley Freedom Summer (CVFS) sees a stunning 262% increase in voter turnout

July 29, 2019

New Sage Journal article on the CVFS student-led voter registration drive among 18- to 24-year-olds in California’s largely agricultural Central Valley. The project is overseen by Sociology@UCSantaCruz Professor Veronica Terriquez with Graduate Students Randy Villegas and Roxanna Villalobos.

Added value? Denaturalizing the “good” of urban greening

July 15, 2019

How does the naturalized idea that green “adds value” affect the political economy of contemporary greening? Sociology@UCSantaCruz Professor Hillary Angelo’s new article in Wiley Geography raises this question, and provides new vantage points for critique.

Beyond the boundaries of science: Resistance to misinformation by scientist citizens

July 9, 2019

New Sage Journal article covering EDGI’s early work to resist misinformation and the Trump administration’s attacks on environmental protection. Featuring interviews with EDGI member and Sociology@UCSantaCruz Professor Lindsey Dillon.

Book Release! Racism Postrace (Duke, 2019)

May 28, 2019

Professor Emeritus Herman Gray co-edits new book with Roopali Mukherjee (City University of New York, Queens College) and Sarah Banet-Weiser (London School of Economics) outline how postrace ideologies confound struggles for racial justice and equality.

People Need to Know! Notification and the Regulation of Pesticide Use Near Public Schools in California | new article appears in the interdisciplinary journal, Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space.

May 15, 2019

"While the procedural aspects are coherent, the regulatory purpose behind notification and its subsequent effects are considerably less so". Sociology Graduate Student Keli Benko argues that Department of Pesticide Regulation’s proposal presents conflicting imperatives.

Sociology Assistant Professor Rebecca London Links Food Assistance to Student Success in College

May 9, 2019

With many University of California students struggling to afford food and other basic needs, enrollment in the CalFresh food assistance program shows promise in helping students continue toward their degree, findings posted in a Public Policy Institute of California blog.

The Political Binds of Oil versus Tribes | Sociology Graduate Student Yvonne Sherwood’s critical article on Indigenous struggles, white supremacy, settler-state colonialism, and Indigenous feminism in Open Rivers: Rethinking Water, Place & Community.

May 8, 2019

"When we and the land are more than property and the state is inherently white supremacist and settler, it can be problematic when anti-violence movements depend on the state to solve the problems of injustice."

Sociology@UCSantaCruz graduate student and Science & Justice Fellow Erica Zurawski interview with the Association for the Study of Food and Society

April 26, 2019

Erica discusses her work in food justice and colonization, how her Juris Doctorate and yoga teaching informs her work and teaching, social media for academics, and the transdisciplinary programming at UC Santa Cruz!

Sociology@UCSantaCruz announces the passing of Professor Ben Crow

April 22, 2019

Sociology is deeply saddened to announce that Professor Ben Crow, a longstanding faculty member in the department, passed away on Tuesday April 9, 2019.

Sociology@UCSantaCruz Alum Les Guliasi, receives 2019 Distinguished Graduate Student Alumni Award

April 18, 2019

Credits Sociology@UCSantaCruz’s cross-disciplinary approach as 'not only critical to his recent work, but helped forge success in his career, including stints in the private sector at large energy companies, consulting and in academia'.

Professor Emeritus John Brown Childs speaks on the practice of Transcomuniality and the courage it takes to respectfully disagree

April 16, 2019

Learn more about the first-ever class called "Transcommunal Cooperation and Peacemaking," a joint endeavor with UC Santa Cruz, Soledad Prison, and Barrios Unidos, a Santa Cruz-based youth-violence prevention program.

Science & Justice Training Program receives funding to be part of a comparative cross-campus review of STEM graduate curriculum that make questions of gender and social justice fundamental to STEM training

April 16, 2019

With colleagues at UC Davis, Sociology@UCSantaCruz Professor and SJRC Director Jenny Reardon received a CITRIS grant with Feminist Studies Professor and SJRC Director of Teaching Karen Barad to collect data on two graduate curriculums at UC Santa Cruz and UC Davis.

Sociology@UCSantaCruz announces updates to Undergraduate Peer Advisors

April 5, 2019

The Sociology Undergraduate Peer Advisor Program welcomes newly assigned peer advisor, Jesus Quiroz! Jesus joins Alyssa Garcia and Jocelin Petatan.

Inspired Professor Bikes 400+ miles for Vietnam Libraries

April 1, 2019

A project led by Sociology@UCSantaCruz Professor and Science & Justice Director Jenny Reardon, aims to build a second, six years after the first Room To Read library opened in Tra Vinh, Vietnam.

