Amazon’s Great Labor Awakening

Sociology Professor Ellen Reese says there has been a surge of worker organizing during the pandemic, but it's not clear if this will lead to a surge in unionization because many employees' jobs are not secure. 
The New York Times | February 22, 2021

Interest Surges in Top Colleges, While Struggling Ones Scrape for Applicants

Emily D. Engelschall, who oversees admissions at UCR, believes that the University of California's decision to suspend using SAT and ACT scores has driven big application increases.  
The New York Times | February 21, 2021

Could Texas freeze happen in California?

UCR environmental scientist Will Porter addresses the relationship of Texas' extreme weather to climate change, and whether Californians should be concerned about similar impacts. 
ABC7 Eyewitness News | February 19, 2021

Power grid struggles in Texas similar to those in California

Sadrul Ula, faculty researcher with UCR's Center for Environmental Research and Technology, says the energy landscape in Texas mirrors the one in California. Neither state's power infrastructure is built to deal with abnormal weather situations.
ABC7 Eyewitness News | February 18, 2021

Warmer California Winters May Fuel Grapevine-Killing Pierce’s Disease

Matt Daugherty, an expert in the management of plant pathogens, says the native sharpshooter insect is the most efficient at transmitting a disease that kills grapevines. 
Inside Climate News | February 17, 2021

Beyond the Elements: Life

NOVA interviews Kerry Hanson, a research chemist who studies how molecules like ozone and those in sunscreens interact with light. 
PBS NOVA | February 17, 2021

So, Turns Out That New-Car Smell We All Love Is a Carcinogenic

UCR environmental scientists David Volz and Aalekhya Reddam reveal commuters are routinely breathing in unacceptably high levels of benzene and formaldehyde.
Esquire Magazine | February 17, 2021

Who Does the United States Belong to?: A Conversation with Laila Lalami

  Creative writing graduate student Abbie Reese interviews Professor Laila Lalami about her 2020 book Conditional Citizens: On Belonging in America.
Los Angeles Review of Books | February 17, 2021

Stuck in traffic? Americans with longer commutes could be inhaling dangerously high levels of carcinogens, study says.

A new study from UCR environmental scientists David Volz and Aalekhya Reddam found that drivers who spend more than 20 minutes in their cars are at risk of exposure to formaldehyde and benzene.
USA Today | February 16, 2021

Most California drivers inhale carcinogens — and the danger is from inside, study says

The majority of Californians who regularly travel by car, sometimes for hours a day, are inhaling dangerous levels of carcinogens floating inside their vehicles, according to a new study from UCR environmental scientists David Volz and Aalekhya Reddam.
Ft. Worth Star Telegram | February 16, 2021

The Explorers Club Aims to Shed Its Rich, White, Colonialist Image

The Explorers Club recently published its inaugural list of 50 adventurers changing the world, including Ayana Omilade Flewellen, who teaches black feminist theory at UCR and runs the Society of Black Archaeologists, which she co-founded.
Bloomberg News | February 15, 2021

Inland Empire university students make best of campus living during coronavirus pandemic

Many Inland universities — including UC Riverside — have scaled back their dorms and residence halls to less than half capacity in hopes of curbing the spread of COVID-19.
The Press Enterprise | February 12, 2021

UCR Extension Cannabis Program Seeks To Train Next Generation Of Leaders In Legal Cannabis Industry

UC Riverside’s continuing education center now has a cannabis program that seeks to train students to become employees and leaders in the state’s growing legal cannabis industry.
KVCR | February 10, 2021

The frantic race to curb racial inequities in L.A. vaccine distribution

Medical sociologist Richard Carpiano said that years of public health efforts have shown the need to use local sites that people already trust, like churches, barbershops and beauty parlors to increase vaccine participation among underserved groups.
The Los Angeles Times | February 10, 2021

A hacker broke into a Florida town’s water supply and tried to poison it with lye, police said

Haizhou Liu, associate professor of chemical and environmental engineering, explains why water is treated with sodium hydroxide, in reference to this strange case. 
The Washington Post | February 9, 2021

Asian Coaches Association advocates for ‘minority of minorities’ in college basketball

Profile of men’s basketball coach Mike Magpayo, the first Division I men’s head coach of Asian descent.
The Washington Post | February 9, 2021

What Could Happen If You Miss Your Second Covid-19 Vaccine Dose?

Immunologist David Lo compares needing two vaccine shots to classroom learning. While some lucky few individuals learn the first time they're exposed to information, most need a review session for the information to stick.
Gizmodo | February 8, 2021

High-fat diet in kids leads to gut health problems

Evolutionary physiologist Theodore Garland led a team of researchers who found that mice that ate a high-fat diet as juveniles had less diverse gut bacteria as adults, which has implications for a healthy immune system.
ABC23 News Bakersfield | February 8, 2021

Beyond ‘Black Panther’: Afrofuturism Is Booming in Comics

Media and cultural studies professor John Jennings on the launch of his book imprint Megascope, dedicated to showcasing works by and about people of color.
The New York Times | February 7, 2021

Anti-Vaccine Activists Emboldened in California

Richard Carpiano, professor of public policy and sociology, explains how the wellness movement gets tied into the anti-vaccine movement, through the idea that natural is better and a broader kind of mistrust of Big Pharma, medical care and medical professions. 
The New York Times | February 6, 2021