Jody Murray

Her UC Merced Path Changed But Stockton Student Stays on Track

March 25, 2026

UC Merced student Taliyah Miller poses for photo

Taliyah Miller would be the first to tell you she arrived at UC Merced with an unwavering, long-range goal: become an anesthesiologist. What she could not have predicted was that a difficult roommate, a therapist’s question and a job she forgot she applied for would upend that goal and leave...

Ripon Student Turning Heart and Heritage into a Path of Healing

As a child of the Central Valley and a member of a Native tribe, Grace Grinder developed an early awareness of health care disparities affecting rural regions and underserved communities. While in...

UC Merced student Nayelyi Salazar on campus

Delhi Student Made the Leap to UC Merced and Hasn’t Looked Back

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard. A few more taps and Nayelyi Salazar would be a community college student — a big step for the high-schooler from Delhi, a town of 10,000 that hugs...

Several people, including graduates of UC Merced Professional Certificate in California Government and Policy program, plus faculty, staff and friends.

UC Merced Launches California Government and Policy Certificate Program

The inner machinery of democracy in California – from bills and lobbying to courts and elections – is revealed in a professional certification program launched at the University of...

A smiling girl in a Together We Will T-shirt at the UC Mered summit for young athletes.

Together We Will Summit Inspires, Empowers Girls in Sports

Victoria Garrick Browne, a nationwide advocate for mental health and self-care, had a simple message for a big room full of high school girls gathered for the Together We Will Sports Leadership...

Brightly colored photo of Assyrian women from Miram Ohan multimedia project

Empathy is the Central Theme of Todo Cambia Film Festival

em·pa·thy (noun): the ability to recognize, understand and share the thoughts, emotions and perspectives of another person. It is a means of connection, a path to understanding. Can...

AI-rendered of hand emerging from a box, holding a pen pressed against paper

How Writing Rewires Your Brain to Face Everyday Challenges

Written words can do more than communicate. They can also unlock the writer’s ability to process distress, identify hurtful feelings and take control of personal conflict. Emily Johnston, a...

UC Merced artists in residence Ruben Aguilera Sanchez, Frank Ayala and Abel Corchado

Merced Trio to Share Knowledge, Visions as UC Merced Artists-in-Residence

Three Merced painters, united in friendship and in their steadfast determination not to compromise their creative values, are serving as UC Merced’s first locally based artists-in-...

UC Merced Injects Over $1 Billion in Economic Vitality into San Joaquin Valley, State

UC Merced, a beacon of academic achievement in the San Joaquin Valley, is also a powerful driver of economic growth and prosperity in the region it was created to serve. UC Merced ...

New Major Teaches How to Tackle Questions of Ethics in Science, Tech

Should a scientist who sees signs of global catastrophe sound an early alarm or wait until more conclusive evidence is in? Does going public lead to swifter action or give naysayers more time to...