Desiree Lopez

A team of UC Merced engineering students brought hands-on lessons on drones and robotics to hundreds of children and families at the recent Tri-Valley Innovation Fair.

“Drones and robots are a gateway, a spark for young people to explore STEM,” said Leigh Bernacchi, program director of the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) and the Banatao Institute at UC Merced, who led the students in the all-day demonstrations at the March 19 fair.

For the first time, a UC Merced alumnus will serve on the UC Board of Regents.

Keith Ellis, who received his bachelor’s degree from UC Merced in 2012, will serve a two-year term beginning in July and continuing through June 2024. In addition to his new role, Ellis will be recognized as an active officer of the Alumni Associations of UC (AAUC).

As someone who has overcome many obstacles to get where he is now, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Public Safety and Chief of Police Chou Her understands the importance of uplifting his community.

Her's efforts to build a strong bond with the campus community and surrounding areas have not gone unnoticed as he has been awarded the prestigious Kevin McCauley Memorial Outstanding Staff Award.

Last year, UC Merced received the largest research grant in its history. The $10 million Secure Water Future (SWF) award, led by Professor Joshua Viers in cooperation with other UC campuses and other partners, is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and aims to improve agricultural and environmental water resilience.

The pandemic caused UC Merced to pivot to virtually connecting students and alumni with employers interested in hiring them for internships and full-time jobs. After two years of virtual events this week, the Center for Career & Professional Advancement is once again hosting companies on campus whose goal is to recruit students and alumni.

The three-day event starts on Tuesday, March 15, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Kolligian Library. The event will allow students and alumni to speak to renowned companies about joining their teams.

The new UC Merced Bobcat STEM Scholars Program, funded by a $1.4 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), will provide four years of scholarship support for up to 10 eligible incoming students per year who declare majors within the university’s School of Natural Sciences (SNS).

A resume is often the first impression an employer has of a job candidate.

For the first time, through March, UC Merced’s Student Alumni Association (SAA) will partner with the Office of Alumni Relations to host a month-long initiative dedicated to building a culture of philanthropy on campus.

Delia S. Saenz, Ph.D., will join UC Merced as vice chancellor and chief diversity officer, after a nationwide search. She will begin this spring.

Chancellor Juan Sanchez Muñoz announced the appointment this week.

The University of California announced today (Feb. 24) that its campuses received a record-breaking number of applications for fall 2022. 

For the second year, UC Merced saw an increase of applicants, with 26,043 first-year students looking to become part of the Bobcat community, up from last year’s 25,458. Another 4,004 college students applied to transfer into the university this fall — 3,664 from California community colleges — for a total of more than 30,000 applicants for admission.