Alumni

Student Philanthropy Month Returns to UC Merced with Focus on Service and Giving

March 11, 2026

Six UC Merced students pose in front of a University of California, Merced backdrop, smiling and holding blue-and-gold pennants that read “UC Merced Alumni” and “UC Merced.”

Student Philanthropy Month, now in its fifth consecutive year, gives students opportunities throughout March to better understand philanthropy and its impact on the university, the community and beyond. UC Merced Alumni Relations, in partnership with the UC Merced Student Alumni Association, is...

NASA mounted samples of solar films developed at UC Merced on a cube outside the International Space Station for 10 months.

First Test of Perovskite Films in Space Indicates More Resilience than Researchers Expected

Solar films developed by a graduate student in the Department of Physics at UC Merced while on an internship at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) not only survived 10 months in space with minimal...

UC Merced alumni and campus leaders pose for a photo at M!X Downtown in Sacramento.

Alumni Come Together at Mixer Event in Sacramento

Dozens of UC Merced alumni — from the classes of 2009 to 2022 — gathered in downtown Sacramento on April 2 for an exclusive networking mixer hosted by the Office of Alumni...

Merced to Market Event to Help Students, Faculty Bring Inventions to the World

The Office of Research and Economic Development at UC Merced is hosting its inaugural conference on entrepreneurship and innovation, called Merced to Market. The April 7 conference, being held...

A montage of photos shows students at UC Merced.

Student Philanthropy Month Puts Spotlight on Giving Back to UC Merced and Community

For the second year, UC Merced's Student Alumni Association (SAA) and Office of Alumni Relations have partnered to host Student Philanthropy Month in March. The monthlong initiative is...

A student sits in a stairwell and smiles while holding a diploma cover.

Alumnus Shares His UC Merced Experiences to Guide Youth to College

While growing up in the Sacramento area, Donald Carter ('21) said he didn't see many people who looked like him pursuing higher education. As the oldest of four boys in a single-parent...

Alumna Credits UC Merced for Inspiring Her Interest in Cancer Research

After transferring from a Sacramento community college to UC Merced in 2007, Maxine Umeh-Garcia was unsure of her future career. She admits she hadn’t looked at the majors the newest UC offered...

Professor Suzanne Sindi, left, Nitesh Kumar and Professor Roummel Marcia

Alumni Success Celebrated at Inaugural Math Event

The Department of Applied Mathematics, the Applied Mathematics Graduate Program and the student chapter of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) celebrated their many...

A solar project at a Merced dairy provides heated water around the clock.

Solar Projects Yielding Exciting Potential for Dairies, Other Industries

A company started by UC Merced founding faculty member Roland Winston - and staffed by alumni - is looking for partners for some exciting solar projects. And the government could cover the costs....

Give to UC Merced 2022 Breaks Fundraising Record

UC Merced's annual month-long fundraising campaign, Give to UC Merced, wrapped up on Dec. 31, 2022, as the most successful in the initiative's history. The effort eclipsed the original goal...