Fruit Fly Threat Being Fought In Different Manner In California

Four decades ago, fruit flies threatened to destroy California's agricultural economy. Today, the threat has returned. UCR entomology professor Bodil Cass joins the California Report to discuss statewide quarantines. 
The California Report | December 4, 2023

How Being More Intentional About Shopping Can Also Be A Climate Action

Ellen Reese, professor of Society, Environment and Health Equity at UCR and co-author of the book Unsustainable: Amazon, Warehousing, and the Politics of Exploitation, says the sources of the gifts we purchase deserve more consideration.
LAist | December 4, 2023

“Agricultural nightmare” for California farmers as flies attack crops

Bodil Cass with the UC riverside Entomology department says the current infestation of the Oriental Fruit Fly (Bactrocera dorsali) in Riverside and San Bernardino counties is both large and serious.  These flies lay their eggs in the fruit that is growing in the trees and the maggots eat the fruit before it’s ready to harvest. 
NBC Palm Springs | December 4, 2023

‘A whole lot hotter’ for rich people: Research suggests the wealthy’s ‘luxury’ shield against climate change is melting

Scientists use the term “luxury effect” to refer to the fact that the wealthier and whiter your neighborhood becomes, the likelier your block is to be green. UCR botanists Dion Kucera and Darrel Jenerette authored a new study showing for the first time that effect is declining due to climate change. It is getting hotter faster than plants are able to cool their surroundings. 
Fast Company | December 1, 2023

This is how much money a majority of Americans say can buy their happiness

Distinguished Professor of Psychology Sonja Lyubomirsky describes happiness as “the experience of joy, contentment, or positive well-being, combined with a sense that one’s life is good, meaningful, and worthwhile.” And there is a set amount of money that a majority of Americans believe can buy them just that, a new study shows.
Christian Post | November 29, 2023

Study: Salton Sea has enough lithium to make more than 375 million EV batteries

The mineral-rich stew bubbling thousands of feet beneath the shores of Southern California’s Salton Sea contains enough lithium to make batteries for more than 375 million electric vehicles, according to a long-awaited analysis published Tuesday.  “It’s pretty exciting how much is there,” said Michael McKibben, a geology research professor from UCR who worked on the 371-page report commissioned by the Department of Energy.
The Press Enterprise | November 28, 2023

Extinct Sea Creature Fossils Help Solve Ancient Geography Puzzle

UC Riverside professor Nigel Hughes and his former graduate student Shelly Wernette discovered 10 new species of a strange type of marine animal that lived around 490 million years ago.
Newsweek | November 24, 2023

A car-sized tumbleweed made quite a scene on a California highway

A 2019 UCR study by Shana Welles and Norman Ellstrand found that a new species of gigantic tumbleweeds — Salsola ryanii — can grow up to 6 feet tall. It is also likely to keep expanding its territory as a result of climate change.
NPR | November 24, 2023

Millions of Latinos will gather for the holidays. Some will be shamed for their Spanish skills

Jennifer Nájera, an associate professor of ethnic studies at UCR, discusses linguistic discrimination that Mexican, Spanish-speaking children in Texas, California and the U.S. Southwest experience in public school situations.
The Sacramento Bee | November 23, 2023

Big rise in small business owners

Qingfang Wang, a UCR professor of public policy, says more Americans are embracing entrepreneurship. “There are more than 33 million small businesses in America,” she said. “The most recent years have seen a record-breaking new business application in the United States.”
NBC Palm Springs | November 21, 2023

Community college-to-UC pipeline gets a boost as California ‘guarantees’ transfers

Starting in 2026, California community college students will have a better shot at transferring to UCLA or other UC campuses, including UCR.
The Hechinger Report | November 17, 2023

Webb telescope spots the most distant Milky Way-like galaxy yet

Alexander de la Vega, a postdoctoral researcher at UCR, co-authored a study published in Nature that details a galaxy closely resembling the Milky Way. “This is surprising because galaxies were much more chaotic in the early universe and very few had similar structures to the Milky Way," he said. 
CNN | November 14, 2023

Cal State East Bay offers cannabis online training certification programs, and registration is still open

Cal State East Bay is offering certification programs for people interested in working in the cannabis industry. The courses were made possible through a partnership with Green Flower, a company that builds cannabis curriculum and has 24 partnerships with local government, business leaders and educational institutions across the U.S., including UC Riverside.
The Los Angeles Times | November 10, 2023

UC Riverside events support first-generation students

UCR recognizes first-generation students, faculty members and employees whose parents or guardians did not earn a four-year degree.
The Press Enterprise | November 7, 2023

Jupiter Is a Black Sheep Which Protects All Life on Earth

While Jupiter may be our planetary guardian angel, protecting us from harm, new research from UCR astrophysicist Stephen Kane shows gas giants in other solar systems might actually wreak havoc on other exoplanets nearby.
Newsweek | November 1, 2023

Living worm found in woman's brain… what does it have to do with your diet?

UCR parasitology professor Adler Dillman joined the Something Offbeat podcast to talk about the discovery of a worm in a woman's brain, and the connection that discovery has to her diet. 
KRLD News Radio 1080 | October 30, 2023

Big Tech Has a Water Problem. AI Is Making It Worse, Report Says.

Artificial intelligence is a gamechanger. It’s also a water guzzler, according to new research from Shoalei Ren, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering. He learned that data processing centers consume great volumes of water.
Barrons | October 30, 2023

These Plants Change Color When Exposed to a Pesticide

Ian Wheeldon, chemical and environmental engineering professor, and Sean Cutler, professor of plant cell biology, engineered plants to turn bright red when the come into contact with a dangerous chemical in the environment. They hope to be able to use their work to make tests for many kinds of chemicals.
Wired | October 30, 2023

UC Riverside’s new health center at forefront of national student wellness trend

The new, $36 million student health clinic at UCR aims to provide a wide array of medical and mental health services in an attractive building that showcases views of nearby mountains. Beyond serving Riverside students, it may become a national model of how campuses are investing more resources to keep their students physically and emotionally well in the post-pandemic era, experts say.  
Ed Source | October 25, 2023

Scholars debate how DEI statements affect academic freedom in the UCs

Steven Brint, UCR sociology professor, and Komi Frey, director of faculty outreach for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, published a paper arguing that the use of diversity, equity and inclusion statements on 10 UC campuses as a screening mechanism for hiring faculty puts values like social justice ahead of academic freedom.
Ed Source | October 24, 2023