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Sun setting in red-orange sky over darkened mountain range as seen from UC Merced's Kolligian Library.

Professors Demystify Eclipse for Merced Skygazers

August 17, 2017
As the frenzy surrounding the Aug. 21 solar eclipse begins to peak, physics Professor Wil van Breugel is using the opportunity to give Merced stargazers a crash course in the science and history of these astronomical curiosities. “It’s important for people to fully appreciate the science,” van...
Professor Nathan Monroe works with a student to analyze politics.

Political Scientists, Students to Examine United Nations’ Inner Workings

August 16, 2017
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...
Students and teachers are seated on the floor and bleachers in a high school gymnasium while attending a pep rally in Merced.

Genetic Diversity in High Schools a Predictor of Economic Success

August 8, 2017
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...
School of Natural Sciences Dean Betsy Dumont

Campus Welcomes New Dean of Natural Sciences

August 1, 2017
Elizabeth (Betsy) Dumont joins UC Merced today as the newest dean of the School of Natural Sciences. She’s the third dean in the school’s history and the second woman to serve in this capacity, after Founding Dean Maria Pallavicini. Dumont arrives from the University of...

Summer STEM Academy Aims to Prepare Valley Students for College

July 24, 2017
The leap from high school to college is an enormous intellectual hurdle. But UC Merced engineering Professor Yanbao Ma wants to ease the transition by better preparing Central Valley students for the rigors of university-level coursework. That’s why he teamed up with CalTeach to launch the Bobcat...

Study: Distracted Voters More Likely to Vote for White Candidates

July 19, 2017
Distracted or mentally taxed voters across America are less likely to vote for candidates of color, a new paper indicates. Through a series of mock election experiments, UC Merced Professor Jessica Trounstine, graduate student Kau Vue and two colleagues demonstrate that voters often rely on racial...

Eager to Make a Difference, Student Focuses on Human Rights

July 17, 2017
Adriana Diaz Mireles is on a mission. Inspired by coursework on human rights, the UC Merced senior is intent on pursuing a career in humanitarian advocacy. But first, she’s working to make a name for herself before graduating. This summer, Diaz Mireles traveled to New York to participate in the...

Venture Lab to Launch NSF I-Corps Site for Business Development

July 12, 2017
UC Merced recently joined the ranks of six other UCs and 70 other universities around the country when it was selected as the newest site for the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps program (NSF I-Corps). Now, with application deadlines looming, I-Corps is actively seeking its first cohort...

Study: Critical Sierra Meadows Being Overtaken by Forest

July 5, 2017
Subalpine meadows are among the Sierra Nevada’s most enchantingly picturesque landscapes. These sparsely wooded, grassy expanses are home to plants and animals found nowhere else, and they play an important role in regulating the flow of water from the Sierra snowpack to the rest of the ...

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