"Making Italy: Afro-Italian entrepreneurs and the racial boundaries of citizenship"

March 28, 2019

Camilla Hawthorne, Sociology@UCSantaCruz Assistant Professor, publishes findings in the Journal of Social & Cultural Geography based on in-depth participant observation explores the participation of young Afro-Italian women entrepreneurs in new initiatives related to Black beauty, style, and (natural) hair care.

Winter 2019 Graduate Student Awards and Publications

March 22, 2019

Sociology graduate students at UC Santa Cruz recognized for their research and scholarship.

Graduate Spotlight- Saugher Nojan

March 1, 2019

Through a photovoice project, sociology graduate student Saugher Nojan sheds light on how to make UC Santa Cruz more inclusive for the Muslim student community.

Giving thanks!

March 1, 2019

Thanks to everyone who participated in Giving Day 2019 and made contributions to our undergraduate scholarship.

Support Sociology@UCSantaCruz on campus fundraising day: February 27

February 22, 2019

Join us in supporting sociology student research! This Giving Day we are raising funds for undergraduate student research. Help support our students and their continued work in challenging dominant social norms and structures.

Day Worker Center Confronts Changing Job Market: workers struggle as Santa Cruz County costs rise

February 19, 2019

Steve McKay, professor of sociology and director of the Center for Labor Studies on the fallbacks needed to make ends meet while living in the Santa Cruz County housing crisis.

CNN Business: Companies use your data to make money. California thinks you should get paid

February 13, 2019

Chris Benner, director of UC Santa Cruz's Institute for Social Transformation on the tremendous economic value collectively created from the monetization of data and the companies that benefit.

Captured: How the Fossil Fuel Industry Took Control of the EPA

February 1, 2019

Dillon, a sociology professor and co-chair of the Environmental Data and Governance Initiative (EDGI) on how the issue of regulatory capture is not constrained to the Trump administration or the EPA.

New Science and Justice Research Center Manager

January 31, 2019

The Science and Justice Research Center at the University of California, Santa Cruz, is delighted to announce its new manager, Colleen Massengale!

San José Mercury News coverage of Juan Pedroza’s research on Secure Communities deportations and on-the-ground work to promote noncitizen rights

January 29, 2019

A new study by Juan Pedroza (Assistant Professor of Sociology, Social Demography and Immigration) shows Hispanic-majority counties are as likely to cooperate with ICE as regions with fewer Latinos.

Situating Data in a Trumpian Era: The Environmental Data and Governance Initiative (EDGI)

January 22, 2019

EDGI member and Sociology@UCSantaCruz Profesor Lindsey Dillon on public scholarship, research-based activism, and environmental politics. A way to respond to anti-environmental political movements in these challenging times.

The Undisciplining Sessions - Episode 1: Cycling through Kansas in a time of Trump

January 20, 2019

The Sociological Review, the oldest sociology journal in the UK, launches podcast by interviewing Professor Jenny Reardon on her 'What's the matter with Kansas' tour. Hear more about the current concerns surrounding Kansas land.

The Guardian | a thought piece on High Score, Low Pay: why the gig economy loves gamification

November 20, 2018

Using ratings, competitions and bonuses to incentivise workers isn’t new to Sociology@UCSantaCruz graduate student Sarah Mason but the gig economy is taking it to another level.

An innovative idea for California’s economy: a tech dividend

November 14, 2018

Chris Benner, professor of sociology and director of the Santa Cruz Institute for Social Transformation on how California would benefit from a program modeled after Alaska’s oil-industry annual permanent fund payments.

Engaging and Activating Native American Voters

November 5, 2018

Sociology@UCSantaCruz alum Lea Monique Chavez works with the California Native Vote Project (CNVP) to bring Native power to the polls in California by registering people to vote.

No Place Like Home: Hope For Housing For All

October 22, 2018

With housing costs becoming a crisis both locally and statewide, an ambitious UC Santa Cruz project called No Place Like Home seeks to inform the debate—and the quest for solutions—through research.

Lost in Translation: Jenny Reardon among scholars speaking out on genomics and race

October 21, 2018

The differences between the English word 'race' and the German word 'Rasse' help reveal some of the difficulties of translating discussions on the subject of race, and specifically, its relationship with genomics, across different cultural and linguistic contexts.

