Alyssa Johansen

Student Finds Community and Purpose Through Culture and Literature

March 12, 2026

Student stands outdoors on the UC Merced campus holding a notebook and pen, looking off into the distance near a campus walkway lined with leafless trees.

Between classes at UC Merced, you will often find Padme James under the trees outside the Leo and Dottie Kolligian Library. What she studies there isn’t directly correlated to her classwork, but it connects her roots to where she hopes her future is headed. Instead of reviewing notes for a...

UC Merced Celebrates Student Philanthropy Month With Leadership, Service and Giving

In March, UC Merced wrapped up another successful Student Philanthropy Month, an annual tradition led by the Student Alumni Association that inspires students to engage in the spirit of giving and...

Two people and Nowruz dishes for UC Merced lunch event

Celebrate Persian New Year Today with Nowruz Lunch at Pavilion

UC Merced Dining Services will celebrate the spring equinox and Persian New Year today with its second annual Nowruz event. Organized by Executive Chef Matt Perez in collaboration with Belinda...

UC Merced Basketball Teams Flying High to Future in NCAA

Intercollegiate basketball soared to new heights at UC Merced this season. For the first time, the women’s and men’s teams both advanced to their respective National Association of...

At UC Merced, Shannon Lee Talks About Expanding Legacy of Her Martial Arts Hero Father

Shannon Lee – whose extensive resume includes roles as author, producer and legacy-keeper of her father, martial arts icon Bruce Lee -- visited UC Merced on March 6 as a special guest speaker....

Finalists Vie for Campus Grad Slam Champion Title During Research Week

Each spring, master’s and doctoral students across UC Merced’s 18 graduate groups are invited to contend in the campus’s Grad Slam Finals. They are given three minutes and one...

Photo depicts Shannon Lee against a blue and gold graphic.

Author Shannon Lee to Discuss Dad Bruce at UC Merced Event

Shannon Lee, a New York Times bestselling author and the daughter of martial arts legend Bruce Lee, will share her father's messages of healing and unity Thursday, March 6, at UC Merced. The...

UC Merced Achieves R1: Highest Tier of Research Classification

UC Merced has assumed its place in the top echelon of research institutions in the nation by earning R1 status from Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The announcement was...

UC Merced’s Black Excellence Symposium to Honor Legacy and Inspire Future

"A Legacy of Triumph and a Vision for the Future" is the theme of this year's Black Excellence Symposium at UC Merced. The event, part of the university's Valuing Black Lives...

UC Merced to Celebrate Hundreds of Graduates at Fall Commencement

UC Merced will celebrate hundreds of graduates alongside their friends and families in the Art Kamangar Center at the Merced Theatre this weekend. There are 402 Bobcats set to participate in the...