A proud day for the UCSB Sciences. Congratulations to our four newest AAAS Fellows!

UCSB researchers have announced the discovery of a superluminous supernova, whose erratic behavior has confirmed a long-standing theory of stellar death 💫 "It's the first time General Relativity has been invoked to describe the mechanics of a supernova." https://ow.ly/uAwU50YswMb

A proud day for #UCSBScience. Congratulations to our four newest AAAS Fellows!

Four professors at UC Santa Barbara have joined the esteemed ranks of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 🏆 Since 1874, AAAS has recognized scientists, engineers and innovators for their achievements across disciplines. Full story: https://ow.ly/JElm50YzkeH

#UCSB 's Daniel Masterson as been named the newest Pahl Scholar. With the $50,000 award, Masterson will lead a new research initiative on the aftermath of deportation, including life trajectories, migration choices and reintegration in Honduras. Full story: https://ow.ly/pCPT50Yx0wt

UCSB’s Mona Damluji examines filmmaking and the Middle East oil industry with "Pipeline Cinema" (#UCPress) 🎥 📚 "Recognizing the origins of oil culture is central to a clearer understanding of the long histories of Western efforts to control oil in the Middle East." https://ow.ly/gMyZ50YyQXP

For the second year in a row, UC Santa Barbara’s Army ROTC Surfrider Battalion is headed to the Sandhurst Military Skills Competition at West Point to compete against teams from around the world. Full story: https://ow.ly/E7wO50YxPwc

“UC Santa Barbara, what were you like in the ‘90s?”

Led by #UCSB, The Big Bee Project is a collaboration across 13 U.S. institutions to create over one million high-resolution 2D and 3D images of bee specimens and annotated datasets of bee traits, bringing natural history collections into the 21st century 🐝 Full story: https://ow.ly/r8MK50YxC8b

University of California has topped the National Academy of Inventors list for the most U.S. utility patents 👉 #UCSB holds 389 active US patents, according to UCSB Office of Technology & Industry Alliances, which builds relationships between UCSB & industry collaborators: https://ow.ly/IjZZ50YxBz0

For half the world’s population, the water they drink comes from below them. Alarmingly, more than a third of the planet’s aquifers, or groundwater basins, are dropping. A new UCSB study has uncovered how some regions are winning the fight against groundwater depletion: https://ow.ly/zNu650YwV5W

Quantum California: Leaders in science, industry and policy convened at UCSB for a daylong session dedicated to the discussion of the past, present and, importantly, the future of quantum research and industry in the state. Full story: https://ow.ly/Wy0F50YwzU5

UCSB researchers have been awarded a research grant to join a global effort investigating if, when and how the early-life gut microbiome may influence neurodevelopmental challenges, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Full story: https://ow.ly/ntWq50YwzSZ

Leaders gathered at #UCSB for the REACH Ideas + Action Summit 2026: The university’s role in regional prosperity was one topic discussed at the event, spearheaded by REACH Central Coast, a nonprofit focused on economic development & quality of life across SB & SLO 🌴 https://ow.ly/qmZJ50Ywssv

UCSB first-year decisions are out now! Please join us in welcoming future Gauchos to UC Santa Barbara 💙

A group out of #UCSB has launched the Santa Barbara County Active Transportation Dashboard, creating a one stop shop for residents, visitors and decision-makers that will improve our understanding of walking and bicycling access in our region 🚲 Full story: https://ow.ly/yRMf50Yvp2W

Congratulations to UC Santa Barbara alum Andy Jurgensen, who won the Best Film Editing Oscar for "One Battle After Another" at last night's Academy Awards 🏆 Read about his work on the film: https://ow.ly/Yszp50YuNs2

Vietnamese American artist & UCSB alumna Tiffany Chung’s new AD&A Museum exhibition brings together 70+ artworks spanning 25 years. Known for her hand-drawn and embroidered maps, Chung depicts history as layered and interconnected: https://ow.ly/Euix50YsWgH

