News
With the help of a $2 million gift, UC Merced's humanities center will support scholars in conducting interdisciplinary research, engaging the public and addressing issues critical to the San Joaquin Valley and California.
Nearly 1,500 new students — including a significant increase in the number of graduate students — 26 new faculty members and a new provost join UC Merced.
A statewide water-monitoring system is one step closer to reality as a group of UC Merced researchers install wireless sensors across the American River basin.
Nine new members of this year’s UC Merced Women’s Volleyball team, from all around the Central Valley, are among the campus’s first group of recruited student athletes.
UC Merced is the first campus west of the Mississippi to use the new OZZI container-recycling system.
Senior Patricia Paredes overcame hardships to graduate from a San Jose high school and enroll at the University of California's newest campus. Now, Paredes is sharing her story of perseverance with Merced County school children.
This is the first article in Research: A Collaborative Effort, a series of stories that illustrates the joint effort it takes to conduct research at our campus. There are many instances in which campus community members – in addition to the faculty member, researcher or entity who applied for or was awarded a research grant – make noteworthy and significant contributions before, during or after the application process.
From the white, sugary sands of Hawaii to the white, powdery slopes of the Sierra Nevada, Natural Sciences Professor Stephen Hart has his eye on climate change.
Eric Scott, associate university librarian for library operations, and Matt Hirota, the campus waste reduction/recycling coordinator, designed a three-section bin for recyclables, compostable material and landfill items.
New head coach Megan Atoigue said this is the time to set the foundation for the campus’s inaugural women’s soccer program, and a chance for the team members to cement their commitment to the team.
From burps to babbling, cognitive science Professor Anne S. Warlaumont studies how children develop their ability to verbally communicate in the first year of their lives.
Professors just received a prestigious National Science Foundation grant through the agency's Dimensions in Biodiversity program. With it, they will research some of the marine lakes in the South Pacific to look at how climate affects how species evolve, thrive or go extinct.
Some of the people who work and study here have a lot of musical talent to reveal. Check out a couple of the bands that include faculty, staff and students.
Professor Teamrat Ghezzehei and others are looking into why certain shrubs in northern central Africa seem to help other plants -- including food crops — thrive.
Central Valley Sports Academy, a grassroots effort with local support from the United Way, Building Healthy Communities and the Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program, is combining athletics with education and life-skill development to help guide young students.
The Dr. and Mrs. Vikram Lakireddy Innovation and Design Clinic Endowed Fund will help transform engineering studies by giving students experience in applying engineering principles and methods to pressing engineering issues for real businesses and nonprofit groups.
Sometimes, all you need is a little push, even if it comes from a mechanical arm.
That was the case with the UC Merced Robotics Society, which began in 2008 but languished after its founders graduated.
This past year, though, the club’s newer members got a jump start from dedicated leadership and the programming and creativity of one of their colleagues.
Big changes are coming regarding the way in which campus community members use email, calendar, instant messaging and other collaboration tools at UC Merced.
Professor Mónica Medina and colleagues wrote an opinion piece for a recent issue of the journal Science.
Cognitive science Professor Teenie Matlock wrote an article for American Scientist explaining how certain language subtleties can affect voters -- an especially timely article now.
Chancellor Dorothy Leland and campus staff members visited Merced High School to tell students there's a place for them at UC.
Professor Fabian Filipp, a systems biology professor who started at UC Merced this fall, studies the metabolic cycle of melanoma, which is the leading cause of death from skin cancers.
Mark your calendars: The University of California’s Open Enrollment period begins Monday, Oct. 29 at 8 a.m. and ends Nov. 20 at 5 p.m.
Faculty and staff are encouraged to take a break from their work and enjoy a cool treat from 2 to 3 p.m. today (Oct. 26) outside the Lantern to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the campus's groundbreaking. Bring your Cat Card to receive your ice cream.
UC Merced officially launched Career Tracks on Oct. 1 and work related to the project continues.
Human Resources’ Compensation unit is in the midst of sorting and processing the reconsideration, reclassification and new classification requests received.
Students transferring to UC Merced from California community colleges can apply for financial support thanks to a new endowed scholarship fund from The Bernard Osher Foundation.
UC Merced experts talk about the state of California's weather and the coming winter.
UC Merced has hired two men to share the duties of running what SNRI hopes will be the next addition to the UC Natural Reserve System.
Zhijiang “Justin” Ye followed a faculty mentor to UC Merced, only to find more than he had expected.
In the 10 years since it broke ground for its first campus building, UC Merced has emerged as a destination of choice for students, faculty, and staff who share a pioneering spirit and commitment to transforming lives.
Professor Linda Hirst and Merritt Writing Program Assistant Director Paul Gibbons are teaching students how to communicate scientific ideas while giving the students experience being published.
Professor Michael Dawson and graduate student Liza Gómez Daglio contributed their expertise in jellyfish to an attempt to accurately estimate the number of species on the world's oceans.
In the spring, everyone on the UC Merced campus will be asked to participate in a confidential survey to reveal how people feel about the campus's climate of tolerance and inclusion.
UC Merced's campus community is finding ways to help the hungry, children have happier holidays.
UC Merced graduate students find exciting experiences, people and discoveries that fuel their imagination and propel their work.
By adding high-powered graphical processing units to a CPU to make a hybrid computer, researchers can vastly accelerate scientific computations.
Look at the connections between people — even the most tenuous — and you could solve a crime, a UC Merced researcher says.
With pilot programs completed and feedback from users in, Information Technology (IT) is moving forward with plans to transition faculty, staff and students to Microsoft Office 365 for email, calendar, instant messaging and other collaboration-tool services.
While UC Merced's research is varied, there is one thing each project has in common: All fall under the auspices of UC Merced’s Office of Research.
New Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Tom Peterson brings his experience from the National Science Foundation and the University of Arizona to UC Merced.
Construction on Science and Engineering Building 2, the campus's next major academic facility, will hit a milestone today with a topping out ceremony.
The final beam will be installed on the much-needed three-story building.
Staff and faculty are invited to sign the beam and watch as its hoisted to the top of the building. The ceremony begins at 11 a.m. today in the breezeway of the Science and Engineering Building.
The 2013 United Way Campaign got off to a rousing start this week with the campus’s second annual Chili Cook-off and Bread Bake-off, which raised $3,515.
University of California, Merced, literature Professor Cristián H. Ricci has received a prestigious National Endowment for the Humanities award to write an in-depth analysis of Moroccan literature.
A new study by University of California, Merced, sociology Professor Laura T. Hamilton found that students' GPAs decreased with increased financial support from their parents. The study also found that students with financial aid from their parents were more likely to complete college and earn a degree.
Last fall, UC Merced retained the Urban Land Institute (ULI) to help identify the most cost-efficient and programmatically effective means of expanding the campus’s physical facilities to accommodate 10,000 students, along with associated faculty and staff, within the next eight to 10 years.
Professor Ruth Mostern, a history professor in the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, is joining a team that will use more than $601,000 in National Science Foundation grants to start building a massive history database.
More than 17,000 students have applied to fill about 1,600 undergraduate spots and graduate student applications have increased 41 percent, reflecting immense demand for a UC Merced education.
A powerful one-woman play that explores the troubling world of physical and sexual abuse debuts Feb. 23 as part of Arts UC Merced Presents.
Starting today (Feb. 1), faculty, staff and students at UC Merced have a unique opportunity to share their insight by participating in the UC’s Campus Climate Survey.
From purchasing to plumbing, sustainability is practiced in ways many people never even see at UC Merced.
Varick Erickson, the campus's new energy manager, launched a new website to show the campus how much energy it uses in real time.
UC Solar Director Roland Winston's design for a new lens for for LED light has earned the campus another distinction.
Professor Mike Beman is one of five finalists who could, through their research projects, win six months of free use of the data-gathering wave gliders.
The staff advisor program, now in its seventh year, allows for two staff and/or non-Senate academic employees to participate in open sessions of designated committees of the board.
Sharon Patris, a graduate student who hails from Palau, is in her home country working on her master's degree through UC Merced.
Professor YangQuan Chen and his MESA Lab students are working on the next step in aerial surveillance.
Eighth annual Research Week packed with events.
A pioneering American novelist and a former California Poet Laureate will be the keynote speakers at two April events being organized by graduate students and faculty in World Cultures.
UC Merced’s planning and budget process for the coming fiscal year is underway after the release of the official Budget Call for proposals, which are due March 25.
Whether they are struggling academically or just want to sharpen their skills, the Calvin E. Bright Success Center gives UC Merced students a boost through personal tutoring, advising and mentoring services. Many who have benefited from the center return as student staffers to help other students.
Working together, dean and professor link UC Merced with other schools to enhance knowledge of nanotechnology and biological sciences.
Student community service officers assist the police department in many ways to help keep the campus safe.
Plans to help deal with federal cuts include more support, streamlined processes.
