STEM Event Draws 400 Local Students
More than 400 young women aspiring to careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) attended the Expanding Your Horizons conference. The event, hosted by the UC Merced chapter of the Society of Women Engineers , brought middle and high school students from around Merced County to campus for a day of hands-on STEM activities.
Attendees had opportunities to extract DNA from cells, build do-it-yourself helicopters, perform gravity demonstrations and participate in other activities that entertaining and informative. The event also gave students the chance to learn more about STEM careers and connect with female mentors and role models who are active in STEM fields.
“Our ultimate goal is to disrupt the stereotype. We want girls to pursue STEM just as vigorously as boys," said Eva Salas, a fourth-year computer science and engineering major who helped organize the event. “I am one of about seven women in a class of 60 people. We hope that this conference helps shift the numbers for the next generation.”
Expanding Your Horizons is a nonprofit organization that encourages girls in grades 6-12 to participate in STEM. The organization’s goal is to engage young women early on and kindle their interest in STEM careers.
“The event was packed,” said Irene De La Cruz, publisher and editor of Between Friends, a local publication that helped promote the event. “This is a great example of bringing the surrounding communities of Merced County and others to the university.”
Vernal Pools and Grasslands Symposium Today
Join UC Merced researchers, scientists and students today to learn about some of the cutting-edge research happening just east of the campus during the Merced Vernal Pools and Grasslands Reserve Symposium.
The event will celebrate and teach participants about the area’s rich and unique ecosystem and the various research happening. The event is from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Crescent Arch Room of the Half Dome Building. Admission is free. Lunch and beverages will be provided.
Participants will hear a variety of topics from the diet of the American kestrel birds that inhabit the reserve to its native plants, soil, wildlife and other organisms, including fairy shrimp.
The Merced Vernal Pools and Grassland Reserve is part of the UC Natural Reserve System (NRS), the largest university-administered network of reserves in the world. The mission of the Natural Reserve System is to contribute to the understanding and wise stewardship of the Earth and its natural systems by supporting university-level teaching, research, and public service at protected natural areas throughout California.
For more information: Monique Kolster.
2018 Bobcat Art Show Opens April 2
Students, faculty, and staff will showcase their creativity when the 2018 Bobcat Art Show kicks off in April.
A host of paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures, mixed media pieces and digital media will be on display as the art show returns from April 2 to 30. The show is sponsored by the UC Merced Library and Arts UC Merced Presents and co-sponsored by the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts , Office of the Chancellor and the Center for the Humanities .
Art work will be on display in the UC Merced Library.
Students participating in the show will be invited to compete for a People’s Choice Award that will be selected via social media. The winners will be announced at the Artists Reception on Friday, April 6, and on the Arts UC Merced Presents Facebook page .
Register Now for Sexual Harassment Prevention Training
If you’re required to take sexual harassment prevention training this year, time is running out.
All employees must complete in-person or online training according to the University of California’s Policy on Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence.
The live training, “A Life Theatre Production on Sexual Harassment Prevention,” will be held in Room 120 of Classroom and Office Building 1 on the following dates:
Employees who’d rather take the online course can register here .
“A Life Theatre Production on Sexual Harassment Prevention,” fulfills the mandatory training requirement for faculty, staff, and supervisors and provides education about sexual harassment through several scenarios acted out by the cast and followed by interactive discussion with the audience. For credit to be applied, bring your CatCard, which is required for attendees to sign in and out of the training.
Employees can view required training and due dates in the UC Learning Center . After logging in with your UCMNetID, click on the “Required Training” button that will take you to “Training Analysis” where you’ll see required trainings and deadlines.
For more information about the requirement, online options, and registration instructions, please visit http://ethics.ucmerced.edu/mandatory-training/shp . If you have questions about training requirements, please email the Ethics and Compliance office . If you experience technical issues or have trouble with registration, please contact hrtraining@ucmerced.edu.
Critically Acclaimed Vijay Iyer Sextet in Concert April 28
Arts UC Merced Presents welcomes the Vijay Iyer Sextet to Merced for a free concert Saturday, April 28, at the Merced College Theatre, 3600 M St., Merced.
Iyer is a Grammy-nominated composer-pianist described by Pitchfork as “one of the most interesting and vital young pianists in jazz today.” Rolling Stone named the group’s album “Far From Over” one of the 50 Best Albums of 2017.
Iyer is the Franklin D. and Florence Rosenblatt Professor of the Arts in the Department of Music at Harvard University.
Free tickets are available starting Wednesday, March 21. Tickets must be picked up in person at the following locations:
- Merced Multicultural Arts Center, 645 W. Main St.;
- UC Merced’s Center for the Humanities, Room 298 of the Classroom and Office Building 2; or
- The Merced College Bookstore, 3600 M St.
No reservations will be taken by phone or by email. Maximum two tickets per person. If additional seats are available on the day of the concert, they will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Doors open at 7 p.m. and the concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Ticket holders must be seated by 7:15 p.m. or their seats may be released to the wait list.
This concert is presented by Arts UC Merced Presents and co-sponsored by UC Merced Center for the Humanities, UC Merced’s School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts and the UC Merced Office of the Chancellor. For more information, email Emily Gale, interim director of Arts UC Merced Presents.
