Bryan Gaensler

2026 Cottrell Scholar Awards Research Corporation for Science Advancement, America's first foundation dedicated wholly to science, has named 24 early career scholars in chemistry, physics, and astronomy as recipients of its 2026 ...

Congratulations to @ucscscience.bsky.social professor Edgar Shaghoulian, who has been named a 2026 Cottrell Scholar! This is fantastic recognition of his mind-bending work on quantum cosmology. rescorp.org/2026/02/rcsa...

Three of our @ucscscience.bsky.social
superstars presented their extraordinary work to the UCSC Foundation Board today!

Thanks to Rachel Meyer, Roxanne Beltran, and Elizabeth Howard for changing students lives, while at the same time finding solutions to our most pressing challenges.

Forty years ago today. We will never forget you.

Ray Jayawardhana Appointed Caltech's Tenth President The Johns Hopkins University provost, renowned astrophysicist, and award-winning author will begin as the Institute's leader on July 1, 2026.

Congratulations, Ray Jay! Caltech are very fortunate. Ray Jay has been an amazing mentor to so many people at every level (including me), and now he will be able to expand and propagate his vision and values at one of the world's very best institutions. www.caltech.edu/about/news/r...

Notice of the passing of the University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor, Professor Emma Johnston AO The University of Melbourne advises with deep sadness of the passing of Vice-Chancellor, Professor Emma Johnston AO, due to complications associated with cancer.

The passing of University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor Emma Johnston is shocking news. Emma was a cyclone of energy and ideas, and was an inspiration to us all. She had only just started in this role. My thoughts are with her family as they confront this unimaginable loss.

'Whoppingly bright' gamma burst was a real looker (Published 2005)

21 years ago today, I was lucky enough to get a front-row seat for the brightest explosion in history (and got the word “whoppingly" into the @nytimes.com. www.nytimes.com/2005/02/19/h...

Would you like to join an inspiring team that's helping scientists, staff, & students do extraordinary things? I'm looking for a new executive assistant in the dean's office of @ucscscience.bsky.social.

Go to www.ucsc.edu/careers/ and search for job ID 83154. Initial review date is Jan 12, 2026.

Yesterday we launched @ucscscience.bsky.social’s new undergraduate research program with a fantastic planning retreat. More than 100 faculty, staff, and students came together to help design our approach and our programs!

It was a packed house for the launch of @ucscscience.bsky.social’s new “Science in the Neighborhood” public lecture series this week. No surprise given that the speaker was our superbly eloquent Nobel laureate, Professor Carol Greider.

We have lost a giant. Rest in peace, Joel.

I completely changed my listening habits this year!

After 45 years of principled resistance to polishing my shoes, I finally gave in, and OMG, it’s the most satisfying and relaxing experience ever! Why did nobody tell me about this?? What other amazing activities like this are out there?

Come hear a Nobel Laureate talk about her cutting edge research! Free and open to all.

Are you experienced? Students from first year of immersive-learning initiative share stories of profound impact From aquatic adventures and mountaintop stargazing to lab work aimed at saving lives, students describe how the Degree-Defining Experiences Program fosters unforgettable moments and deepens meaning

Our Degree-Defining Experiences program at @ucscscience.bsky.social is now a year old, and the results have been transformational! As Zimin Cohen puts it: “This is the kind of science I want to do.”

Read more: news.ucsc.edu/2025/11/degr...

Not only did we launch the @ucsantacruz.bsky.social campaign in fine style this weekend, but I also fulfilled my lifelong dream of meeting SAMMY THE SLUG.

Now the work begins, to create new projects that will transform the lives of our students and make the world a better place.

Joel Primack was an extraordinary human being along so many axes. I treasured our interactions on so many topics, and can’t believe he’s gone. My thoughts are with Nancy, Samara, and their family. May his memory be a blessing. 🔭

Well this is awesome. @clarivate.com has looked at the affiliations of those named “highly cited researchers” 11 years in a row. An incredible 24% listed a primary affiliation with @ucsantacruz.bsky.social - the highest of any public university on the planet.

Details: clarivate.com/academia-gov...

I wish! I’m not sure the origin, but it wasn’t me.

It was very inspiring last night to hear from @ucscscience.bsky.social professor @roxannebeltran.bsky.social about her research, in which she uses tagged seals to explore our oceans. Just fourteen tagged seals can provide detailed data on 1% of the entire 3D volume of the world’s oceans every year!

4.5 out of 5 stare to “On The Calculation Of Volume” (books 1 & 2) by Solvej Balle.

Yes, it’s a 24-hour time loop, but this is not the fun version of Groundhog Day or the second chances take of Palm Springs, but of descents into madness. Recommended.

www.goodreads.com/book/show/21...

This is amazing news! 🎉 🎊 Michele's science contributions 🔭🧪 include space missions llike NASA's Cassini, and being astronomer royal places her in an ideal position to educate and inspire the public about astronomy!

Tom Lehrer, Musical Satirist With a Dark Streak, Dies at 97

One of the greatest scientist communicators of all time has passed on. The Science Division at UCSC was so fortunate to have had Tom Lehrer on our faculty for almost 30 years.

www.nytimes.com/2025/07/27/a...

Astronomers may have found a third interstellar object The object has a very high eccentricity.

The Ramans do everything in threes. 👀

arstechnica.com/space/2025/0...

4.5 out of 5 stars to “The Mercy of Gods” by James A. Corey.

A great story of alien invasion and of timid scientists learning how to fight back. There is clearly lots of action and world building to come. Looking forward to the next instalment!

The Polarisation Sky Survey of the Universe's Magnetism (POSSUM): Science Goals and Survey Description The Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) offers powerful new capabilities for studying the polarised and magnetised Universe at radio wavelengths. In this paper, we introduce the Polarisation Sky Survey ...

Full paper: arxiv.org/abs/2505.08272

(My first lead-author paper since 2011, and only possible because of heroic efforts from George Heald, Craig Anderson, Naomi McClure-Griffiths, Cameron Van Eck, Jennifer West, and many others. Thank you!)

We started this project 17 years ago, and at last here’s the paper! I’m pleased to present the Polarisation Sky Survey of the Universe’s Magnetism (POSSUM), a total game changer in our understanding of magnetic fields throughout the cosmos. 🧲 🌌📡

So grateful for our amazing staff!

UCSC put on a special “Inspire NYC” event last night in New York, hosted by our Chancellor Cynthia Larive. It was such a privilege to do a deep dive into how the brilliant minds of my @ucscscience.bsky.social colleagues Kristy Kroeker and Heather Tallis work, and I enjoyed meeting many UCSC alums.

Only some ATels so far. Working on papers!