In an unprecedented show of unity, leaders from Merced City School District, Merced Union High School District, Merced College and UC Merced came together to discuss how continued collaboration can transform education and opportunities across the region.
The beat of drums and the scent of cedar filled UC Merced’s Conference Center as acclaimed chef, author and activist Sean Sherman shared stories of tradition, resilience and culinary innovation during “Flavors & Stories: A Fireside Chat with the Sioux Chef.”
The New York Times bestselling author and founder of North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS) engaged the audience in a conversation about his journey to revitalize Indigenous cuisine and reconnect communities with the ingredients and methods that sustained their ancestors for generations.
Following recognition as a Top 25 university by U.S. News & World Report, UC Merced has once again earned national acclaim, this time from the Wall Street Journal. In its 2026 report of the Best Colleges in the U.S., the highly respected media outlet has named UC Merced the 14th best college in the nation.
UC Merced’s upward trajectory shows no signs of slowing as the university has cracked the Top 25 of U.S. News & World Report’s best public schools in the nation.
The annual survey, which evaluates nearly 1,700 national public and private colleges and universities, also placed UC Merced No. 57 overall among all universities and No. 3 in the nation for social mobility.
The UC Merced Safety Conference will begin Sept. 23, offering attendees a chance to explore the latest trends, strategies and innovations in safety while connecting with experts and peers. The two-day conference aims to deliver real-world solutions to strengthen safety collaboration across institutions and communities.
This year’s event will feature presentations led by nationally recognized professionals, equipping participants with knowledge and practical tools to address today’s most pressing safety challenges.
The stethoscopes may come later, but the commitment to community was clear as UC Merced welcomed its newest SJV PRIME+ students last weekend. The Student and Family Welcome event marked the beginning of an eight-year journey for 15 students who will progress from bachelor’s degrees at UC Merced to medical degrees from the UCSF School of Medicine, and complete clinical training at UCSF Fresno — all with a shared mission to strengthen health care in the San Joaquin Valley.
The University of California, Merced, has received the 2025 Higher Education Excellence and Distinction Award from Insight Into Academia magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. The annual HEED Award is a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to academic excellence, belonging and community building across all levels of campus life.
UC Merced will be featured, along with 60 other recipients, in the October 2025 issue of Insight Into Academia magazine.
The Campos Foundation, one of UC Merced’s most dedicated supporters and partners, has made a $5 million gift for the development of a new state-of-the-art campus facility dedicated to track and field. The university shared plans to name the facility Campos Field in recognition of the foundation’s transformative contribution.
The announcement to name the field was made during halftime of the women’s soccer team season opener Sept.5. The celebratory and symbolic moment also marked the Bobcats’ first time competing in NCAA Division II.
UC Merced, in conjunction with longtime campus partner the Campos Foundation, launched the pilot Campos ENgage Summer Bridge Academy, a weeklong summer program aimed at supporting underrepresented minority and female students interested in STEM.
This is the final entry of a series of profiles of new UC Merced Bobcats enrolled for the fall 2025 semester.
Adriana Ponce Mata spent the last two summers working in one of the largest and oldest companies in the Bay Area. This fall, she joins UC Merced to begin her next chapter. Through Project SEED, she gained hands-on research experience testing fuels in an oil refinery, sparking her passion for science and helping others.
