Modesto Officials Visit Campus, Discuss Potential Collaborations

Modesto City Council members got a close-up look at UC Merced when they visited campus in early August.

The delegation included Mayor Ted Brandvold; council members Mani Grewal, Jenny Kenoyer, Douglas Ridenour and Bill Zoslocki; and City Manager Jim Holgersson.

When they arrived, the visitors encountered the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center’s (UROC) 10th annual UC Merced Summer Research Symposium in the Lantern. They viewed the various presentations and asked undergraduate researchers questions.

Later, the delegation joined Chancellor Dorothy Leland for lunch and heard updates on the campus and the 2020 Project. Also in attendance were Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Charles Nies and undergraduate student Genesis Diaz of Modesto.

Diaz, a fourth-year political science major, talked about her experience at UC Merced and the opportunities she has had during her undergraduate years. The Modesto delegation expressed enthusiasm in opportunities to collaborate with UC Merced to increase the campus's presence in the Modesto area, with the hope of increasing the number of students from Stanislaus County and providing more internships and jobs opportunities to students and graduates.

After a brief campus tour, the delegation met with Brian O’Bruba, interim assistant vice chancellor for Campus Life and director of the Center for Career and Professional Advancement (CCPA). O’Bruba gave a presentation on the effects alumni are having in Stanislaus County.

“One of the most exciting outcomes of the meeting was the identification of potential internship and full-time job opportunities for UC Merced students and alumni with the City of Modesto and within Stanislaus County,” O’Bruba said. “We were able to think strategically about how to retain talent in the Central Valley and deepen the technical and non-technical bench strength of regional employers.”