Energy & Environment

UC Merced Aerial Picture
New Project to Build Climate Resilience through Improved Land Management
February 7, 2019
A $4.6 million grant to UCs Merced and Irvine will help researchers develop new tools and methods for better managing the state’s forests, shrub lands and grasslands. The Innovation Center for Advancing Ecosystem Climate Solutions, a three... Read More
Researchers Assess Western Forests’ Ability to Survive Next Drought
December 13, 2018
UC Merced researchers have evidence that California’s forests are especially vulnerable to multi-year droughts because their health depends on water stored several feet below ground. “Each year our forests, grasslands and shrublands depend... Read More
Passion for Cars Steers Graduating Senior into Mechanical Engineering
December 11, 2018
Growing up in San Juan Bautista, Vanessa Andrade loved hanging out with her father and his collection of cars and tractors. She spent hours in the “barn” or shop, helping change the oil in cars, playing with tools and tinkering with her... Read More
Environmental Engineers Devising Plan to Save Humanity
December 3, 2018
The Earth is changing, and humans face major challenges if they hope to adapt, survive and preserve any semblance of the world as it is now. Humans will need to create sustainable food, water and energy supplies; curb climate change;... Read More
New Consortium Seeks to Expose Students to a Galaxy of Opportunities
November 13, 2018
Imagine exploring the cores of stars to understand — and ultimately control — the type of fusion that’s taking place. High-energy density (HED) science is the study of properties and behavior of matter and radiation in extreme temperatures... Read More
UC Merced Secures First Platinum Certifications in Labs, Offices
October 29, 2018
It’s the crown jewel of sustainability — a platinum certification signifying all the steps to making a space sustainable have been met. For UC Merced, platinum certification had eluded the Green Labs and Green Offices programs. That... Read More
Students Take the Lead in LEED Certification of SE1 Building
October 8, 2018
As UC Merced continues to lead the way in sustainability on university campuses, a new wrinkle has been added to the process of certifying buildings. Recently, the Science and Engineering 1 (SE1) building achieved gold certification under... Read More
Emergence, Extinction of Massive Ancient Shark to be Explored with NSF Grant
October 1, 2018
Forty million years after dinosaurs went extinct, one of the largest predators that ever prowled Earth’s oceans emerged, feeding the imaginations of modern scientists and the nightmares of modern movie audiences. Megalodon — the name means... Read More
Professor’s Novel Mercury-Mapping Project Wins State Grant
September 19, 2018
Civil and environmental engineering Professor Erin Hestir’s proposal for a unique system of mapping mercury in the waters of the San Francisco Delta has won her and her team of collaborators a $1.7 million grant from the California... Read More
UC Climate-Change Research is One Focus of Global Summit, New Reports
September 11, 2018
California aims to lead the nation — and the globe — in climate change research, policy and action — in large part through climate-focused research conducted at University of California campuses and labs. Some of that research, including... Read More