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

2

Nobel Laureates and 18 National Academies members on the faculty

Science Lecture Series 2026

Join us for a talk on Plant Metabolites: Nature’s Toolkit for Stress and Survival with Dr. Katayoon (Katie) Dehesh.
April 11, 2026
UCR Main Campus

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Science Lecture Series 2026

Join us for a talk on What’s Wild in Riverside with Dr. Marko Spasojevic.
April 22, 2026 (Earth Day)
UCR Main Campus

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Riverside Insect Fair

Saturday, April 25th, 2026
10am–4pm
Downtown Riverside

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Dean's Office Hours

Dean Peter Atkinson holds regular office hours
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Prospective Students

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Student Research Opportunities

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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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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 19, 2026

Water is bed bugs’ kryptonite

New research has, for the first time, identified one thing that bed bugs seem to fear -- water and wet surfaces.

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.

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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.

More College News

February 18, 2026

CNAS Expands Industry Engagement and Visibility at 2026 World Ag Expo

The UC Riverside College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) strengthened its presence in the agricultural community at the 2026 World Ag Expo (WAE), held February 10–13 in Tulare, California, building on last year’s successful debut with an expanded slate...

February 17, 2026

Advancing Turfgrass Science at UC Riverside: The Development of Coachella Bermudagrass

For more than a decade, UC Riverside has been advancing turfgrass research through a revitalized breeding program focused on performance, resilience, and environmental efficiency. One of its most significant outcomes is Coachella Bermudagrass — a new cultivar developed through collaborative...

RUSD Awards Ceremony at University Theater

February 17, 2026

UCR Celebrates Next Generation of Scientists at RUSD and Val Verde Science Fair Awards Ceremony

The University of California, Riverside College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences celebrated young scientific achievement on Friday, January 30, 2026, hosting awards ceremonies for both the Riverside Unified School District (RUSD) and the Val Verde Unified School District Science and...

Students and judges at Riverside Unified School District Science and Engineering Fair

February 02, 2026

Young Scientists Take Center Stage at UCR During Riverside Unified School District Science and Engineering Fair

On January 27, 2026, HUB 302 at the University of California, Riverside was filled with poster boards, lab notebooks, and a steady hum of scientific curiosity as students from across the Riverside Unified School District (RUSD) gathered for the district’s...

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
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Inside UCR

Mycologist Sydney Glassman holding a mushroom

March 11, 2026

A rising star in fungal science

UC Riverside mycologist Sydney Glassman wins national early-career award

March 10, 2026

Gravitational physics community gathers at UCR

The 42nd Jim Isenberg Pacific Coast Gravity Meeting brought leading gravitational researchers to campus for the first time

February 18, 2026

Professor receives Lifetime Achievement Award from Wound Healing Society

Manuela Martins-Green’s lab pioneered studies on the role of chemokines in wound healing

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

More "Inside UCR" CNAS News

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

Give to the College

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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CNAS in the Media

March 10, 2026

Wildflowers are blooming in the driest place in North America — but not for long

THE WASHINGTON POST - Death Valley, known as the driest place in North America, is teeming with life with a once-in-a-decade blossoming of wildflowers known as a superbloom, transforming a normally brown desert landscape into carpets of gold. Wildflowers bloom...

March 09, 2026

Composting can be wildly frustrating. Maggots to the rescue

LAIST - Do you hate composting as much as I do? Even though I know it has benefits for both my garden and the environment, I hate turning the pile and worrying about the right ratio of greens to browns...

March 08, 2026

This 'hyperarid' desert is transforming into a carbon sink

SCIENCE ALERT - One of the driest regions in the world is being transformed into a carbon sink through a long-term, large-scale tree planting program, absorbing more greenhouse gases than it emits. It's the result of almost five decades of...

March 06, 2026

Scientists are shocked by what’s really in the air we breathe every day

FUTURA - These substances are known as plasticisers. They are chemical compounds added to materials to make them softer, more flexible and easier to use. While that might sound harmless, their widespread presence in everyday objects means our exposure is...

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CNAS Blog

Attendees of the Dinner with Alumni: Science Careers Beyond Healthcare event

March 03, 2026

Inside the Expanding World of Science Careers: Insights from CNAS Alumni

Panel and dinner conversations highlight the breadth of opportunities available to science graduates. Students, alumni and campus partners gathered Feb. 18 at the UC Riverside Alumni and Visitors Center for “Dinner with Alumni: Science Careers Beyond Healthcare,” an evening designed...