Staff

A day off meant a day of service for some UC Merced students and staff and faculty members who volunteered to help spruce up Luther Burbank Elementary School in Merced as part of the 2014 Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service.

The saga of LBD – the scrappy, stray canine who roamed the UC Merced campus for two months while eluding the many Good Samaritans concerned for his wellbeing — came to a happy conclusion Wednesday after he was safely captured.

The newest UC campus prides itself on its commitment to community service and helping others.

For Melissa Ugaldes and many San Joaquin Valley high school students like her, a University of California education might not be an obvious option.

Not everyone can go out into the Sierra Nevada and experience snowpack research or wildlife conservation firsthand.

That’s why Robin Milford, access services librarian and exhibits coordinator for the UC Merced library, has brought the experiences to campus.

“We have a lot of really great exhibit spaces, and I think they are best used when we’re showing what’s really going on on the campus,” Milford said.

What comes to mind when you hear the word “audit?”

An encounter with a grim-faced accountant? Visions of the IRS?

Todd Kucker is quite aware of the negative image many people have about audits, but he’s working hard to change that perception at UC Merced.

The University of California, Merced, today received approval from the UC Board of Regents’ Committee on Grounds and Buildings of an amendment to its development plan that will allow more rapid and cost-efficient construction of campus facilities through 2020. (Full board approval is anticipated on May 16.)

This year isn’t the first time Maxine Umeh-Garcia has walked across the commencement stage at the University of California, Merced. She was part of the campus's graduating class in 2010.

But this time will be markedly different. Umeh-Garcia is receiving a master’s degree in quantitative and systems biology, and she will represent the Class of 2013 at one of two commencement ceremonies scheduled for May 18 and 19.

Sometimes, what goes on behind the scenes is as important as what happens in full view – especially when it comes to UC Merced’s pledge to uphold and develop new sustainable practices.

As UC Merced’s new energy manager, it’s Varick Erickson’s job to watch every kilowatt hour used on campus and identify ways to save them.

“It’s a lot like rummaging around in the couch and looking for change,” Erickson said.

Except the spare kilowatt hours he finds could save the campus hundreds of thousands of dollars.