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Study Reveals How Genetic Uniformity Affects Offspring Fertility for Generations

When it comes to the architecture of the human genome, it’s only a matter of time before harmful genes — genes that could compromise future generations — arise in a population. These mutations accumulate in the gene pool, primarily affected by a population’s size and practices like marrying within a small community. New research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) journal provides rare direct evidence showing that increased homozygosity — meaning two identical alleles in a genome — leads to negative effects on fertility in a human population.

Andrés Montoya Poetry Prize Comes to UC Davis

The Andrés Montoya Poetry Prize is open to Latinx poets residing in the United States who have yet to publish a full-length poetry collection. Submissions for the prize open Nov. 1 and close Feb. 16, 2024.

Simulations Explain Abundance of Bright Galaxies Observed at Cosmic Dawn

When researchers glimpsed the first images and data from the James Webb Space Telescope, humanity’s largest and most powerful space telescope, they noticed something peculiar. A large number of bright galaxies deep in the universe formed during a period called “Cosmic Dawn,” when the first stars and galaxies formed within 500 million years after the Big Bang. New research published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters shows that a theoretical model produced roughly five years ago predicted these very observations and credits them to bursty star formation.

Economics Professor Shares Insights on the Future of EVs on PBS

Electric cars are fast, efficient and produce no local emissions. But they're also expensive, with issues around the metals for their batteries. David Rapson, Chancellor’s Leadership Professor of Economics in the College of Letters and Science at UC Davis, joins a discussion on the pros and cons of electric cars for two episodes of the PBS talk show “Energy Switch.”

African American and African Studies at UC Davis Launches New Series on Black Global Issues

The UC Davis Department of African American and African Studies is launching a new speaker series to introduce the campus and larger community to new research in global Black studies. The series will bring in scholars from around the country. Titled “New Directions in Black Studies,” the free talk will be held in 3201 Hart Hall at noon. Register for the talks.

Manuel Calderón de la Barca Sánchez Returns to Alma Mater to Host ‘Secrets of the Universe’ Screenings

This week, Manuel Calderón de la Barca Sánchez returned to his alma mater in Mexico to host screenings of ‘Secrets of the Universe,’ an IMAX film that explores the formation of the universe through the eyes of Aggie researchers. Calderón de la Barca Sánchez, a UC Davis physics professor, hopes the film will inspire students to pursue STEM education and careers.

Deciphering the Black Box of Volcanoes: Kari Cooper Receives Norman L. Bowen Award

A fellow of both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Geological Society of America, geochemist Kari Cooper, a professor of earth and planetary sciences in the College of Letters and Science at UC Davis, won the American Geophysical Union’s Norman L. Bowen Award, which honors a mid-career or senior scientist for outstanding contributions to the fields of petrology, volcanology and geochemistry.

Gorman Museum of Native American Art at UC Davis Reopening in New, Expanded Home

The Gorman Museum of Native American Art at the University of California, Davis — unique in focusing on, exhibiting and collecting contemporary Native American art — will reopen in a new, greatly expanded location with a celebratory weekend Sept. 22 and 23 (Friday and Saturday). The occasion also marks the museum’s 50th anniversary.