News

UCSB’s Blum Center Awarded Prestigious Environmental Justice Grant

UC Santa Barbara’s Blum Center on Poverty, Inequality, and Democracy has been awarded a prestigious $100,000 grant from the California Environmental Justice Alliance (CEJA) which will enable it to continue its research and advocacy on behalf of the Central Coast’s most vulnerable populations.

Dr. Shaunak Sastry Named Director of The Pahl Center for the Study of Critical Social Issues

UC Santa Barbara has named global health scholar Dr. Shaunak Sastry as the inaugural Director of The Pahl Center for the Study of Critical Social Issues. Sastry, a renowned expert in health communication and community-engaged research, arrives from the University of Cincinnati to lead a center fueled by a $10.5 million gift from alumni Stephen and Louise Pahl.

New Research Highlights Economic Consequences of Gun Violence

Is Social Media Causing Moral Panic?

Too much screen time — particularly related to social media use in kids, teens and young adults — is a major concern in modern society. Smartphones are ubiquitous. Social media is enticing. And the impulse-control and decision-making capacities in young brains are not yet fully developed.

Communication Professor Wins $3.8 Million NIH Grant

A new $3.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health is helping UC Santa Barbara scholars reimagine how virtual reality can support older adults who are aging at home — and the family members and professionals who care for them.

Anthropologist Finds Inequity in Europe's Green Revolution

Environmental sustainability is often framed as universally beneficial — a shared global mission to curb climate change, reduce waste and build greener futures. But what if some of these well-intentioned policies deepen the very inequalities they aim to solve?

Fitness Tech Boom Increasing Health Inequality, Says Communication Professor

Technology is making it easier to stay in shape, but only for those who can afford the steep prices of digital fitness devices and the subscriptions that typically go with them. That's why Amy Gonzales, an associate professor in UC Santa Barbara's Department of Communication, argues that comprehensive health data is rapidly becoming a luxury good amid a deepening digital health divide.

Dr. Walid Afifi Wins Distinguished Scholar Award

The National Communication Association has granted a Distinguished Scholar award to Dr. Walid Afifi, a professor of Communication and Assistant Dean of Social Sciences. The award, which was conferred on Dr. Afifi at the NCA's annual convention in November, is the highest honor granted by the organization each year.