Elizabeth Arakelian

UC Merced campus photo of sign

Former LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to Speak at UC Merced

Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will give a speech on the future of civic engagement as part of UC Merced interim Chancellor Nathan Brostrom’s speaker series.

Villaraigosa was the first Mexican American in more than 130 years to serve as mayor of Los Angeles. Formerly speaker of the California State Assembly, he advocated for working families, the environment, health care and funding for public schools. Villaraigosa has also been featured in Time magazine as one of the country’s 25 most influential Latinos.

UC Merced Police Beautify Local School Alongside Elementary Students

The UC Merced Police Department and its student partners ventured off campus and into the local community to work alongside elementary students to improve their campus through the inaugural Beautification Project.

The project is one part of the UC Merced Police Department’s Trailblazers program, which affords officers and college students the chance to give back to the community by mentoring local students, providing positive role models and encouraging the pursuit of higher education. The mentorship program started in 2006.

Moneyball Author and Master Storyteller Entertains UC Merced Crowd

Before a packed crowd at the Dr. Lakireddy Auditorium, bestselling author Michael Lewis conversed with interim Chancellor Nathan Brostrom about the future of financial markets, the Oakland A’s, college athletics and the housing bubble, in the Jan. 31 installment of the Chancellor’s Speaker Series.

University Friends Circle Offers Scholarship Opportunity for Student Volunteers

UC Merced students who are active in the community are encouraged to apply for the University Friends Circle Distinguished Volunteer Scholarship for the upcoming 2020-2021 academic year.

New Fellowship Program Gives Faculty an Edge in Competitive Funding Landscape

Many faculty members are experts in their fields, pioneering new ways to think about complex subject matter. But how does one communicate that research in a simple way, specifically when seeking funding to further their research? That’s where the Office of Research Development steps in.

Bioengineering Faculty Member Studies Inflammation with NIH Grant

Everyone has inflammation in their body at some point as it is a vital part of the immune system. It’s what happens when white blood cells flow to a wound, whether that is a bruise or a broken bone. Inflammation helps us heal properly and fight infections, but sometimes something in this process goes wrong and inflammation becomes chronic. This is another issue that can lead to serious diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, cancer, heart disease and many others.

Concert Series Slated for Merced in 2020

A collaboration among the city of Merced, community members and the University of California Merced is bringing a little night music back to the Merced Open Air Theater.

Friday evening concerts will begin at the outdoor half-shell, in Applegate Park, starting in summer 2020.

Political Scientist Trounstine Appointed Inaugural Endowed Presidential Chair

Political science Professor Jessica Trounstine has been awarded the inaugural UC Merced Foundation Board of Trustees Presidential Chair.

This chair was created to recognize the excellent contributions of a faculty member in a field of research at the discretion of the chancellor. Chancellor Emerita Dorothy Leland (2011 – 2019) announced Trounstine’s appointment for her scholarly contributions to the campus at the June 2019 Board of Trustees meeting.

Students Bring Death to Life in Annual Downtown Dia de los Muertos Celebration

Death is a part of life, a loss surrounded typically by mourning and grief. But what if the passing of a loved one were also a transition to be celebrated?

Students Engineer Art from Trash for Annual Yosemite Facelift Event

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, or in this case art.

Each year Global Arts Studies Program Lecturer Richard Gomez brings students to Yosemite to create an art installation from nothing other than trash found in the park. This project is part of the Yosemite Facelift initiative, an annual effort by the Yosemite Climbing Association to preserve the natural beauty of Yosemite National Park.