Academic Distinction

Fellowship Lifts Mission of Farmworkers’ Daughter to Improve Immigrant Health

August 13, 2025

UC Merced Ph.D. graduate Fabiola Perez-Lua

A daughter of San Joaquin Valley immigrant farmworkers has earned the opportunity to study alongside a nationally prominent health researcher and energize her mission to improve the well-being of agricultural laborers. Fabiola Perez-Lua, who in May received a Ph.D. in Public Health at UC Merced...

University Receives AASHE Campus Sustainability Award for Bobcat Eats Program

One of UC Merced’s core values is sustainability and that extends to food waste. Since its inception last year, the Bobcat Eats Food Waste Awareness and Prevention Program has saved more...

UC Merced has risen 61 spots in the overall U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges rankings in the past two years.

UC Merced Takes Another Giant Leap in U.S. News Rankings

The fastest-growing public research university in the nation is the fastest-rising university in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges rankings. The University of California Merced,...

University is No. 1 for Sustainable Buildings, Research in AASHE Rankings

UC Merced has been recognized by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) as having the most sustainable buildings in higher education throughout the world...

UC Merced jumped 44 spots from its previous high on the Sierra Club's "Cool Schools" list and is ranked No. 6 in the nation for 2019.

University Vaults to No. 6 in ‘Cool Schools’ Rankings

UC Merced has made its way into another top 10 in national rankings, this time jumping up to No. 6 in the Sierra Club’s 2019 “Cool Schools” list. The university jumped 44...

UC Merced ranked No. 8 in the nation in first-generation student performance and performance of students who receive Pell grants in the Washington Monthly 2019 College Guide and Rankings.

University Ranks Top Ten in Nation in First-Generation Student Performance for Washington Monthly

UC Merced moved into the top 10 in the country in first-generation student performance in the Washington Monthly 2019 College Guide and Rankings released last week. The university — with more...

UC Merced appeared in The Princeton Review's "Best 385 Colleges" guide for the first time Tuesday.

University Makes Princeton Review ‘Best Colleges’ Debut

UC Merced continues to be recognized as one of the top universities in the country, and the campus received another notable accolade Tuesday, making its first appearance in The Princeton Review...

Campus Wins Four Awards at Annual Sustainability Conference

UC Merced continues to earn recognition and awards for its sustainability efforts. Last week, the university won four awards at the 16th annual Higher Education Energy Efficiency and...

UC Merced debuted at No. 4 among U.S. universities in the 2019 Times Higher Education Young University Rankings.

UC Merced Ranked One of the Top Young Universities in U.S.

UC Merced continues to build on its reputation as a world-class research university, debuting at No. 4 among U.S. universities in the 2019 Times Higher Education Young University Rankings released...

Computational Chemist Improving Modeling for Complex Processes

Professor Hrant Hratchian, with the Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology in the School of Natural Sciences, has received a National Science Foundation CAREER award, the 24th recipient...

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