Jody Murray

Bright Center Student Lightens Lives with Determination, Empathy

March 26, 2025

Maddison Crump and two other UC Merced students

Sometimes you meet a young person who makes such a powerful impression that you want to vault forward a few decades to see how much they lifted others and elevated our world. Maddison Crump is one of those people. At age 21 she has logged over a dozen years of making a difference. A self-...

Enthusiasm High for Debut of Environmental Humanities Major

More than 170 students have enrolled this fall for classes in UC Merced’s new environmental humanities major, a degree that will prepare them to be advocates and storytellers for the living...

It’s a ‘Welcome’ Party at UC Merced Scholars Bridge Crossing

UC Merced said “welcome” to its 2,400 new students Tuesday as only UC Merced can, with a joyous and colorful Scholars Bridge Crossing ceremony that symbolizes their transformation into...

Officers rehearse emergency simulation at UC Merced

First Responders Conduct Successful Simulated Emergency at UC Merced

First responders from across Merced County converged on UC Merced Thursday for what they said was a highly successful response to a simulated emergency. Police officers, sheriff’s deputies,...

Illustration of hands reach out to each other.

Psychological Bias Links Good Deeds with Religious Belief, UC Merced Research Says

Experiments conducted by UC Merced researchers find that people who perform good deeds are far more likely to be thought of as religious believers than atheists. Moreover, the psychological bias...

From Bakersfield to a ‘Peaceful’ Place to Pursue Science, Medicine

This is part of a series of profiles of new UC Merced Bobcats enrolled for the fall 2024 semester. San Joaquin Valley native Anmol Kaur is well on her way to making a splash in the...

Graphic art of a person talking to a group

Study Examined How Jewish Israelis React to Human Rights Criticism. Then Oct. 7 Happened.

A UC Merced professor and his co-researchers set out to measure how Jewish Israelis react to different sources of criticism about Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. Does disapproval from...

AI generated image of restrictions to money flowing from one thing to another

Study Offers Steps to Speed Up Research Money to Community Partners

A study of fast-tracked government funds for relief during the COVID-19 pandemic uncovered bottlenecks at federal, university and community levels that undermined partnerships. Researchers, including...

UC Merced VC of Student Affairs Charles Nies with students

Lighting the Path: Thank You and Farewell to Charles Nies

It’s spring break 2009 and Jane Lawrence is rushing across campus, the words from the phone call still ringing in her ear. The unimaginable is happening and she must tell Charles Nies...

Sharim Film 'Flora' Wins Festival's Social Justice Award

“Flora,” a film by UC Professor Yehuda Sharim, earned an award from the Latino and Native American Film Festival. The film, which Sharim describes as a memoir of post-teen daughters...