Very few people will admit to an abiding love of statistics. But Emanuel Alcala, a second-year public health doctoral student, believes statistics are key to solving many of the San Joaquin Valley’s public health challenges. “I grew fond of statistics when I started working at the Central Valley

Topics ranging from ethnobotany, public health and feminism to agriculture, urban growth and social movements are among the highlights of the Mesoamerican Studies Center’s upcoming conference at UC Merced. “Mesoamericans in California: Immigrants’ Resistance, Social Movements, Rights, and Memory” is

If you’ve ever wondered why people stand where they do on the political spectrum, science might have at least part of the answer: People can be biologically predisposed to certain feelings toward politics and society. A new paper lead-authored by UC Merced graduate student Chelsea Coe indicates that

It’s not easy to be a college student these days. Rising tuition has made obtaining a degree feel like more of a dream than reality for many students. Yet, now more than ever, a college degree is a prerequisite for even entry-level jobs — the bachelor’s is the new baseline. Here in California, many

Like anyone starting a Ph.D. program, Anna Ankirskaia had her doubts. But, like anyone who ultimately completes their Ph.D., Ankirskaia had to conduct her own research and get it published. With support from Professor Patricia LiWang in the Quantitative and Systems Biology (QSB) program, she’s made

UC Merced recently launched a new standalone Ph.D. program in Public Health, further establishing the university’s commitment to educating the next generation of scholars who are addressing the San Joaquin Valley’s unique health concerns. The School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts (SSHA)

Starting this semester, students in the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts (SSHA) will have a new major option: Critical Race and Ethnic Studies (CRES). Led by professors Ma Vang and Kit Myers, the new major dovetails with UC Merced’s emphasis on inequality, power and social justice. The

Considering that the United States spends about $3.3 billion on United Nations-related activity each year, including peacekeeping — and President Donald Trump has proposed a 40 percent cut in that spending — this seems like a good time for U.S. policy makers to have a clear understanding of how the

Does diversity have a positive effect on economic outcomes? According to a new study co-authored by UC Merced economics Professor Justin Cook, the answer is yes, even when the diversity is imperceptible to the casual observer. Cook and his former postdoctoral advisor, Professor Jason Fletcher of the

UC Merced alumna Linda Barreto always wanted to become a lawyer, but an experience in college helped reinforce her career path. While driving, Barreto was pulled over and cited for failing to stop before making a left turn. She decided to fight the citation in court because there was no requirement