Student Life

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¡Vamos!: First Cohort to Begin New Bilingual Authorized Teacher Prep Program

Nearly 1.2 million students in California are not native English speakers, many coming from Spanish-speaking households. Transitioning to an English-speaking classroom can be difficult for these students, but UC Merced’s Teacher Preparation Program is poised to remedy these challenges with its recent bilingual authorization.

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.

Strauss Foundation Winner, Recent Grad Works to Improve Wheelchair Accessibility

In July, Joseph Bello will present his findings for the prestigious Donald A. Strauss Foundation scholarship to United Spinal, the longstanding nonprofit dedicated to overcoming the stigma of disability and increasing inclusivity for wheelchair users. It has taken months of work to prepare, but Joseph is no stranger to persistence.

Summer Environmental Internship to Create Bridge for Diverse Talent

UC Merced’s Office of Sustainability and Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion are working to create a more inclusive workforce.

This summer, both offices are teaming up with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a nonprofit international environmental advocacy group, to allow one student to participate in an exclusive paid remote internship to gain experience in ecological research alongside the NRDC clean transportation team.

Engineering Ag Tech Solutions Just One Element of Annual Innovate to Grow Expo

You can’t avoid seeing grazing cattle in California’s Central Valley, where UC Merced has its own pastured cows on campus. Now imagine if those cows were kept secluded without the use of a fence, or at least not one visible to the eye.

Class of 2021 Takes Part in In-person Activities Followed by Virtual Commencement

The pandemic has changed many aspects of life, but UC Merced Bobcats demonstrated their ability to overcome life's unexpected curveballs during an academic year unlike any other.

To ensure each student’s accomplishments are celebrated, UC Merced will host its second virtual spring commencement ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 15, for the Class of 2021.

Bobcat Won’t be Stopped by Pandemic, Creates a Resource for Students  Worldwide

Like many students at UC Merced, pre-medical student Nina Bouzamondo-Bernstein faced uncertainty as the COVID-19 pandemic spread throughout the world.

She had applied for more than 40 clinical research care openings, but the pandemic had closed them all down. Feeling cornered by the changes happening around her, she decided to take charge of the situation.

“I decided to take steps to give other students the resources they needed to continue studying,” Bouzamondo-Bernstein said. “That’s when I came up with the idea of an online platform.”

Students Contribute to Castle Air Museum Improvement Proposal 

A team of UC Merced students partnered with Castle Air Museum to complete a proposal in the hopes of making the park more accessible to the diverse community it serves.

Bobcat Teams Rise Above with Inspiring Levels of Success

It’s an incredible time to be a Bobcat student-athlete.

In a year turned inside-out by COVID-19, UC Merced’s intercollegiate teams have risen above with atmospheric levels of success.

With all sports seasons shifted to spring because of the global pandemic, UC Merced squads burst out of the gate and racked up one success after another.

Bilingual Shakespeare Sets the Stage for Future Productions 

Shakespeare can feel stuffy and difficult to understand. Native English speakers often struggle with decoding the Bard’s works, so imagine how difficult it would be to appreciate Shakespeare if you spoke another language.

This is the challenge UC Merced’s students and faculty took on with their bilingual production of “Ricardo El Segundo,” or “Richard II.”