Campus

UC Merced has added Visalia Unified School District (VUSD) to its list of partners signed to the Merced Automatic Admission Program (MAAP).

The ninth partnership will allow hundreds of VUSD students to be automatically accepted to UC Merced if they meet the university’s eligibility requirements.

The program allows students who complete the A-G courses for first-year UC admission with a weighted GPA of 3.5, with no grade lower than a "C," to be admitted to the university through a streamlined process.

Film festivals across the world continue to reach out to filmmaker and Professor Yehuda Sharim to invite him to screen his latest films "El Ojo Comienza En La Mano" (translated to "The Eye Begins in the Hand") and "Letters2Maybe." Central Valley residents do not have to travel far to enjoy either of them because both are also being showcased in Merced.

The 2022 report of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change warns that global health is at the mercy of fossil fuels. An accompanying policy brief states that an estimated 32,000 people in the U.S. died due to air pollution in 2020 alone; 37% of those deaths were directly related to fossil fuels.

Sociology Professor Charlie Eaton was a recent guest on the "Dr. Phil" talk show, where he discussed President Joe Biden's plan to cancel billions of dollars in federal student loans. Ultimately, Eaton believes it will be "transformative for more than 40 million people who are going to have their debt reduced."

Fred and Mitzie Ruiz, longtime UC Merced donors and two of the university’s most active and earliest supporters, have made a significant gift to name the campus’ administration building and enrollment center.

In honor of their philanthropic leadership, the facility will be named the Fred and Mitzie Ruiz Administration Center. As a hub of campus business and activities, the Ruiz Administration Center will help establish a lasting legacy that embodies its namesakes’ dedication to both UC Merced and the San Joaquin Valley.

This week, UC Merced welcomed the community to campus as it hosted a debate between candidates for the State Assembly District 27 seat Esmeralda Soria (D) and Mark Pazin (R). The newly established seat represents Merced, Madera and Fresno counties. Soria is currently a Fresno City Council member, and Pazin is a former Merced County sheriff.

The debate was moderated by Mark Keppler with The Maddy Institute. Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz opened Monday’s ceremony with welcoming remarks.

The debate can be watched in its entirety below.

A five-year grant totaling more than $1.4 million awarded by the U.S.

Linda Barreto ('08), Jessica Jaramillo Perez ('14) and Alejandra Tenorio Zurita ('20) all knew at a young age that they wanted to become lawyers. What they didn't know, however, was that UC Merced would play a pivotal role in merging their paths to create a powerhouse that advocates for hundreds of immigrants in the Central Valley.

After two years, the National Science Foundation-funded CREST STEM Camp returned to in-person activities on campus this summer, giving 26 middle school students from around the Central Valley and beyond exposure to exciting STEM topics and the abundant opportunities that exist in STEM fields.