Brenda Ortiz

Fellowship Draws UC Merced Alum Back to the Capitol

November 13, 2024

photo of student with brown hair and yellow shirt on blue and gold backgroud

As one of UC Merced’s first students, Josue “Josh” Franco seized the chance to help shape student government for future scholars on campus; now he has grasped a new opportunity on Capitol Hill. The three-time alumnus (B.A. ’09, M.A. ’16, Ph.D. ’18) has been...

Student Bridges Generation Gap, Finds Acceptance and Fulfillment

David Brantley isn’t a typical UC Merced student. He’s older by a few decades. He’s already built a career as a professional photographer. And he’s the patriarch of three generations of Brantleys on ...

UC Merced's Impact Growing Rapidly as New Academic Year Begins

With student enrollment expected to top the 5,000 mark this fall, faculty research projects winning major new grants and making national headlines, and intercollegiate athletics about to begin, the...

Tulare County Valedictorians Continue Friendship, Academic Dreams

Stephanie Ruiz and Marisela Torres have been friends since seventh grade, and they share dreams that include college degrees and teaching careers. So it’s no surprise that these Tulare County...

Police Mentor Program Steers Youngsters Toward College

Uriel Bravo is about to become a freshman at Merced High School, but he's already thinking about college — thanks partly to the encouragement of a UC Merced program. “I really want to go to college...

Six UC Merced Students Headed to Harvard for Leadership Program

For the second year, Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government has selected six University of California, Merced undergraduate students to attend the Latino Leadership Initiative (LLI...

History Student Fulfills Speaking Promise at Commencement

Dulcemaria Anaya once vowed to represent her UC Merced class as the student speaker at commencement. Anaya, a world history major from Merced, was an incoming freshman when she made the promise to...

Seminar Helps Park Leaders Plan for Future

When it comes to management and preservation of public lands, park leaders have a simple choice: Be proactive or reactive. And that decision isn't easy. Park leaders are faced with issues like...

National Parks, Reserved Lands the Focus of Leadership Seminar

From California's Sierra foothills to Sweden's Tyresta forest, the problems facing the world's national parks and reserved lands are immense and require a new way of thinking. Park leaders from...

UC Merced Student Volunteers Gain Insight into Patient Care

During a typical day at the Mercy Medical Center Emergency Department (ED), nurses, doctors and support staff swiftly move through the halls of the 27-room facility. Patients register and are...