Patty Guerra

UC Merced campus photo of sign

Technology Revolution in Agriculture Needs Investment in Humans as Well as Machines

 Key Findings:

  • Interest in agricultural technology is here. Among 10,856 respondents from Central Valley agricultural communities, 16.5% expressed interest in agtech training, more than three times those interested in general agriculture programs.

  • The challenge is not motivation; it is access. The study says childcare, internet connectivity and flexible scheduling as core constraints on participation in technical education..

NASA Administrator Offers UC Merced Students a Glimpse of Their Future

It might seem that an airfield filled with old planes is a strange place to talk about the future of space flight. But Jared Isaacman, the administrator of NASA, said the Castle Air Museum was the perfect setting to talk about what's ahead.

Isaacman visited the former Air Force base last week to tour the planes and talk with students, including a contingent of more than 30 from UC Merced. The group included undergraduate and graduate students, members of the university's first nanosatellite team, and faculty conducting NASA-supported research.

COSMOS Completes First Summer Session at UC Merced

Dozens of California high school students recently finished four weeks on the UC Merced campus, where they delved into topics including nanoparticles, digital twins, bioluminescent squids, and quantum physics.

UC Merced Team Wins International EV Design Competition

Imagine driving down a road in an electric vehicle with no charging stations in sight. Do you want only an estimate of how many more miles your car can go before the battery dies?

As electric vehicles proliferate throughout much of the world, it's never been more important to know precisely how much charge is left in their batteries.

Early Ambition, Hard Work Lead to Graduating UC Merced at 19

A few months ago, Adesh Johal wanted to join Patti LiWang's research group.

"At the time, he was loaded up on credits so it didn't seem like he would have enough time to get much done in lab," said LiWang, a professor of molecular biology at UC Merced.

How Much Does Wildfire Reduce Forest Water Use and Increase Runoff?

Wildfire is reshaping the forests of California's Sierra Nevada and affecting the water those forests supply to downstream users.

A paper published in Hydrology and Earth System Science reports that the effect of wildfire on potential runoff from the state's main water-supply watersheds has increased in the period 1985-2023, most markedly since 2019.

Solar Company Partners with UC Merced to Test New Panels

UC Merced is no stranger to solar panels. The campus, built to be sustainable from the beginning, is home to thousands of them, and they provide a good chunk of the electricity that powers the university.

But one very special panel was recently installed on the top of the Science and Engineering 2 Building.

The panel was crafted by Tandem PV, a Fremont company that uses perovskite-silicon tandem technology to make high-efficiency solar panels that integrate into existing manufacturing supply chains.

Remodeled Applegate Zoo, Including UC Merced-Sponsored Bobcat Exhibit, Celebrates Opening Day

Bobcat kittens Boomer and Bobbie scampered, played and splashed in their pool Friday morning, blissfully unaware they were part of a major celebration at Merced's Applegate Zoo.

The zoo, closed since Jan. 1 for remodeling, reopened to a large crowd eager to see the new black bear exhibit, remodeled bobcat habitat and other improvements.

What Do Driverless Cars and Building Evacuation Routes Have in Common? A Lab at UC Merced

Step into Ross Greer’s lab — gingerly, because there’s a makeshift racetrack on the floor — and you will see multiple projects aimed at making autonomous vehicles smarter and safer.

And these projects are getting global recognition.

Student from Modesto Ready to Make an Impact at UC Merced

This is part of a series of profiles of new UC Merced Bobcats enrolled for the fall 2026 semester.

Anthony Savala Alvarez comes to UC Merced this fall with several accomplishments under his belt: He graduated high school with a grade point average of 4.1, earned the California Seal of Biliteracy, and took part in several sports, including varsity soccer, cross country and track and field.