UNIVERSE TODAY - One of the most intriguing puzzles in cosmology is the existence of supermassive black holes that seem to appear very early in the history of the Universe. Astronomers keep finding them at times when, by all that they understand about the infant Universe, they shouldn't be there. The standard theory of black...
POPULAR SCIENCE - Birds in Hawaii are stealing from each other, and this bird-on-bird crime even extends to members of the same species. It’s an example of kleptoparasitism, or when an animal steals things from another. Specifically, these colorful, winged kleptoparasites are pilferring nest-material, sometimes causing the demise of the depleted nest. Researchers documented this...
For a group of UC Riverside students, research didn’t just stay in the lab—it took them all the way to Capitol Hill. From March 1–2, 2026, four Highlanders—Angel Zarobinski, Mia Alvarado, Logan Reynosa, and faculty mentor Dr. Stephanie Dingwall—traveled to Washington, D.C. through the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) Scholars Transforming through Research (STR) Program...
The Department of Chemistry at the University of California, Riverside marked a significant milestone on April 1, 2026, with the launch of the inaugural Richard R. Schrock Distinguished Lecture, a new series designed to bring leading voices in chemistry to campus and inspire the next generation of scientists. The lecture honors Distinguished Professor of Chemistry...
If you love your major, enjoy connecting with people, and want to make an impact beyond the classroom, this is your moment. The CNAS Science Ambassador program is now accepting applications—and it’s one of the most meaningful ways to get involved at UC Riverside. As a Science Ambassador, you don’t just represent CNAS—you bring it...
The 98th Annual California FFA State Leadership Conference, held March 21–24, 2026, in Ontario, California, brought together more than 7,000 high school students, advisors, and guests—making it one of the largest statewide events dedicated to developing the next generation of agricultural leaders. For the College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) at UC Riverside, the...
The CCB-SEEDS Mentorship Program is recruiting mentors for the Spring 2026 cohort! Please sign up by Wednesday, April 15, 2026 if your research is in the fields of Ecology, Evolution, and/or Conservation Biology, and you have a desire to foster undergraduate interest in your field. No previous experience is required and grad students of all...
SCIENCE ALERT - The origins of Alzheimer's remain contentious, but a new study suggests the disease may emerge as two key proteins compete inside brain cells. Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, has long been associated with the build-up of two proteins in the brain: amyloid-beta and tau. This new study ties those...
Over the past two weekends, UC Riverside brought the Highlander experience on the road—welcoming newly admitted students and their families at Regional Celebrations in Oakland, San Diego, and Los Angeles. For many, these events marked their first introduction to the campus community they may soon call home. For others, they were a chance to begin...
Dean CNAS Community, I am very pleased to announce the appointment, after an internal search, of Professor Tim Higham as the new Director of the UCR Natural Reserves System. Professor Higham will succeed Professor Kimberly Hammond, who is stepping down from this position. Professor Higham joined the Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology in...
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAIʻI - An analysis of more than 2,300 seawater samples from more than 20 field studies around the globe indicates that human-made chemicals—from plastic additives and industrial lubricants to pharmaceuticals and pesticides—are widespread in the marine environment, particularly in coastal and estuarine waters. The study, co-authored by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa oceanographers...
EARTH.COM - Scientists have identified a single molecule that surges inside stressed plant cells and rapidly chokes off a growth pathway they cannot live without. The study recasts stunted growth as an active survival response, and it points to a hidden control system that could shape tougher crops. Inside leaf cells, the slowdown took hold...
The Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG) hosted its annual Women’s Day Forum on March 10 at the Moreno Valley Conference Center, bringing together more than 200 attendees from across the Inland Empire for a half-day of connection, reflection, and inspiration. Centered on the theme “Give to Gain,” the event highlighted the power of collaboration...
EARTH.COM - Plants can’t run from danger. When sunlight suddenly becomes too intense, temperatures spike, or conditions turn hostile, they have to survive exactly where they are. To cope, they rely on rapid internal changes. One of the most important is the ability to slow growth almost instantly – not over hours or days, but...
On a quiet stretch of campus near Lot 30, something different is happening. There are rows of vegetables pushing up through the soil, pollinators drifting between native plants, and students kneeling in the dirt—talking, learning, laughing, working side by side. Some arrive for a volunteer shift. Others come for a class project. Some just want...
EARTH.COM - The ocean has always shown clear signs of human impact. You see plastic floating, oil on the surface, and rising temperatures. Those are easy to notice. But there’s another change happening quietly, and it’s only now becoming clear. Scientists studying seawater from around the world found something worrying. A large share of what...
SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE - When people think of fungi, most tend to picture mushrooms, the spore-bearing bodies of some fungi that are typically found growing in soil or on trees. However, the whole fungal kingdom is so much more than that: Our planet hosts an estimated 2.2 million to 3.8 million species of fungi, which are...
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 across parts of southern California and Nevada at different degrees usually every year. In some...
LAIST.COM - 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 and whether it’s too wet or too dry. And it’s always dispiriting to check for...