UC Merced Chancellor Dorothy Leland informed the UC Board of Regents of the campus’s intention to seek the board's approval of an amendment to its long-range development plan (LRDP) at the board’s next regularly scheduled meeting in May.
The University of California’s systemwide Campus Climate survey, which provided faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students at all locations an opportunity to share their experiences of living, studying and working at the UC, ended at UC Merced on March 1.
UC Merced artists are sharing their best work this semester in the eighth annual Bobcat Art Show.
The exhibit runs from April 1 to May 2 and entries can be seen at the Leo and Dottie Kolligian Library and the UC Merced Art Gallery in the Social Sciences and Management Building, Room 106.
UC Merced biology Professor Rudy Ortiz is furthering his innovative research into diabetes with support from a major pharmaceutical company.
Professor Sachin Goyal and his students are looking at the loops, twists and twirls in DNA to see how they affect recovery from injury and disease.
Retired astronaut Jose Hernandez and award-winning author David Mas Masumoto will address the Class of 2013.
Professors Karin Leiderman and Suzanne Sindi are using math to solve biology-based puzzles.
Engineers for a Sustainable World has found a way to carve out a little room on campus for a community garden.
The sounds babies make are a critical part of the development of human language, a researcher says.
The book “Paying for the Party: How College Maintains Inequality” follows a group of 53 women who started college at the same mid-tier state university and lived on the same dormitory floor, as they went through college and out into the workforce.
Margo Souza, former president and CEO of Turlock’s Circle H Dairy Ranch Inc., is creating a legacy at UC Merced by helping to train students to be leaders and entrepreneurs.
The REU program is restarting this year after a two-year hiatus, and leaders are seeking students who might not otherwise get research experience.
An exacting nanosecond jolt of electricity can briefly open a cell’s wall, allowing for the delivery of drugs or DNA. This procedure — called electroporation — is widely used in biology, biotechnology and medicine, including cancer treatments. Why the cell’s wall opens, however, has remained a mystery until now.
Principal officers from each school and division, along with campus unit,s have been assigned time slots to present their area’s budget proposal to the Budget Committee.
After six months of intense planning and programming, the winning team of UC Merced's Mobile App Challenge will be announced during a showcase finale today (April 26).
Staff members to be honored next week for their contributions to UC Merced throughout the year.
Changes to transit and parking on campus are on the way as construction continues.
The campus is expected to confer more than 1,000 degrees during two commencements ceremonies this weekend.
Representatives from an array of campus units gathered May 2 for an overview and demonstration of several key components of the UCPath system, which is planned to go live at UC Merced in July 2014.
The long-range plan's amendment will allow more rapid and cost-efficient construction of facilities through 2020.
CatTracks and Route 22 riders looking for more detailed information about bus routes, schedules, landmarks and places of interest near stops throughout Merced will soon have a new tech-friendly resource at their fingertips: a new website with interactive maps.
To fill a demand for more housing, the newest residence hall — Half Dome — was recently completed and will increases on-campus housing capacity by 30 percent.
Half Dome is now home to 530 undergraduate students, like political science major Jason Chulack from Thousand Oaks.
Campus leaders said reorganization efforts will help improve efficiency and provide UC Merced with the structure it needs to address the campus’s rapidly changing size and complexity.
During summer, UC Merced was busy adding people, services and space in hopes of accommodating all of the new faces joining the campus this fall.
Columbian mammoth bones dating back to the last Ice Age were transferred recently to a storage facility at UC Merced's building at Castle Commerce Center. The bones, including a skull, tusks and molars, were discovered by Caltrans in Madera County last fall during construction on Highway 99.
The band performs at 7:30 p.m. Oct.4 at the Art Kamangar Center at the Merced Theatre. Tickets range from $15 to $35 and can be purchased online.
The UC Merced San Joaquin Valley Program in Medical Education combines the strengths and resources of UC Davis School of Medicine, UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program and UC Merced to train physicians interested in practicing in the San Joaquin Valley.
After completing her studies in Scotland, Hillary Brown hopes to pursue a doctorate and find a job that blends teaching and research.
An exhibit coordinated by a UC Merced professor weaves together music, literature, photography, video and oral history to tell stories of the workers who keep the region’s economy moving.
During his six months at UC Merced, Park helped nurture the young campus through its critical early development and inspired the creation of the iconic “Beginnings” sculpture that now serves as its focal point.
Faculty, staff, students and visitors at UC Merced will breathe easier come Jan. 1 when the campus becomes one of the more than 1,100 colleges and universities nationwide to implement a smoke- and tobacco-free environment.
Overall private gifts to UC Merced in 2012-13 surpassed $5 million, with total giving since inception at $87.5 million.
UC’s Academic Senate passed the Open Access policy, which paves the way for scholars to make their research more broadly available to the public.
A paper coauthored by Professor David Noelle appears in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The research suggests that parts of the brain might use a trick that is commonly used by modern computer programmers.
UC Merced has started the 2013-14 academic year with more than 6,000 students — a 7 percent increase over 2012-13.
Most University of California employees will see only small increases in monthly premiums for medical insurance next year and some people’s rates will go down, a marked departure from the pattern of price increases in recent years. The most significant news is the UC is adding two new medical plans and discontinuing four plans.
During her day on campus, UC President Janet Napolitano met with campus leadership, faculty and staff members and students. She also toured the main campus, including its library and laboratories affiliated with all three academic schools.
Research expenditures at the University of California, Merced, increased by more than 9 percent in the 2012-13 fiscal year, to a record $17.3 million, according to data released today by the university’s Office of Business and Financial Services.
An interdisciplinary team of researchers at the University of California, Merced, has begun an ambitious quest to discover common principles that guide evolution of structures at the linguistic and molecular levels.
Nineteen UC Merced students and several professors attended a recent Society for Advancement of Hispanics/Chicanos & Native Americans in Science conference and presented their work.
A new discovery earns an honored place in a prestigious publication.
“Valley Fever Research Day” will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, at the UCSF Fresno Center for Medical Education and Research.
The campus recently received a Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences that will give students experience in conducting research, presenting, writing and networking.
Find out what you need to do for a small or large office move at a new website.
Applied math is getting a new emphasis track, a scholarship program and a new focus among high school teachers through the new DESCARTES Program at UC Merced.
Nearly 400 Madera South and Madera high school students learned about the application process and received personalized transcripts that highlight where they stand and the specific courses they need for admission to California’s public four-year colleges.
Black Power * Flower Power, an acclaimed photography exhibit that captures the hippie culture in San Francisco and the African-American liberation movement in Oakland, will be shown at the UC Merced Art Gallery.
The campus will install rooftop solar systems on 11 main campus buildings and the chancellor’s residence. The new systems are likely to generate an additional 1 megawatt of energy.
Napolitano said her deep immersion in the “ways and wonders of the University of California” over the past weeks have led her to undertake new initiatives “offered in the spirit of the constant pursuit for better pathways forward, for new mountains to climb.”
Bodo Winter is part of an interdisciplinary program that integrates methods and approaches from linguistics, psychology, philosophy, neuroscience and computer science.
The funding, in the form of loans and equity, is another example of how the network fosters entrepreneurship that helps grow and diversify Central California's economy.
University life can be hard, and for transfer students, it often proves even more daunting.
While UC Merced’s campus community is busy preparing for the end of the semester and calendar year, it’s also a time when many faculty and staff members and students take on other important projects: helping others in need.
The bloodmobiles will be back on campus Monday. In September, the UC Merced community potentially saved the lives of 696 people in the San Joaquin Valley and beyond by donating blood to BloodSource.
UC Merced will send its first undergraduate to the multinational Chevron corporation for a summer internship in 2014. The opportunity came through Professor Ashlie Martini’s connections with the multinational company.
Between record enrollment and research expenditures, a massive economic impact on the San Joaquin Valley, new buildings and a visit from the new UC president, the University of California, Merced, has had a big year.
LBD is now on his way to Little Dinosaur Rescue, a no-kill facility in La Grange. He roamed campus for two months, prompting a rescue effort from concerned staff members.
Student teams will work on water, food and energy projects that could have dramatic effects on the region.
UC Merced political science professors publish in leading journals and with top university presses at a rate that outpaces just about every other elite institution.
Children and families throughout Merced will enjoy a happier holiday season thanks to the generosity of UC Merced faculty and staff members and students.
Not sure where to start your holiday leisure reading? Here are the UC Merced Library’s winter break book recommendations.
The protected land adjoining the northeast corner of campus is officially part of the UC Natural Reserve System now that the UC Board of Regents gave the proposed reserve final approval this week.
There have been a number of changes, restructuring and appointments in December and January. This gets you up to date.
On Feb. 6, the UC Office of the President launches a new website designed to make life easier for faculty and staff members and retirees.
Chancellor Dorothy Leland joined representatives from about 140 American colleges and universities meeting with First Lady Michelle Obama and officials from the National Economic Policy Council and the Department of Education.
Quite often, misconceptions about leading a healthy life can have serious implications on a person’s overall health.
