School of Natural Sciences

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Applied Mathematics Ph.D. student Sarah Downs

DOD Fellowship Helps Grad Student Advance Machine Learning Research

Ph.D. student Sarah Downs was awarded the prestigious Department of Defense (DOD) Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) scholarship. The Department of Defense is committed to developing a highly skilled STEM workforce and is the largest employer of federal scientists and

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Symposium to Open Doors on Education Research in the Valley

For the first time, UC Merced has partnered with local higher education institutions for a two-day symposium dedicated to education research findings from the Central Valley. The Central Valley Region Interdisciplinary Symposium on Education Research (CV-RISER) will bring together researchers

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Professor Clarissa Nobile

Mucus Molecules can Thwart Fungal Infection, Researchers Discover

An international team of researchers, including Professor Clarissa Nobile from UC Merced, has discovered which component in mucus prevents a fungus most humans carry from turning destructive. This research lays the foundation for a new class of antifungal medicines. Candida albicans (C. albicans) is

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Professor Zoghbi, seated, and some of the students in her lab.

Lab Aims to Understand Transporter Protein that Protects Cells from Damage

Professor Maria-Elena Zoghbi and her lab are taking a closer look at a human transporter protein that acts as a cellular protector by relocating a molecule that has important antioxidant properties in the cells, preventing oxidative damage in several tissues, including the heart. The National

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UC Merced Honors Graduates with Historic In-person Commencement

A wave of blue and gold covered the recreation fields at UC Merced as more than 2,400 students walked the stage during the first in-person spring commencement in three years. The three-day ceremony weekend started by welcoming back 1,000 alumni from the classes of 2020 and 2021 — who were previously

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Student Commencement Speakers to Share a Message of Unity and Perseverance

In front of more than 1,400 fellow Bobcats, Cathryn Flores and Maya Morris, the student commencement speakers for the Class of 2022 will share their words of congratulations and encouragement with their fellow graduates. Flores will speak to the graduates of the School of Social Sciences, Humanities

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Professor Berhe

Senate Confirms Berhe as Federal Office of Science Director

The U.S. Senate today confirmed UC Merced Professor Asmeret Asefaw Berhe to be the new director of the Office of Science in the federal Department of Energy. The Department of Energy’s Office of Science is the lead federal agency supporting fundamental scientific research for energy, and the nation

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Estefania Cuevas-Zepeda and Zachary Mauri

Two Undergraduate Stars Earn Unique Summer Opportunities

Two undergraduate students who will receive their bachelor’s degrees later this month have been selected for a unique opportunity to attend a meeting of some of the greatest minds in the world. Professor Aurora Pribram-Jones, with the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, nominated

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Systemwide Climate Justice Course Debuts This Fall

Undergraduates will have a new, one-of-a-kind class they can sign up for this fall — Climate Justice — a hybrid course that features lectures by faculty from all 10 UC campuses. According to the UC Center for Climate Justice’s website, “climate justice recognizes the disproportionate impacts of