So...you think you know CNAS trivia? :)
Find the answers to the questions below...
...and learn some fun facts about CNAS & UCR!
UCR had how many total students enrolled in the Fall 2023?
A. 24,965
B. 25,832
C. 26,426
D. 27,843
Answer: C. 26,426
Fun Fact: UCR's total student population was 26,426, which was an increase of more than 5,000 students from 10 years ago.
What year did the Riverside Citrus Experiment Station, forbearer of the University, open for business?
A. 1902
B. 1905
C. 1907
D. 1910
Answer: C. 1907
Fun Fact: As you may know, the old School of Business Building is the original Citrus Experiment Station.
Who was UCR’s longest-serving Chancellor?
A. Tim White
B. Ivan Hinderaker
C. Raymond Orbach
D. Kim Wilcox
Answer: B. Ivan Hinderaker
Fun Fact: Hinderaker was Chancellor for 15 years, from July 1964 – 1979. Chancellor Wilcox is the second-longest serving Chancellor – when he retires, he will have served 12 years.
What year did students arrive for their first day of classes at UCR?
A. 1945
B. 1950
C. 1954
D. 1959
Answer: C. 1954
Fun Fact: 127 students and 65 faculty members arrived for the first day of classes on February 15, 1954. The next day, Charles Young is elected student body president. He later becomes Chancellor of UCLA.
The big “C” on Box Springs Mountain is made out of what material?
A. Concrete
B. Iron
C. Plastic
D. Wood
Answer: A. Concrete
Fun Fact: The "C" is a hallmark at all UC campuses. Students campaigned to have a "C" on the side of the Box Springs Mountains that would be bigger than that of any other campus, especially Berkeley. Early in the 1954–55 school year, a group of UCR students assembled on the roof of Weber Hall while another group gathered at the selected spot on the Box Springs Mountains. Using survey equipment and walkie-talkies, and guided by the students on Weber, students laid out the frame for the "C." In 1958, the E.L. Yeager Construction Company finished off the "C" in cement. To date, it is the largest "C" in the UC system. At 132 feet long, it is the largest concrete block letter on record.
What year did the first students graduate from UCR?
A. 1955
B. 1956
C. 1957
D. 1958
Answer: A. 1955
Fun Fact: 20 students graduated from UCR that year.
What are the four qualities that show the world you’re a Highlander?
A. Integrity, Excellence, Timeliness, and Respect
B. Integrity, Accountability, Excellence, and Respect
C. Integrity, Collaboration, Accountability, and Respect
D. Integrity, Perseverance, Excellence, and Steadfastness
Answer: B. Integrity, Accountability, Excellence, and Respect
Fun Fact: The four qualities are referred to as Tartan Soul.
UCR has been named a top university in the nation by U.S. News & World Report over the last six years for which of the following?
A. Undergraduate teaching
B. Social mobility
C. Most innovative school
D. Colleges for veterans
Answer: B. Social mobility
Fun Fact: This is the sixth year that U.S. News has featured a breakout category for social mobility, which considers the degree to which a university elevates its low-income graduates to a higher standard of living. The first three years, UCR was ranked No. 1 in the nation among four-year universities; for the past two years, it was No. 2.
“Highlanders” was adopted as the campus mascot following a vote of the student body in what year?
A. 1954
B. 1955
C. 1956
D. 1957
Answer: B. 1955
Fun Fact: Though numerous nominations for a campus mascot "including Rocks, Tigers, and Aphids" were presented to UCR's charter students in 1954, "Hylander" emerged from a spirited write-in campaign. Later changed to "Highlander," the theme acknowledged the campus' elevation relative to the rest of the city. Scottish traditions naturally evolved. The Scottish Highlands include the rugged and mountainous regions of Scotland north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault. The Highlands are popularly described as one of the most scenic regions of Europe.
How many current Nobel Laureates are there at CNAS?
A. 0
B. 1
C. 2
D. 3
Answer: C. 2
Fun Fact: UCR is proud to have two Nobel Laureates, Dr. Barry Barish and Dr. Richard Schrock, on the faculty. Physicist Barry C. Barish won the 2017 Nobel Prize in physics for the discovery of gravitational waves. Richard Schrock was awarded the 2005 Nobel Prize in chemistry for the development of a catalyst for a reaction now used daily in the chemical industry for the efficient and more environmentally friendly production of pharmaceuticals, fuels, synthetic fibers, and many other products.
Bonus Fun Fact: Dr. Schrock is also a UC Riverside alumnus!
Who developed the UCR Tartan?