Members of the campus community made Monday a "day on, not a day off" by helping out at a local elementary school.
Undergraduate applications for Fall 2014 hit 17,469, a 1.6 percent increase compared to Fall 2013 applications.
Michael Reese, who was recently appointed vice chancellor for Business and Administrative Services, discusses his background and shares some of his thoughts and goals for the division.
Grammy-winning group Ladysmith Black Mambazo coming to town.
UC Merced is searching for a development team that will prove instrumental in financing and significantly expanding the campus’s size and capacity to enroll 10,000 students by 2020.
The International Conference on the Black Arts Movement and Legacies will shed light on recent assessments of the Black Arts Movement.
The UC Merced men’s soccer team showed plenty of promise during its inaugural intercollegiate season.
Katherine Amrine, a postdoctoral scholar at UC Davis, is applying the computational skills she honed at UC Merced to help determine why certain grapevines are resistant to fungal pathogens, information that could prove important in crossbreeding vines for the region’s wine industry.
Research by Professor Mariaelena Gonzalez suggests the societal change manifested by smoke-free laws can contribute to an atmosphere in which dentists pay more attention to patients’ smoking habits.
With more than 1,400 students eligible to graduate, the campus marks another milestone with its largest graduating class in history, surpassing the 898-member graduating class a year ago.
Along with 11 other elite campuses, UC Merced’s engineering program will participate in a two-year program to benefit undergraduate students and the San Joaquin Valley.
Two UC Merced graduate students will continue their research into world heritage with the support of prestigious Marie Curie Fellowships.
Ph.D. student David Vinson and Professor Rick Dale discovered people use richer language in Yelp reviews when they are giving businesses extreme ratings — either one or five stars.
The Spatial Analysis and Research Center (SpARC) is a resource for faculty members and students who want to use geographic information systems (GIS) as one of their many research tools.
The annual event includes a brunch kickoff, a poster competition, live research demonstrations, a smoking symposium, a psychology symposium, a geospatial summit, lectures and a drought symposium.
A $1 increase in university spending generates an 89-cent increase in local noneducation labor income — evidence of a measurable spillover effect created by public research institutions, according to recently published research.
Even before President Janet Napolitano requested a reduction in water use, UC Merced was already conserving.
UC Merced recently launched two new programs for faculty members to support and encourage their professional development.
Professor Anne S. Warlaumont and her co-authors studied 13,836 hours of daylong audio recordings of caregivers and children, ages 8 months to 4 years old, to better understand how parents respond to children’s sounds.
Researchers estimate that each year, more than 150,000 people are infected by Coccidioides, the fungus that causes valley fever.
UC Merced Professor Kara McCloskey was recently awarded a highly competitive $500,000 grant to continue tackling significant, unresolved issues in human stem cell biology, as part of an effort to enhance stem-cell research in California.
UC’s 10 campuses educate 26,000 doctoral students annually — more than any other university system in the country — and bestow 8 percent of the nation’s Ph.Ds.
For its first “Distinguished Lecture in the Humanities,” the center is bringing Yale University Professor James Scott to campus.
Under the newly approved deployment sequence, UCOP will roll out first, followed by UC Santa Cruz and then a combined deployment at UCLA, UCLA Medical Center, UC Merced and ASUCLA.
UC Merced artists will showcase their talent during the campus’s annual Bobcat Art Show, which starts its month-long run Monday in the UC Merced Art Gallery and Kolligian Library.
Large, naturally occurring low-oxygen zones in the Pacific appear to be expanding, and there is a sharp change in the number of bacteria that produce and consume different forms of toxic sulfur.
UC Merced is among the first wave of schools and universities to offer Office 365 ProPlus free to students.
TaNayiah Bryels and James McIntyre feel right at home in with the local theater community.
The summit takes place April 25 at the state Capitol and features some of the University of California’s most accomplished researchers on water and drought.
UC Merced staff members recently got a chance to bond with colleagues and learn about campus landmarks and places of interest – all while helping a local emergency shelter.
Infants show a sharp increase in understanding and using language shortly after they begin walking, according to research by a UC Merced developmental psychology professor.
CatTracks is set to launch a new GPS service that will allow riders to track buses in real time as they travel along their routes to and from campus.
More than a dozen members of UC Merced's Class of 2014 are showcased in short feature videos.
A leading expert in artificial intelligence and computer vision will deliver a public lecture about his work and accept UC Merced’s 2014 Distinguished Cognitive Scientist Award.
Pirkle Jones’ and Ruth-Marion Baruch’s dramatic black-and-white prints captured the California landscape as well as its people, ranging from farmworkers to Black Panthers.
Art history Professor ShiPu Wang has reviewed copious primary source documents, pursued private collectors and family estates, and visited museums and galleries in Japan and the United States — all for his research project The Other American Moderns.
The vanpool, which began in February, is an initiative from UC Merced’s Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) in partnership with vRide.
The Career Advancement Mentorship Program (CAMP) is now accepting applications for both mentees and mentors. Learn more about the program.
The annual Innovate to Grow competition and expo takes place today (May 16) across campus, with a variety of events including demonstrations of each team’s work, plus blue-ribbon panels and cash prizes. The events are free and open to the all.
Berhe receives $479,000 for five years, for a project looking at how fire and erosion affect the soil ecosystem’s ability to store carbon and keep carbon dioxide from going into the atmosphere.
In an effort to keep campus supporters in the Central Valley aware of UC Merced’s research, faculty, students and development, University Communications launched UC Merced Magazine, now in its second edition.
Members of UC Merced's Class of 2014 are showcased in a series of short feature videos produced by University Communications.
Professor Clarissa J. Nobile, who studies microbial communities, said the findings could help in developing treatments for fungal biofilm infections, specifically those formed by Candida albicans.
The Principles of Community are UC Merced’s unique set of ethical standards and values. Their purpose is to unite campus community members while encouraging an inclusive and open learning, working and living environment that nurtures personal and professional growth.
UC Merced is preparing to support the United Way of Merced County with a pledge drive that starts Sept. 15 and continues until Oct. 15.
This past summer, Information Technology implemented a number of changes to enhance the campus community's technology experience.
UC Merced is beginning its 10th year with with record student enrollment, strong focus on growth, research and academic priorities
UC Merced is the only university to maintain a research station in Yosemite National Park.
Dan Feitelberg, vice chancellor for Planning and Budget, said the campus reached a major step in the process July 28 with six strong development teams submitting statements of qualifications.
The campus has three $2,500 food fellowships open to undergraduate and graduate students, and applications are being accepted through Sept. 30 on Chancellor Dorothy Leland’s website.
Locating rooms and space to hold meetings is easier with the campus's new Room Reservation Directory.
Psychology Professor Jeff Gilger and Blum Center interim Executive Director Steve Roussos are leading the two-year project, which is an example of how UC Merced's innovative work can serve the community.
A former grad student, now a staff member, published a paper on extreme seasonal changes in the Sierra and how they could affect water supplies and carbon storage.
UC Merced is the first campus first within the UC system to provide telemedicine psychiatry for students.
New faculty hires reflect areas of rapid enrollment growth as well as the greatest potential for interdisciplinary collaboration and research.
Staff members and student interns at the Margo F. Souza Leadership Center work to enhance, focus and expand programs for students.
Since the end of the 2014 spring semester, several key campus leadership positions have been filled and a number of initiatives already underway will see much progress over the coming year.
Professor Carolin Frank will collect $1.6 million over the next four years to continue researching the nitrogen-fixing bacteria that live in pine needles and to work with the Sierra Foothill Charter School, which she helped found.
President Janet Napolitano will discuss topics of interest with UC faculty members during systemwide Google Hangout. One of the panelists will be UC Merced Professor Rudy Ortiz.
University Communications undertook the redesign last fall, conducting research and soliciting input and feedback from a Web advisory group that included faculty members, students and staff members.
The University of California, Merced, has directly invested more than $1.1 billion into the San Joaquin Valley economy since the newest UC campus began start-up operations in July 2000, according to the campus’ Division of Business and Administrative Services.
Nick Fong might not have had a lot of self-confidence when he started at UC Merced, but he graduated with the assurance that his experiences, his education and the community he built on campus would allow him to leave a legacy for future Bobcats.
UC Merced will award the prize during a Nov. 6 ceremony to Liuzzo’s three daughters, Sally Prado, Penny Herrington and Mary Lilleboe.
UC Merced-based multi-campus research institute shares innovations, developments and knowledge about solar industry and its future at 2014 symposium.
Here's a sneak peek at the next issue of UC Merced Magazine, in print and online Oct. 24!
A new $2.6 million, five-year grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences will fund his research, making what was a side project into a full-blown exploration of the metal's connection with the degenerative disease.
A recent solar purchase once again places UC Merced and the UC system at the forefront of sustainability among university campuses and emphasizes UC Merced's commitment to leaving as small an environmental footprint as possible.
Open enrollment, the time each year when you can change your medical plan and sign up for other benefits, is a good time to consider any changes to your situation, plan ahead for significant medical events and take stock of your physical well being.
