Brenda Ortiz

Founding UC Merced Staffer Wraps Up 45 Years in Law Enforcement

August 28, 2025

A collage of photos depicting Tamela Adkins and other staff during the past 20 years.

On Aug. 12, 2005, less than one month before UC Merced opened its doors to undergraduate students, Tamela Adkins joined the campus’s Police Department as support services manager. Intially, her role included managing records and evidence, overseeing the police dispatch center and hiring....

Lecture to Highlight Campus’s Diverse, Interdisciplinary Spirit

UC Merced is launching a new public lecture series that combines the campus’s emphasis on interdisciplinary scholarship with its strong commitment to diversity and inclusion. The Chancellor’s...

Student Volunteers Work With Local Emergency Department

In Fall 2007, Maricela Rangel-Garcia became one of the first UC Merced students to sign up for a new, non-clinical volunteer program in the busy Mercy Medical Center Emergency Department (ED). Her...

Women's Basketball Wins Second Straight Conference Title

The UC Merced women's basketball team won its second consecutive Cal-Pac Conference championship Tuesday night, with a 76-56 victory in the conference tournament title game on the road against the...

Community Group Recognized for Charitable Work

The UC Merced Foundation Board of Trustees recently honored the University Friends Circle (UFC) for its philanthropic efforts. Each year, the board honors a philanthropic leader — or in this year’s...

Undocumented Students Chase ‘Dreams’ Through Financial Aid

Some undocumented students struggling with financial aid restrictions are receiving up to $25,000 for their educations through TheDream.US, a scholarship program designed to help highly motivated,...

Campus Seeks Nominations for 2016 Leadership Awards

While at UC Merced, students work diligently to achieve academically and reach their leadership potential. Each year, the Margo F. Souza Student Leadership Center awards top students and student...

FAA Chief, Silicon Valley Entrepreneur to Speak at Commencement

Two trailblazers in their fields will grace the stage during the 11th commencement at the University of California, Merced. Bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree candidates will hear words of...

Staff Puts Students First to Promote Success and Learning

Whether staffing the front counter, answering phone calls and emails or chatting online, staff members at UC Merced’s Students First Center (SFC) pride themselves on providing excellent customer...

A Record 22,632 Students Seek Admission to UC Merced

Demand for an education from the University of California, Merced, remains high, with 22,632 applicants competing for admission for 2,100 undergraduate seats in Fall 2016, an increase of 13.5 percent...