Brenda Ortiz

Hundreds Gather at UC Merced to Explore Graduate School Pathways

October 30, 2025

Photo depicts a crowd of students in front of a UCM letter installation on the UC Merced campus.

UC Merced buzzed with energy as nearly 800 students and 200 recruiters, staff and volunteers from across California converged on campus on Oct. 18 for the California Forum for Diversity in Graduate Education - a dynamic event dedicated to inspiration, inclusion and academic ambition....

Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky speaking with students.

Berkeley Law Dean Speaks Up for Free Speech

People on college campuses hold a wide range of views, and the First Amendment gives everyone the right to express their opinions. But restricting speech at a public institution — even when...

UC Merced reveals its new, comprehensive Sustainability Strategic Plan to further advance it goals, including reaching its Triple Zero Commitment.

Campus Launches New Framework for Sustainable Practices

UC Merced has a new Sustainability Strategic Plan to help the campus further advance its sustainability goals. In 2016, the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability (CACS), and the...

Alum Wins Opportunity to Pitch at Venture Summit

UC Merced alumnus Michael Urner is one of five finalists in the University of California new “I am a UC Entrepreneur” contest. Urner was selected from a pool of 169 contestants...

Current and prospective students are encouraged to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before the March 2 deadline.

Tips to Help Students Maximize Aid

The UC Merced Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships is committed to ensuring a world-class education remains within reach for all eligible students who need financial assistance to achieve their...

U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham meets with graduate student Boe Mendewala and Chancellor Dorothy Leland.

Chancellor Leland Visits D.C. to Urge Congress to Protect Dreamers

UC Merced Chancellor Dorothy Leland united with members of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration in Washington, D.C., earlier this week to call on Congress to pass a...

Jonathan Grady is working with campus partners to focus on making sure UC Merced students are successful.

New Dean of Students Shares Vision and Goals

Jonathan Grady brings more than 14 years of experience as a researcher, educator and leader in academia to his new role as associate vice chancellor for Student Affairs and dean of students at UC...

Four participants in the UC California Naturalist Program explore plant diversity on Cunningham Ranch in Merced County.

Explore Nature, Get Certified, and Open a World of Opportunity

If you love California’s great outdoors and are interested in learning about the state’s natural history and ecology, unleash your inner John Muir by becoming a certified naturalist...

artist rendering of downtown building with palm tree

Community Invited to Cut Ribbon on New Downtown Center

The campus celebrates the opening of its newest building, the Downtown Campus Center, next week. The building, at the corner of 18th and N streets, across from City Hall in downtown Merced, will...

A woman seated, behind the alumna keynote speaker at fall commencement, smiles.

Campus Hosts First-Ever Fall Commencement

More than 80 undergraduate and graduate students gathered in downtown Merced on Dec. 16 for UC Merced’s first-ever Fall Commencement. Graduates — along with their family and friends,...