Santa Cruz County affordable housing solutions explored at No Place Like Home event

October 19, 2018

The evening included experts talking about possible solutions to the affordable housing crisis including Sociology@UCSantaCruz Professors Miriam Greenberg and Steve McKay

What is American Society? Reflections on Past and Present Human Rights Action by John Brown Childs, Professor Emeritus Sociology

October 15, 2018

“...what is American society? Is it the kind of society… that permits people to grow and develop… that gives them a sense of value, not only for themselves, but… for other human beings?” —Ella Baker, co-founder of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, 1969

Youth Perspectives: The Youth are Engaged and Ready To Vote

October 15, 2018

Central Valley Freedom Summer (CVFS), a nonpartisan effort to inform youth of voting rights and voting for your community; live from Delano.

Sentinel Commentary: How Housing Crisis Breeds Opportunity

October 14, 2018

Sociology@UCSantaCruz Professors Miriam Greenberg and Steve Mckay on the need for comprehensive solutions, what they’ve found in their three-year study: No Place Like Home

GoodTimes: Paychecks Shrinking At 90% of Silicon Valley Jobs, Study Finds

October 12, 2018

A new report, co-authored by Professor Chris Benner offers suggestions to the inequalities caused by big tech in Silicon Valley.

Sociology@UCSantaCruz announces 2018-2019 Undergraduate Peer Advisors

October 12, 2018

Now in its fourth year, the Sociology Undergraduate Peer Advisor Program welcomes newly assigned peer advisors, Melissa, Alyssa, Dana and Jocelin!

UCLA blog Just Talk features six participants in the Central Valley Freedom Summer project

October 11, 2018

Through this initiative, students from UC Santa Cruz and UC Merced who grew up in California’s Central Valley returned to their communities last summer to examine and participate in grassroots community organizing, youth development, and voter engagement.

Sociology@UCSantaCruz undergraduate Valeria Mena on Engaging the Latino Vote in California, a KQED Interview

October 9, 2018

Hear about Mena’s efforts to raise the voices of her hometown of Fresno in motivating young adults to want to learn more about and care for their community.

Sociology@UCSantaCruz Professor Steve McKay on Housing with GoodTimes

October 9, 2018

McKay, a sociology professor and director of labor studies on what’s really driving Santa Cruz’s affordable housing crunch.

Sociology@UCSantaCruz Professor Lindsey Dillon interviewed by Inquiry Research Magazine

October 1, 2018

Dillon, a sociology professor and co-chair of the Environmental Data and Governance Initiative (EDGI) seeks social and environmental justice.

Bay Nature: Do Parks Push People Out?

September 30, 2018

Parks improve health and fight climate change. But not all parks affect a community in the same way. Sociology@UCSantaCruz Professor Lindsey Dillon helps answer the questions: "Who's it for?" and "How can we protect people from market forces?"

The Sociology Department welcomes two new faculty members

September 27, 2018

Camilla Hawthorne and Juan Pedroza join Sociology@UCSantaCruz!

Voting rolls are getting younger in California as pre-registration of teens tops 200,000

September 25, 2018

Sociology@UCSantaCruz Professor Veronica Terriquez and the Central Valley Freedom Summer with Central Valley partners-99 Rootz, ACT for Women and Girls, Mi Familia Vota, CRPE, FFSJ, CHIRLA, DHF, CFJ-all contributed to the increase pre-registration of California high school youth voters in the Central Valley.

Staff Hire: Sociology Graduate Programs Coordinator

September 21, 2018

The Department of Sociology, at the University of California, Santa Cruz is pleased to announce its new Graduate Programs Coordinator, Meenoo Kohli!

The Conversation: Drugging Detained Children is Like Using a Chemical Straitjacket

September 20, 2018

Sociology@UCSantaCruz graduate student Kati Barahona-Lopez publishes article in The Conversation with Assistant Professor Jerry Flores at the University of Toronto addressing the care for and of detained children.

LA Times: Young Californians are politically aware, they just don't vote. Here's how we turn them out.

September 17, 2018

Sociology@UCSantaCruz Professor Veronica Terriquez co-authors LA Times op-ed on the youth vote with Politics grad student, Randy Villegas.

After the Genome: Justice and Genome Research

August 31, 2018

A newly published book by Sociology@UCSantaCruz Professor and Science & Justice Director Jenny Reardon, a decade after the first sequencing of the human genome, explores the questions of meaning, value, and justice that genome research raises in a recent interview with The Gene-Ethical Network.

New article in C&EN: Building bioethics into the future of life sciences innovation

August 27, 2018

As gene editing accelerates collaboration between the natural and social sciences, Sociology@UCSantaCruz Professor Jenny Reardon and the Science and Justice Training Program provide models for how to forge the needed multidisciplinary academic training.

