The 2025–26 CITRIS Interdisciplinary Innovation Program (I2P) at UC Santa Cruz has announced funding for three faculty research projects. Awardees will address challenges in society, media and technology; agricultural technology; and educational technology.
Leilani Gilpin, assistant professor of computer science and engineering, Hannah Hausman, assistant professor of psychology, and linguistics professors Matt Wagers and Pranav Anand will study how large language models (LLMs), a type of artificial intelligence, affect computational thinking in an entry-level research environment.
Colleen Josephson, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Crystele Leathaud, assistant professor of cooperative extension, will test and develop a low-cost, open-source environmental sensing platform. They aim to inform irrigation decisions by monitoring soil moisture levels, microclimates and sensor statuses.
Javier Gonzalez-Rocha, an assistant professor of applied mathematics, leads a project with fellow investigators Adina Paytan, professor of earth and planetary sciences, and Tamara Ball, lecturer and director of experiential learning at the Baskin School of Engineering and Rachel Carson College. They aim to better understand the deposition and distribution of contaminants across landscapes by measuring both airborne and soil levels. Their work will improve air and soil monitoring for community-engaged disaster response and recovery.
More project details are available at UC Santa Cruz News.