The campus's sociology group, now 11 faculty members strong, offers a major and minor, and is working toward offering a standalone Ph.D. by the end of this year.
Professor Jitske Tiemensma was selected as a 2014 Hellman Fellow, an award that's supporting her innovative research into the connections between better chemotherapy tolerance and emotion expression.
The Undergraduate Historical Journal showcases the work of UC Merced students in its second issue, planned for December.
A Federal and State Technology (FAST) grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration will help UC Merced’s SBDC offer more education and expert consulting for specific business grant proposals.
Professor Michael Dawson’s research — which focuses on environmental changes in marine systems and how those changes affect species — takes him and his team to remote areas around the globe. It takes planning and coordination to get the scientists, students and their equipment to those far-flung regions.
“All of these things need arranging,” said Dawson, an evolutionary ecologist in the School of Natural Sciences.
UC Merced launches a new website to provide policies and resources to help all campus community members feel safe, secure, welcomed and supported.
Grant funding helps campus look at ways to reduce obesity, particularly in young children.
Professor Steve Hart wants to discover as much as he can about the complex world of California's giant sequoias.
Jefferson Kuoch-Seng will advocate for students and work on systemwide campaigns such as IGNITE and UConsent.
Advised by Chinese history Professor Ruth Mostern, Kaiqi Hua is immersed in innovative research within the humanities.
UC Merced provides an excellent research environment for international students to pursue graduate degrees.
The university’s Working Smarter initiative has realized $426 million in cost savings and $238 million in fresh revenue since the program launched four years ago.
The plan authorizes UC to increase tuition by up to 5 percent per year through 2019-20, an amount that could be reduced or eliminated entirely if the state provides sufficient revenue.
The magazine highlights one of Professor Holly Moyes' visits to the Cave of the Crystal Sepulchre in Belize.
Ruben Rodriguez was one of UC Merced's first undergraduates and is working toward his doctorate in Quantitative and Systems Biology, where he’s researching the molecular causes of obesity and diabetes.
A group of students in the most recent School of Engineering capstone design course at UC Merced devised a sweet solution to a local farm’s harvesting problem — one that is reaping long-term benefits for the farm and the students.
Every day, your brain completes millions of complicated functions without you even being aware of them, and it learns as it goes.
Six UC Merced student projects that align with the UC Global Food Initiative have won grants.
CatTracks is adding a new bus route that will shorten the time it takes to travel between downtown Merced and the main campus.
Ph.D. candidate Emily Wilson discovered her passion for research in the natural sciences as an undergraduate student, fueled by a collaboration with the engineering dean and her powerful creative spirit.
Vice Chancellor Michael Reese provided an update earlier this month about the campus's new compensation strategy.
Even when we don’t notice it, service is a huge part of everyday life, from the people who make our morning cups of coffee to the doctors who save our lives, said Professor Paul Maglio.
University Communications has created the "Discover UC Merced" short film series, featuring campus community members talking about the effects UC Merced is having in their lives and the legacies they are leaving for the campus.
Each year, UC Merced showcases research from around the campus through a variety of events including a poster competition, lectures and the popular 90-Second Video Challenge.
Senior Lecturer Virginia Adán-Lifante offered extra credit to students who volunteered to translate a portion of the Valley Crisis Center website into Spanish.
UC Merced's commitment to community collaboration was formally recognized by the Carnegie Foundation, which granted UC Merced its prestigious Classification for Community Engagement.
UC Merced sociologist Laura Hamilton has gained national attention since the 2013 release of the book she coauthored, “Paying for the Party: How College Maintains Inequality.”
Researchers at UC Merced have completed a comprehensive map of the genetic makeup of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
Since 2010, UC Merced’s campus advocate has offered free and confidential services to students, faculty and staff who are survivors of or have questions about sexual assault, dating and domestic violence and stalking.
What makes a government decide to use torture in its interrogations? How do those decisions differ when terrorism is suspected? Once torture starts, how can it be stopped?
UC Merced researchers will affiliate with the new nine-campus, multidisciplinary institute.
UC Merced staff members: If you have a novel idea that improves how vital tasks get done, boosts the work environment or enhances customer service, the chancellor wants to hear from you.
Having trouble sticking to your New Year's resolution to get healthier in 2015? UC Living Well can help you get on the right path to wellness.
The new chair will conduct research, teach and provide a vision for the future of humanities research at UC Merced.
UC Merced is converting one of the campus’s parking lots into a high-mobility lot that will feature added spots for carpool and vanpool parking, University Business permits and personal parking meters, along with solar-powered charging stations for electric vehicles.
UC Merced will host its eighth annual Research Week, which celebrates the important investigations being conducted at the campus. Read about what is planned during the weeklong event.
The Council of UC Staff Assemblies Delegation, which consists of Staff Assembly leadership from across the system, is coming to UC Merced next week.
Campus Architect Thomas Lollini, whose vision has contributed much to UC Merced’s growing legacy of sustainable design and construction, is one of only two winners of the 2015 Thomas Jefferson Awards for Public Architecture from the American Institute of Architects (AIA).
Jennifer Hobbs, a dietitian for about 20 years, sees and advises students on nutrition and wellness, creates helpful programs and works to expand healthy food options on campus.
Professor Kirk Jensen researched virulent South American strains of the parasite that causes the disease, which is commonly associated with pregnant women and HIV-AIDS patients.
A new service desk on the library's second floor means more IT help and access for more campus community members.
New business incubator scheduled to open this summer forges deeper connection between UC Merced and the downtown area.
The Half Dome student housing building became the fifth UC Merced building to receive the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED platinum certification — the highest rating for new buildings.
About 500 participants attended the National Conference on Campus Sexual Assault and Violence, hosted by UC Berkeley with support from the UC Office of the President.
Researching oceanic oil spills can be difficult when you work at a landlocked university like UC Merced.
Advocates spent UC Day at the state capitol, meeting with members of the Legislature to share personal stories of how a UC education had bettered their lives.
Delegates from the Council of UC Staff Assemblies (CUCSA) recently gathered at UC Merced for the group's quarterly meeting.
Using grant funds from UC’s Innovative Learning Technology Initiative (ILTI), UC Merced professors are developing and implementing a hybrid that combines a live lab and online lecture.
An event hosted by students from Engineers for a Sustainable World and the Yosemite Leadership Program gave the community garden a boost.
The School of Engineering's grad programs and the Psychological Sciences graduate group both appeared in rankings by U.S. News & World Report.
University Communications' recent Explore UC Merced video showcases the campus, students and research.
Rice University Professor Richard Tapia and former National Science Foundation senior administrator Cora Marrett will speak at commencement ceremonies in May.
Chancellor Leland outlined UC Merced's plan to grow the campus to accommodate 10,000 students by the year 2020 during a presentation to the UC Board of Regents.
New research from UC Merced health psychologist Matthew Zawadzki shows leisure activity can provide immediate stress relief and other health benefits.
Study shows decisions are not always rooted in pre-existing moral frameworks.
A recent child and family symposium on campus offered opportunities for learning to presenters and attendees alike.
The month of awareness and education began April 1 with the launch of a logo design contest to create a new insignia for the Campus Advocacy, Resources and Education (CARE) Office.
The new nuclear magnetic resonance equipment was installed this winter, brought in piece by piece, and then calibrated.
UC Merced Professor Josh Viers and colleagues discovered an engineering solution to improve some of the state’s groundwater supplies and fisheries — moving river levees to make room for flood waters.
Gail Benedict came to UC Merced for the rare opportunity to start something new, and she wound up creating a campus tradition.
“In and Out of Shadows,” a musical by famed Chicano writer and Fresno native Gary Soto, is coming to Merced for a special one-night-only
Paul Almeida will travel to Honduras to study nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and their role in community well-being.
Nathaniel Bogie emerged victorious from among 10 finalists in the April 7 competition. He'll receive a $2,000 prize and the chance to represent UC Merced in the systemwide Grad Slam competition in Oakland on May 4.
Research, teaching and public outreach were all on display last week during UC Merced’s celebration of the University of California Natural Reserve System’s 50th anniversary.
The inaugural celebration of the 39-reserve system’s golden anniversary featured a driving tour of the Merced Vernal Pools and Grassland Reserve, which covers nearly 7,000 preserved acres adjacent to campus.
More than 75 faculty, staff and student attendees were honored at UC Merced's fifth annual Outstanding Women's Luncheon. The event recognizes women who invest in the success of other women.
Brad LeVeck's study was the first to include laboratory bargaining experiments with people who make real-world decisions on the international stage, including former members of Congress and top U.S. Cabinet officials.
Healthy psychology student Holly Rus analyzed more than 500 posts on diabetes-related support pages on Facebook, looking at attributes that could be used to predict not just overall user engagement, but specific types of engagement.
With the new system, staff members will complete their annual performance appraisals online. Training on the new system begins in late May or early June.
