'It's just study after study': Salton Sea residents fed up with lack of action on pollution

UCR’s Will Porter criticized decades of Salton Sea environmental studies for focusing on wildlife while neglecting the human impact.
The Desert Sun | September 10, 2025

Hurricanes can bring disaster. Presidents can help – or not.

Political scientist Nicolas Napolio on presidential responses to natural disasters.
Good Authority | September 8, 2025

And Then There Were Three: New Termite Species Identified in California

UCR entomologists confirmed the existence of a previously undescribed species of subterranean termite in Southern California.
Entomology Today | September 5, 2025

More dust storms called haboobs are coming to California, thanks to climate change

UCR’s Will Porter weighs in on the potential for dust storms like the one that recently struck Phoenix.
The Los Angeles Times | August 27, 2025

Where Would Planting Trees Help Most With Global Warming?

The Earth and Planetary Sciences Department's James Gomez and Robert Allen authored a study that found more cooling from planting in warm, wet regions, where trees grow year-round.
US News & World Report | August 24, 2025

Immigration raids are mentally and emotionally impacting kids, UCR report finds

UCR School of Medicine psychiatrists say worksite raids and arrests during federal immigration enforcement operations are causing a public health emergency for millions of kids.
ABC7 News | August 18, 2025

Salton Sea not to blame for Coachella, Imperial air pollution, study says

School of Medicine’s David Lo says certain airborne particles can be especially harmful depending on their chemical or biological makeup.
The Los Angeles Times | August 15, 2025

Trump's Immigration Crackdown Causing Children 'Profound' Harm—Study

U.S. and foreign-born children are experiencing a mental health crisis and are at risk of "profound emotional harm" due to current immigration polices that include widespread detainments, workplace raids and large-scale deportations, according researchers at UCR's School of Medicine.
Newsweek | August 8, 2025

Groundwater is drying out, heating up, and causing sea level rise

This story cites a recent study by researchers at UCR who found that homes built in subsiding regions lost 2.4 percent to 5.8 percent of value compared to homes on more stable ground.
Grist | August 6, 2025

See air quality conditions near California wildfires with interactive map

David Lo, a UCR professor who studies air pollution, explains that smoke from wildfires contains fine particulate matter, which can pose serious health risks.
ABC7 Eyewitness News | August 5, 2025

It’s tarantula mating season. Where you can spot the spider and how to avoid getting bit

One indicator of a possible tarantula sighting is a Tarantula hawk wasp buzzing around. According to UCR Entomology Research Museum Senior Scientist Doug Yanega, one of these wasps is much easier to spot than a famously shy tarantula.
The Los Angeles Times | August 4, 2025

China’s success in cleaning up air pollution may have accelerated global warming: Study

Efforts to clean up air pollution in China and across East Asia may have inadvertently contributed to a spike in global warming, a new study led by UCR climatology professor Bob Allen has found.
WCBD-TV Charleston | July 14, 2025

Something Strange Is Happening to Tomatoes Growing on the Galápagos Islands

Adam Jozwiak, a UCR biochemist, led a study showing tomatoes growing on the Galápagos Islands appear to be going back in time by producing the same toxins their ancestors did millions of years ago.
Smithsonian Magazine | July 9, 2025

Some Tomatoes Are Evolving Backwards in Real Time, Scientists Find

A new study led by molecular biochemist Adam Jozwiak at UCR compares tomatoes from eastern and western islands of the Galápagos — that famous island chain that inspired Charles Darwin’s evolutionary theory nearly 200 years ago. They found the tomatoes on the western islands are creating natural pesticide alkaloid molecules similar to eggplant relatives from millions of years ago, seemingly reversing evolution.
Popular Mechanics | July 9, 2025

Scientists behind threatened NASA missions explain what’s at stake

UCR astrophysicist Stephen Kane explains how the DAVINCI mission to Venus is imperiled by the budget cuts proposed for NASA, and what knowledge will be lost if the mission is cancelled. Hint: there's a lot about Earth's future we may not be able to predict without more info on our twin planet.
The Planetary Society | July 7, 2025

Physicists Solve a 50-Year Mystery About a Critically Important Molecule

A study by UCR’s Boerge Hemmerling and Stephen Kane confirmed the dipole moment of aluminum monochloride, an elusive but important molecule found in ancient galaxies. 
Gizmodo | July 2, 2025

If you’re a US researcher, now is the time to establish a plan B

If you’re a US researcher, now is the time to establish a plan B, says UCR’s Brandon Brown. The scale of funding cuts in the United States means that countless scientists will lose their jobs. It would be naive not to start thinking about alternative career paths.
Nature | June 30, 2025

These plants might actually be de-evolving

UCR's Adam Jozwiak leads a team of researchers who argue that despite how controversial it might sound, tomatoes in the Galápagos actually seem to be evolving backwards, not forwards.
Boy Genius Review | June 29, 2025

Scientists Are Just Beginning to Understand How Life Makes Clouds, and Their Discoveries May Drastically Improve Climate Science

According to UCR's Bob Allen, the climate mitigation potential of tree restoration may be larger than previously appreciated.
Smithsonian Magazine | June 26, 2025

5 things to know about the Inland Empire’s workforce

The Press-Enterprise newspaper writes about a just-released workforce report from UCR's Inland Empire Labor and Community Center.
The Press Enterprise | June 25, 2025