In The Community

Linda Barreto ('08), Jessica Jaramillo Perez ('14) and Alejandra Tenorio Zurita ('20) all knew at a young age that they wanted to become lawyers. What they didn't know, however, was that UC Merced would play a pivotal role in merging their paths to create a powerhouse that advocates for hundreds of immigrants in the Central Valley.

This past weekend was a time of festivities for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) chapter at UC Merced as members celebrated their 10th anniversary as part of the Bobcat community.

After two years, the National Science Foundation-funded CREST STEM Camp returned to in-person activities on campus this summer, giving 26 middle school students from around the Central Valley and beyond exposure to exciting STEM topics and the abundant opportunities that exist in STEM fields.

UC Merced’s battle against climate change is traveling south of the border as campus leaders joined UC Alianza MX to help launch a strategic alliance between the UC system and counterparts in Mexico.

To continue to execute and build a strong foundation for students of color to attend a four-year college, UC Merced held its first Black California Community Colleges CEO’s Retreat. The three-day event welcomed to the campus several Black community college leaders from around the state.

For the first time, UC Merced has been awarded a Platinum rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements under the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS.)

Platinum is the highest rating a higher education institution can receive for its sustainability programs and actions. Currently, only 11 institutions throughout the nation have earned this rating.

The University of California, Merced, continues to pave the way to success for local high school students. The campus announced the expansion of the Merced Automatic Admission Program (MAAP) for students at Dinuba Unified School District (DUSD).

The new partnership will allow students with a weighted GPA of 3.5 with no grade lower than a “C” to be automatically admitted to UC Merced through a streamlined admissions process.

As part of her goal to give back to her alma mater as well as the San Jose community that supported and fostered her growth, UC Merced alumna Nohely Aguilar (’12) has established a scholarship to assist students who follow in her footsteps.

The Nohely Aguilar Scholarship Fund will provide financial assistance to college-bound students who select the path from Mt. Pleasant High to UC Merced, the same as Aguilar’s academic journey.

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.