News

Depicted are students in yellow vests and hard hats standing around and in a two-story Snoopy doghouse.
May 28, 2026
A doghouse built by Bobcats for a famous beagle beat out a fairytale structure hammered together by Bears. UC Merced's student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers took part in the annual Timber-Strong Design Build competition in April, going up against UC Berkeley in a day-long...
Depicted are groups of people sitting at tabled and talking at UC Merced's Merced 2 Market event.
May 27, 2026
An artificial intelligence-powered system to ensure the safety of the elderly while still providing privacy. Wearable muscle monitoring to speed recovery from injury. A chemical-free method of putting out fires. A more effective way to detect methane leaks. These were just some of the projects...
Photo depicts dry, cracked land among weeds.
May 26, 2026
After a couple of years of sufficient water, much of California is showing "abnormally dry" conditions in spring 2026, according to the state drought monitor. And as climate change adds more swings between wet and dry conditions, researchers are working on ways to better identify, predict and...
A student hones communication skills by learning how to use comedy to deliver messages.
May 26, 2026
Editor's note: This story is republished from the Spring/Summer 2026 issue of UC Merced Magazine. Walk across UC Merced’s campus on any weekday, and you might hear laughter spilling from a classroom, feel the thrum of a wind tunnel or spot students crouched in a field searching for mushrooms. Not...
Members of UC Merced's National Society of Black Engineers pose with their certificate at the convention in Baltimore.
May 21, 2026
UC Merced's chapter of the  National Society of Black Engineers was again honored as the Region VI Medium Chapter of the Year. It is the second consecutive year the organization received this recognition. The NSBE, established at UC Merced in 2007, provides support, guidance and advocacy for its...
Microscope on lab bench with researcher in background.
May 20, 2026
The W.M. Keck Foundation has awarded UC Merced nearly $1.8 million in new grants that fuel ambitious research and give early-career scientists a crucial boost at a pivotal stage of their careers. One of the nation’s most prominent private supporters of basic science, the Los Angeles–based...
Depicted are UC Merced and CITRIS representatives around a cake commemorating the organization's 25th anniversary.
May 18, 2026
A recent celebration marked important anniversaries for two partners in research and innovation, but both emphasized that the most exciting events still lie ahead. The commemoration at UC Merced on Main marked 25 years of the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (...
Professor YangQuan Chen is pictured standing behind a table with flowers at UC Merced on Main.
May 15, 2026
Services are set Sunday afternoon for Professor YangQuan Chen, whose contibutions to UC Merced's School of Engineering and to the university as a whole will endure through programs he helped build, the research he advanced, and the many students and colleagues he inspired. Chen, a professor of...
A graduate student eagerly anticipates her hooding ceremony.
May 13, 2026
UC Merced is abuzz with celebration as students, families, friends, staff and faculty finish last-minute preparations for the largest commencement in university history. Across three outdoor ceremonies, 1,649 undergraduates and 112 graduate students will walk the stage at Spring Commencement 2026,...

Pages