Key points:
• Researchers found that heat waves are a critical enabler and driver of wildfire-burned areas across the western U.S.
• The findings suggest that heat waves contribute not only to increased flammability, but to longer burn periods and increased lightning.
• Burned area in...
News
June 15, 2026
A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine calls for the U.S. Department of Energy to develop innovative technology and infrastructure at the intersection of the nation's water and energy systems.
The country's energy and water systems are profoundly...
June 8, 2026
When Isabelle Haddad, a Ph.D. candidate in Environmental Systems, looks ahead to the next chapter, her future is already coming into focus.
The New York native participated in commencement in May and will defend her dissertation in August. She will then begin a one-year, full-time position on Aug....
June 8, 2026
Electrical engineering Professor Qian Wang has received a CAREER award for her research into quantum computing.
She is the 42nd researcher from UC Merced to earn a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
CAREER awards are among the NSF's most prestigious awards. They are...
June 2, 2026
UC Merced prides itself on its high social mobility ranking (No. 3 among public schools in the country, according to the Wall Street Journal). Social mobility is defined as the ability to move between socioeconomic tiers.
But what does that mean, really?
Well, you might look to Eduardo Savala...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Celebrating 20 Years of Firsts
