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 17 National Academies members on the faculty

Water: Salton Sea at the Crossroads of Change

An assessment of environmental challenges on water quality
at this critical juncture for the Salton Sea.

Speaker: Caroline Hung, PhD Candidate in Biogeochemistry, UCR Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences

February 19, 2025, 6-7pm, at the UCR Palm Desert Auditorium

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2025 Women’s Leadership Conference

Saturday, March 1, 2025
9:00 am - 3:30 pm
HUB 302

2025 CNAS Science Lecture Series

Miguel Arratia, Assistant Professor of Physics
Wednesday, March 4, 2025
Reception: 5-6 p.m.
Lecture: 6-7 p.m.
UCR Palm Desert Center

Grad Slam 2025

Semi-Final Rounds
The Semi-Final Showcases will be held the week of March 10, 2025.

Learn More About Grad Slam

Peter Atkinson Named Dean of the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences

January 6, 2025

Read the Announcement

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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CNAS by the Numbers

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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 marketing materials, Drupal website tutorials, room schedules, and more are available here for students, faculty, and staff. 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 14, 2025

New technology enhances gravitational-wave detection

Instrument developed at UC Riverside will help answer fundamental questions in physics and cosmology

February 13, 2025

Q&A: Soaring egg prices

UCR experts discuss the connection to the bird flu outbreak and what to expect

February 13, 2025

Perfect storm: megafires set the stage for debris flows

Andrew Gray, an associate professor of watershed hydrology at UCR, weighs in on the threats to life and infrastructure posed by fast-moving debris flows, and how residents can best respond.

February 10, 2025

Breast cancer treatment advances with light-activated ‘smart bomb’

UCR scientists have developed new light-sensitive chemicals that can radically improve the treatment of aggressive cancers with minimal side effects.

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

Plan a Visit

More College News

CNAS Welcome Interim Dean, Peter Atkinson

January 30, 2025

Meet the new dean of CNAS

Many may be familiar with the new dean of the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, or CNAS. Peter Atkinson, a professor of genetics in the Department of Entomology, has been with UCR for 28 years. Less familiar may be...

January 27, 2025

CNAS unveils Science Lecture Series 2025 dates

The UC Riverside College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) is pleased to announce the dates of the 2025 Science Lecture Series, with faculty presentations taking place on February 5, March 4, April 12 and May 3. Since its inception...

January 27, 2025

Susan Wessler Elected VP of the National Academy of Sciences

Susan Wessler, Distinguished Professor and Geneticist in the UC Riverside Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, has been elected to a four-year term as Vice President at the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). Professor Wessler assumed her duties as Vice...

January 27, 2025

With a Little Bit of Luck: What Mary Droser has Uncovered after a Few Million Years

Mary Droser, Distinguished Professor of Geology in the UC Riverside Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, likes to say that she is the luckiest and most privileged person she knows. To anyone considering her prodigious list of professional accomplishments, the...

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

Physics postdocs and grads at UC San Diego

February 18, 2025

UCR team attends regional conference to attract undergraduates to physics and astronomy

For the first time, the UCR Department of Physics and Astronomy provided full financial support for two postdoctoral researchers and three graduate students to attend the Conference for Undergraduate Women and Gender Minorities in Physics that was held last month in San Diego, California.

February 03, 2025

Trailblazing UCR Geneticist Becomes National Academy of Sciences VP

Sue Wessler recognized for scientific excellence and collaborative spirit

January 30, 2025

Meet the new dean of CNAS

Peter Atkinson, genetics professor in the Dept. of Entomology

Sean Preins and Peter Carney with prototype

January 29, 2025

UCR team tests novel detector technology at particle collider

Seven UCR students designed, built, and ran their own experiment

More "Inside UCR" CNAS News

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

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CNAS in the Media

February 12, 2025

New light-activated salt treatment targets aggressive breast cancer with precision

STUDYFINDS - In the ongoing battle against aggressive breast cancer, light might become an unexpected ally. Scientists at Michigan State University (MSU) and the University of California, Riverside have engineered a remarkable new treatment that combines two unlikely partners, a...

February 11, 2025

Scientists make astonishing discovery about plants at the molecular level — here's how it could help solve major problems in the medical field

THE COOL DOWN - Scientists at the University of California-Riverside recently discovered a chemical that plants produce that could help prevent infections in medical patients. Science Daily reported on the findings, explaining that biofilm is a slimy bacterial layer that...

February 07, 2025

5 of the scariest spiders in existence

THE WEEK - Spiders are some of the most diverse creatures on Earth. While they can be frightening, most of them are harmless and skittish. However, some spiders are dangerous — or deadly. Several species have venom that is toxic...

February 04, 2025

Frogs rescued from a deadly fungus welcome 33 froglets

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CNAS Blog

August 27, 2024

Riverside City College students explore research through RISE

When asked how she's enjoying UC Riverside's Research in Science & Engineering (RISE) program this summer, Riverside City College student Kat McVeigh doesn't hold back. "It's been a great experience!" she says. "Being in an actual lab [and] getting to...

August 05, 2024

Making Beautiful Music: Nicolas Sanchez on Biochemistry, the Violin and CNAS

Like many students before him, Nicolas Sanchez '24 has learned that finding the proper outlet can circumvent the pressure of a tough academic course load. For Nicolas, who graduated from the UC Riverside College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences with...

July 11, 2024

Doubling down: Assal and Sadaf Sadighian on the long journey from Iran to UC Riverside...and what lies in the future

To say that twin sisters Assal and Sadaf Sadighian are used to long commutes would be an understatement. The twins, who will graduate next spring with Biology degrees, live “a very short drive” away from campus, and will readily tell...

July 11, 2024

For recent CNAS graduate Briana Baldovinos '24, UCR was a whole new dance

For the past year and a half, Briana Baldovinos has worked at the “Happiest Place on Earth”...Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, where she dances in the Main Street Parade. Before enrolling at UC Riverside, she used to dance ballet, jazz and...

College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences

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Undergraduate
Students

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Students

CNAS Science News

A Message from Dean Peter Atkinson

More College News

Meet the new dean of CNAS

CNAS unveils Science Lecture Series 2025 dates

Susan Wessler Elected VP of the National Academy of Sciences

With a Little Bit of Luck: What Mary Droser has Uncovered after a Few Million Years

CNAS Events

Inside UCR

CNAS in the Media

New light-activated salt treatment targets aggressive breast cancer with precision

Scientists make astonishing discovery about plants at the molecular level — here's how it could help solve major problems in the medical field

5 of the scariest spiders in existence

Frogs rescued from a deadly fungus welcome 33 froglets

Subscribe to the CNAS Newsletter

CNAS Blog

Riverside City College students explore research through RISE

Making Beautiful Music: Nicolas Sanchez on Biochemistry, the Violin and CNAS

Doubling down: Assal and Sadaf Sadighian on the long journey from Iran to UC Riverside...and what lies in the future

For recent CNAS graduate Briana Baldovinos '24, UCR was a whole new dance

CNAS Undergraduate Advising