UCSB researchers have announced the discovery of a superluminous supernova, whose erratic behavior has confirmed a long-standing theory of stellar death 💫 "It's the first time General Relativity has been invoked to describe the mechanics of a supernova." https://ow.ly/uAwU50YswMb

What if quantum computers could help protect privacy and security instead of jeopardizing it? That’s what #UCSB's Prabhanjan Ananth is focusing on as part of a new National Science Foundation grant. Full story: https://ow.ly/Js1N50YrUFW

@ucsantabarbara.bsky.social ranked 14th in North America at the 86th Putnam Math Competition! Congrats to top scorers Xiaohan Zhang, Victor Bernal Ramirez, and David Qiao! 👏 Full story: science.ucsb.edu/news/mathema...

UCSB scientists are helping fabricate, install and maintain 3D-Printed Automatic Weather Stations in Southern Africa. Led by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, these stations provide critical real-time data in Malawi, Zimbabwe and Madagascar: https://ow.ly/2lRM50Ysu7f

It’s not difficult to join the perennial food movement, according to #UCSB's Liz Carlisle, whose research focuses on food and farming. Co-editor of the book "Living Roots," Carlisle asserts that relying on perennial crops can ease the difficulties of a changing climate: https://ow.ly/OiMN50YrycZ

Scientists from #UCSB, UCSF, and CUNY have created a historical record linking extreme weather events to HIV cases. Many people with HIV "live in areas that are historically and/or increasingly prone to severe weather events," said UCSB's Frank Davenport. Full story: https://ow.ly/AhV850YpgS5

In a development that could transform how scientists study cancer, neurodegeneration and inflammation, #UCSB researchers have invented a modular, genetically encoded, protein-based sensor that enables MRI machines to visualize molecular activity inside cells. Full story: https://ow.ly/cRmg50YqsiU

Winning a National Science Foundation grant for further exploration, UCSB researchers have found a person’s ideological position in favor of a protest action will often be at odds with the same action carried out by those who align with opposing ideological orientations 🪧 https://ow.ly/JATF50YocEP

Six months in the making, the UCSB Dance Company is premiering a new contemporary dance program before taking it on tour. With “Convergence," the company will tour the work to Istanbul; Cologne, Germany; Poland; and Prague, Czech Republic: https://ow.ly/teZ050YoSZu

Silicon, the material behind computer chips, plays to the strengths of the trillion-dollar semiconductor industry. Researchers at #UCSB have identified a new qubit in silicon, called the CN center, which can bridge the gap between quantum science & scalable technology: https://ow.ly/LGZ450Yn4np

This week, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Caitlin Dickerson will join the UCSB Arts & Lectures Justice for All initiative at UCSB to discuss the impacts of recent immigration enforcement policies in the U.S. Full story: https://ow.ly/9Wws50YomFw

A team of #UCSB engineering and molecular biology graduate students has developed software to accelerate the discovery process for therapies aimed at treating Alzheimer’s and other diseases. And now they’re launching it by way of their startup, ProFoldBio. Full story: https://ow.ly/2YX850Ynjwr

UCSB's Mario T. García has published a testimonio of consequential Chicano artist Rupert García—the first comprehensive text on the artist and educator's life and work. "He is one of the most significant American artists of the last 50 years." Full story: https://ow.ly/EvyB50Ym3If

Whooping cough and canine kennel cough are contagious cousins: Researchers at UCSB have identified the mechanism that the Bordetella bacteria uses to promote the colonization of the mammalian airways, which could lead to defeating these bacteria 🦠🐕 Full story: https://ow.ly/LGvX50Yn2y0

#UCSB research has found that new LED designs the size of a human hair could replace lasers. This new microLED design improves both efficiency and beam directionality. "We’re talking about devices that are literally the size of a hair follicle." Full story: https://ow.ly/49HV50YkvgO

Ozempic makes headlines but it's just one in a growing class of drugs called peptide therapeutics. A #UCSB research team has developed a new technique for synthesizing non-natural amino acids and applying them to peptide construction. Full story: https://ow.ly/EQCs50Yj17i

Moving Douglass Day to a new school has been absolute joy! Our program was made possible by the work of 28 people at @ucsantabarbara.bsky.social. Plus an extraordinary show of support from the UCSB Chancellor, Dean of Humanities & Fine Arts and University Librarian. Already looking forward to 2027!

