Content Authored by: Imran Ghori
Changes afoot at UCR’s garden oasis
For decades, the UCR Botanic Gardens have served as a quiet getaway tucked in a corner of campus where one can explore and enjoy nature. The 40-acre living plant museum still stands as an oasis from the bustle of campus, but some changes have been implemented in the past three years to modernize and improve the experience for visitors. They include...
Prestigious research award aids in study of learning in old age
UC Riverside psychology professor Rachel Wu has obtained a $739,000 National Science Foundation, or NSF, CAREER Award to study how learning new skills can increase cognitive abilities in older adults. This award is NSF’s most prestigious award for early career faculty who serve as role models in research and education. The grant will fund a five...
Campus construction projects in September
September will see continued construction on several UCR projects but no major planned closures to campus roads. A portion of Linden Street, which had been closed since last month, will reopen Sept. 12. Some partial lane closures may still take place with two major projects underway at the north end of campus. Planners advise the campus community...
Dundee-Glasgow halfway to completion
A major new UC Riverside student-housing complex marked a significant construction milestone with crews placing a steel beam on top of the new building. The Aug. 23 topping-out ceremony for the Dundee Residence Hall and Glasgow Dining Hall project also marked a midway point for completion of the project, celebrated by campus leaders and others...
UCR student lands summer job at defense nonprofit
A UC Riverside student has been working on a research project regarding trust in automation as a summer associate at the Institute of Defense Analyses, or IDA, in Alexandria, Virginia. Arielle Manganiello, a graduate student working toward her doctorate of philosophy in social psychology, developed the research project from the ground up. Her work...
Exploring creativity in ‘The Creator State’
Exploded bark from neighborhood Eucalyptus trees. A taste of roadside beef jerky. Navigating one’s Indian Muslim heritage. These are among the many paths to creative inspiration explored in the new season of “ The Creator State.” The first two episodes of the UC Riverside podcast’s second season debuted this month with more to be released on a...
UCR fellows produce winning water-education film
An educational film about water produced by UC Riverside students took second place in an environmental film competition hosted by the American Chemical Society. The group’s Committee on Environmental Improvement held the film competition at its national meeting in San Diego from Aug. 25-29. The film already won in the “Water’s Impact on People”...
What’s with the boxes and towers in the campus parking lots?
You’ve probably noticed the antenna-like towers and black tote cases that have appeared around the UC Riverside campus in recent weeks. Not surprisingly, they’ve prompted some questions. “Some people are curious,” said Ranga Rajan Thiruvenkatachari, a graduate student in mechanical engineering, who is part of the research team that set up the...
Bird and other scooter companies fly out of Riverside
The flock is gone. Months after Bird and Lime dropped hundreds of electric scooters around UC Riverside, the companies have pulled out of the city. Electronic scooters first began appearing around campus — and the city of Riverside — in September with many students using them as a means to get around. At one point, Bird reported to UCR that it had...
How to get around campus during a construction boom
New construction work is in full swing at UC Riverside, and with it come some growing pains. The campus community can continue to see some road, pathway, and other closures accompanying the work in the coming months. Five major projects are already underway with more, including the Student Success Center, kicking off soon in what is one of the...
UCR among top 1% of world universities
UC Riverside is among the top 1% of universities in a world ranking that shows the campus continuing to climb in position. The World University Rankings ranked UCR No. 204 in its list of the top 2,000 out of 18,000 total universities worldwide. The campus ranked No. 75 nationally in the 2019-20 list released this week. Both scores were an...
UCR professor wins two major psychology awards
UCR psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky was presented with the Christopher J. Peterson Gold Medal in July from the International Positive Psychology Association — one of two major awards she’s received in the past year. The medal honors leading scholars who make important contributions to the field of positive psychology. The organization presented the...
Interim provost wants to keep UCR moving upward
When Thomas Smith accepted the position of interim provost and executive vice chancellor, he had a simple goal: continue UC Riverside’s upward trajectory. Smith, who began his new role July 1 after five years as dean of the Graduate School of Education, was appointed by Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox to serve until next June or until a permanent provost...
Dining Services wins safety award
UCR Dining Services has won a Spotlight Award from the UC Office of the President for its R’Safety Program. The program, which was rolled out at the campus’ cafes and dining halls over the past year, promotes workplace safety through increased employee engagement on safety issues and injury prevention, said Gustavo Plascencia, safety and...
MRB receives official LEED certification
UC Riverside’s newest and largest research facility has received its official LEED Platinum certification, signifying it meets the building industry’s highest energy-efficiency standards. The Multidisciplinary Research Building, or MRB, opened in January after three-and-a-half years of construction. The first group of researchers moved into the...
Health and wellness leader joins UCR
A public health practitioner who has worked extensively in education has been appointed as UC Riverside’s assistant vice chancellor for Health, Counseling & Wellness. Denise Woods-Bevly will join the campus Sept. 3. She is currently director of Student Wellness and the Basic Needs Initiative at California State University, Office of the Chancellor...
Campers get a taste of college life
UC Riverside welcomed Operation Purple Camp to campus this week, giving 94 military-connected kids a chance to experience college life and have some fun. The campers, who came from Southern California and beyond, took part in activities such as archery, rope climbing, and swimming during their week-long stay from July 14-18. UCR Recreation, which...
New GSOE dean views education as a way to transform communities
Louie Rodríguez likes to draw from a saying by Brazilian philosopher Paulo Freire that it’s not just about “reading the word but reading the world” in his approach to education. “I’m a big champion for promoting education, not just in terms of one’s own human capital growth, but also how we can use our education to transform opportunities for...
UCR ranked No. 12 for public universities that pay off best
UC Riverside ranks high among public universities where graduates can expect a good return on their investment. CNBC placed the campus No. 12 on its list of the top 50 public universities that pay off the most. The list, released July 16, evaluated average tuition costs in relation to graduates’ future earnings. This is the first time CNBC has...
Two teaching assistants named distinguished teachers for the academic year
Two UCR teaching assistants are the recipients of the Distinguished Teaching Award for the 2018-19 school year. The Teaching Assistant Development Program presented the awards in May to Elizabeth Hann, a teaching assistant in botany and plant sciences; and Alex Leung, a teaching assistant in psychology. The awards come with a $500 monetary prize...