New Kalfou Journal Article on Race and Science

August 24, 2018

Sociology@UCSantaCruz Professor James Doucet-Battle author's, "Ennobling the Neanderthal: Racialized Texts and Genomic Admixture" as part of the "Symposium on Race and Science" in Kalfou: A Journal of Comparative and Relational Ethnic Studies.

KQED Interview: CVFS Engaging the Latino Vote in California

August 23, 2018

Hear about the Central Valley Freedom Summer's efforts to combat the social and political impacts of low voting rates among Latinos and learn what is being done to increase engagement across the state.

Central Valley Freedom Summer presents at Porterville Youth Summit

August 20, 2018

The non-partisan conference aimed to empower youth on the importance of voting and having a voice in the community, youth expression and learning about pursuing college and higher education.

The New Yorker: The Other San Francisco

August 20, 2018

Sociology@UCSantaCruz Professor Lindsey Dillon calls for environmental and racial justice in San Francisco neighborhoods.

Sociology@UCSantaCruz alum Rose Rodgers interns at National Museum of American History

August 17, 2018

With an anti-slavery anthem reimagined for today, Rose Rodgers and fellow artists aim to interpret American history through song, performing music for museum visitors.

Youth in California’s Central Valley are reclaiming region's activist roots

August 17, 2018

Led by Sociology@UCSantaCruz Professor Veronica Terriquez is a new generation of activists making an impact in California's Central Valley — with the focus on the myriad issues facing young people and efforts to get them involved in civic affairs.

Youth Voter Turnout Is Low, But These Central Valley College Students Want That To Change

August 15, 2018

Led by Sociology@UCSantaCruz Professor Veronica Terriquez, is the Central Valley Freedom Summer (CVFS) a community-action research project where UC Santa Cruz and UC Merced students return home to the Central Valley encouraging civic engagement and voter registration.

Boundaries as Bridges a New Essay on Justice and Peace

August 1, 2018

Professor Emeritus John Brown Childs’s new essay “Boundaries as Bridges” is now out in the new book The Movements of Movements, Vol. 2: Rethinking Our Dance; edited by Jai Sen, and published by Open Word and PM presses, New Delhi and Oakland, Ca.

2017-18 Sociology Faculty Achievement Highlights

July 27, 2018

Sociology@UCSantaCruz is proud to announce the following faculty news, scholarship, publications, and awards received in the 2017-2018 academic year.

City Visions: Will the Hunters Point Shipyard ever be habitable?

July 23, 2018

Sociology@UCSantaCruz Professor Lindsey Dillon discussed the Hunters Point Shipyard cleanup and redevelopment project with KALW. Listen now.

Selma to Santa Cruz: Building Beloved Community

July 12, 2018

An 88.1 FM KZSC interview with Sociology@UCSantaCruz Professor Emeritus John Brown Childs and City Council Candidate Drew Glover on civil rights movements of the 1960’s and their relevance to today.

2017-18 Sociology Graduate Student Achievement Highlights

June 29, 2018

Sociology@UCSantaCruz is proud to announce the following graduate student scholarship, awards, publications and other scholarly achievements in the 2017-2018 academic year.

Energizing the civic engagement of youth from immigrant families: Veronica Terriquez

June 22, 2018

In this week’s Just Talk, John Rogers sits down with Sociology@UCSantaCruz Professor Veronica Terriquez to discuss the civic engagement of youth from immigrant families.

Transcommunal Cooperation and Peacemaking: Testimonials from Behind and From Prison Walls

June 21, 2018

UC Santa Cruz and Soledad Prison are making space for difference and understanding through curriculum and coalitions focusing on community

2017-18 Sociology Undergraduate Student Achievement Highlights

June 14, 2018

Sociology@UCSantaCruz is proud to announce the following undergraduate student scholarship and award recipients, along with those receiving honors in the major.

Sociology@UCSantaCruz Undergraduate Program Coordinator Tina Cossaboom receives the Social Sciences Division’s Outstanding Staff Award

June 14, 2018

The Division of Social Sciences announced the annual award with celebration to follow in Fall

Notorio Scams and Fraud in Immigration Law

June 7, 2018

In a report from the Center for Investigative reporting, Sociology@UCSC Professor Juan Pedroza discusses the difficulties around identifying and catching fake immigration lawyers.

EPA mission is changing under Trump to protect industry

June 6, 2018

In 'The Conversation,' Sociology@UCSantaCruz Professor Lindsey Dillion writes that the current administration is aggressively reorganizing the EPA to promote interests of industries rather than human health and the environment.

Faculty Hire: Sociology Department, Camilla Hawthorne

May 15, 2018

The Department of Sociology, at the University of California, Santa Cruz is pleased to announce its new Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Inequality, Camilla Hawthorne!

