News

Dr. Gaye Theresa Johnson Appointed Director of the Blum Center on Poverty, Inequality, and Democracy

Dr. Gaye Theresa Johnson, a scholar, organizer, and long-time resident of the Central Coast, has returned to UC Santa Barbara’s Division of Social Sciences as the new Director of the Blum Center on Poverty, Inequality, and Democracy. Her appointment signifies both a professional homecoming and a deepening of her commitment to the region she has served for decades.

Troubling Trends in the Battle for California's Groundwater

An emerald-green oasis surrounded by bone-dry desert halfway between Santa Barbara and Bakersfield the Cuyama Valley is ground zero in a statewide legal battle over California's most precious resource: water. For the past 12 years, this remote agricultural community has been caught in a high-stakes conflict between corporate agriculture giants and a coalition of small farmers and residents fighting for their survival.

UCSB Welcomes New Propel Scholars

UC Santa Barbara has welcomed 24 first year (and in many cases, first generation) students to its 2025 PROPEL Cohort. The program's title is an acronym for PRomoting OPportunity and Equity in Learning. It is a donor-funded initiative in the Division of Social Sciences empowering Social Science majors to enhance their academic, personal, and professional experience at UC Santa Barbara.

Dr. Kyle Meng Joins Governor Newsom for Historic Climate Bill Signing

Governor Gavin Newsom today signed sweeping reforms to California’s world-leading climate policy that aim to save Californians billions of dollars on energy costs. The Governor’s action comes as the Trump administration continues its efforts to gut decades-old, bipartisan American clean air protections and derail critical climate progress. Newsom joined members of the Legislature, as well as hundreds of labor, business, climate and energy advocates, at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco where he signed the historic legislation.

2025 Labor Summer Graduates Honored

The future of California’s organized labor movement was on full display at the Corwin Pavilion on Aug. 8, when UC Santa Barbara’s Community Labor Center (CLC) celebrated 14 students who just completed an intensive internship program with local labor unions. Now in its third year, the Labor Summer Internship Program pairs students with local unions and worker organizations, providing them with hands-on experience in organizing, communications, and outreach.

Professor's Drug Policy Research Wins Federal Funding

Along with colleagues at the UC San Diego School of Public Health, Communication Professor Dr. Jiaying Liu has been awarded funding by the National Institute on Drug Abuse! The over $3 million project period will provide five years of funding from July 2025 to April 2030. The research team will also be working closely with the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department throughout the project. The project will focus on enhancing health warning messages for recreational cannabis products in California, using experimental and eye-tracking methods.

2204 Reasons Why Social Science Matters

UCSB Celebrates Inaugural Graduation of PROPEL Scholars in Historic Ceremony

The ceremony at Mosher Alumni House brought together students, families, faculty, and community supporters to celebrate the achievements of twenty remarkable scholars who have demonstrated resilience, dedication, and a commitment to social justice.