Turns Out, We Still Don't Know What Megalodon Actually Looked Like

Earth’s deadly megalodon is a popular villain in Hollywood sci-fi, but new research led by UCR organismal biologist Phillip Sternes says that, actually, we have no idea what these animals looked like. 
IFL Science! | February 7, 2022

UC Riverside professor one of few Black archeologists searching for sunken slave ships and hidden history

Ayana Omilade Flewellen, assistant professor of anthropology, belongs to a tiny group (less than 1%) within the archeology community — Black archeologists — and is one of a handful of Black female-born maritime archeologists who dive off the coast of St. Croix in the Caribbean and the Great Lakes in Michigan, scouring for wreckage of ships that carried enslaved people.
The Press Enterprise | February 4, 2022

The COVID Jerk

Philosophy Professor Eric Schwitzgebel argues that a dismissive attitude toward concerns regarding COVID-19 makes them 'COVID jerks,' and offers suggestions for how to do better for others.
The Atlantic | February 3, 2022

RISE classrooms at UC Riverside look to improve remote learning

In response to the pandemic, UCR created Rooms for Increasing Student Engagement, or RISE - 110 high-tech classrooms equipped with cameras to live stream as well as microphones that can pick up student voices in every corner of the class.
Spectrum News | February 2, 2022

Poultry immune discovery could improve vaccine development

Scott Pegan, a UCR professor of biomedical sciences, helped identify a new immune pathway that helps protect chickens against viral infections.
WATT Poultry | February 1, 2022

Channeling your anger for change

Myisha Cherry, UCR assistant professor of philosophy, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why the fight against racism means breaking rules and making people angry.
KERA | February 1, 2022

Researchers build 1-stop-shop for historical wildfire data

Ahmed Eldawy, UCR assistant professor of computer science, along with a few researchers from other universities, has been working on a project compiling a decades' worth of data related to wildfires into one database - a massive endeavor.
Spectrum News | February 1, 2022

The Beyoncé Fly, Andrew Garfield Spider, and 12 More Species Named After Celebrities

Parasitologist Adler Dillman dubbed a new tarantula-killing nematode species, "Tarantobelus jeffdanielsi," after Daniels' character Dr. Ross Jennings from the 1990 film Arachnophobia. 
People Magazine | January 27, 2022

What do you call a tiny tarantula killer? Jeff Daniels.

Parasitologist Adler Dillman named a new species of tarantula-attacking nematode Tarantobelus jeffdanielsi in appreciation of Jeff Daniels, the lead actor in the 1990 sci-fi thriller Arachnophobia. 
Popular Science | January 25, 2022

The Biggest Thing Holding Me Back From Having Kids Is Climate Change

Jade Sasser, associate professor of gender and sexuality studies, and author of On Infertile Ground: Population Control and Women’s Rights in the Era of Climate Change, says it's understandable that the climate crisis can feel overwhelming to many prospective parents. 
Good Housekeeping | January 24, 2022

Worms That Turn Tarantulas Into Tiptoeing Zombies Discovered

Parasitologist Adler Dillman led a team that discovered a new species of nematode that kill tarantulas.
Newsweek | January 20, 2022

Wealthy Residents In Calabasas, Hidden Hills Could Find Their Water At A Trickle If They Won’t Conserve

Mehdi Nemati, who studies issues relating to water resources, says wealthier Californians did not conserve as much as others during the last drought even when the state mandated it. Officials are now threatening to restrict the flow to customers who repeatedly fail to conserve.
KCAL | January 20, 2022

‘Why? Is there a resemblance?’ Tarantula-killing worm named for actor Jeff Daniels

UC Riverside parasitologist Adler Dillman named a new species of tarantula-killing worm after actor Jeff Daniels, a career honor Jeff Daniels probably didn’t think he was going to be bestowed with.
Yahoo News | January 19, 2022

New classrooms at UC Riverside let students attend remotely or in person

One-third of all UCR classrooms were upgraded before the fall term with new technology, including microphones and cameras, to allow for the possibility of mixing in-person students with remote students. The campus paid for the upgrades using federal Covid relief aid.
Ed Source | January 19, 2022

California Expands Use Of Drones To Monitor Methane Leaks

Francesca Hopkins, assistant professor of climate change and sustainability, says regular efforts to detect methane are critical. Methane is a greenhouse gas that’s 80 times more effective at heating up the planet than carbon dioxide.
LAist | January 19, 2022

Jeff Daniels, as the worm turns with my name!!! Tarantula-Killer Named After Actor

UCR parasitologist Adler Dillman has named a new species of tarantula-killing nematode after American actor Jeff Daniels, who portrayed a spider killer in the 1990 film Arachnophobia. 
TMZ | January 19, 2022

How often can you safely reuse your KN95 or N95 mask?

Rich Carpiano, public health scientist and sociologist, suggests having a few masks on hand so you can rotate between them. That way, after wearing one mask, you can set it aside for a few days before picking it up again, allowing viral particles on the old mask to deactivate. 
Washington Post | January 14, 2022

Students don't want to learn in a 'COVID petri dish.' They're walking out to prove their point.

Joseph Kahne, a UCR professor of education policy,  says a string of walkouts this week are part of a renewed period of student activism sparked by the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, George Floyd's murder and concerns about climate change. He hasn't seen such an upswing in student activism since the 1960s and 1970s.
USA Today | January 14, 2022

Read Joan Didion's entire "lost" university commencement address from 1975

In 1975, the late New Journalism pioneer and author Joan Didion delivered a commencement address at UCR. While the ending has been frequently quoted, the complete text has been "lost" in the bowels of the UCR library for almost 50 years, until now.
Boing Boing | January 12, 2022

Teaching Civics After Jan. 6

Joseph Kahne, a professor who studies civics education and its impact on civic engagement says, "schools, while not perfect, historically have been a place where young people can learn how to engage in democracy."
Yahoo News | January 11, 2022