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Hundreds of Coders Compete in Second Annual Hackathon

February 28, 2017
Computer enthusiasts from all areas of study gathered at UC Merced earlier this month for the second annual HackMerced competition. Nearly 400 high school and university students from all over the world comprised more than 40 teams vying for bragging rights and $7,250 in prizes. The goal? Design,...

Researcher Illuminates the Olfactory Life of Crabs

February 27, 2017
If you want to know what the ocean really smells like, you’ll have to ask a crab. Yes, crabs have a sense of smell. In humans, chemicals in the air flow into our nasal cavities toward specialized sensory cells. Olfaction occurs when odorant molecules bind to specific sites on the olfactory...

Despite Farms, Some in Valley Struggle to Find Fresh Food

February 22, 2017
It might come as a surprise that, in a region where agriculture is so prevalent, many people in the San Joaquin Valley cannot afford fresh, quality produce or live too far from grocery stores, farmers markets and other sources. A recent study from UC Merced public health Professor Susana Ramirez...

New Book Focuses on Teaching Writing to Minorities

February 17, 2017
Teaching writing is both a science and art. As the field of education moves more toward inclusiveness and embracing diversity, however, the art and science of writing — and how to teach it — becomes more challenging. Two new books by Merritt Writing Program instructor Iris Ruiz serve as resources...

Cancer Patients’ Care Requires More Than Written Instructions

February 13, 2017
The depth and breadth of post-diagnosis care for cancer patients often depends on the resources available to them. But a new paper in the journal PLoS One by UC Merced Professor Nancy Burke shows that care — and how effective it is — also depends on understanding and addressing cultural differences...

UC Merced Professor Delivers Pellissier Lecture

February 10, 2017
Everyone is invited to hear UC Merced Professor Clarissa Nobile, this year’s Pellissier Distinguished Speaker, discussing biofilms. “Microbial Films: Why are They Important? How do They Form? And What Does This Mean for You?” looks at biofilms, the predominant growth state of most microorganisms on...

Study: Infants Recognize Surprise in Others Before Age 2

February 8, 2017
Infants as young as 20 months of age expect adults to display surprise when discovering a false belief, according to a new study from UC Merced Professor Rose Scott. Previous research suggested that children younger than 4 years old could not recognize when people held beliefs different from their...

Raindrops, Red Wine Inspire Solar Tech Advancements

February 6, 2017
In recent publications, Professor Vincent Tung proves that inspiration for advancements in materials science can come from anywhere — even the merging of raindrops on a windshield or the sheeting of red wine down the inside of a glass. Through those liquid movements, Tung discovered and optimized a...

New UC Grant Enables Deeper, Broader Valley Fever Research

February 1, 2017
Researchers at UC Merced are playing key roles in the new UC Valley Fever Research Initiative, studying how the Valley fever fungus, Coccidioides immitis, causes disease in its mammalian hosts, and identifying the genes involved in this process. School of Natural Sciences professors Clarissa Nobile...

Blum Center Relaunching With Focus on Food

January 30, 2017
UC Merced is relaunching its branch of the Blum Center for Developing Economies with a focus on food security for the first two years of the faculty-led effort. Economics Professor Kurt Schnier, with the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, and Karina Diaz Rios, a nutrition specialist in...

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