By Lorena Anderson, University Communications

UC Merced Professor Gerardo Diaz is developing solar-powered water heating technology that c

A team of UC Merced engineering students — plus one from a nearby state university

Faculty members from the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Chemistry and Chemical Biology and Mechanical Engineering

Professor Jessica Blois is the newest recipient of the International Biogeography Society’s MacArthur & Wilson Award recognizing early career work and contributions to biogeography.

Blois, a paleoecologist with the School of Natural Sciences, is the only recipient of this year’s award, which the International Biogeography Society (IBS) gives biennially to faculty members who have completed their Ph.D.s within the past 12 years.

One of the most stunning sights in Yosemite National Park has nothing to do with granite. It’s the night sky, Milky Way and all.

But light pollution within the park can diminish that experience for visitors as well as change the circadian rhythms of flora and fauna.

Don’t be surprised if, as the warmer weather kicks in, you continue to see green lawns at UC Merced.

From the forests of Tuscany, Italy, to the shores of a San Diego reservoir, Professor Marc Beutel is hunting mercury.

Researchers at UC Merced are making a big deal

Several students, faculty members and the provost represented UC Merced at the University of California’s recent Carbon Slam event, placing in the presentation competitions and increasing the campus’s visibility among peers and the public.

For many UC Merced students, visiting Yosemite is a relaxing way to spend a weekend. But for several UC Merced students, the past weekend was extremely hectic and a little nerve-wracking — but full of pride — as they helped Yosemite National Park host President Barack Obama and the first family.

“They didn’t tell us we were going to meet the president until just a few hours before,” senior cognitive science student and Ranger Jessica Rivas said. “It was an amazing honor.”