News Archive

June 29, 2017 — Cocoon Cam, a computer-vision-based baby monitor company co-founded by University of California San Diego computer science alumnus Pavan Kumar (M.S. Computer Science 2015), recently announced that it closed a $4 million Series A funding round. Cocoon Cam is a baby monitor that relies on computer vision technologies to track breathing and other vital signs. It offers instant alerts and sleep analytics that can be accessed by parents anytime through a smartphone app.

June 22, 2017 — The University of California San Diego has been named the 9th best public university in the nation for LGBTQ students, according to a new 2017 report by College Choice. The independent online publication that helps students select a school recently released their list of the “50 Best Colleges for LGBTQ Students.” In addition to being in the top 10 among public schools, UC San Diego was ranked 19th overall, public and private, in the U.S.

June 20, 2017 — It’s a cheesy pick-up line: “Haven’t I seen you somewhere before?” It might also be something that profoundly alters how we perceive other people. According to research from UC San Diego, familiar faces look happier to us than unfamiliar ones, even when faces are objectively expressing the same emotion to the same degree.

June 15, 2017 — The University of California San Diego’s Department of Theatre and Dance is among the best: Hollywood Reporter recently listed the acting program #5 in the world. Part of its reputation is due to its unique partnership with the world-renowned La Jolla Playhouse. The UC San Diego-La Jolla Playhouse partnership includes a theater and dance residency program that offers students the opportunity to gain practical experience in acting, directing, design and stage management that sets them up for professional success.

June 12, 2017 — Last October, leadership at the University of California, San Diego—thrilled that His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama had accepted the campus’ invitation to be the keynote speaker at the 2017 commencement—were told by the Friends of the Dalai Lama Foundation that “all of this is bigger than anyone can imagine.” This is big: the Dalai Lama is one of the most recognized and respected individuals in the world.

May 31, 2017 — The University of California San Diego takes the stage in many programs — its Department of Theatre and Dance easily commanding the spotlight. Ranked among the top five acting programs in the world by Hollywood Reporter, the department’s students graduate well-prepared for the theater profession. Cast with experience — due in part to a dynamic partnership with its acclaimed neighbor, La Jolla Playhouse — UC San Diego graduates consistently take the lead in television, film and stage careers. Proof positive are three recent Tony Award nominations earned by alumni Michael Greif (MFA directing, ’85), nominated for Best Direction of a Musical, “Dear Evan Hansen;” Jefferson Mays (MFA acting, ’91), nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play, “Oslo;” and Paloma Young (MFA, costume design, ’06), nominated for Best Costume Design of a Musical, “Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812.”

May 26, 2017 — Unusually warm nights can harm human sleep, researchers show, and the poor and the elderly are most affected. Rising temperatures could make sleep loss more severe.

May 26, 2017 — The diversity and talent of graduating University of California San Diego artists is currently highlighted in “A Step Away: Artists from the M.F.A. Program at UC San Diego,” an exhibition showing through May 29 at the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego (MCASD).

May 22, 2017 — When World War II came to a close in 1945, the U.S. Government recruited a few leading German scientists, who it judged could contribute to America’s space and military programs. In addition, the rationale was that if the government hadn't done this, these top scientists, along with their scientific knowledge and military secrets, would have been swept up by the Soviet Union. Journalist Eric Lichtblau, uncovers a series of much more disconcerting findings in his 2014 book, The Nazis Next Door: How America Became a Safe Haven for Hitler’s Men, which reveals that the U.S. allowed approximately 10,000 Nazis—some of whom were directly involved in heinous and genocidal acts—to immigrate and take up residence in the U.S.

May 18, 2017 — Antiva Biosciences, a spinout of UC San Diego, closed a $22M Series C financing in March. Antiva is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel, localized therapeutics for the treatment of diseases caused by Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection. Osage University Partners, a venture capital firm partnered with UC San Diego that invests exclusively in startups that are commercializing university research, invested in this round.