Graduate student Mehdi Bahrami, who works with Chancellor’s Professor Mukesh Singhal, devised a new lightweight data privacy method for mobile clients to store data in the cloud without using a lot of their device’s resources.
Professor Carolin Frank and her research colleagues in Finland said their discoveries could have practical applications in agriculture and forestry by stimulating plant growth.
UC Merced, in collaboration with the Merced County Food Bank and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is addressing the issue of hunger on campus and in the community.
At UC Merced, staff members will shriek
‘It’s time for Staff Appreciation Week!’
Held annually in May, it is true
That the week is a big ‘thanks’ for the work staff members do.
Soil health is about human security, Professor Asmeret Berhe and her colleagues point out in “Soil and Human Security in the 21st Century.”
Graduate student Jason Davis creates mathematical models of prion diseases and uses a computer to simulate infections — a much faster, less expensive method than traditional lab work.
More than 30 entries were submitted for the Chancellor's Innovation Awards. The field has been narrowed to 10 finalists, and the campus community will soon be able to view the proposed ideas and vote on them in June.
UC Walks and a Wellness and Safety Fair are happening at UC Merced on May 20. Several campus leaders will participate in the walking event, and UC vendors will be on campus for the wellness fair.
UC Merced biologist Miriam Barlow and American University mathematician Kristina Crona tested and found a way to return bacteria to a pre-resistant state.
About 1,100 students participated in the ceremonies held last weekend, joining the nearly 4,000 scholars who have earned degrees from UC Merced.
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Thomas Peterson provides an update on the campus's Strategic Academic Focusing Initiative, which will guide UC Merced's research and educational pursuits.
Researcher Makenzie Provorse parlayed her passion for computational chemistry into a position as UC Merced’s second Chancellor’s Postdoctoral fellow.
Recipients of UC Merced’s 2015 Staff Excellence Awards were announced during the campus’s annual Staff Appreciation Week picnic. The awards acknowledge and celebrate exceptional achievements of five staff members.
Winners of the inaugural Chancellor's Innovation Awards were announced over the summer.
A $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education will fund support services for second-year students from low-income families who are most at risk of dropping out.
Haipeng Li, the new university librarian, sat down with Panorama to discuss his new community and share his vision for the UC Merced Library.
A $1.4 million ‘Bridges to the Doctorate’ grant from the National Institutes of Health will support 36 students over five years as they earn their master’s degrees at Fresno State and prepare for doctoral studies at UC Merced.
There are more than a few new faces on campus this year. In addition to new first-year, transfer and graduate students, 12 tenure-track professors have chosen the University of California’s newest campus as their professional home.
Audiences heard a state-of-the-campus address, welcomed new faculty and staff members and acknowledged their peers' achievements during new convocations for faculty and staff.
Mark Matsumoto discusses his return to UC Merced to serve as dean for the School of Engineering and his vision to make the school a source of pride in the region.
UC Merced celebrated 10 years of excellence as faculty and staff members, students, friends of the university and the Merced community observed the anniversary of the campus’s opening.
Michael Eissinger is researching the history of rural, largely unknown African-American communities in the Central Valley — communities like Fairmead, where newfound tales of the town’s past have invigorated those seeking a better future.
Professor Anna Song is the first author on a recent publication showing that teens and young adults are less likely to take up smoking when smoke-free workplace laws and higher cigarette taxes are implemented.
In a recent study, Professor Haifeng Huang shows that the often oversimplified perception of advanced western nations among Chinese people can affect how they view their own government.
Albert Vasquez, who was sworn in at the staff convocation on Aug. 17, shares his vision for campus safety and discusses how his 33 years of experience and training can benefit the campus and community.
Over the summer, Marilyn Fogel worked with researchers to examine soil samples from a dig site in Ethiopia and unusual rock formations above the Arctic Circle in Norway.
Professor Ignacio López-Calvo, new director of the Center for the Humanities, will provide guidance for a two-year series of interdisciplinary, water-related research projects.
Transportation and Parking Services announces the arrival of Zipcar, which provides access to vehicles 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and is a part of TAPS’s continuing efforts to provide sustainable transportation alternatives.
Enrollment for the 2015-16 academic year hits a record high of 6,685 — a 6.7 percent increase over last year — as the UC Board of Regents considers the campus’s expansion plans.
UC Merced aims to be the coolest campus in the system by participating in the University of California’s inaugural
The president got to meet with the men's basketball team, encourage high school students to consider UC educations, visit classes and students, talk about her carbon and food initiatives and learn about some of UC Merced's vital research.
New Venture Lab officially opens on Oct. 15, and everyone's invited to the inaugural speaker event.
This was the first of two events on campus connecting younger students with scientists who can be role models and mentors.
Help UC Merced be recognized as the coolest campus in the UC system by signing up now to participate in the UC’s inaugural Cool Campus Challenge.
Current and prospective graduate students have new degree options at UC Merced with a newly approved master’s and doctoral degrees in sociology.
Dunya Ramicova's decades-long career as a costume designer will be commemorated with a website housing digital scans of her designs, along with an exhibit at the Merced Multicultural Arts Center.
Newest trustees bring depth and breadth of expertise and diversity to the university’s board, and will assist in the promotion and financial support of the university’s mission.
Two School of Engineering faculty members will work on hydropower and thermoelectric cooling research as part of a grant that will form the Clean Energy Research Center for Water Energy Technologies (CERC-WET) consortium.
Open Enrollment is employees' annual opportunity to review their UC benefits to ensure they have the best coverage for their needs. UC Merced will host its Open Enrollment Benefits Fair for faculty and staff members Nov. 13.
UC Merced invested nearly $170 million in the San Joaquin Valley economy over the past 12 months according to the university’s annual Economic Impact Report, bringing its cumulative total to more than $2.4 billion.
Professor Noemi Petra's algorithm shows others how to solve inverse problems, or problems where not all the parameters are known, and in her newest paper, she also shows people how to know if their calculations are correct.
In a five-year project funded by the National Cancer Institute, Susana Ramirez aims to create messages to help bicultural Latinas improve their eating habits and thereby reduce their risk of breast cancer.
UC Merced sociologist Irenee Beattie finds that young women with expectations that don’t match their levels of academic achievement are at a greater risk of having unprotected sex.
The campus is appearing on a growing number of national and statewide “best schools” lists for its diversity, sustainability and other factors, highlighting UC Merced’s growing reputation.
Campus community members can keep up with activities happening at UC Merced with the new Events Calendar. The revamped calendar allows users to subscribe to receive notifications, tag events and share them on social media.
UC Merced graduates Steven Duval Ruilova and Michael Urner have a passion for science and they are working to generate that same passion among local students.
Professor Rose Scott found that children can recognize simple acts of deception by adults at a much younger age than previously believed, a finding that could have implications for parents of kids with autism.
Known as SpARC, the innovative and interdisciplinary center is mapping the next chapter in its development with a new faculty co-director and efforts to increase the use of GIS tools in research projects at UC Merced.
Campus can move forward with plans to double the size of campus facilities and quickly grow to an enrollment of 10,000 students
With 75 volunteers, including Phyllis Enea, the Building Safety Coordinator program enhances the campus's ability to respond to emergencies. The program launched in 2011.
Award-winning composer Jimmy Dunne has attempted to capture the essence of UC Merced in the campus’s official alma mater. He has earned more than 70 gold, platinum and multi-platinum albums.
Professor Ajay Gopinathan's lab studies collective movement among various animal species for future applications in areas like robotics and biofilm formation and how collective behavior systems deal with disorder.
Giving back and performing acts of public service are an important part of UC Merced’s mission, and the end of the year is
Five UC Merced professors will collaborate with other UC campuses on three projects named as recipients of the President's Research Catalyst Awards. The winning projects were chosen from a pool of more than 180 proposals.
Miriam Barlow was honored last month at the World Technology Network awards in New York for her research on reversing antibiotic resistance, which could help doctors deal with resistant bacteria.
Alumna Beth Hernandez-Jason and Professor Manuel M. Martín-Rodríguez collaborated on a compilation of essays devoted to the works of author John Rechy, a pioneer in giving literary voice to Chicono/a and LGBT communities.
The final results are in: UC Merced's second Giving Tuesday drive raised more than $310,000 for undergraduate scholarships. Of the 400 individual donors who participated in the Dec. 1 event, 150 were either faculty or staff members.
It's the end of 2015, a memorable year at UC Merced for many reasons, including the campus's 10-year anniversary, approval of the 2020 Project, our vibrant student life, research and teaching, and much more. Look back on the year with us in this video produced by University Communications.
UC Merced saw a 13.5 percent increase in first-year and transfer student applications over Fall 2015, the largest growth rate in the UC system for the second consecutive year.
The campus’s one-stop shop for questions regarding class registration, financial aid and more, is working to enhance its services to keep up with student demand.
A founding staff member and an experienced new hire will handle key responsibilities in Office of Ombuds Services and Office of Campus Climate. Callale Concon is the new campus ombuds and Michael Salvador is director of compliance.