Urban Wire blog post: Juan Pedroza on what we know about the return of ICE worksite raids

May 9, 2018

New Sociology@UCSantaCruz Professor co-authored a blog post to commemorate the 10th anniversary of a raid in Postville, IA.

Underreporting makes notario fraud difficult to fight

May 1, 2018

Sociology@UCSC Professor Juan Pedroza discusses the difficulties around obtaining data to better understand fraudulent immigration legal-services.

New Study: The Environmental Protection Agency in the Early Trump Administration: Prelude to Regulatory Capture

May 1, 2018

Sociology@UCSC Professor Lindsey Dillon publishes new study with EDGI as part of the American Journal of Public Health's special issue on climate change.

Genetic research and racism: Professor Reardon on the current state

April 23, 2018

In an interview by the German station, Radio Dreyeckland, Sociology@UCSC Professor Jenny Reardon explains the current state of tension in genetic research, why genetic differences between humans should be investigated and how this could be possible without racism.

Sociology@UCSC's Jenny Reardon Q&A with GoodTimes on Genomic Research

April 11, 2018

Reardon, a sociology professor, director of science and justice, and former genomic researcher, on ethical questions about race and science

Staff Hire: Sociology Department Programs Coordinator, Leah Hanson

April 6, 2018

The Department of Sociology at the University of California, Santa Cruz is pleased to announce new Department Programs Coordinator, Leah Hanson!

Opinion: SOCY Professor on How Not To Talk About Race And Genetics

March 30, 2018

67 natural and social scientists, including SOCY Professor Jenny Reardon, produced an open letter asking for greater thoughtfulness and more collaboration around addressing the historically fraught nexus of “race” and genetics.

Faculty Hire: Sociology Department, Juan Pedroza

March 22, 2018

The Department of Sociology at the University of California, Santa Cruz is pleased to announce new Assistant Professor of Demography, Migration and Inequality, Juan Pedroza!

Central Valley Freedom Summer Project Builds Student Research and Community Engagement Skills

March 16, 2018

A community-action research project promoting non-partisan voter education and grassroots organizing efforts in the Central Valley of California.

Giving thanks!

March 2, 2018

Thanks to everyone who participated in Giving Day 2018 and made contributions to our four projects to honoring thirty years of Capitalism Nature Socialism, support science and justice researchers, voter education research, and undergraduate scholarship on Giving Day.

Support Sociology@UCSantaCruz projects on campus fundraising day: February 28

February 22, 2018

Honor thirty years of Capitalism Nature Socialism, support science and justice researchers, voter education research, and undergraduate scholarship on Giving Day.

Sociology@UCSantaCruz alum quoted in The Real News on Mexico's presidential race

February 14, 2018

Leftist presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador enjoys a double-digit lead in Mexico's presidential race despite an active smear campaign against him. A tactical alliance between divided leftist groups might still be possible, says John Ackerman, Sociology@UCSantaCruz alum.

Sociology@UCSantaCruz Winter 2018 Newsletter

February 13, 2018

Sociology@UCSantaCruz Winter 2018 Newsletter: announcements, new faces, Fall highlights and call for news!

Remembering Jim O’Connor at a 30 year CNS Reunion

February 8, 2018

Celebrate the life and intellectual, political, and personal legacy of Professor Emeritus Jim O’Connor with alumni and colleagues of the international journal Capitalism, Nature, Socialism: A Journal of Socialist Ecology

Rebecca London helps harness data on local youth for good

February 5, 2018

Assistant Professor of Sociology and Faculty Director of the Student Success Evaluation and Research Center (SSERC) , Rebecca London, helps harness data on local youth for good.

Sociology professor Jenny Reardon featured in New Scientist

January 24, 2018

Jenny Reardon credited for highlighting the issues with the pace of genomic innovation in New Scientist.

UC Santa Cruz Professor examines fundamental questions of knowledge and justice raised by genomics

January 24, 2018

Sociology professor and Director of the Science and Justice Research Center Jenny Reardon talks about how genomics engages some of the most fundamental questions of knowledge and justice of our times.

Sociology graduate student Uriel Serrano is elected for the Pacific Sociological Association's Board of Directors

January 23, 2018

Sociology graduate student Uriel Serrano takes on a new role with the Pacific Sociological Association, working to advance sociological research and teaching, and mentoring of the next generation of sociologists in the Pacific area.

How Much Has ‘Climate Change’ Been Scrubbed From Federal Websites? A Lot.

