Research

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 -...

Plan to Attend Innovate to Grow or Volunteer as a Judge

Now is the time to register to attend this year's Innovate to Grow (I2G) competition and see some of the 66 student engineering teams present their solutions to real-world engineering...
Sofia Andom, Cat Flores, Bella Camfield and Bethy Harmelin are seen sitting on the grass.

Shakespeare in Yosemite's 'Love's Labor's Lost' Ready to Hit the Stage

Yosemite National Park is once again serving as the backdrop for a loose adaptation of one of Shakespeare's comedies. Shakespeare in Yosemite's "Love's Labor's Lost" will...
Pack of Natural American Spirit cigarettes

Study on Cigarette Packs' Native American Imagery Raises Questions About Safety, Cultural Misappropriation

Most people are familiar with the adage "a picture is worth a thousand words." However, the message conveyed by an image may not always be factual. Authors of a study recently...
UC Merced Professor Yehuda Sharim is seen in this 2021 photo.

Sharim to Serve as Artist-in-Residence at Virginia Tech, JGU in Germany

Professor Yehuda Sharim is sharing his experiences in cinema and community engagement with students at universities across the country and the globe. The Department of Global Arts Studies...
Researchers and a local dentist

Engineer and Dentist Partner to Root Out Problems in Teeth

A trip to the dentist isn't something most people look forward to. But computer science and engineering Professor Shijia Pan found inspiration and a new collaborator at her dentist’s...
Organizers give a presentation during Worker Week of Action.

Report Makes Case to Provide Unemployment Benefits for Undocumented Workers

Tens of thousands of undocumented immigrant workers in California could receive aid from an unemployment benefit system if the state approves the program. UC Merced's Community and Labor Center...

Graduate Students’ Fellowships Promote Study of Valley Fever

Professor Katrina Hoyer ’s lab is helping UC Merced serve the San Joaquin Valley community through its studies of immune responses to Valley fever and other diseases. Graduate students...

Campus Researchers, State Leaders Talk Secure Water Future for the Valley

Last year, UC Merced received the largest research grant in its history. The $10 million Secure Water Future (SWF) award, led by Professor Joshua Viers in cooperation with other UC campuses and other...

Students, Colleagues Host Symposium in Tribute to Aldenderfer’s Archaeology

Distinguished Professor Emeritus Mark S. Aldenderfer is being honored for his long and storied archaeology career at this year’s Society for American Archaeology (SAA) annual meeting, in...

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