All Stories

UC Merced Aerial Picture
Rising Simultaneous Fire Weather Threatens International Firefighting Efforts
February 18, 2026
High-risk conditions for fires are increasingly happening across countries at the same time, making wildfires even more challenging to tackle, new research reveals. Scientists from UC Merced and the University of East Anglia found this... Read More
Together We Will Conference to Empower Female High School Athletes at UC Merced
February 18, 2026
Female high school student-athletes are invited to the UC Merced campus on March 8 for Together We Will, a first-of-its-kind conference designed to inspire connection, confidence and leadership. The one-day event will bring together... Read More
Spotlighting Black Trailblazers Whose Stories Deserve to be Told
February 12, 2026
Black History Month often honors familiar names, leaders whose courage and determination changed the course of a nation. But many others have made groundbreaking contributions that exposed injustice, advanced civil rights, reshaped... Read More
How Writing Rewires Your Brain to Face Everyday Challenges
February 11, 2026
Written words can do more than communicate. They can also unlock the writer’s ability to process distress, identify hurtful feelings and take control of personal conflict. Emily Johnston, a writing studies professor at UC Merced, has... Read More
UC Berkeley Exhibit Marks 20 Years of UC Merced’s Design Vision
February 10, 2026
From open farmland in California’s Central Valley to a global model for sustainable design, UC Merced’s architectural story is currently on view as part of a special exhibit at UC Berkeley’s Bauer Wurster Hall. Located in one of Berkeley’s... Read More
Researchers Rebuild Microscopic Circadian Clock That Can Control Genes
February 10, 2026
Our circadian clocks play a crucial role in our health and well-being, keeping our 24-hour biological cycles in sync with light and dark exposure. Disruptions in the rhythms of these clocks, as with jet lag and daylight saving time, can... Read More
Merced Trio to Share Knowledge, Visions as UC Merced Artists-in-Residence
February 5, 2026
Three Merced painters, united in friendship and in their steadfast determination not to compromise their creative values, are serving as UC Merced’s first locally based artists-in-residence. The brushes of Ruben Aguilera Sanchez, Frank... Read More
UC Merced Recognized on Newsweek’s Inaugural ‘America’s Best Colleges for Women’ List
February 4, 2026
UC Merced has been recognized on Newsweek’s inaugural America’s Best Colleges for Women 2026 list, a national ranking designed to spotlight institutions that support, advance and elevate women across campus and beyond. Newsweek developed... Read More
Unlocking the Secrets of Tiny, Living Clocks Could Revolutionize Science
February 2, 2026
Biochemistry Professor Andy LiWang has spent much of his career studying how life keeps time. His work on the circadian clock of cyanobacteria — tiny, ancient organisms that share the planet with us — has shed light on one of biology’s... Read More
Creative, Problem-Solving Projects Win at I2G
January 28, 2026
A semi-automated washing system for bins at a tomato-processing facility and a mobile app for hikers earned big wins at the Fall 2025 I2G, or Innovate to Grow, event at UC Merced. I2G is a unique "experiential learning" program that... Read More
UC Merced Scientists Among Global Elite Shaping AI, Climate and Health
January 26, 2026
UC Merced continues to demonstrate its growing influence on the global stage. Several faculty members landed on Clarivate’s 2025 list of the world’s most‑cited researchers. The honor is reserved for the top 1% of scholars whose work has... Read More
High School Students Invited to Apply for Free Computer Science Internship
January 22, 2026
High school students have an extraordinary opportunity to explore software development through a summer internship program at UC Merced. Computer science and engineering Professor Ahmed Arif started the High School Internship program in... Read More
Innovative Solutions Turn Rural Energy Challenges Into Opportunities
January 21, 2026
One of the biggest hurdles facing local farmers is the rising cost of doing business. However, some innovative solutions are in the works, as highlighted at the Central Valley Rural Energy Systems Workshop at UC Merced in early December.... Read More
UC Merced Injects Over $1 Billion in Economic Vitality into San Joaquin Valley, State
January 20, 2026
UC Merced, a beacon of academic achievement in the San Joaquin Valley, is also a powerful driver of economic growth and prosperity in the region it was created to serve.  UC Merced generates $1.12 billion in economic production per year in... Read More
Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service: A Day On, Not a Day Off
January 15, 2026
UC Merced will honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. by hosting a day of action, inviting the campus and community to serve together on Monday, Jan. 19. In keeping with King’s call to build a “beloved community,” UC Merced’s Community... Read More
The American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation Recognize UC Merced's Leadership in Community Engagement
January 12, 2026
UC Merced has once again been recognized as a national leader in community-engaged scholarship. The 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement affirms the university’s deep and expanding commitment to serving the public... Read More
New Major Teaches How to Tackle Questions of Ethics in Science, Tech
January 8, 2026
Should a scientist who sees signs of global catastrophe sound an early alarm or wait until more conclusive evidence is in? Does going public lead to swifter action or give naysayers more time to discredit the message? Students in Professor... Read More
UC Merced Alum, Now a Robotics Expert for Amazon, Advises Students to Get Their Hands Dirty
January 6, 2026
Kevin Arrieta got into robotics to avoid getting into trouble. Arrieta said he joined the robotics club at Dominguez High School in Compton high school after Gloria Esiobu, the teacher who ran it, gave him an ultimatum. "I had gotten in... Read More
Trinidad Quiroz Signs Professional Contract with Necaxa Femenil
January 6, 2026
UC Merced women's soccer star Trinidad Quiroz has signed with Necaxa Femenil of Liga BBVA MX Femenil. Quiroz is the first Bobcat to sign a contract with the highest level of women's football in Mexico. The forward from San Jose, Calif., is... Read More
Fall Commencement Graduates Urged to Write Their Own Story
December 22, 2025
 A beaming Jesus Cevon-Gonzalez stood on Merced’s Main Street, surrounded by his mom and dad, grandparents, sister and other loved ones. He clutched the proof of a freshly bestowed bachelor’s degree in computer science. “I’m just trying to... Read More