Engineering

Engineering Professor Sarah Kurtz has been awarded the Reno Ferrero Family Chair in Electrical Engineering, making her the second woman to hold an endowed chair in the School of Engineering.

"I am truly honored to have been chosen for this chair, not only because of the donor and his achievements, that because this is going to greatly further the electrical engineering program at UC Merced," Kurtz said.

Victor Oregon will attend UC Merced to study mechanical engineering this fall.

A key factor in his decision to attend UC Merced was its proximity to his family and to Yosemite National Park.

“I chose Merced for the financial aid that I am being awarded, and because of its unique location like no other,” he said. “I like how close it is to some of the best national parks in the United States. The campus also has National Park Service rangers on site.”

UC Merced is highlighting incoming first-year students for fall 2022 — a dynamic, diverse and accomplished cohort of new Bobcats.

When deciding on a university, Emanuel Armando Angel, known as Manny, knew he wanted to commit to an institution whose core value is to build a relationship with the education of its students while preparing them for a successful life.

Distinguished Professor Roland Winston was among the first eight faculty members at UC Merced in 2003, two years before the campus opened. When he retires July 1, at age 86, he will be the first of those eight to leave — but his work on solar energy applications will continue.

It's not hyperbolic to say Winston is a really big deal in the worlds of physics and solar energy.

The biannual School of Engineering showcase event, Innovate to Grow (I2G), continued in-person and virtually this spring. The event highlighted innovative engineering design projects that were developed by undergraduates in partnership with 36 industry and nonprofit clients.

The event began with a poster and prototype session that included 66 teams and 330 students showcasing their projects in the Joseph E. Gallo Recreation & Wellness Center.

Bioengineering Professor Victor Muñoz and his lab have created a new way to solve some of the mysteries among an increasingly important class of proteins that don’t appear to have any specific structures but serve very important functions, including the complex genetic processes that separate high-order organisms from single-cell bacteria.

They call it “molecular LEGO,” pulling the proteins apart and rebuilding them, segment by segment.

UC Merced is highlighting incoming first-year students for fall 2022 — a dynamic, diverse and accomplished cohort of new Bobcats.

Edwin Casillas chose UC Merced for many reasons, he said. He likes the “little city” feel of the campus. He is drawn to the “friendly student environment.” And he loves soccer.

“I had the honor and privilege of being able to practice with the men’s soccer team during a training,” the graduating Sonora High School senior said, “and during that time, all the players and coaches were so welcoming, I felt at home.”

Bioengineering Professor Changqing Li is building a high-resolution CT imaging scanner that will allow scientists to study and understand how oxygen plays a role in cancer therapy and stem cells growing in deep tissue such as bone marrow, and possibly develop new advances to culture stem cells outside the body and therapeutics to control tumor growth.

Innovate to Grow (I2G), the biannual showcase of innovative engineering design projects developed in partnership with industry and nonprofit partners, continues in-person and virtually this spring 2022 semester.

“We are excited to have everyone back in person to share in this amazing event,” said Engineering Service Learning Director Chris Butler. “This will be our largest event ever. We have 66 teams and more than 300 students showcasing their projects.”

Leopard shark (Triakis semifasciata) populations in the San Francisco Estuary (SFE) are experiencing extreme decline in recent years, causing concern for coastal ecosystems.