iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Javier González-Rocha

Baskin Engineering at UC Santa Cruz @baskinengineering.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

For years, residents of Pajaro Valley, CA have lacked access to timely, accurate air quality data. #BaskinEngineering Prof and Watsonville native @javigr.bsky.social is changing this by deploying a network of drones & sensors to empower community decision-making. Via the Pajaronian: bit.ly/4nBD49y

bit.ly

Community sensors provide Pajaro Valley with air quality info | The Pajaronian | Watsonville, CA

A UCSC professor and Watsonville native is looking to provide up-to-date information on air quality for Pajaro Valley residents.

011

Reposted by Javier González-Rocha

Nick Sestanovich @nsestanovich.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff have allocated $54 million toward the Pajaro River levee enhancements. www.santacruzsentinel.com/2026/02/17/p...

santacruzsentinel.com

Padilla, Schiff secure $54 million for Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project

A project to upgrade the Pajaro River levees and mitigate flooding has received $54 million in federal funding.

011

Reposted by Javier González-Rocha

Baskin Engineering at UC Santa Cruz @baskinengineering.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

Greenhouses are essential to feeding a growing global population, but often come with real environmental costs. #BaskinEngineering Professor Katia Obraczka is developing tech to monitor greenhouse conditions with precision—reducing water and energy use while improving crop production. bit.ly/3OGkQ9y

bit.ly

Greener Greenhouses — a Q&A with Katia Obraczka

UC Santa Cruz professor Katia Obraczka’s Greener Greenhouses project uses energy-efficient IoT technology to precisely monitor greenhouse conditions, helping growers reduce water and energy use while ...

011

Reposted by Javier González-Rocha

Baskin Engineering at UC Santa Cruz @baskinengineering.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

📣 Mark your calendars! Join #BaskinEngineering Assistant Professor of Applied Mathematics @javigr.bsky.social for his @ucsantacruz.bsky.social KRAW Lecture ➡️ Sensing the Unseen: How Drones and Ground Sensors Reveal the Hidden Air Quality Impacts of Climate Change. 🗓️ Jan 21. Register: bit.ly/49FAlWj

KRAW Lecture Series: Science and Technology; Our Voices will define the century. UC Santa Cruz (text) on a background picturing a close up green leaf.

Javier González-Rocha holds a drone in a UC Santa Cruz field

043

Reposted by Javier González-Rocha

Baskin Engineering at UC Santa Cruz @baskinengineering.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

“The folks contributing the least to climate change are the ones bearing the most of the brunt,” said #BaskinEngineering Professor @javigr.bsky.social, who is using drones to help empower farmworker communities impacted by air pollution. Via @mercurynews.com: bayareane.ws/49hZtSM

bayareane.ws

How a new system of drones and low-cost sensors can protect communities from air pollution

UC Santa Cruz research project is documenting how a shift in farm work patterns creates greater health risks.

021

Reposted by Javier González-Rocha

Rep. Zoe Lofgren @lofgren.house.gov · 28/08/2025

Glad to tour @ucsantacruz.bsky.social’s AgTech Alliance center to see the latest ag technologies.  Focusing on sustainable, ethical & socially responsible technologies is vital to the longevity of our ag industry.

0113

Javier González-Rocha @javigr.bsky.social · 30/08/2025

Visiting Durango, México! Food is amazing!

010

Reposted by Javier González-Rocha

Baskin Engineering at UC Santa Cruz @baskinengineering.bsky.social · 21/08/2025

This week, Rep. Zoe Lofgren visited UC Santa Cruz to meet with students and researchers from UCSC Center for Agroecology to learn about the AgTech Alliance—a collab between #BaskinEngineering and social sciences to develop innovative technologies that support sustainable food production. 🌱

051

Reposted by Javier González-Rocha

Baskin Engineering at UC Santa Cruz @baskinengineering.bsky.social · 30/07/2025

🤝 To fill gaps in the air quality monitoring network in Pajaro Valley, CA, a team led by #BaskinEngineering Professor @javigr.bsky.social has deployed new sensors in the region—making crucial pollution data more accessible! @ucsantacruz.bsky.social

011

Reposted by Javier González-Rocha

Baskin Engineering at UC Santa Cruz @baskinengineering.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

