All Stories

UC Merced Aerial Picture
Some Immune Cells Appear to ‘Know’ the Coronavirus, Even Though They’ve Never Met
August 20, 2020
Having had the common cold appears to have programmed some people’s immune cells to recognize the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. That discovery — by an immunology team that includes a UC Merced alumnus — could change scientists’... Read More
New Project Shining a Light on Energy Storage
August 20, 2020
California’s leaders want the state to reach 100 percent clean energy in the future, including being 60 percent powered by renewable energy by 2030 and being free of fossil fuels entirely by 2045. But if the state wants power without... Read More
‘From the Valley, For the Valley’: Local Students Start Training at UCSF to Become Physicians for the Region
August 19, 2020
The San Joaquin Valley has a shortage of doctors, but students such as Kyle Shen (’18) aim to change that by attending a tailored track at UCSF’s medical school specifically designed to address this problem. Shen is one of 12 recently... Read More
UC Merced, Merced College Do Their Part to Stem COVID-19 Outbreak
August 19, 2020
Precipitation and Drainage Fuel Large CO2 ‘Burps’ from Rainforest Soils, Study Finds
August 17, 2020
It is said that rainforests are the Earth’s lungs, capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, building it into lush vegetation and releasing oxygen and water back into the air. But every time there’s a big rain, the rainforest soil... Read More
Reforesting After Wildfires: Which Trees Are Most Likely to Thrive?
August 11, 2020
Wildfire seasons are intensifying because of climate change. That means reforestation efforts will increase, making it important for scientists and resource managers to understand how to make sure restorations will thrive in the future.... Read More
Ecosystem Engineers Play Crucial Role in Stabilizing Their Environments, Study Shows
August 11, 2020
When people think of engineering in nature, they tend to think of species such as beavers — the tree-felling, dam-building rodents whose machinations can shape the landscape by creating lakes and changing the path of rivers. But beavers... Read More
World’s Tallest Trees Shape the Diversity of Life in Their Soils, Study Shows
August 10, 2020
There’s a whole world of activity beneath your feet. Soil holds a large proportion of Earth's biodiversity, and is the place where organisms interact with each other and with plants, serving important functions for their ecosystems. A new... Read More
World’s Oldest Trees Shape the Diversity of Life in Their Soils, Study Shows
August 10, 2020
There’s a whole world of activity beneath your feet. Soil holds a large proportion of Earth's biodiversity, and is the place where organisms interact with each other and with plants, serving important functions for their ecosystems. A new... Read More
Merced 2020 Project Wraps; Stands as Largest Public-Private Partnership Completed in U.S.
August 6, 2020
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A new chapter began at UC Merced on June 1 with the completion of the massive $1.2 billion Merced 2020 Project, an extensive expansion of the campus’ physical space and capacity. The project is the largest public-private partnership social... Read More
New Engineering Research Center to Focus on Agriculture Technology
August 3, 2020
By 2050, the U.S. population is estimated to grow to 400 million, and the world population to 9.1 billion, requiring a 70 percent increase in global food production. UC Merced is one of four campuses across the country uniting to meet that... Read More
New NSF Center Intersects Chemistry and Mechanics
August 3, 2020
Scientists know the whats and whys of using light, heat and electricity to direct chemical reactions toward an end goal. What’s less well understood are the effects mechanical force can have on chemistry. Thanks to a three-year, $1.8... Read More
Gallo Management School Proposal Moves Forward
July 30, 2020
As UC Merced welcomes its fourth chancellor and continues to build its reputation as a world-class research institution, it has also reached a milestone in planning for the campus’s first new school since its opening — the proposed Ernest... Read More
RadioBio Receives UC President’s Award for Outstanding Student Leadership
July 30, 2020
University of California President Janet Napolitano has selected UC Merced student organization RadioBio as one of two recipients for the 2020 President’s Award for Outstanding Student Leadership. RadioBio, a science podcast that discusses... Read More
UC Merced Grad Student, Alumnus Play Significant Role in Mars 2020 Mission
July 29, 2020
NASA’s fifth exploratory rover is scheduled to head for Mars later this month to try and answer key questions about the potential for life on the red planet. Before the rover leaves Earth, current and former members of UC Merced’s... Read More
Summer Research Program Continues to Serve Students Remotely
July 29, 2020
While the COVID-19 pandemic has kept most students and faculty mentors off campus, UC Merced’s commitment to providing research experiences to undergraduate students has not wavered. Over the past 14 years, the Summer Undergraduate... Read More
SNRI Sees a Leadership Transition
July 29, 2020
Change is everywhere at UC Merced this year, from hiring a new chancellor to the completion of a major campus expansion. The Sierra Nevada Research Institute (SNRI), an early hallmark of research excellence at UC Merced, is also making a... Read More
Zatz Aiming for R1 Status as Interim Head of Research, Economic Development
July 27, 2020
Graduate Dean Marjorie Zatz has a new title, at least for now. Starting this summer, she is serving as interim vice chancellor for Research and Economic Development, filling the slot left open when Vice Chancellor Sam Traina stepped down... Read More
$3.5 Million Hellman Endowment Expands Future of Research at UC Merced
July 26, 2020
Since 2011, the Hellman Fellows Fund has provided close to 60 UC Merced assistant professors with much-needed research support in the form of seed funding. The prestigious Hellman Fellowship has launched countless careers at UC Merced and... Read More
Low-Wage Work Is Linked to Spread of COVID-19, Study Finds
July 21, 2020
California counties with high numbers of low-wage workers are seeing higher incidence of COVID-19, suggesting a link between so-called “worker distress” and spread of the virus, according to a new study by UC Merced’s Community and Labor... Read More