Alumni

Play Ball! Bobcats Enjoy Grizzlies Baseball Game

September 2, 2025

UC Merced chancellor, alumni president, chancellor's wife

Baseball fans from the UC Merced campus community celebrated the start of the fall semester by witnessing a barnburner of a game at Fresno’s Chukchansi Park. More than 250 Bobcat students, along with 100 alumni and their families, received tickets to the Aug. 29 game. UC Merced staff and...

Alum Wins Opportunity to Pitch at Venture Summit

UC Merced alumnus Michael Urner is one of five finalists in the University of California new “I am a UC Entrepreneur” contest. Urner was selected from a pool of 169 contestants...

A woman seated, behind the alumna keynote speaker at fall commencement, smiles.

Campus Hosts First-Ever Fall Commencement

More than 80 undergraduate and graduate students gathered in downtown Merced on Dec. 16 for UC Merced’s first-ever Fall Commencement. Graduates — along with their family and friends,...

Shavone Charles' interest in technology started during a summer internship with Google, where she served as a student ambassador liaison between the technology company and UC Merced students.

Alumna Shavone Charles Continues to Blaze a Path in Music and Tech

It’s been five years since Shavone Charles walked across the stage at commencement. On Saturday (Dec. 16), she will return as UC Merced’s first alumni keynote speaker at Fall Commencement...

Hundreds of Students Already Giving Back to Campus

If this year’s Giving Tuesday was a success — and by every measure, it was — that success was due in large part to the generosity of UC Merced students. The day-long fundraiser...

UC Merced alumni showing their Bobcat pride

Air Force Pilot’s Gifts Give Wings to Students

UC Merced alumnus Daniel Lobato (’13) always planned to give back to the campus that provided him an education. As a student, Lobato started with modest donations during the university’s...

#GiveTueUCM Aims for 1,000 Donors in a Day

For the past three years, members of the UC Merced community and friends have made the Tuesday after Thanksgiving a showstopper for our campus. Give Tue UC Merced (#GiveTueUCM), the annual 24-hour...

Venture Lab Aids Local Startups With Free Legal Services

Early-stage startups often find themselves in a difficult bind. They need legal counsel to help them form business entities, understand tax liabilities, license inventions and draft terms of service...

Young students conducting a science experiment

Education, Service Among Campus Community’s Contributions

When the University of California chose Merced as the site for its 10th campus, the dream was to make a difference in the heart of California. As the campus matures and gains national exposure...

Alumna Shavone Charles heads global music and youth culture communications at Instagram.

Shavone Charles is First Alum Chosen for Commencement Keynote

UC Merced is welcoming back its first alumni keynote speaker, Shavone Charles, to address December 2017 graduates at its first Fall Commencement ceremony on Dec. 16. Charles received her bachelor...