🔥 Newly deployed air quality sensors will fill gaps in the air quality monitoring network in Pajaro Valley, home to many agricultural workers—helping empower community decision-making for those most affected by wildfire smoke. Led by #BaskinEngineering Professor @javigr.bsky.social 👏 bit.ly/3IOQpuX

bit.ly

New air quality sensors enable community decision-making in Pajaro Valley region

Newly deployed sensors will fill in significant gaps in the area's air quality monitoring network

011

Javier González-Rocha @javigr.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

Just installed 5 new PurpleAir sensors across Pajaro! Now we’ve got real-time air quality data to help protect our families and farmworkers—especially during wildfire season. 💚 Check it out here: map.purpleair.com/1/mAQI/a10/p... Grateful to build this with our community. #Pajaro #PajaroValley

map.purpleair.com

US EPA PM2.5 Air Quality Standards Interactive Map by PurpleAir

Watch: With two minute updates, The US EPA PM2.5 Air Quality Index (AQI) is a number used by US government agencies to communicate to the public how polluted the air currently is or how polluted it is...

010

Javier González-Rocha @javigr.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

Just visited Zamora de Hidalgo and was lucky enough to catch this stunning view of the cathedral after a summer rain. The light, the stonework, the stillness—it all comes together in one timeless moment. 🌧️⛪✨ #ZamoraDeHidalgo #ArquitecturaMexicana #MéxicoMágico #TravelMoments

010

Reposted by Javier González-Rocha

The New Yorker @newyorker.com · 19/07/2025

Globally, roughly a third more power is being generated from the sun this spring than last. If this exponential rate of growth can continue, we will soon live in a very different world, @billmckibben.bsky.social‬ writes.

newyorker.com

4.6 Billion Years On, the Sun Is Having a Moment

In the past two years, without much notice, solar power has begun to truly transform the world’s energy system.

1183636938

Javier González-Rocha @javigr.bsky.social · 29/06/2025

Honored to attend the groundbreaking of the #DoloresHuerta Peace & Justice Cultural Center in #Bakersfield today with my wife Ruth, Director of #ValleyVoices. Honored to stand with community and the #DoloresHuertaFoundation in the fight for Justice and equity.

101

Javier González-Rocha @javigr.bsky.social · 28/06/2025

Big thanks to #jobyaviation for hosting our #BaskinEngineering students! The visit offered an inspiring look at aerospace innovation and the value of hands-on learning. Opportunities like this help shape the next generation of engineers. #UCSC #UCSantaCruz #AppliedMath

000

Reposted by Javier González-Rocha

Baskin Engineering at UC Santa Cruz @baskinengineering.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

Recap of the annual #BaskinEngineering Undergraduate Project Showcase! 🛠️✨ Students brought bold ideas to life—from wildfire risk systems and muscle-activated prosthetics, to ROVs for kelp restoration, SARS-CoV-2 mutation validation, smart power monitors, and drones for VTOL search and rescue.

011

Reposted by Javier González-Rocha

Monterey Bay Aquarium @montereybayaquarium.org · 20/06/2025

In our latest Krill Waves Radio, these coastal charmers lounge, swim, and vibe in cozy seal colonies all set to mellow lo-fi beats. Tune in, unwind, or just enjoy the seal serenity: youtu.be/r4fsBII2ZlU

youtu.be

2 Hours of Harbor Seals to Relax/Study To | Lofi Hip Hop | Monterey Bay Aquarium Krill Waves Radio

YouTube video by Monterey Bay Aquarium

520765

Reposted by Javier González-Rocha

Nick Sestanovich @nsestanovich.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

When the Pajaro Valley Unified School District began its California State Seal of Civic Engagement program in 2023, only three students were honored. This year, that number has jumped to more than 300. www.santacruzsentinel.com/2025/05/29/m...

santacruzsentinel.com

More than 300 Pajaro Valley Unified students honored with civic engagement award

“PVUSD students continue to lead with purpose, compassion, and a desire to make meaningful change,” Superintendent Heather Contreras said. “It is a profound honor to recognize mor…

111

Reposted by Javier González-Rocha

Baskin Engineering at UC Santa Cruz @baskinengineering.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