A new discovery from UC Santa Barbara researchers may offer a lightweight, recyclable alternative to conventional batteries for solar energy storage. www.optimistdaily.com/2026/02/uc-s...

From the Bahamas to #UCSB and back again: Using citizen science smartphone app CoastSnap, Ph.D. student Divina Cox is monitoring sea level rise off the beaches of her home country. Full story: https://ow.ly/m1g250YimR7

UCSB is launching an undergraduate major in artificial intelligence. Courses in the new major, based in the Computer Science (CS) Department, will be offered starting in the 2026-2027 academic year 💻 Full story: https://ow.ly/yjVq50Yj6Fj

UCSB theater students will perform an adaptation of George Orwell’s allegory about the perils of unchecked power, "Animal Farm." "The students were eager to work on something that engages with our current systems of power," said the director. "The parallels are uncanny." https://ow.ly/yM6M50YiURF

When rebel movements win civil wars and take power, outcomes vary widely. In a new book, #UCSB's Kai Thaler argues that ideology plays a central role in shaping those divergent trajectories. Full story: https://ow.ly/gL7T50YhMUr

Mosquitoes are the most dangerous animals in the world: A research team at #UCSB may have found a key to a new class of more effective, life-saving repellent 🦟 The team has identified the first known taste receptor in the mosquito gustatory system that detects fatty acids: https://ow.ly/trqt50YhfKR

Climate change, plastic pollution, and overfishing concerns have made it difficult to train scientists in technical skills. UCSB's Alexandra Phillips has put together a helpful guide to help universities support student engagement in ocean policy 🌊🔬 Full story: https://ow.ly/oTKS50Yfrjs

Dr. Daina Ramey Berry, Dean of Humanities and Fine Art at @ucsantabarbara.bsky.social, greeting the 8000 people worldwide transcribing at #DouglassDay @douglassday.bsky.social. Her research and leadership is legendary. We thank her for both.

When the sun goes down, solar panels stop working. UCSB chemists have developed a solution that doesn’t require bulky batteries or electrical grids. Grace Han's team created a new material that captures sunlight, stores it within chemical bonds and releases it as heat: https://ow.ly/c7BP50YfhgX

Students in the Carsey-Wolf Center's environmental filmmaking program produced "The Bear Beneath," screening at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival 🎥🐻 It covers the extinction of California grizzlies, and the feasibility of their recovery at three locations: https://ow.ly/v4Lf50Ye4AB

A film by UCSB's Wendy Eley Jackson, "The Other Roe" will make its world premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) this week. "As a storyteller, I am drawn to histories that have been buried not accidentally but systemically," says Eley Jackson: https://ow.ly/YTKn50YbZob

Our campus newsletter @ucsantabarbara.bsky.social has a short writeup on my new @cornellupress.bsky.social book When Rebels Win news.ucsb.edu/2026/022359/...

🏆UCSB ranked #1 public university in the US for scientific impact, and 3rd in universities overall!🎓 Congratulations to all of our researchers who are leading the global conversation.🌐🧵 @ucsantabarbara.bsky.social @ucsbengineering.bsky.social @uofcalifornia.bsky.social

We're number one 👏 🏆 We're thrilled to announce that UCSB has ranked first among U.S. public universities in the highly respected Leiden Rankings (Open Edition) for scientific impact for engineering and the physical sciences 🔬 Full story via UCSB College of Engineering: https://ow.ly/7sFo50Ycoei

Winter weekends when you go to UC Santa Barbara 🌊