Diversity

A new grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation will help UC Merced further diversify its community of graduate students and faculty, beginning with the humanities and humanistic social sciences.

UC Merced is venturing into the bright lights of YouTube shows and junior Kamyar Nekoui is leading the charge.

Tuesday marks the release of the first online episode of Nekoui’s project, a recorded talk show titled “Crucial Conversations.” The show, formatted to mirror popular talk shows like “The View,” is the first of its kind at the university.

UC Merced psychology Professor Anna Song and biology Professor Jennifer Manilay had a special dinner with UC President Janet Napolitano at her Oakland home recently to honor the faculty members for their work on first-generation student initiatives.

UC Merced is uniquely positioned to be a change agent in how the academy addresses diversity in STEM, said Professor Donna Riley, the Kamyar Haghighi Head of Purdue’s School of Engineering Education.

Jaapna Dhillon had no idea that studying how almonds affect health would win her a huge advantage in securing a tenure-track position.

But Dhillon just became UC Merced’s first postdoctoral researcher to receive a Pathway to Independence Award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Despite efforts to increase diversity among science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines, inclusion continues to be a struggle, said Donna Riley, professor of engineering education at Purdue University.

Riley, the Kamyar Haghighi Head of Purdue’s School of Engineering Education, will discuss how and why equity and inclusion in STEM have defied decades of research and educational innovation during the Chancellor’s Dialogue on Diversity and Interdisciplinarity lecture on Sept. 13 at UC Merced.

Kimberly Ramirez Gonzalez has been advocating for youth for four years and she is committed to dedicating the rest of her life to doing so.

Working in education over the years, I have learned to never let inhospitable and toxic circumstances destroy one’s soul, but to use education as a way to empower, transform, radically heal and cultivate seeds of hope.

The University of California, Merced, has selected political commentator and public affairs professional Maria Cardona and civic leader and entrepreneur Lenny Mendonca to deliver keynote addresses at its 13th commencement exercises, May 12 and 13.

Starting and navigating the career-planning process can be daunting for any college student, but especially for those who will be the first in their families to graduate from college.