Hundreds of staff members kicked off 2016 with Chancellor Dorothy Leland during an all-staff meeting in which attendees were provided with updates on key campus initiatives, heard results of a recent staff engagement survey, and learned about plans that will affect the campus as it enters its next stage of physical and academic development.
Michael Huerta and Dado Banatao will address the Class of 2016 at the campus's commencement ceremonies in May.
A team of scientists led by UC Merced's Aaron D. Hernday made a major advancement in understanding how the most common fungal pathogen in humans can alter its cellular phenotype and behavior.
Biodiversity Professor Michael Dawson will conduct research and host talks on campus as UC Merced’s inaugural Faculty Climate Action Champion, part of a new effort funded by UCOP.
Dean Jill Robbins is excited about the opportunity to continue the growth and development of the university.
WSTEM — or Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics — sponsors monthly events such as panel discussions and workshops, and offers mentoring opportunities to help improve the representation of women in STEM disciplines.
Professor Victor Muñoz is the recipient of UC Merced's first Keck Award, which will provide $1 million for research into biomedical sensors. Only a handful of Keck Awards are given out each year.
UC Merced's Research Week is happening Feb. 29 through March 4 and will include a variety of events, including poster and presentation competitions, tabling events, lectures and seminars.
After just 10 years in operation, the campus earns the Carnegie Foundation’s second-highest research classification and makes its first appearance on the highly cited list of institutions.
UC Merced's Deidre "De" Acker shares her thoughts and reflections on her time as staff advisor to the UC Regents. She completes her term in June, and applications for the next staff advisor are due March 4.
Mark Aldenderfer and Arturo Arias recently became UC Merced's first recipients of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Chair appointments, part of a UC systemwide initiative stemming from a 1982 endowment.
The Survey Coordination Committee has launched a process to help determine survey priorities, maximize response rates and make results more meaningful for the campus.
The latest entry in the Discover UC Merced video series debuted last week and features Jessica Rivas, who fell in love with aspects that make UC Merced unique, including its connection with Yosemite National Park.
UC Merced's Dong Li, whose research involves supercomputing, becomes the 13th faculty members to receive a CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation since the campus opened.
The women's basketball team won the Cal-Pac Conference championship Tuesday night and will head to the NAIA Division II tournament, which begins March 9 in Sioux City, Iowa.
UC Merced Professor Marilyn Fogel co-authored a paper that indicates early humans were responsible for the rapid extinction of a 10-foot-tall flightless bird about 47,000 years ago.
UC Merced graduate student Brandi McKuin indicates that because of emissions, fishing for large fish like tuna warms the climate just as much as raising pork, pound for pound.
The vice chancellors for Business and Administrative Services and Planning and Budget recently announced several changes to the 2020 Project team leadership, among them the appointment of a new assistant vice chancellor for Physical Planning, Development and Operations.
A variety of campus events are planned for March 28 through April 2 in observance of Pride Week.
Groups of faculty and staff members took steps toward creating a unified vision of UC Merced’s future during an interactive exercise held over two days last we
The Celebration of Philanthropic Leaders event on March 19 highlighted the impact of philanthropy across the campus. The event included a video showcasing the impact of philanthropy through the eyes of alumni.
Future UC employees hired after July 1, 2016, will have new retirement options to choose from after the Board of Regents recently approved a new retirement program.
Graduate students' new TV series of documentaries blend art with science and take aim at social justice issues.
UC Merced faculty and staff members and students helped make the 2016 United Way Campaign a success. Organizers said the campaign saw a 20 percent increase in employee payroll deductions compared to last year.
School of Natural Sciences Professor Carolin Frank's research is the topic of a new paper in the journal New Phytologist. Her work examines nitrogen-fixing properties of bacteria inside the needles of some high-elevation pine trees.
Carols Castillo-Chavez gave the inaugural talk for the Chancellor’s Dialogue on Diversity and Interdisciplinarity lecture series, which highlights UC Merced’s commitment to interdisciplinary research and campus diversity and inclusion.
A newly launched internship program helps undergraduate students integrate their academic classroom experiences with their practical, professional experiences. UC Merced faculty and staff members serve as mentor-supervisors.
Professor Michael Beman, with the School of Natural Sciences, just became the 13th faculty member to win a National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Deve
If you want to understand how plant populations will respond as the climate changes, just examine the plants in different locations.
In the Samdzong tomb complex in Nepal, Professor Mark Aldenderfer found cloth remains that suggest the village might have been part of the long-distance trade network of the Silk Road.
A new study led by Professor Jan Wallander shows that home-based interventions to teach parents playful interactive learning activities can close the cognitive development gap between disadvantaged children and higher-resource peers.
Lecturer Carol Sipan's concern and her passion for international work and HIV prevention research, drove her to seek solutions to the social stigma of HIV in some developing countries.
Nano-bioengineering center will study biological matter and how it comes together to perform like tiny machines.
Several members of the campus community — including Chancellor Dorothy Leland — have been named Yosemite Centennial Ambassadors. They are among a diverse group of park supporters and advocates selected to help the National Park Service celebrate its centennial.
Professor Nicola Lercari is leading an effort to preserve the deteriorating ghost town of Bodie in 3-D using drones, airborne laser-scanning technology, digital sensors and photography.
The UC Merced Alliance for Child and Family Health and Development, in downtown Merced, is a place where people can make connections, find resources and learn more about typical and atypical development and disorders.
Professor Jennifer O. Manilay will examine how blood and bone stem cells communicate and work together, and what happens to one when the other is unhealthy.
UC Merced improved its rating from silver to gold in the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System.
More than 900 undergraduate and graduate students are poised to participate in two commencement ceremonies this weekend.
Co-produced by Jenni Samuelson and Professor Katie Steele Brokaw, the productions allow children to experience the joy and energy of live theater and opera while also visiting a college campus — many for the first time.
Professor Alexandra Main finds that to best resolve conflicts, mothers and their adolescent children should avoid reciprocating negativity and take turns validating each other’s views.
Staff Appreciation Week, UC Merced’s annual salute to staff members, is next week.
UC Merced's Academic Senate recently honored the recipients of its 2015-16 Senate Awards.
New research from Professor Néstor J. Oviedo shows that cancer cells divide with more frequency and are more resilient when they are closer to the brain, indicating a potential link between cell growth and the nervous system.
Mario Sifuentez began his research into the history of migrant farmworkers in the Pacific Northwest by interviewing members of his own family, who had worked on farms in Oregon.
Campus community members can walk in the name of wellness during the annual UC Walks event June 15. Those who register to will receive free UC Walks T-shirts while supplies last.
The following article is the main story in a six-piece package that appeared in the spring issue of UC Merced Magazine focusing on the research performed at UC Merced that relates to the brain. You can read the other stories, on consciousness, machine learning and artificial intelligence, linguistics, developmental psychology and the study of brain elasticity online.
Everyone knows UC Merced is growing, but pretty soon, the campus will be growing lots of plant specimens for research, too.
Fun was had by many during UC Merced's Staff Appreciation Week festivities.
UC Merced’s STEM Resource Center sponsored a four-day workshop focused on inspiring girls from seventh to 12th grade to learn computer coding.
Five staff members received 2016 Staff Excellence Awards for their contribution to the campus. The recipients were announced Aug. 19 during Staff Convocation.
Professor Jessica Blois has been recognized for her early work and for being one of the leading researchers of the next generation of biogeographers.
The donation of new graphical processing hardware came with an invitation to be one of the NVIDIA Corporation's graphical processing research centers.
An anonymous donation of nearly 40 acres in the Bellevue Ranch area helped the campus raise more than $20.8 million during the 2015-16 fiscal year.
The three-year grant will give undergraduate humanities students valuable research opportunities and support for their transitions into graduate studies and scholarly careers.
The 2020 Project is the largest expansion project in the UC system.
Student Affairs staff member Mari Harris teamed up with UC Merced students to develop a summer program to bring younger students to campus to help inspire them to go to college.
A team of students, including a UC Merced alumnus and a CSU Stanislaus physics major, have found a lot of success and a passion for research in Professor Anand Subramaniam's lab this year.
A new hydrogel system helps keep some campus lawns lush while using less water than before.
As UC Merced begins its 12th academic year, 18 new ladder-rank professors join the faculty across all three schools. Among the new academics are the campus's first "cluster hires" — four assistant professors who conduct research within a specific interdisciplinary theme — in the area of computational science and data analytics.
Thanks to a nearly $1 million contract with the California Energy Commission, Professor Gerardo Diaz is developing solar-powered heating technology that could reduce the demand for natural gas in businesses and homes.
The magazine's College Guide lists UC Merced as No. 8 in its “Best Bang for the Buck: Western Colleges” and No. 5 in the nation for social mobility.
Yesenia Curiel hopes to complement and enhance the CARE Office's track record of success in leading education and sexual violence prevention at UC Merced.
UC Merced has been ranked by U.S. News in the past for individual graduate programs, but this is its first appearance on the National Universities list.
