Brenda Ortiz

July was a transition month for UC Merced’s Graduate Division as interim Vice Provost and Graduate Dean Chris Kello passed the baton to Professor Hrant P. Hratchian — an Armenian name pronounced Her-ahnt Heratch-yahn — who now leads the division.

“Dr. Hratchian’s appointment is another signifier of our momentum in research excellence,” said Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz. “He will be an essential leader and contributor as we accelerate our drive toward R1 status.”

Starting this fall, undergraduates interested in the biomedical sciences will have an opportunity to take part in a new and innovative training program that will give them strong foundations in computational biology, systems biology and big data analytics.

UC Merced is highlighting incoming first-year students for fall 2022 — a dynamic, diverse and accomplished cohort of new Bobcats.

Jordynn Lewis is excited to start her journey as a UC Merced Bobcat when the fall semester begins in August. The first-year student recently graduated from Holy Names High School in her hometown of Oakland.

UC Merced is highlighting incoming first-year students for fall 2022 — a dynamic, diverse and accomplished cohort of new Bobcats.

It’s no surprise Joselle Talabong was named Student of the Year from Delano High School. In addition to her academic prowess, the incoming first-year student participated in many extracurricular activities, including the United Filipino Organization, Chamber Choir, Service Club, Hallyu Club, Dance Team and student leadership.

UC Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow Hannah Palmer, Ph.D., was named as the 2022-23 Congressional Science Fellow by the Geological Society of America (GSA) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and will spend a year in Washington, D.C., working for a member of Congress or a congressional committee beginning in September 2022.

Victor Oregon will attend UC Merced to study mechanical engineering this fall.

A key factor in his decision to attend UC Merced was its proximity to his family and to Yosemite National Park.

“I chose Merced for the financial aid that I am being awarded, and because of its unique location like no other,” he said. “I like how close it is to some of the best national parks in the United States. The campus also has National Park Service rangers on site.”

Environmental Systems Ph.D. student Leila Wahab is one of 80 graduate students to receive the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) highly competitive Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) fellowship.

UC Merced is highlighting incoming first-year students for fall 2022 — a dynamic, diverse and accomplished cohort of new Bobcats.

Ariana Valera was born and raised in Merced. The fact that the incoming biological sciences major lives within two miles of UC Merced is just one reason she cited for being excited to spend the next four years at the newest UC campus.

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 engineers, with nearly 150,000 civilian STEM employees working across the DOD.