January 10, 2018

New York Times coverage of the efforts put forth by the Environmental Data and Governance Initiative (EDGI) co-founded by Sociology Professor Lindsey Dillon.

EDGI Report: Trump admin scrubbed mentions of climate change from websites

January 10, 2018

CNN coverage of the efforts put forth by the Environmental Data and Governance Initiative (EDGI) co-founded by Sociology Professor Lindsey Dillon.

Sociology professor featured in Outside

January 2, 2018

Sociologist Lindsey Dillon was quoted in an Outside magazine story about the pro-industry leanings of the leaders of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Interior.

Sociology graduate student Andy Murray in BioSocieties on "Meat cultures: Lab-grown meat and the politics of contamination"

December 7, 2017

Sociology graduate student Andy Murray publishes article in BioSocieties on "Meat cultures: Lab-grown meat and the politics of contamination".

Santa Cruz County Community Assessment Project honors Steve McKay

December 5, 2017

Associate Professor Steve McKay is among 14 individuals who will be honored Monday as “Community Heroes” by the Community Assessment Project, a joint venture started by the United Way of Santa Cruz County.

Sociology graduate student Julian Rodriguez selected for the 2018 Graduate Pedagogy Fellows Program

December 1, 2017

The Sociology Department is excited to share the news that Julian Rodriguez, 4th year student, has been selected to join the first cohort of the UC Santa Cruz Graduate Pedagogy Fellows Program.

Sociology professor Jenny Reardon featured in Radio National

November 13, 2017

Jenny Reardon discusses how just genomics and biomedical research is with Radio National.

Sociology professor Bill Domhoff’s Studying the Power Elite reviewed in Beyond Chron: The Voice of the Rest

November 7, 2017

Bill Domhoff's new book, Studying the Power Elite: Fifty Years of Who Rules America?, receives praise for welcoming critique.

Sociology professor Bill Domhoff featured in The Atlantic

October 26, 2017

In an article about the paucity of black CEOs, The Atlantic cited Bill Domhoff's book, The New CEOs: Women, African American, Latino, and Asian American Leaders of Fortune 500 Companies.

"No Place Like Home" study signals the beginning of a new movement

October 23, 2017

Over 600 people gathered to hear findings from "No Place Like Home," a two-year study about the affordable housing crisis in Santa Cruz.

Media coverage for No Place Like Home, a project led by Professors McKay and Greenberg

October 18, 2017

As sociology Professors Steve McKay and Miriam Greenberg unveil their findings from their study about the Santa Cruz housing crisis, local media outlets have taken notice.

Sociology student and DACA holder featured in San Francisco Chronicle

October 14, 2017

Sociology and community studies student Enrique speaks about DACA and strives to liberate people through activism.

Sociology Department announces Undergraduate Peer Advisors

October 3, 2017

The Sociology Department is very excited to announce its new Undergraduate Peer Advisors!

Sociology professor Lindsey Dillon quoted in Salon about environmental justice

September 25, 2017

Assistant Professor of Sociology Lindsey Dillon was quoted in a Salon article about how the Trump administration is systematically rolling back environmental protections and dismantling the achievements of the environmental justice movement.

Sociology announces the passing of Wally Goldfrank

July 25, 2017

Sociology announces the passing of Wally Goldfrank.

Lindsey Dillon speaks to Ars Technica about her data rescue work

July 3, 2017

Assistant Professor Lindsey Dillon talks about how the US government is removing scientific data from the Internet

Miriam Greenberg Publishes New Book

June 6, 2017

Miriam Greenberg publishes new book titled The City Is the Factory: New Solidarities and Spatial Strategies in an Urban Age

Sociology announces the passing of Dr. Francesca Guerra

June 5, 2017

Sociology is sad to announce that Dr. Francesca Guerra, a continuing lecturer in the department, passed away on May 23 following a serious illness.

2017-2018 Division of Social Sciences Chancellor's Dissertation-Year Fellowship: Katherine Barahona-López

June 2, 2017

Sociology graduate student Katherine Barahona-López has been awarded the 2017-2018 Division of Social Sciences Chancellor's Dissertation-Year Fellowship

Steck Family Prize for Dissertation Excellence Nomination: Jimiliz Valiente-Neighbours

April 21, 2017

Sociology graduate Dr. Jimi Valiente-Neighbours is the Division of Social Sciences nominee for the 2017 Steck Family Prize for Dissertation Excellence

Research Roundup: Winter 2017 Issue

April 04, 2017

Some of the diverse topics covered by faculty in the Social Sciences Division in Winter 2017 include predicting college success, models for sustainable development, the psychological impact of President Donald Trump, his proposed military budget, and more.