Interdisciplinary project has professors looking into how to help people with disabilities by figuring out how mind and movement affect each other.
Five-year Talent Search grants will support academic, college preparation and financial counseling for students from six area high schools.
The National Science Foundation has given UC Merced more than $3 million to help train graduate students in interdisciplinary computational sciences.
The symposium this week features new Winston technology and notable guest speakers.
Professor Clarissa Nobile studies biofilms, which can launch deadly infections and can be extremely difficult to detect and treat.
UC Merced will honor Anita Hill as the 10th recipient of the Alice and Clifford Spendlove Prize in Social Justice, Diplomacy and Tolerance in an Oct.
Anna Beaudin, a developmental biologist with the School of Natural Sciences, works with the Health Sciences Research Institute and studies the stem cells that give rise to the human immune system.
Professor Elliott Campbell and his colleagues are looking at the effects of climate change on the coastal redwoods, and whether knowing the iconic trees could be at risk will change people's sustainability related behaviors.
Distinguished Professor Roland Winston is considered the father of nonimaging optics for having developed and described the concept 50 years ago this year.
Design Thinking is a new mechanical engineering class aimed at helping students who have never learned to think like engineers succeed in engineering courses.
By using novel technology developed at UC Merced, this adjunct professor, who works mainly at Lawrence Livermore lab is working to see whether she can distinguish aggressive cancers before they spread to bone.
Students can now get advanced degrees specifically in mechanical engineering, which many feel will help recruit more graduate students.
Open Enrollment started last week and continues until 5 p.m. Nov. 22. During this time, faculty and staff members can make changes to their benefits.
Giving Tuesday, a 24-hour drive for undergraduate scholarship donations that is tied to the international day of giving, falls on Nov. 29. The campaign allows for donors to earmark their donations to any one – or a number – of funds and have those gifts quadrupled, thanks to a generous 3-to-1 match.
For alumnus Stephen Ho, his experience working in research labs and participating in clubs and organizations is paying off in his career.
The campus recently earned another commendation for its sustainability practices as it was recognized as a top performer in the annual Sustainable Campus Index.
A UC Merced graduate student's research regarding efficient water use for agriculture earned him recognition from the American Water Resources Association.
After 5 1/2 years leading the School of Natural Sciences, Dean Juan Meza is getting ready to embark on a new journey at UC Merced: as the senior advisor to the provost for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and diversity initiatives.
A new study by UC Merced Professor Emilia Huerta-Sánchez shows that between 30,000 and 50,000 years ago, Neanderthals, Denisovans and Homosapiens interbred, and modern humans got an evolutionary advantage because of it.
Two UC Merced professors, their grad students and collaborators at other universities are looking into the fossilized remains of the small animals and plants that rounded out the ecosystems at the La Brea Tar Pits.
The UC Merced community seeks out and is active in various ways of helping others.
UC Merced is mourning the loss of two respected campus community members who died recently, athletics coach Ryan Nunez and faculty member S.A. Davis.
A new study published in the Bulletin of Mathematical Biology shows that while hospitals can be breeding grounds for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, they are also important in stopping the evolution of resistant bacteria.
More than 160 UC Merced employees were honored earlier this month for their years of service during the university's annual Celebrating Service ceremony.
Faculty and staff members made up almost 30 percent of the individual donors in this year's record-breaking giving event.
In another milestone-filled year, UC Merced gained national acclaim and broke ground on an unprecedented expansion plan.
Students will have important roles to play and opportunities to provide input as the campus works through details of its expansion plan.
University of California announced that it will vigorously protect the privacy and civil rights of the undocumented members of the UC community and will direct its police departments not to undertake joint efforts with any government agencies to enforce federal immigration law.
UC Merced received a 10.1 percent increase in California applications, the highest in the UC system.
Graduate and undergraduate students in Professor Kara McCloskey's lab are engineering and studying tiny 'bio-bots' created out of living cells and 3-D printed skeletons, and the devices could have huge medical implications.
Professor Mark Aldenderfer and his research team uncovered new evidence regarding the earliest settlers of high-altitude regions. Their findings were published Jan. 6 in the journal Science.
Professor Anand Subramaniam and his students have come up with a novel, portable and startlingly simple way to create cell-sized membranes out of the phospholipid molecules present in real cell membranes.
Several hundred UC Merced staff members kicked off the 2017 spring semester with a briefing from Chancellor Dorothy Leland, who provided updates on several k
UC Merced is relaunching its branch of the Blum Center for Developing Economies with a focus on food security for the first two years of the faculty-led effort.
UC Merced Professor Ala Qattawi has been named Emerging Scholar of the Year by "Diverse: Issues in Higher Education." Qattawi is the first woman in the United States to earn a Ph.D. in automotive engineering.
Olga Diego is UC Merced's newest artist-in-residence and lecturer, and will teach a class that combines art and engineering.
Professor Emilia Huerta-Sánchez and collaborators show in a new study that the Tsimshian, a First Nations community in the Prince Rupert Harbor region of British Columbia in Canada, had mutations that might have made them more susceptible to diseases introduced during European colonization.
Dining Services held its first fundraiser for a scholarship for staff members' dependent children.
UC Merced's senior leadership recently announced several changes in the Division of Planning and Budget, with Daniel Feitelberg and Veronica Mendez taking on new assignments.
A new paper in the new paper in the journal PLoS One by UC Merced Professor Nancy Burke shows that post-diagnosis care for cancer patients — and how effective it is — depends on understanding and addressing cultural differences.
Professors Vincent Tung and Sayantani Ghosh published three papers last year that earned the covers of materials, physics and chemistry journals. Their interdisciplinary collaboration could change the way solar cells are produced.
Valley fever researchers at UC Merced are part of a new multicampus research initiative funded through a grant from the UC Office of the President.
Professor Rose Scott has published two papers building on her previous research, showing that children can recognize and understand deception and false belief at a younger age than previously thought.
A study by Susana Ramirez and Zulema Valdez found that many people in the San Joaquin Valley can't afford fresh, quality produce or live too far from grocery stores, farmers markets and other sources.
By looking at the air and water flows around marine and land-dwelling crabs, applied mathematics Professor Shilpa Khatri and two colleagues are learning how the noseless creatures detect food, mates and enemies.
UC Merced Professor Fabian V. Filipp is further developing his work on precision targeting of cancers and personalized medicine.
The project is designed to develop a systemwide vision regarding academic and enrollment growth and the resources needed to ensure each campus will continue to fulfill its mission of teaching, research and public service.
It’s time for the annual celebration of one of the main missions of UC Merced, along with education and public service — research.
More than 1,000 students are expected to participate in UC Merced’s commencement ceremonies May 13 and 14, which will feature Héctor Tobar and Lesley Slaton Brown as keynote speakers.
The policy requires all campus employees to report acts of violence witnessed in the workplace and encourages employees to report threats of violence or other harmful behavior.
UC Solar has a new, nearly $1 million grant from the California Energy Commission to develop a hybrid solar-thermal system.
More websites featuring the campus’s new, responsive template have gone live in the past few weeks. Web Communications, which is overseeing the transition to the new theme, is encouraging departments to sign up to have their sites migrated as the team prepares for the Drupal 8 platform upgrade.
Three professors have gotten together to create enhanced undergraduate curriculum with a focus on agricultural technology and entrepreneurship.
The School of Engineering made its second appearance on the Best Graduate Schools rankings, and UC Merced made especially strong showings in environmental engineering and psychology.
New hires will receive important information along with being able to identify and communicate the unique qualities they can contribute to the campus's active, engaged community.
UC Merced has earned LEED platinum certification for Classroom and Office Building 2, which opened for classes in fall 2016.
Campus groups host the annual Pride Week program from April 3-9, celebrating LGBTQ+ identity and culture.
Astronaut Tammy Jernigan will speak to students, faculty and staff in a special presentation during the April 19 open house for the Merced nAnomaterials Center for Energy and Sensing Center (MACES).
Some of UC Merced’s most celebrated sports stars of the recent past are now helping to lead the newest generation of student-athletes at their alma mater.
“Collecting dust” isn’t usually considered a good thing.
But dust from as near as the Central Valley and as far away as the Gobi Desert in Asia provides more nutrients — especially critical phosphorus — than previously thought to sustain the vegetation in the Sierra Nevada, a team of scientists has found.
Local and student actors will perform excerpts from classic works of William Shakespeare, as well as writings by naturalist John
Campus friends and supporters were recognized for their charitable spirit at UC Merced’s third annual Celebration of Philanthropic Leaders event, held March 25.
New research shows how much photosynthesis has increased in the past 200 years and how plants have helped slow climate change.
A three-year study will help researchers understand the later outcomes of teens who make non-fatal suicide attempts.
Researchers from several campuses will examine educational risks, including dyslexia, among English-language learners in California.
The mountains are calling, and UC Merced campus members will go — to Yosemite National Park to celebrate Shakespeare, John Muir and Earth Day festivities during next weekend's 'Shakespeare in Yosemite' event.
