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 Engineering Fairs. The events marked the culmination of weeks — and in many cases months...
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 annual Science and Engineering Fair. For a few hours, the room became a hub of...
For many Val Verde Unified School District students, stepping onto the UC Riverside campus on Friday, Jan. 23, marked their first time visiting a major research university. By the end of the day, they weren’t just visitors — they were scientists. Val Verde USD students gathered at UCR for the district’s first-ever science fair hosted...
UC Riverside’s College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) will welcome hundreds of young scientists, educators, and families to campus as it hosts two regional Science and Engineering Fairs in partnership with the Riverside Unified School District (RUSD) and, for the first time, the Val Verde Unified School District (VVUSD). Bringing together elementary, middle, and...
Three students in Professor Elia Scudiero’s Digital Agronomy Lab at UC Riverside's College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) teamed up to win a Best Poster Award at the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) annual meeting held November 9-12 in Salt Lake City, UT. Bhawana Acharya attended the event in Salt Lake City and co-authored...
The College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) welcomed its newest faculty on October 20, hosting a full day of events designed to connect them with the CNAS community. The program began at noon with the CNAS New Faculty Orientation in HUB 269, continued with a campus tour led by the CNAS Science Ambassadors, and...
Last Sunday afternoon marked the beginning of a fruitful scholastic journey for first-year and transfer students at CNAS when they, along with their families, attended the annual CNAS New Family Welcome get-together at the Highlander Union Building (HUB). Part of Welcome Week 2025, CNAS Dean Peter Atkinson, Stephanie Dingwall, CNAS Divisional Dean of Student Academic...
Nobel Laureate, Richard R. Schrock, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Riverside College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences, recently returned from Hungary where he attended a groundbreaking ceremony to build a new facility that will manufacture metathesis catalysts that enable environmentally friendly chemical processes. The production technology is based on his pioneering...
In a day-long symposium on August 6, a panel of researchers from UC Riverside’s (UCR) College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) expounded on the earth and space sciences to an audience of high school and middle school science teachers from the Riverside Unified School District (RUSD). The Earth & Space Sciences Symposium, held on...
Well into its 10-week run, the Research in Science and Engineering Program (RISE) at UCR, not only benefits current UCR students, but also Riverside City College (RCC) students in ways that could shape their academic futures. RISE is designed for rising sophomores, juniors, incoming transfers (many from RCC), and seniors. The program is held annually...
CNAS Dean Peter Atkinson had some special wisdom he wanted to impart to students making up the college’s 71st graduating class during commencement ceremonies held on June 16 at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, CA. “Science matters,” he said, “and science is never finished. Every answer leads to a new question. Every theory invites deeper...
The UC Riverside Academic Senate awarded paleontologist Mary Droser with its top prize during their annual awards. Droser, a distinguished professor of geology, is the recipient of the 2024-25 Faculty Research Lecturer Award, the highest honor bestowed to faculty based on a distinguished record in research. She will deliver a lecture next year.
Dear R’Garden supporters, Thank you sincerely for reaching out regarding the future of the R'Garden. We share in the disappointment that the recent student referendum to secure ongoing support for R’Garden did not meet the minimum 20% voter participation threshold for approval, despite majority support from those who voted. Although the R'Garden referendum did not...
Each year, the UC Riverside College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) proudly recognizes a select group of students who have distinguished themselves through exceptional academic achievements, innovative research, and a commitment to making a positive impact on the science community. These outstanding individuals are more than just award recipients—they are a testament to the...
Ellie Armstrong is a scientist by training, a dog photographer by hobby, and a rescuer by nature. By day, she is an evolutionary biologist at UC Riverside building genomic tools to trace the ancestry of species facing extinction. In her free time, she takes glamour shots of foster dogs to help them get adopted. Both...
Angeliz Vargas Casillas from UC Riverside, who won third prize for her talk on using math to model keloid scar expansion, reflected, “It really made me think about where I'm going with my research. Where can I take it? What is the goal? You have those things in mind, but when you’re putting it together...
UC Riverside alumna Gabriella Moussa has a sterling piece of advice about the Pre-Professional Advising Center (PPAC) and the services it provides. “To any student looking to use the office’s resources, but who may be hesitant for whatever reason: Let yourself let THEM help you!” says Gabriella, who graduated from UC Riverside in 2022 with...
Nine speakers from the UC Riverside College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) gave talks highlighting their diverse research programs at the World Ag Expo held February 11-13 in Tulare, CA. In 25-minute sessions, five of which focused on the citrus industry alone, UC Riverside professors educated audiences on such varied topics as improving food...
UC Riverside’s College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) convened a meeting of UC Cooperative Extension (CE) Specialists, Advisors, and Faculty to foster collaborations and showcase agricultural research at UC Riverside. The meeting, held Feb. 18, featured researchers and professors from CNAS and BCOE who addressed topics effecting agriculture and natural resources (ANR) that are...
