College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences |

29,000

acres and more serve as a real-life laboratory for plant research

36,683

alumni and counting making a difference

Nobel Laureates and 18 National Academies members on the faculty

Citrus Field Day for Growers & Industry Members

Thursday, February 19, 2026
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
1060 Martin Luther King Blvd, Riverside, CA 92507

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Auditions are Open

Audition for the role of student speaker or singer of the UCR Alma Mater or National Anthem during the CNAS Commencement Ceremony!
Submit the application form by Sunday, February 22, 2026.

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Frontiers of Cosmology Lecture

Waves are Everywhere: How Oscillations Shape Technology, Earth, and the Universe
Presented by Brad Marston, Professor of Physics, Brown University, President of the American Physical Society
February 26, 2026 | 5pm-8pm | University Lecture Hall, 1000

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Science Lecture Series 2026

Join us for a talk on Saving Turfgrass in California and the Southwest at the UCR Palm Desert Center on March 3, 2026.

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Dean's Office Hours

Dean Peter Atkinson holds regular office hours
for faculty, staff, and students at UCR.

Prospective Students

Learn more about what the CNAS experience has to offer

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Student Research Opportunities

Find Research Opportunities for CNAS Students!

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CNAS Learning Communities

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Graduate Student Careen Khachatoorian in the Talbot Lab

Graduate Programs

Opportunities for graduate students abound at CNAS

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Pursuing Advanced Degrees at CNAS

CNAS’ graduate degree programs for M.S. and Ph.D. students

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Career Resources

CNAS Students and Alumni learn more about STEM opportunities

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CNAS Prime Resources

CNAS marketing materials, logos, Drupal website tutorials, room schedules, and more are available here for students, faculty, and staff. CAS Login required.

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I chose UCR due to the collaborative atmosphere, countless research opportunities, and student support programs ...

Joel, biochemistry major

I am motivated by my desire to understand life ... and to educate the next generation of scientists ...

Xuemei Chen, Distinguished Professor of Plant Cell and Molecular Biology

A large part of the UCR community is the support you receive from both your peers and professors.

Oscar, biochemistry major

CNAS Science News

February 12, 2026

A superbloom ahead of schedule

UC Riverside plant ecologist Loralee Larios weighs in on the outlook for a wildflower superbloom show this year, where one might see it, and how flower lovers can protect the blooms for years to come.

January 29, 2026

How fire-loving fungi learned to eat charcoal

Wildfire causes most living things to flee or die, but some fungi thrive afterward, even feasting on charred remains. New University of California, Riverside research finds the secret to post-fire flourishing hidden in their genes.

tortilla chips and guacamole served on a wooden tray

January 29, 2026

The science behind a great guacamole

Guacamole is a game-day favorite, but what does it take to perfect it? Researchers at UC Riverside are peeling back the science of what makes a great avocado and how to turn it into a winning bowl of guacamole.

January 26, 2026

James Webb Space Telescope reveals new details about dark matter in the universe

Findings allow scientists to learn more about dark matter’s influence on stars, galaxies, and planets

View Latest Science News Stories

A Message from Dean Peter Atkinson

On behalf of the faculty, staff, and students from the College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences at UC Riverside, I welcome you to our college and campus.

Explore the UCR Botanic Gardens

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Science & Engineering Fair at UC Riverside

January 21, 2026

CNAS Welcomes Local Students and Families for Two Science and Engineering Fairs

UC Riverside’s College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) will welcome hundreds of young scientists, educators, and families to campus as it hosts two regional Science and Engineering Fairs in partnership with the Riverside Unified School District (RUSD) and, for...

December 16, 2025

Students in Elia Scudiero’s Lab Win Best Poster Award at American Society of Agronomy Meeting

Three students in Professor Elia Scudiero’s Digital Agronomy Lab at UC Riverside's College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) teamed up to win a Best Poster Award at the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) annual meeting held November 9-12 in...

CNAS New Faculty Reception - October 20, 2025

October 22, 2025

CNAS Welcomes New Faculty Members for the 2025 Academic Year

The College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) welcomed its newest faculty on October 20, hosting a full day of events designed to connect them with the CNAS community. The program began at noon with the CNAS New Faculty Orientation...

September 25, 2025

CNAS New Family Welcome Kicks off CNAS Welcome Week 2025

Last Sunday afternoon marked the beginning of a fruitful scholastic journey for first-year and transfer students at CNAS when they, along with their families, attended the annual CNAS New Family Welcome get-together at the Highlander Union Building (HUB). Part of...

College News Archive

Dr. Barry C. Barish

2017 NOBEL PRIZE WINNER IN PHYSICS

Meet the Faculty

Dr. Richard R. Schrock

2005 NOBEL PRIZE WINNER IN CHEMISTRY
UCR ALUMNUS

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Inside UCR

Marin Furukuwa and others at AES meeting

February 10, 2026

From diagnosis to discovery: Marin Furukuwa’s journey through epilepsy research

Undergraduate’s internship experience fueled her passion for neuroscience and healthcare

February 05, 2026

UC Riverside doctoral student awarded prestigious DOE fellowship

Ryan Milton will conduct AI-based nuclear physics research at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

February 03, 2026

Postdoc receives CURE Epilepsy’s Taking Flight Award

Mahboubeh Ahmadi will study hippocampal inhibitory circuits and seizure-related behaviors

January 21, 2026

A UCR astrophysicist is now an asteroid

A scientist, his asteroid, and a happy hour

More "Inside UCR" CNAS News

looking through a digital microscope, Dr. Manuela Martins-Green

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Donor support has a direct impact on CNAS students, empowering them to delve into research, stay curious, and prepares them to fill the gaps in the job market as research-minded scientists.

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