The first person of Hmong descent to lead a UC public safety agency, the longtime Merced resident is the university's third police chief.
Professor Alexander Petersen's two new publications show how the circulation of scientific knowledge and collaboration is changing in Europe.
Ibram Kendi is a prolific author who is coming to campus to speak as part of the Chancellor’s Dialogue on Diversity and Interdisciplinarity lecture series.
UC Merced lecturer and alumnus Chris Fradkin recently received a Fulbright fellowship to continue his research into factors preventing scientists in “emerging” nations from successfully disseminating their work to the scientific world at large.
UC Merced offers prospective students numerous ways to engage with the campus community so they can make their college decision with confidence.
The MACES open house was a big success, featuring student research and a NASA astronaut.
Scientists joined forces with local community members to take part in UC Merced's inaugural eDNA BioBlitz. Community members trained as citizen scientists and spent the day collecting and cataloging environmental DNA from the Merced Vernal Pools and Grassland Reserve.
The Classroom and Office Building is the first on campus to earn its LEED Building Operations and Maintenance (O+M) certification thanks to work done by students in the LEED Lab class.
The UC Merced Library’s digital assets team is playing an important role in providing access to a swath of modern history that will contribute to research and society.
Get out your sunscreen and shades — next week’s Staff Appreciation Week is focused on “Fun in the Sun,” and includes a laundry list of activities tailored to the campus’s professional staff members.
More than 600 visitors to Yosemite attended four 'Shakespeare in Yosemite' performances over two days. The audiences included many members of the UC Merced community.
UC Merced is one of five campuses in the Critical Refugee Studies Collective (CRSC), which is funded with $1.6 million over four years through the UC's Multicampus Research Programs and Initiatives grant program.
UC Water and the Sierra Nevada Research Institute figure prominently in the first of a series of videos to be broadcast on UCTV’s newest channel, Sustainable California.
CalTeach Professional Development Summer Institute provides a resource for teachers seeking professional learning experiences and curriculum for their classrooms.
Local elementary school students participated in a day of hands-on interactive science hosted by UC Merced's Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Machines Machines. Students explored fundamental scientific concepts, including angular momentum, air pressure and friction.
Grab a pair of sneakers and a water bottle and get ready to move during the annual UC Walks event at UC Merced.
UC Merced is partnering with CropMobster to connect farmers and small businesses with consumers and hunger relief organizations to help grow the local food economy.
More than 1,200 undergraduate and graduate students participated in UC Merced’s 12th commencement on May 13 and 14, representing the university’s largest class since opening in September 2005.
The new graduates bring UC Merced’s alumni total to nearly 8,000 — and, for the first time, the number of alumni has surpassed the number of current students.
The ability to manipulate bacterial growth could eventually have huge implications for preventing and treating a multitude of medical conditions such as staph, e-coli, meningitis, MRSA and botulism – just a few of the thousands of bacterial infections that plague people all over the world.
Karina Diaz-Rios, UC Cooperative Extension specialist for nutrition, family and consumer sciences, joined ANR on Sept. 2. Tapan Pathak, UC Cooperative Extension specialist for climate adaptation in agriculture, will start Feb. 2, 2015.
After nearly a year of planning, analysis and listening to employees’ concerns, UC Merced is launching a three-year strategy to implement a new compensation policy for non-represented staff members.
Research developments coming from biochemistry Professor Patricia LiWang’s lab and her collaboration with three other universities could have global implications in the war against HIV and AIDS.
This summer, the Physics program received approval from the UC President as well as accreditation from the Western Association of Colleges and Schools.
Two overlapping research projects involving UC Merced professors could have big implications for the region’s economy and effects on renewable energy, water and wildfires.
On Dec. 1, UC Merced will participate in #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back. Development and Alumni Relations is spearheading the second annual campaign to raise money for scholarships.
UC Merced is hosting an all-day symposium called “Southeast Asian American Legacies," including two free theater performances, in part as a precursor to the opening of the Hmongstory 40 exhibit in Fresno on Dec. 12.
UC Merced's campus community can still show just how "cool" the campus is during the last week of the systemwide Cool Campus Challenge. The competition ends Dec. 10.
In a nail-biter of a finish, UC Merced rallied from the bottom of the rankings to place second in the Cool Campus Challenge, a systemwide contest to initiate a cultural change on campuses regarding sustainability and carbon neutrality.
President Janet Napolitano wants feedback from faculty and staff members regarding recommendations for new retirement benefits that will affect future UC employees.
Quantitative psychology Professor William Shadish, whose scholarship had a broad impact in psychological, behavioral and health sciences, died at his home on March 27.
Professor Tanya Golash-Boza explores the ties between immigration, law enforcement and economics in her new book, 'Deported: Immigrant Policing, Disposable Labor and Global Capitalism.'
The Office of the President recently announced a target of August 2017 for launching the UCPath program at pilot campuses, which includes UC Merced, UCLA, UC Riverside and ASUCLA.
UC Merced was chosen to be the center of UC-wide drone use and safety standards. It is UC Merced’s first UC Center of Excellence under the Campus and Public Safety umbrella.
Hill will receive the award at a ceremony this fall, 25 years after the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings that thrust her into the national spotlight and inspired a recent HBO film.
In ‘Parenting to a Degree,’ Professor Laura Hamilton shows that overbearing parents have good intentions, but the result makes things even harder for those of modest means.
UC Merced started the fall semester with convocation events for faculty and staff members, featuring highlights from the past year, updates on major initiatives and contributions by campus community members.
The campus appeared in the Sierra Club's 'Cool Schools' rankings for the fourth time in five years, recognizing a commitment to sustainability that has existed since its inception.
UC Merced welcomes its largest incoming class of undergraduate students as a result of a record number of applications for fall admission.
The campus community is invited to a groundbreaking ceremony for the Merced 2020 Project, scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14, in the South Bowl.
Open Enrollment — the period when employees can make changes to their benefits for the upcoming calendar year — starts next week. Among this year's significant changes: new options for disability insurance. UC Merced's Benefits Fair takes place Oct. 28.
The themes of well-being, friendship and strong sense of community guide the focus of campus activities this week.
The WAVE uses 20 screens, 3-D technology, 4K resolution and an extensive research network to transport viewers to far-flung places around the globe — and that’s only the beginning.
Funded by a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and led by UC Merced, a new project aims to target crops' water needs at the plant level.
Friends, students and colleagues honored Jennifer Mendiola during a campus ceremony Dec. 12. The 35-year-old psychology graduate student, who died Dec. 2, was in the process of finalizing her dissertation proposal.
UC Merced’s share of $22 million in state funds will help expand programs focused on entrepreneurism and innovation.
UC Merced has directly contributed more than $1.4 billion to the San Joaquin Valley economy and $2.6 billion to the state since operations began in 2000, with more growth to come.
University Communications unveiled an updated version of the UC Merced Brand Standards, which will help define and reinforce the campus's identity.
University of California officials locally and systemwide address concerns regarding President Trump's executive order on immigration.
UC Merced Professor Clarissa Nobile is the featured speaker for UC Merced's annual Vital and Alice Pellissier Distinguished Speaker Series. The event, which is free and open to the public, takes place at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 22.
This is a reminder that the deadline to complete mandatory online cybersecurity awareness training for most UC Merced employees is Monday (March 6).
Recent storms battered the vintage structure, which will eventually be dismantled. But an effort led by World Heritage Professor Nicola Lercari will ensure that it lives on virtually.
Campus community members stepped up in a big way to support UC Merced's annual fund-raising campaign, which benefits the United Way of Merced County. Participation in this year's event exceeded expectations, according to organizers.
UC Merced Staff Assembly is accepting nominations for its annual Staff Excellence Awards. Up to six individuals will be recognized for their outstanding achievements and meritorious service to the university. Nominations will be accepted until April 13.
Staff and faculty are invited to participate in a candid two-hour webcast from 10 a.m. to noon April 27 to hear about the staff hiring initiative, also known as workforce planning, to ask questions and to offer additional thoughts and feedback.
Ehsan Choudhry and Kristen Wanderlich are UC Merced's new faculty liaisons. They officially started their new roles March 28 and will help faculty members navigate their range of needs.
More than 1,200 candidates for graduation will participate in ceremonies May 13 and 14, bringing the campus’s alumni total to nearly 8,000.
Kyle Hoffman started his career as a student intern in alumni relations at UC Santa Barbara worked his way up to vice chancellor. After 30 years, he will retire from UC June 30.
Human Resources is launching its new version of employee orientation in June. The first hands-on, interactive session will be June 2 in KL 232. The live orientation is mandatory for new hires and optional for their supervisors.
Staff Appreciation Week (SAW 2017) was one for the record books. With nearly 450 employees at the kickoff breakfast on May 16 and more than 600 at the picnic on May 19, this year’s Staff Appreciation Week events drew participation from a significant portion of staff.