Giving thanks!

March 9, 2017

Programs within the Sociology Department ran successful Giving Day campaigns to fund student research.

Rebecca London releases issue brief with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

February 27, 2017

Assistant Professor of Sociology Rebecca London released a report with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation titled “Building a Culture of Health Through Safe and Healthy Elementary School Recess.”

Ruben Espinoza and Andres Arias featured in KION news

February 24, 2017

Ruben Espinoza and Andres Arias, student researchers working with Steve McKay, associate professor of sociology at UC Santa Cruz, were featured in KION news.

Jenny Reardon receives Humboldt Foundation award

February 3, 2017

Jenny Reardon, professor of sociology and director of the Science and Justice Research Center at UC Santa Cruz, is the winner of the 2017 Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award.

Teach-in strengthens solidarity, activism

January 20, 2017

UC Santa Cruz faculty, students, staff, and community partners gathered at a campus-wide teach-in as part of a nationwide day of democratic education and action on Jan. 18.

Sociology announces the passing of Professor Dane Archer

December 30, 2016

Sociology announces the passing of Professor Dane Archer

Post-Election Effects 2016: Media, Research, Resources, Events

December 1, 2016

The Sociology Department is compiling items following the 2016 US presidential election.

Post-Election: a statement from the Sociology Department

November 17, 2016

The Sociology Department provides a statement to its community following the 2016 US presidential election.

Staff Hire: Sociology Department Programs Coordinator

November 10, 2016

The Department of Sociology, at the University of California, Santa Cruz is pleased to announce its new Department Programs Coordinator, Darshani Alahan!

Research by professors Steve McKay and Miriam Greenberg garners media attention

October 31, 2016

No Place Like Home, an ongoing study about the affordable housing crisis at Santa Cruz, is featured in local and national press

The Sociology Department welcomes three new faculty members

September 29, 2016

Lindsey Dillon, James Doucet-Battle and Rebecca London add to the 16 faculty in the Sociology Department at UC Santa Cruz.

Sociology Department announces Undergraduate Peer Advisors

September 29, 2016

The Sociology Department is very excited to announce its new Undergraduate Peer Advisors!

SJRC announces new Assistant Director of Research and Academic Programs

September 23, 2016

SJRC announces Katherine (Kate) Weatherford Darling as new Assistant Director of Research and Academic Programs

Millions of women take a long walk with a 40-pound water can

July 8, 2016

Sociology professor Ben Crow discusses his research in a recent NPR piece about how women bear the brunt of collecting water across sub-Saharan Africa.

Dean’s award winner is committed to public safety

June 14, 2016

Sociology student Ean Brown strives to keep the public safe – in the classroom, campus, and community.

Sociology alumnus receives the Woodrow Wilson Career Enhancement Fellowship

June 3, 2016

Sociology alumnus Marcos Lopez receives the Woodrow Wilson Career Enhancement Fellowship.

Conference to explore questions of precision medicine, bio-data, and ethics

May 16, 2016

Leaders in genomics, health and informatics, civil rights, bioethics, indigenous rights, science policy, and the social study of health and medicine will gather at UC Santa Cruz this week for a workshop that aims to broaden the public discussion of big data and health.

Claudia Lopez, Sociology PhD student, receives a CLRC fellowship

April 4, 2016

A Sociology PhD student, Claudia Lopez, has received the 2016-­17 Andrew W. Mellon Foundation John E. Sawyer Seminar Graduate Student Fellowship on non-­citizenship from UC Santa Cruz’s Chicano Latino Research Center.

Research Roundup: Winter 2016 Issue

March 24, 2016

From biodiversity in California to power relations in Tanzania, faculty and researchers in the Division of Social Sciences published a wide range of issues and ideas in winter quarter.

New technology, but familiar problems

March 11, 2016

Interdisciplinary event hosted by the Science and Justice Research Center and Center for Analytical Finance discussed the historical and social problems in tech and finance.

UC Santa Cruz researcher Steven McKay to study local housing crisis

February 17, 2016

Steven McKay, the UC Santa Cruz faculty member who led the “Working for Dignity” research project last year on low-wage workers, plans to begin studying the Santa Cruz County housing crisis in March.

Sociologist’s research about worker conditions garners media attention

November 20, 2015

Local media is talking about Steve McKay’s research project, Working for Dignity. Read what the press are saying.

Wage Justice: a public discussion on Fighting Wage Theft in Our Community through public displays of art

October 29, 2015

Hear the final report of Working for Dignity, the low-wage worker study of Santa Cruz County on November 5th.

