Energy & Environment

UC Merced Aerial Picture
New AI Institute Expands UC Merced’s Smart, Sustainable Agriculture Effort
July 29, 2021
With a new $20 million federal grant, UC Merced becomes part of a multi-institutional research collaborative to develop artificial intelligence — or AI — solutions to tackle some of agriculture’s biggest challenges related to water... Read More
Students Conduct Ag Tech Research on Campus for USDA Internships
July 21, 2021
While many are preparing to head off to college after an unprecedented year, a handful of students are already on UC Merced’s campus and working away in research labs. They’re part of the inaugural FACTS Bridge Program, a way for first-... Read More
Engineering Professor Awarded NASA Grant to Study Impacts of Wildfires on California’s Coastline
July 20, 2021
California is known for its beautiful coastline, where the Pacific Ocean meets sandy beaches and rugged cliffs. While many scientists have studied the land or the ocean independently, less is known about the nexus of the two. Now with the... Read More
Cows are Udderly Useful for Healthy Vegetation Management on Nature Reserve
July 13, 2021
Today is National Cow Appreciation Day, a “holiday” invented by a fast-food chain that sells a lot of "chikn." But it’s still a good opportunity to celebrate our neighbors to the northeast — even if being surrounded by cows wasn’t... Read More
Rotary District Scholar to Conduct Sanitation Research in Haiti
June 9, 2021
With COVID-19 protections lifting, many people are eager to travel again. Among them is graduate student Elena Bischak, who is planning multiple trips to Haiti in the coming months to study improving sanitation and human waste processing... Read More
Professor Hestir Turns NASA Technology Toward Earth’s Biodiversity
June 1, 2021
Half a world away from California’s Central Valley is a place with similar climate but an unparalleled diversity of plants, marine animals and ecosystems. From deserts to shrubland to montane forests, the diversity of life in South Africa’... Read More
Summer Environmental Internship to Create Bridge for Diverse Talent
May 24, 2021
UC Merced’s Office of Sustainability and Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion are working to create a more inclusive workforce. This summer, both offices are teaming up with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a nonprofit... Read More
Science Must Dig Deeper to Understand Climate Change’s Full Impact, Study Shows
May 17, 2021
Scientists often study the relationship of global warming and topsoil because soil is an important mediator of climate change. A newly released study indicates it’s critical to consider subsoil in climate-change research, too. A new paper... Read More
UC Merced Ph.D. Student Wins UC Grad Slam Competition
May 7, 2021
Applied Mathematics graduate student Shayna Bennett won first place at the University of California’s Grad Slam finals today (May 7). Bennett presented her dissertation research, “A New Tool to Fight Invasive Species,” in just three... Read More
Naughton Lab Creates Dashboard to Track Global Wastewater Testing for Covid-19
May 3, 2021
After the COVID-19 pandemic struck, scientists across the globe realized they could track the virus by testing sewage water. School of Engineering Professor Colleen Naughton pioneered a dashboard to host the global findings. One way... Read More