Undergraduate Students

The National Science Foundation awarded a team, led by principal investigators Professor Ajay Gopinathan and Carrie Kouadio, funding to establish a summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program at UC Merced.

This new program seeks to increase the diversity of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) research community.

UC Merced will host incoming students, their families and friends on Saturday, April 20, for Bobcat Day - the university's annual open house.

Bobcat Day will begin at 9:15 a.m. with a welcome message from Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz at University Plaza. Campus staff, faculty, students and alumni will be available throughout the day to answer questions about clubs and student organizations, summer session, Greek life, cultural groups, athletics, academics, health promotions, the UC Merced Police Department and more.

UC Merced has partnered with two California community colleges to further extend access to students transferring to a four-year university. In April, ceremonies were held to sign agreements with Madera Community College and Las Positas College.

By signing the Madera Promise and Las Positas Promise agreements, the institutions give respective students attending Madera Community College and Las Positas College a streamlined pathway to transfer to UC Merced.

UC Merced invites all Bobcats to give back to the university and campus community by participating in numerous events planned throughout March as part of the third annual Student Philanthropy Month.

The monthlong initiative, hosted by the Office of Alumni Relations and Student Alumni Association (SAA), is dedicated to building a culture of philanthropy and awareness at the university.

Nearly 33,000 prospective first-year and transfer students applied to UC Merced for the fall 2024 semester — a 12% increase from last year’s applicant pool.

“It is clear that the word has spread far and wide about UC Merced’s culture of innovation, our world-changing teaching and research, and all the exciting opportunities we offer students and families,” said Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz.

Merced area fourth- and fifth-grade girls and their mothers recently participated in hands-on scientific projects in a UC Merced classroom laboratory that was transformed for one day into an exciting experimental space.

UC Merced’s NSF-funded CREST Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Machines (CCBM) hosted the event as part of the seven-week Mother Daughter Science Camp, organized by the Merced branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW).

The American Council on Education (ACE) and Fidelity Investments this week presented the 2024 Award for Institutional Transformation to UC Merced and to Florida Atlantic University.

The award, established in 2014, recognizes institutions that respond to higher education challenges in innovative and creative ways and achieve dramatic changes in a relatively brief period. It was presented along with a $10,000 prize to each institution at the ACE Presidents and Chancellors Summit in Washington, D.C.

Editor's note: In honor of Black History Month, the UC Merced newsroom is highlighting some of the organizations, services and people who serve or represent the Black community on campus.

Like many first-year students, Layla Muhammed stumbled a bit at the beginning of her journey at UC Merced.

But one of the most surprising things she learned was how much other people cared and would help her.

Editor's note: In honor of Black History Month, the UC Merced newsroom is highlighting some of the organizations, services and people who serve or represent the Black community on campus.

For many aspiring college students, it can be hard to picture themselves attending a four-year university, especially when they will be the first in their family to attend. UC Merced's partnership with The 1300 Campaign is giving local young men of color a first-hand experience of what being a student at UC Merced might feel like for themselves - from the dorm room to the research lab.

Hundreds of UC Merced supporters made it crystal clear they believe in the university's mission, giving a record-breaking amount to support current Bobcats and other members of the campus community, through scholarships and fellowships, research projects and more.

A total of 692 gifts were made during the campus's annual monthlong fundraising campaign, Give to UC Merced, which amounted to nearly $1.3 million in vital funding for the university.