A. Gordon Watkins
B. Bono
C. Linda Clifford
D. Ivan Hinderaker
Answer: C. Linda Clifford
Fun Fact: The UC Riverside tartan was developed with the expert aid of Linda Clifford with contributions by pipe band members Josh Taylor and Robbie Conacher. The tartan has been registered with the proper authorities in Scotland. The graphic representation shown is an approximation of the finished tartan. The blue is a "royal" blue, the gold slightly more brass and less mustard in color. This tartan has been added to the official UCR logos and other trademark protected properties owned by the University of California.
The UCR Pipe Band won first prize in the Grade 4 Pipe Band Competition in the quick march and timed medleys at the Highland Games in what year?
A. 1987
B. 1997
C. 2007
D. 2017
Answer: C. 2007
Fun Fact: The band is comprised of a diverse group of musicians performing a wide range of Celtic music played on bagpipes and drums.
The University of California seal was designed by whom?
A. Geoffrey Beene
B. Halston
C. Oscar de la Renta
D. Tiffany and Company
Answer: D. Tiffany and Company
Fun Fact: In 1884, the first University of California Board of Regents adopted a resolution stating: "The corporate seal of the Regents shall be of the size of a Mexican dollar, and the legend around the rim shall be: "University of California — Organized 1868". The motto shall be: "Let there be light"." The original artwork commissioned from Tiffany & Co. was destroyed in the great San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906.
The present University of California seal has been used since which year?
A. 1910
B. 1950
C. 1970
D. 2000
Answer: A. 1910
Fun Fact: In 1908, The Regents again contracted with Tiffany for the creation of a new design incorporating a five-pointed star. From the two original sketches presented, the Regents chose the seal design still used today. The approved design remains the official corporate seal of the University—designed by the world-renowned Tiffany & Co.—and adopted by the Regents on August 9, 1910.
The University of California opened its doors in which year?
A. 1859
B. 1869
C. 1879
D. 1889
Answer: B. 1869
Fun Fact: The University of California (UC) opened its doors in 1869, with the first campus at UC Berkeley. The university started with 40 students and 10 faculty members.
What was the total enrollment (undergrad and grad) for the University of California in Fall 2023?
A. 235,985
B. 275,900
C. 295,573
D. 305,391
Answer: C. 295,573
Fun Fact: There were 233,272 undergraduates and 62,301 graduate students that year.
Founded in 1868, which was the first UC campus?
A. Berkeley
B. Davis
C. Irvine
D. Merced
Answer: A. Berkeley
Fun Fact: The University of California was founded in 1868, born out of a vision in the State Constitution of a university that would “contribute even more than California’s gold to the glory and happiness of advancing generations.”
The University of California motto, Fiat Lux, means what?
A. The sun shines on this place
B. Light over darkness
C. Bright light
D. Let there be light
Answer: D. Let there be light
In what year was the first inaugural class of 50 students welcomed into UCR’s School of Medicine?
A. 2012
B. 2013
C. 2014
D. 2015
Answer: B. 2013
Fun Fact: That class of 50 students arrived in August 2013, beginning their path toward becoming a physician. In June 2017, the school graduated its first class of medical students and secured full accreditation from the LCME.
How many specimens does UCR’s Entomology Research Museum have in its collection?
A. Over 1 million
B. Over 2 million
C. Over 3 million
D. Over 4 million
Answer: D. Over 4 million
Fun Fact: The Riverside campus houses the second oldest of the UC insect collections. The year of the oldest specimen is 1807.
UCR has how many colleges?
A. 3
B. 5
C. 7
D. 9
Answer: A. 3
Fun Fact: The colleges include the College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences, Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering, and the College of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences.
UCR has how many professional schools?
A. 4
B. 6
C. 7
D. 10
Answer: A. 4
Fun Fact: The professional schools include the School of Education, School of Business, School of Medicine and School of Public Policy.
UCR has how many Division I intercollegiate athletics sports?
A. 15
B. 17
C. 19
D. 21
Answer: B. 17
Fun Fact: 1975 was the last year the Highlanders fielded a football team. Check out the oral history of the UCR football program in UCR Magazine.
UCR’s Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection is one of the most extensive collections of citrus diversity in the world. How many cultivars and species of citrus and related taxa is in the collection?
A. Nearly 100
B. Nearly 1100
C. Nearly 2100
D. Nearly 3100
Answer: B. Nearly 1100
Fun Fact: Today, with approximately 4,500 trees of nearly 1100 cultivars and species of citrus and related taxa, the CVC is one of the most extensive collections of citrus diversity in the world.
Which UCR invention was named one of TIME’s 200 “groundbreaking” inventions in 2023?
A. Antora Thermal Battery
B. Bark Phone
C. Luna UCR™
D. Rainstick Shower
Answer: C. Luna UCR™
Fun Fact: Meet Mary Lu Arpaia, the UCR scientist who worked to cultivate the exciting new avocado variety!