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
CNAS Science News
May 20, 2026
Scientists identify brain circuit that helps us “change gears”
UC Riverside study shows how the brain abandons outdated strategies and adapts to new rules
May 19, 2026
Birds clap in the dark to flirt
In northern Argentina, one bird courts romance by snapping its wrists together, producing a sound scientists have puzzled over for decades. Now, researchers have captured the behavior in detail, revealing how scissor-tailed nightjars create one of the most curious sounds in the avian world.
May 11, 2026
New method sharpens the search for alien biology
New UCR research shows that the search for life beyond Earth could benefit from a statistical approach that prioritizes patterns rather than searching for individual chemical or molecular traces.
May 11, 2026
Astronomers produce most detailed map of the cosmic web
International study used data from the James Webb Space Telescope
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
CNAS Events
Inside UCR
May 19, 2026
5 Highlanders receive 2026 NSF Graduate Research Fellowships
Five UC Riverside Highlanders have been selected for the 2026 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, or NSF GRFP.
The fellowship supports students pursuing full-time, research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, fields at accredited U.S. institutions.
May 07, 2026
UCR chemist wins $100k Dreyfus teacher-scholar award
Chemist Timothy Su proves compatibility of innovative research and excellent teaching
April 27, 2026
One protein, two roles
The communication network in the developing brain builds when neurons partner up to form contact points called synapses, allowing signals to pass form one cell to another. At the same time, a web of blood vessels builds the brain’s life support system, delivering oxygen and nutrients and controlling what can enter the brain.
April 15, 2026
Neuroscience student plays winning game at Grad Slam
David Nikom found the right metaphor to explain his research about the high incidence of Alzheimer’s in women by looking back at his childhood playing video games with his older brother.
Nikom, a doctoral student in neuroscience, took first place in the 12th annual UCR Grad Slam Final on April 10 at the School of Business Building. The event, hosted by UCR’s Graduate Division, featured 11 finalists who each distilled their research into a three-minute presentation before a general audience.
CNAS in the Media
