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Project Aims to Put AI to Work Reducing its Own Energy Needs

April 8, 2026

Photo depicts Elizabeth Nowadnick, center, surrounded by members of her lab on campus at UC Merced.
It's no secret that artificial intelligence uses a lot of electricity. A standard ChatGPT query consumes approximately 0.34 watt-hours - roughly 10 times more than a Google search. According to the Pew Research Center, U.S. data centers consumed 183 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2024 -...
Students walk on campus at UC Merced. <p align="center"> UC Merced Ranked 15th Best Public College in the Nation By Wall Street Journal </p> <p> UC Merced made quite a splash in the revamped Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/rankings/college-rankings/best-colleges-2024"> Best Colleges in the U.S. </a> ranking published today. Out of 400 universities that were examined nationwide, UC Merced came in at No. 15 for public institutions. Overall, the universi

UC Merced Ranked 15th Best Public College in the Nation By Wall Street Journal

UC Merced has been recognized by the Wall Street Journal Best Colleges in the U.S. ranking published today. Out of 400 universities that were looked at nationwide, UC Merced came in at No...
A rendering depicts the new housing project.

UC Merced, Merced College to Provide New Housing for Transfer Students

UC Merced and Merced College will jointly build a 488-bed student housing project for community college and transfer students. The California Legislature gave final approval to the $100 million...
An aerial photograph of the UC Merced campus.

NIH Grant to Study Immigration Policy Impacts on Mental Health and Access to Health Care for Latinos in Rural Communities

UC Merced public health Professor Maria-Elena De Trinidad Young has been awarded an R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The $3 million grant will fund Young's ambitious...
UC Merced Computer Science and Engineering Professor Xiaoyi Lu and members of the Lu lab.

Department of Energy Grant will Fund EECS Professor Lu's Research into Improving Federated Machine Learning

UC Merced Computer Science and Engineering Professor Xiaoyi Lu is leading a collaboration that secured a $4.35 million grant from the Department of Energy (DOE) to improve federated...
Professor Martha Conklin

Founding Faculty Member Martha Conklin Bids Farewell to Campus Community

Professor Martha Conklin started her career at UC Merced at the Castle Research Facility, and it began with a frightening surprise. “I had a baby rattlesnake in my office,” she said....
Biviana Oseguera

Mega-Interstellar Structure Fuels Undergraduate’s Winning Research

Big-wave surfing is a thing these days, but hardly anyone is riding a wave as big as the one Biviana Oseguera is on. The physics major is studying the 9,000-light-year long Radcliffe Wave, a...
The UC Merced astrophysicists with the Keck Observatory behind them

Astrophysics Researchers Present their Work at Hawaiian Observatory

A delegation of dignitaries from the University of California Office of the President, UC Merced and UCLA were recently treated to a presentation that included the astrophysicists from UC Merced at...

Scholars Bridge Crossing Event (Slideshow)

Thousands of incoming UC Merced students participated in the Scholars Bridge Crossing, one of the university's earliest traditions. The annual event is a rite of passage for new Bobcats...

Move-in Weekend 2023 (Slideshow)

UC Merced welcomed back thousands of students to campus for the start of the university's 19th academic year! From Aug. 17-20, family and friends joined incoming Bobcats as they arrived on...

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