‘Census of the Invisible’ Documents the Plight of the Working Poor in Coastal California

October 20, 2015

Sociology professor Steve McKay and his students are featured in the California Health Report

Donor Gifts Help Support Sociological Research

September 29, 2015

Donor gifts supported both the UC President’s Dissertation Year Fellowship and the Eugene Cota-Robles Fellowship, which funded Jimiliz Valiente-Neighbours’s dissertation writing and travel to the Philippines.

Sociology Department Welcomes New Faculty

September 28, 2015

The Sociology Department at UCSC officially welcomes Drs Hillary Angelo, Chris Benner, Emily Cohen, Lindsey Dillon, and Veronica Terriquez!

Sociology Department announces Undergraduate Peer Advisor Program

September 28, 2015

The Sociology Department is very excited to announce its Undergraduate Peer Advisor Program!

Chris Butler co-authors "Climate Insecurity & Conflict in South Asia"

September 24, 2015

Chris Butler co-authors "Climate Insecurity & Conflict in South Asia

Sociology PhD alumni to publish “Environments, Natures and Social Theory” in October 2015

September 10, 2015

Sociology PhD alumni to publish “Environments, Natures and Social Theory” in October 2015

August 3, 2015

In Their Words: Sandy Alvarado

July 10, 2015

Sandy Alvarado, a student in the division's Sociology department, received the Sociology of Race, Class, and Gender Senior Thesis Award for 2015

In Their Words: Zoe Bartlett

July 10, 2015

Zoe Bartelett, a student in the division's Sociology department, received the Sociology of Race, Class, and Gender Senior Thesis Award for 2015

In Their Words: Andres Arias

July 10, 2015

Andres Arias, a student in the division's Sociology department, received the Fanny Carruthers Award for 2015

Dr. Craig Reinarman to retire June 2015

June 1, 2015

Longtime Sociology and Legal Studies Professor Dr. Craig Reinarman will be retiring this June 2015

Chris Butler's photos win contest for Fulbright Hays Fellowship

March 27, 2015

Sociology Graduate Student Chris Butler's photos win contest for Fulbright Hays Fellowship

Bernie Zaleha on Climate Change in the Global South at the American Academy of Religion

December 5, 2014

Scholar Bernie Zaleha of the Sociology Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz, offered his theories at the organizations annual conference two weeks ago.

Jimiliz Valiente-Neighbours, PhD candidate in Sociology scheduled to speak at CLRC's Oct 22 roundtable on Applying for Grants and Fellowships.

October 15, 2014

Learn from the experts! Faculty and graduate students who have recently won grants and fellowships discuss the application process and share their tips for a successful application. This roundtable discussion takes place Wednesday, October 22, 2014, 4:00-6:00pm, in the Charles E. Merrill Lounge. Reservations are recommended, but not necessary.

James Battle of the UC Postdoctoral Fellowship Program shares experiences with faculty diversity

October 10, 2014

Social scientist James Battle had neither role models nor family experience to guide him as he climbed the academic ladder.

Lionel Cantú Memorial Award

October 6, 2014

The Chicano Latino Research Center (CLRC) announces PhD candidate in Sociology, Ruben Espinoza, as the winner of the 2014 Lionel Cantú Memorial Award. Ruben's dissertation on agricultural factory workers in the Salinas Valley links Latino sociology, migration, gender, citizenship, and race.

Liliana Garcia Trailblazing Pioneer of the 3+3 program

July 16, 2014

Thanks to encouragement from mentor and sociology professor, Francesca Guerra, Liliana decided to apply to UC Hastings. “I had a lot of self-doubt, but Francesca kept encouraging me.”

Sociology Lecturer Fran Guerra Served as Mentor

June 17, 2014

Sociology Alumna Liliana Garcia, the first in her family to attend college, a goal she was determined to reach. Fortunately for Liliana, she met Fran Guerra, UC Santa Cruz lecturer in the Sociology Department. Guerra, of Italian descent, is a first generation student herself, and served as a mentor to Garcia.

2014 Chancellor's Achievement Awards for Diversity

June 5, 2014

Hiroshi Fukurai, professor of Sociology, awarded the 2014 Chancellor's Achievement Awards for Diversity.

Abduction of Girls an Act Not Even Al Qaeda Can Condone

May 7, 2014

Paul Lubeck from the Sociology department provides analysis to the The New York Times about the Nigerian insurgency and the Boko Haram Fighters - a focus of Lubeck's research.

Miriam Greenberg Publishes New Book

May 5, 2014

Miriam Greenberg publishes new book titled Crisis Cities: Disaster and Redevelopment in New York and New Orleans; Oxford University Press.