School of Natural Sciences

Mufadhal Al-Kuhlani came to UC Merced to help reduce the threat of harmful diseases through innovative research.

About 180 people attended a conference at UC Merced that connected researchers with community members working to improve the lives of the San Joaquin Valley's young people.

The December conference, "Building Healthy Youth in Merced County: Community Engagement and Scholarship," showcased successful research and evidence-based programs that can promote positive youth development in Merced County. It was organized by the campus' Chancellor's Task Force on Community Engaged Scholarship and sponsored by the Building Healthy Communities initiative.

http://youtu.be/lYla6IrQbUU

A calculus course at UC Merced marks the first class to be offered through the University of California's online instruction project, with several more courses to be rolled out in early April. The program's inaugural course, which began Jan. 17, is a preparatory calculus class taught by instructors Lei Yue and Maria Albert.

A team of researchers at the University of California, Merced, has redesigned luminescent solar concentrators to be more efficient at sending sunlight to solar cells.

The advancement could be an important breakthrough for solar energy harvesting, said UC Merced physics Professor Sayantani Ghosh, who led the project.

"We tweaked the traditional flat design for luminescent solar concentrators and made them into cylinders," Ghosh said. "The results of this architectural redesign surprised us, as it significantly improves their efficiency."

Dean of Natural Sciences Juan Meza began his tenure at UC Merced in September, and he wasted no time in meeting with undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff to learn about the areas where the school is doing well and look for places to improve.

The bond between the San Joaquin Valley and the University of California, Merced, continues to strengthen.

This past year, UC Merced's ongoing research endeavors produced new knowledge that serves the San Joaquin Valley's community and economy, while the university's burgeoning athletics program became another source of pride for the community.

Additionally, the campus' continued development serves as major source of economic investment during a difficult economy.

Roger Tseng was an undergraduate student studying molecular biology and biochemistry when he got his first opportunity to do research at UC Merced, working with Professor Benoit Dayrat researchi

From improving the performance and efficiency of solar cells to using solar technology to speed up fruit drying, a wide array of topics were covered by distinguished scientists at the UC Solar Research Symposium at UC Merced on Dec. 9.

As UC Merced grows, more and more top students are landing on campus, evidenced by an increase in recipients of one of the most prestigious scholarships offered by the UC system.