Energy & Environment

UC Merced Aerial Picture
Celebrate National Engineers Week with the Nine UC Engineering Schools and Programs
February 22, 2022
Founded by the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) in 1951, National Engineers Week is dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering... Read More
Hotter, Drier Nights Mean More Runaway Fires
February 16, 2022
Thanks to the warming climate, the potential for more severe nighttime wildfires is increasing, and warmer nights mean firefighters will not be able to rely on cooler temperatures to help them get a handle on fires, a new study shows.... Read More
Love is in the Air and in the National Park this Spring
February 14, 2022
Preparations are underway for this year's production of Shakespeare in Yosemite, and the show promises to be groovy. Working with students, Professors Katie Brokaw and Paul Prescott are developing a loose adaptation of “Love’s Labour’s... Read More
Solar-paneled Canals Getting a Test Run in San Joaquin Valley
February 8, 2022
A research project conducted by a UC Merced graduate student is becoming a reality as the Turlock Irrigation District (TID) approved piloting the first-in-the-nation construction of solar panels over water canals. The project is based on... Read More
Climate Change Affecting Tree Migration, Seedlings and Seed Production, Research Shows
January 19, 2022
If tree growth and seed production can’t compensate for the impacts of climate change, California’s trees will face difficulty filling in gaps left by wildfire and reaching areas that are becoming climatically suitable, studies now show. ... Read More
New Climate-focused Agriculture Program Aims to Train Students, Professionals and Farmers
January 18, 2022
California is the largest and the most diverse agricultural economy in the nation with revenue exceeding $50 billion — larger than the combined agricultural economies of the other 10 western states.   But the state and its residents,... Read More
Faculty Report IDs Top Climate Challenges Facing Valley
January 11, 2022
California’s Central Valley is on the front lines of climate change. The Fourth Regional Climate Change Assessment, by a team of UC Merced and affiliated researchers, illustrates the biggest problems — and possible solutions — facing... Read More
New NSF Grant to support Asian American and Pacific Islander students in Geoscience
December 13, 2021
A team of eight scientists from around the country is organizing a new project to foster belonging and participation among Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students in the geosciences, supported by the National Science Foundation... Read More
Microorganisms Consume Last Bits of Oxygen from Low-oxygen Ocean Zones, Study Shows
December 6, 2021
Even the tiniest organisms have a surprisingly huge effect on life in the oceans, eating up the last bits of oxygen in certain areas, preventing larger marine life from surviving there, a new study shows. Department of Life and... Read More
Kurtz’s Latest Publication Examines Renewable Energy Expansion
December 6, 2021
Finding creative solutions to lessen humans’ impact on the environment and reduce reliance on fossil fuels is a core tenet of the renewable energy field, something engineering Professor Sarah Kurtz specializes in. In her most recent paper... Read More