News

Ending Health Disparities Starts with Good Data, National Authority Says

November 14, 2024

Solid and sharable research data must go hand in hand with collaboration and caring to tackle the health gaps that trouble minoritized and underserved populations in the San Joaquin Valley and elsewhere. That was the main message from a national leader in minority health care disparities during a...

Fellowship Draws UC Merced Alum Back to the Capitol

November 13, 2024

As one of UC Merced’s first students, Josue “Josh” Franco seized the chance to help shape student government for future scholars on campus; now he has grasped a new opportunity on Capitol Hill. The three-time alumnus (B.A. ’09, M.A. ’16, Ph.D. ’18) has been awarded the American Political Science...

3 New Majors Meet at Crossroads of Communication and Science

November 12, 2024

Information – how it is shaped, delivered and received – is a thread that runs through three dynamic new majors at UC Merced. Communication and media; neuroscience; and science, technology and ethics will be available to undergraduate students in the fall semester 2025. The majors are centered in...

New Method of Mapping Proteins Offers Undergraduate Students New Opportunities

November 7, 2024

Research on cell development has led not only to a more efficient way to map proteins in living cells but also tapped into the research capabilities of UC Merced undergraduate students and brought about a new learning opportunity that could shape their futures. Researchers know a protein’s function...

Alice Waters Institute Challenges Student Chefs to Get Creative

October 28, 2024

Student employees in UC Merced’s dining centers got an up-close look at the sustainable techniques at a family almond farm and were challenged to create locally sourced dishes as part of a workshop inspired by an internationally famous chef. The workshop was presented by the Alice Waters Institute...

Public Health Grad Student Selected for Prestigious Award

October 24, 2024

Second-year public health Ph.D. student Sarina Rodriguez was named as a Health Policy Research Scholar by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The HPRS program supports doctoral students from underserved and underrepresented demographics and brings together students from various fields to apply...

NSF Grant Opens Opportunities for Students in Materials Research

October 21, 2024

A group of faculty members at UC Merced has been awarded a $1 million seed grant from the National Science Foundation to form a research collaborative to expand participation and access to materials, research-focused facilities, education, training and careers. The Venture for Innovation in Self-...

Zimbabwean Filmmaker, Activist Chosen for Spendlove Prize

October 21, 2024

Tsitsi Dangarembga, a renowned Zimbabwean filmmaker, novelist and cultural activist, was selected as the 16th recipient of the Alice and Clifford Spendlove Prize in Social Justice, Diplomacy and Tolerance. Tsitsi Dangarembga is best known for her critically acclaimed 1988 debut novel, “Nervous...

UC Merced Receives Second Consecutive HEED Award For DEI Efforts

October 17, 2024

UC Merced has received the 2024 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, making it the second straight year the university has earned the distinction. The award, given by Insight Into Diversity magazine, recognizes institutions of higher education for their outstanding commitment to...

Valley Air Quality, Public Health the Focus of UC Merced Conference

October 15, 2024

Scientists, policymakers and concerned community members will gather at UC Merced this week to compare notes and chart new directions to improve air quality and public health in the San Joaquin Valley. The Conference on Air Quality and Health on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 17-18, at the UC Merced...