A new endowed chair will significantly enhance UC Merced’s work to advance research and innovation in the agricultural technology sector.
Housed in the School of Engineering, the Christine Nemec Long Endowed Chair in Agricultural Technology was created through a generous gift from longtime UC Merced Foundation Board of Trustees member Christine Long.
Long — a co-founder, former owner and current board member of Hilltop Ranch, one of California’s most prolific almond processors and exporters — has supported the university since its earliest days, involved in a group of community members determined to bring the 10th University of California campus to Merced.
“It dawned on me that if we had a major university in the Central Valley, it would make a difference in K-12 education,” she said. “Having a university and educated and skilled people would bring up education everywhere in the region. I saw that as a natural consequence.”
In the two decades since she first rallied to make UC Merced a reality, Long has continually served on the UC Merced Foundation Board since 2013; was one of the inaugural members of the Chancellor’s Associates, the university’s long-standing giving society; and has been invaluable in facilitating the campus’s connections and relationships with agricultural industry partners.
The Long Endowed Chair is UC Merced’s first chair in the ag-tech field.
“The San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys are the most fertile valleys in the world, and UC Merced is in the middle of that,” said Long. “Why shouldn’t Merced be a leader in ag tech? Agriculture is changing and is becoming more advanced and technical. People who work in agriculture are much more skilled than they used to be, and they require new understanding.”
Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz said he was grateful to Long for a gift that will benefit UC Merced, the School of Engineering and university research into ag tech.
“The Central Valley has the critical ecosystem to support cutting-edge breakthroughs in ag tech,” Muñoz said. “By establishing this vital chairship and endowment, Ms. Long ensures that our university flourishes as a leader in research and education impacting the sector.”
Among UC Merced’s priorities in advancing agricultural science and technology is to address regional challenges through innovation, educational programs focused on both theory and applied agricultural production practice, and students equipped with the knowledge and entrepreneurial skills to solve real-world issues.
“Ag tech is a brand-new field for me,” Long said. “I’m excited for this new beginning, and I like the idea of being the first person to bring an ag-tech chair to UC Merced.”
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