Academics

The Hmong Student Association will host its eighth annual educational conference for high school students on Nov. 15.

Note: This story originally appeared in the Fall 2014 issue of UC Merced Magazine and has been updated in the wake of the Nov. 4 elections. Read the whole issue online.

Jefferson Kuoch-Seng is now the official voice for the University of California’s roughly 240,000 students — the first UC Merced student ever to serve in that role.

Most UC Merced students have the desire to help shape the university — whether it’s the culture or the curriculum. Rocco Bowman was no different.

Eleventh and 12^th graders and their parents filled the gymnasium bleachers at McLane High School in Fresno on Thursday (Oct. 9) eager to find out what it takes — academically and financially — to access higher education.

Shy in high school, Rachel Fang didn’t want to follow the same pattern as a UC Merced student.

“I decided that I was going to change,” Fang said. “I wanted to be more outspoken.”

The University of California, Merced, marks a major milestone today with the start of the 2014-15 academic year – its 10th since opening its doors in 2005 as the first new UC campus in 40 years.

“We begin the year with our strongest class of incoming freshmen and the largest and most diverse student body in our history,” said UC Merced Chancellor Dorothy Leland. “The hopes and aspirations of these talented young scholars serve as a poignant reminder of why UC Merced was established and the promise it holds for many generations to come.”

Throughout his 51-year teaching career, John Elia made a profound impact on the lives of more than 10,000 students. Now, his legacy will continue through an endowment created by his family.

A generous gift from the John Elia Education Endowment Trust will fund scholarships, fellowships and programs at the University of California, Merced.

Professor Florin Rusu’s passion for analyzing voluminous amounts of data has won him a prestigious early-career award from the federal Department of Energy, making him the fifth of the nine eligible faculty members in the computer science and engineering group to earn the honor, and the first one to get this award from the DoE.