School of Social Sciences Humanities and Arts

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Jason Castillo ('09), now a dermatologist and surgeon in Southern California, gives the alumni speech to the schools of Natural Sciences and Engineering at the spring 2019 commencement.

Older and Wiser: 2009 Graduates Reflect on Instrumental UC Merced Education

A decade has passed since Sam Fong (’09) crossed the stage to get his diploma and walked through Beginnings for the first time as part of UC Merced’s inaugural graduating class, and a lot has changed. For one, the student population has quadrupled to nearly 8,000. The campus is in the midst of a

An aerial view of the UC Merced campus displaying a green field, walking paths, and buildings

Largest Graduating Class in Campus History Celebrated At Commencement

Clouds loomed over the Carol Tomlinson-Keasey Quad last weekend, but nothing was going to rain on the parade of the more than 1,300 Bobcats who walked the stage at UC Merced’s commencement. Baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral graduates from the schools of Natural Sciences, Engineering, and Social

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Commencement student speakers Victoria Arias and Cydney Caradonna

Class of 2019 Student Speakers Leave UC Merced with Messages of Gratitude

Undergraduates Victoria Arias and Cydney Caradonna entered UC Merced through different doors. Arias was a freshman impressed with the campus and community. Caradonna was a transfer student and athlete sold on UC Merced’s championship women’s basketball team. Now they’ve arrived at the same place —

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Araceli Perez

Soon-to-be Graduate Taps into Diverse Opportunities for Growth at UC Merced

Graduating senior Araceli Perez was looking for a new environment when she moved from Hacienda Heights to attend UC Merced in 2015. The shift from the high-intensity region of Los Angeles to the more relaxed atmosphere of Merced was more than a change of pace. In her four years at UC Merced, she

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Picture This: Migrant Farmworkers’ Daughter Turns UC Merced Grad

When Anna Ocegueda walks across the stage at UC Merced’s 2019 commencement, it will be not only a powerful moment for her, but for her family, too — and for the thousands of people who identify with her story. Ocegueda is the daughter of migrant farm workers from Mexico and as one of five children

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Commencement Behind the Scenes: A True Team Effort

It’s before dawn on a Saturday morning in mid-May — not a time anyone would expect the UC Merced campus to be busy. But it is. This is Spring Commencement, and there is much work to do. Parking and transportation staff are placing signage and temporary fencing. In the kitchens, dozens of dining and

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Everyone is invited to cheer on the campus’s Grad Slam semi-finalists as they present their research talks from 1-4 p.m. April 18 in the California Room.

Grad Students Vie for Spot in UC Grad Slam Finals

UC Merced’s Graduate Division will host its Grad Slam competition on April 18 with graduate scholars presenting on topics ranging from Valley Fever immune response and antibiotic resistance to computer vision and mathematical methods for thermal collection. This year’s competition started in March

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A child is surrounded by air pollution from traffic.

Air Pollution Impacts Childhood Development, New Study Shows

Children who live near major roads are at higher risk for developmental delays because of traffic-related pollutants. That’s the major finding of a new study authored by UC Merced environmental epidemiology Professor Sandie Ha and colleagues. The study appears in the journal Environmental Research

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First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis will address UC Merced's 2019 graduating class at the commencement ceremonies in May.

First Partner, Lieutenant Governor to Speak at Spring Commencement

Two of the state’s leading political figures will make their return to UC Merced to serve as keynote speakers at the university’s 14 th commencement exercises in May. Jennifer Siebel Newsom, California’s First Partner, and Eleni Kounalakis, the state’s first female Lieutenant Governor, will address