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UC Merced Makes Princeton Review ‘Green Honor Roll,’ Remains Consistent on International Young University Rankings

UC Merced’s superb sustainability and environmental reputation continue to be a powerhouse, with The Princeton Review placing the campus among only three UCs on its ‘2022 Green Honor Roll.’ The campus also remains on the Times Higher Education Young University Rankings at No.3.

Incoming Grad Students Get a Jump Start

While the campus remained quieter than usual this summer, a group of new graduate students began their UC Merced journey earlier than the rest of their cohort.

After 18-Month Closure Amid COVID-19 Pandemic, UC Merced Library Reopening Its Doors

Since opening its doors in August 2005, the UC Merced Library has served as the hub of the campus. That all changed when the coronavirus pandemic hit and the building was forced to close in March 2020. Now, the library is gearing up to reopen its doors on Aug. 16 and welcome back members of the university and community.

Trevor and Katherine Albertson Create New Fellowship to Support History Graduate Students

Trevor Albertson Ph.D. (’09) had a history of “firsts” during his time at UC Merced.

Albertson was among the university’s earliest doctoral students, entering the then-World Cultures and History program in 2006 and earning his Ph.D. in political diplomatic history in 2009. He is also the first UC Merced graduate to be appointed to a three-year term on the UC Merced Board of Trustees.

Now, he and his wife, Katherine, have created the Albertson Family Fellowship Fund, making Albertson the first UC Merced alumnus to endow a fellowship.

UC Merced Faculty Land Three UC-HBCU Grants, Most in System

The University of California Office of the President awarded three out of only seven UC-Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Initiative grants to UC Merced faculty members.

The initiative has fostered faculty partnerships with HBCUs to support enhanced diversity and representation of Black scholarship in graduate education and the professoriate since 2017.

Recent Ph.D. Grads Receive NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship

Quantitative Systems Biology Graduate Program alumni Kinsey Brock and Robert Boria were awarded Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology (PRFB) from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Boria and Brock — both former members of paleoecology Professor Jessica Blois’ research group — graduated in May with doctoral degrees and are headed to top universities to continue their important research.

Incoming Grad Students Awarded Inaugural Inclusive Excellence Fellowship

As part of its commitment to inclusive excellence in graduate research and education, UC Merced has awarded its new Chancellor’s Fellowship for Inclusive Excellence to four incoming Ph.D. students from the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts whose studies will contribute to the representation of Black scholars in academia and beyond.

Cows are Udderly Useful for Healthy Vegetation Management on Nature Reserve

Today is National Cow Appreciation Day, a “holiday” invented by a fast-food chain that sells a lot of "chikn." But it’s still a good opportunity to celebrate our neighbors to the northeast — even if being surrounded by cows wasn’t necessarily how you imagined your college experience.

The cows might be an unusual sight to some, but they play an integral part in the healthy management of the approximately 6,500-acre Merced Vernal Pools and Grassland Reserve.

UC Merced Moves Up Eight Spots on International Young University Rankings

UC Merced continues to demonstrate academic success, as it was announced today (June 23) that the university ascended to No. 57 on the international 2021 Times Higher Education Young University Rankings, moving up eight places from last year.

This year’s list included 475 of the best universities founded since 1971. Among the young U.S. universities, the campus remained stable from last year’s rankings at No. 3.

UC Merced Receives Largest Philanthropic Gift in Campus History

Philanthropist and author MacKenzie Scott and her husband, Dan Jewett, have made the most significant gift to the University of California, Merced, in the university’s 16-year history.

Scott announced the $20 million gift in a blog post June 15. In all, the couple donated $2.74 billion to 286 organizations, including nonprofits and groups working to combat racial discrimination. UC Merced is the only University of California campus to receive a gift in the couple’s generous giving history.