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....

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...

Senior Earns Prestigious Study Opportunities

UC Merced senior Jesse Anaya answered his phone one day to hear an unfamiliar voice ask, “Are you ready to change the world?” “Yes,” he replied. “Now, who is this?” A representative from the Harvard...

Merced Native Takes Reins as Medical Director

After two months on the job, UC Merced’s first full-time medical director has already entrenched himself in campus life and understanding student needs. Dr. Brandon Boggs, a Merced native, has...

Campus' Violence Prevention Program Wins Congressional Award

UC Merced was awarded the Allied Professional Award from the Congressional Victims’ Rights Caucus this month at the group’s annual ceremony in Washington, D.C. Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced, and Rep...

Racing Team Puts Classroom Lessons to the Test

UC Merced’s Formula SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) team built its first racecar and exhibited it at a national competition last June. The student club has crafted a more advanced machine this...

Former Lt. Gov. to Speak at UC Merced Commencement

Former California Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante will deliver the keynote address at the University of California, Merced’s commencement on May 12. Bustamante, who was at one time the nation’s highest...