School of Engineering

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Collage of three headshots of Commencement keynote speakers

UC Merced Alumni to Take the Stage as Commencement Speakers

UC Merced will celebrate the Class of 2026 with three inspiring alumni returning to campus as keynote speakers for commencement ceremonies May 15-17. Emily Reed, ’07, ’13, a tenured biology professor at Merced College, will share her story with more than 100 master’s and doctoral degree candidates

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Professor Ross Greer is pictured with five students and an autonomous model car in his lab at UC Merced.

UC Merced Project Aimed at Making Autonomous Cars Safer with NVDIA

Road changes such as lane shifts, new signs and speed-limit modifications can be confusing to drivers, both human and mechanical. A human driver can quickly perceive and understand new or temporary changes to road conditions. A new project at UC Merced aims to deliver that same swift processing

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Leah Stokes, a political scientist, energy expert and climate communicator from UC Santa Barbara, speaks from the stage at UC Merced.

Turning A Carbon Footprint into a Carbon Wave

It's time to think bigger about mitigating climate change. Measures such as recycling, turning off lights and reducing energy use are great, but making a real impact is going to take systemic change, said Leah Stokes, a political scientist, energy expert and climate communicator from UC Santa

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Depicted is a poster describing solar-over-canal Project Nexus in front of the actual structure.

State's First Solar Canal Project Moves from UC Merced Lab to Real World

What started as a premise in a UC Merced lab culminated with a commemoration of Project Nexus, California's first solar canal project. On Wednesday, state leaders gathered at the Project Nexus sites in Hickman and Keyes to celebrate the completion of the construction pilot, which demonstrates how

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Elementary school students get a lesson in engineering and physics from undergraduates in the CalTeach program.

UC Merced Opens Flexible Routes from STEM Degrees to Teaching and Beyond

Students who arrive at UC Merced planning on specific careers often discover along the way that their interests — and strengths — are broader than they first imagined. A new initiative called Education Tracks, or EdTracks, is designed to give students a flexible, low‑risk way to explore careers in

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At Bobcat Day 2026, a group of current students and mascot Rufus

At Bobcat Day, Students Explore Opportunities, Picture Their Futures

A throng of people came to UC Merced on a crisp, blue-sky Saturday for Bobcat Day. More than 7,000 were registered to attend the April 18 event for admitted and prospective first-year and transfer students, along with their families. The day was an opportunity for people to meet professors, advisors

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Depicted is César Armando Puente Garza of Tecnológico de Monterrey, speaking at a podium at UC Merced on Main.

Is Growing Agave a Good Fit for California? UC Merced Aims to Find Out

As crops go, agave holds a lot of promise for the northern San Joaquin Valley. The succulents thrive in hot sun, don't require much water and can be grown in the region's sandy soils. And though agave, mainly grown in Mexico, is best known as the source of tequila and mezcal, it has other uses that

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Alumnus Rahim Moulanazada works on the state capitol annex reconstruction.

Alumnus Rahim Moulanazada Continues to Build His Future

Rahim Moulanazada’s path from Modesto to major construction projects across California has been shaped by persistence, family and a deep appreciation for collaboration. Moulanazada, 24, graduated from UC Merced in spring 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. He now works as an

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Photo depicts Elizabeth Nowadnick, center, surrounded by members of her lab on campus at UC Merced.

Project Aims to Put AI to Work Reducing its Own Energy Needs

It's no secret that artificial intelligence uses a lot of electricity. A standard ChatGPT query consumes approximately 0.34 watt-hours - roughly 10 times more than a Google search. According to the Pew Research Center, U.S. data centers consumed 183 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2024 - more than