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Leaf-cutter ants in the tropical rain forest of Costa Rica carry cut leaves back to their colony.

Study: Tiny ‘Ecosystem Engineers’ Are an Overlooked Source of Carbon Dioxide Emissions

March 4, 2019
It’s estimated that a leaf-cutter ant colony can strip an average tree of its foliage in a day, and that more than 17 percent of leaf production by plants surrounding a colony goes straight into their giant, fungus-growing nests. It’s no wonder these ants are considered the smallest recyclers on...
Students from Weaver School took part in Kids Day at UC Merced. The event was part of Engineers Week.

Kids Day Inspires Local Students to Pursue STEM Careers

March 4, 2019
UC Merced hosted sixth- through eighth-graders from Weaver School as part of Kids Day during Engineers Week last month. Students rotated between three STEM-related stations — creating volcanic eruptions using acid-based chemical reactions, producing solar circuits, and touring Central Plant and...
Student presents research poster

Research Week Offers Events, Education, Tours and More

February 27, 2019
This year’s Research Week, March 4-8, promises more community connections than ever before. Research Week , sponsored by the Office of Research and Economic Development, focuses on the research conducted at UC Merced that fosters the development of students and faculty and extends growth...
Ferguson Fire hero

Scientists Simulate Forest, Fire Dynamics to Understand Area Burn of Future Wildfires

February 26, 2019
Climate change and wildfire make a combustible mix with deadly and costly consequences. Scientists have been trying to understand that link for many years, studying the effects of climate and wildfire interactions in the Sierra Nevada. UC Merced Professor LeRoy Westerling and University of...
Jeffrey Aceves stands next to research poster

I Am a UC Engineer: Alumni Jeffrey Aceves

February 22, 2019
Jeffrey Aceves is an excellent student. Always has been. He graduated high school with a 4.3 GPA and an Eagle Scout ranking. He graduated from UC Merced in 3 ½ years, having come to the campus with 20 college credits already completed. The Bakersfield native is driven, dedicated and not...
Staff member Cassie Gunter was named

Gunter Set on Making a Difference for Cancer Research

February 20, 2019
Twelve years ago, Cassie Gunter was fighting for her life. Now she wants to give back to the group that helped her survive. At age 22, she went to the emergency room with what she thought was bronchitis. She was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) — an uncommon blood cancer for her...
Several UC Merced professors will research how biochar can help reduce methane emissions from manure on dairies.

Researchers Hope to Tackle Methane Emissions in Manure Through Use of Biochar

February 19, 2019
You can smell them a mile away; there’s no mistaking the smell of cows and their methane emissions. The odor, of course, comes from tons of methane-spewing manure. Thanks to a multimillion-dollar grant from the California Strategic Growth Council’s competitive Climate Change Research Program,...
When she’s not designing the next engineering solution, alumna Janna Rodriguez enjoys mountain climbing around the world.

I Am a UC Engineer: Alumna Janna Rodriguez

February 19, 2019
Janna’s Rodriguez’s achievements exemplify the entrepreneurial spirit and drive shared by many UC graduates. Rodriguez not only launched a successful business in her hometown of Merced as an engineering student, she also excelled in the classroom. Rodriguez credits the combination of unique...
Snowpack Measure

New Project to Build Climate Resilience through Improved Land Management

February 7, 2019
A $4.6 million grant to UCs Merced and Irvine will help researchers develop new tools and methods for better managing the state’s forests, shrub lands and grasslands. The Innovation Center for Advancing Ecosystem Climate Solutions, a three-year program co-led by UC Merced Professor Roger...

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