Could charged water droplets have generate sparks which forged the first life on earth? Whether in a pond, a lake or a geyser, #BaskinEngineering Professor Emeritus David Deamer says, “these molecules would have accumulated wherever there was wave action or waterfalls.” bit.ly/4bDCZwi

bit.ly

Life on Earth May Have Been Jump-Started by ‘Microlightning’

Charged water droplets generate sparks that can forge organic compounds

011

Reposted by Javier González-Rocha

maureen-01.bsky.social @maureen-01.bsky.social · 23/02/2025

Awesome quilt fair today in Santa Cruz - thank you Pajaro Valley Quilt Association! This quilt was so moving & beautifully made. #quilt #quilters #SantaCruz #Watsonville #california #farm #farmworkers #PVQA

262

Reposted by Javier González-Rocha

Anita Heckman @anitaheckman.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

“Hermanita.” #Jewel of a mosaic designed by #printmaker Juan Fuentes. 2400 sq.ft.!, next to many panels displaying the diverse cultural heritage of Watsonville, CA. Part of the Watsonville Brillante civic center project. #makersMartch #MosaicMonday #printmaking #artshare #mosaic

“Hermanita.” A monumental, 5-story, beautiful vertical mosaic showing a side view of a Latina woman facing right, with a turquoise earring and her black hair in a bun. Behind her head is a swirling black and white pattern. She is wearing a colorful geometric triangular patterned wrap. To the right and left of this image are numerous horizontal mosaic panels, of 121 that show the diversity of cultures in Watsonville, past and present. It’s on the outside of a civic center cement parking garage in Watsonville, CA. https://communityartsempowerment.org/culturalheritages/
https://communityartsempowerment.org/juan-fuentes-vote/

0439

Reposted by Javier González-Rocha

Nick Sestanovich @nsestanovich.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

This year, the Watsonville Film Festival will have a slate of films screened at CineLux Green Valley, but it will also have screenings in Santa Cruz and Salinas. www.santacruzsentinel.com/2025/03/03/1...

santacruzsentinel.com

13th Watsonville Film Festival expands into other cities

WATSONVILLE — Just as it has for the previous 12 years, the Watsonville Film Festival will highlight movies from around the world that celebrate stories from the Latino community. This will b…

021

Reposted by Javier González-Rocha

Baskin Engineering at UC Santa Cruz @baskinengineering.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

How human-like are #AI chatbots? 🤔 A team led by #BaskinEngineering Prof Magy Seif El-Nasr found that #ChatGPT over-empathizes but struggles with positive emotions, exaggerating human tendencies. It also shows more empathy when told the person is female—revealing biases in AI empathy. bit.ly/43pRKAB

bit.ly

AI chatbots perpetuate biases when performing empathy, study finds

A new study explores how GPT-4o, the latest model from OpenAI, evaluates and performs empathy compared to humans, and finds major gaps exist.

033

Reposted by Javier González-Rocha

surfer slacker stoner spy @briansantacruz.bsky.social · 24/12/2024

If you want to know the name of the NIMBY who has been blocking the repairs to the Santa Cruz wharf since 2016, her name is Gillian Greensite and she deserves the blame for what happened today www.goodtimes.sc/the-wharfs-c...

goodtimes.sc

The Wharf’s Controversy | Good Times

Why the city wants to upgrade the wharf, and why one group is fighting to maintain the status quo

13347115

Reposted by Javier González-Rocha

Richard Corsi @corsiaq.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

My USEPA webinar & an excellent follow-up panel discussion on layer risk reduction for schools 4 yrs ago. Four yrs down & not much progress. To say we swung & missed would be generous. In most cases we never came to the plate. It was never rocket science, folks. www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPfH...

youtube.com

Indoor Air Quality in K-12 Schools: Addressing the Concept of Layered Risk Amidst COVID-19

YouTube video by U.S. EPA

16922

Reposted by Javier González-Rocha

UC Santa Cruz @ucsantacruz.bsky.social · 15/11/2024

BIG DEAL. Congrats to all involved!

0104

Reposted by Javier González-Rocha

Meenakshi Wadhwa @minwadhwa.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

The @ucsantacruz.bsky.social campus, with the redwoods forest and the live turkeys (not talking about the faculty here!) has to be one of the most beautiful campuses anywhere.

1204