Brenda Ortiz

Postdoc Leads Study to Turn Cotton Waste into Climate-Smart Compost

November 12, 2025

three stages of cotton textile composting

UC Merced researchers are collaborating on a two-year research project to develop effective composting methods for cotton textiles. The project explores manufacturing cotton waste scraps from clothing into compost to demonstrate efficient composting with the right recipe, and the compost’s...

Scholarship Supports Student Magician’s Visit to Help Chinese Earthquake Orphans

When a deadly earthquake shook the Sichuan province of his native China in May 2008, John Li watched from Los Angeles and immediately made a connection. He knew his passion for performing magic could...

Harvard Program Grooms Future Latino Leaders

Five University of California, Merced, undergraduate students have been selected to attend the Latino Leadership Initiative (LLI) Program at Harvard University Kennedy School’s Center for Public...

Doctoral Student Researches Area History, Pursues New Career

An academic focus on the Central Valley region’s historically African-American communities brought Michael Eissinger to UC Merced. He decided the UC’s newest campus was the best...

Park Leaders Collaborate, Learn at UC Merced Institute

At a time when Californians are dismayed about closures of state parks, and protected lands around the globe are under increasing stress from reduced government resources, an innovative institute is...

Political Science Major Serves Students, Community on Local School Board

Fidel Cervantes found the right fit for his university education 25 miles down the road from home. A native of Delhi in north Merced County, Cervantes selected UC Merced when he made his college...

UC Merced Celebrates Largest Graduating Class

A joyous throng of 776 degree candidates of the University of California, Merced, today marched through the Beginnings Sculpture and onto the campus’ South Bowl to receive their prized degrees,...

Speaker, Singer Grateful for Commencement Opportunities

Grecia Sanchez and Blaine Hartsock know they’re more than lucky. Out of dozens of UC Merced seniors, they were chosen to speak and sing, respectively, at the 2012 Commencement ceremony. “I don’t...

Student Newspaper Editor Cultivates Legacy of Teamwork, Dedication

When Alma Fausto first arrived at UC Merced in 2008, she felt pangs of doubt common to many freshmen. Fausto was hundreds of miles from the family home in Orange County. She had too much time on her...

Outdoor Experience Program Offers Trips that Educate, Inspire

UC Merced sits in an ideal spot for students, faculty and staff who want to engage in an active, outdoor lifestyle. The Outdoor Experience Program (OEP) capitalizes on UC Merced’s location with its...