Greg Watry

Greg Watry  

Editorial Director; Department Editor, Science & Technology

Greg Watry writes about people, research and initiatives in the mathematical and physical sciences, and is a member of the college’s communications and marketing team, serving as the team's editorial director. In addition to writing and editing, Watry serves as the lead on the college's monthly research and magazine newsletters, and the quarterly alumni newsletter. He also enjoys taking photos and working on video projects.  

Watry's career includes experience in journalism, higher education and the private sector. His work has earned awards from the New Jersey Press Association, the Association for Communication Excellence and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. He holds bachelor's degrees in English literature and communication (media production specialization) from Villanova University and a master's degree in science, environment and medicine writing from Columbia University.  

A feathered dinosaur walks across a sandy desert, with a blue sky in the background.

Did Dinosaurs Use Their Forelimbs for Social Signaling?

  • by Greg Watry
In December 2025, Russian scientists published an analysis of a 67-million-year-old dinosaur fossil that was found in the Gobi Desert in 1979. The researchers examining Manipulonyx reshetovi suggested that the species specialized in egg eating, using its stubby digits and long claws to grasp and puncture eggs. A UC Davis researcher is questioning that narrative.
A close-up of a brown mollusk on a piece of lettuce, with more mollusks in the background.

Evolution of New Physical Traits in Mollusks Has Declined and Grown More Predictable Over Time

  • by Greg Watry
In a new paper appearing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vermeij and his research colleague Tracy Thomson catalogued the features of various mollusks in the fossil record and found that early mollusks evolved a unique physical trait once every 2 million years. That frequency began declining roughly 444 million years ago to about one new feature every 9 million years. 
A laptop displaying code on a pebbled beach with a red rock background.

UC Davis Alumni Launch Geology Coding Bootcamp

  • by Greg Watry
Geology provides a language for understanding the Earth. Stories from the planet’s past are locked in the rocks and landscape. But others are hard to reveal, hidden in troves of data. Alums Barbara Wotham and Chad Trexler launched a Geology Coding Bootcamp program to help students uncover those stories.
A torn paper heart hangs on a string against a dark background.

Can You Die From a Broken Heart?

  • by Greg Watry
At the February Davis Science Café, an event hosted by Professor Jared Shaw and the Department of Chemistry, Crystal Ripplinger explored the compounding effects of emotional stress on the heart and explained the science behind broken heart syndrome. 
Milky Way stretching across a dark night sky, framed by silhouetted trees.

How Did the Milky Way Galaxy Form?

  • by Greg Watry
At the February 2026 Astronomy on Tap event at Sudwerk Brewing Co., Andrew Wetzel used supercomputer simulations to take the audience through the 13.8-billion-year history of the Milky Way galaxy.
3D model of a box divided into blue and red sections filled with colored particles.

Chemists Provide New Evidence of Two Supercooled Liquid Water States

  • by Greg Watry
In a recent study appearing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, University of California, Davis and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers use computational modeling to investigate a hypothesized state of supercooled liquid water. The research provides evidence for two supercooled liquid water states.
A woman points at a colorful nature-themed mural featuring various animals in a bright setting.

The Science of Fatherhood

  • by Greg Watry
In her book Father Time, Sarah Blaffer Hrdy explores the role males play in parental care and its evolutionary basis. Now, the book has inspired a 52-minute documentary called Father Time: Why Men Are Born to Nurture.
A LEGO scientist holds a beaker with green liquid in a lab setting.

The Molecular Architects

  • by Greg Watry
Annaliese Franz and her lab are designing therapeutic molecules of the future. Through organic synthesis and catalysis, the team is building and improving molecules with therapeutic potential. Some current projects include developing a new nanoparticle technology for livestock vaccines and improving treatments for neurodegenerative disorders like epilepsy.