Four professors win 2026 NSF CAREER Awards
Dr. Andrew Joe, received an $833,285 NSF CAREER Award to study how electrons interact in ultra-thin two-dimensional (2D) materials. His research aims to better understand unusual states of matter created by strongly interacting electrons, which could contribute to future quantum information technologies and energy-efficient electronics. The project will also provide training and educational opportunities for students.
August 18, 2026
NSF grant to physicist funds research into how cells communicate
UC Riverside physicist Thomas Kuhlman has received a National Science Foundation grant to study how cells communicate and respond to stress. The three-year project will investigate how the timing of protein activity influences which genes cells activate, providing new insights into the complex processes that allow cells to adapt and function reliably.
July 16, 2026
Academic Senate honors 8 faculty members
UC Riverside faculty members Bahram Mobasher and Cynthia were honored by the Academic Senate for their outstanding contributions to the university. Mobasher, distinguished professor of physics and astronomy, received the Distinguished Campus Service Award for his leadership in advancing STEM education, supporting students, and strengthening research programs. Cynthia was recognized for her exceptional achievements and contributions to the UCR community.
July 6, 2026
Graduate Division celebrates excellence in scholarship, research, and mentorship
UC Riverside Distinguished Professor Bahram Mobasher received the 2025–26 Doctoral Dissertation Advisor/Mentor Award from the UCR Academic Senate in recognition of nearly two decades of exceptional graduate mentorship. An internationally recognized cosmologist, Mobasher has guided 20 doctoral students—many of whom now hold positions at NASA, Caltech, and other leading research institutions—and has established programs that expand opportunities for graduate students and international collaboration.
May 20, 2026
Astronomers produce most detailed map of the cosmic web
Using data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, a team led by UC Riverside researchers created the most detailed map of the cosmic web ever produced, tracing the universe's large-scale structure back to when it was just one billion years old. Led by graduate student Hossein Hatamnia and Professor Bahram Mobasher, the study provides new insights into how galaxies formed and evolved over nearly 14 billion years of cosmic history.
May 11, 2026
Dark matter could explain earliest supermassive black holes
A UC Riverside study led by graduate student Yash Aggarwal and Associate Professor Flip Tanedo suggests that decaying dark matter may have helped form the universe's earliest supermassive black holes. The findings offer a new explanation for how these enormous objects appeared so soon after the Big Bang and could help reconcile observations from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope with existing theories of cosmic evolution.
April 15, 2026
Self-interacting dark matter may solve three cosmic puzzles
A study led by UC Riverside physicist Hai-Bo Yu proposes that self-interacting dark matter could explain three long-standing cosmic puzzles, from unusual gravitational lenses to mysterious stellar structures. Published in Physical Review Letters, the findings offer a promising new model for understanding how dark matter shapes the universe.
April 13, 2026
Sophomore Inchara Jagadeesh awarded prestigious Goldwater Scholarship
UC Riverside sophomore Inchara Jagadeesh, a physics major, has been named a 2026 Goldwater Scholar, one of the nation's highest honors for undergraduate STEM researchers. Recognized for her cosmology research in Steve Choi's lab, Jagadeesh plans to pursue a Ph.D. in cosmology and contribute to research on the origins and evolution of the universe.
April 3, 2026
James Webb Space Telescope reveals new details about dark matter in the universe
UC Riverside astronomer Bahram Mobasher and an international research team used NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to create one of the most detailed maps of dark matter ever produced. Their findings provide new clues about how dark matter shaped the formation of galaxies and the evolution of the universe.
January 26, 2026
UCR scientists win 2025 Buchalter Cosmology Prize
UC Riverside researchers have received the 2025 Buchalter Cosmology Prize for groundbreaking research on the origins of magnetic fields in the early universe. Associate Professor Anson D'Aloisio and former doctoral student Christopher Cain, with collaborators, used advanced simulations to show how the first galaxies may have generated magnetic fields that persist across intergalactic space today. The award recognizes research that advances our understanding of the universe and highlights UCR's leadership in astrophysics.
January 14, 2026