Awards

Physiological Society Recognizes Rudy Ortiz for Mentoring Underrepresented Students

February 24, 2025

Physiology Professor Rudy M. Ortiz has been named this year's winner of the A. Clifford Barger Underrepresented Minority Mentorship Award by the American Physiological Society. The UC Merced professor was recognized for his leadership, guidance and mentorship of underrepresented minority...

Bobcats Celebrate Freshman Phenom Athletes

Last fall, Turlock native Marcus DeCouto reminded the sports scene that UC Merced consistently brings some of the top freshmen to the California Pacific Conference. DeCouto, now a sophomore...

A woman holds a broken cigarette in her hands

Multimillion-Dollar Grant Brings Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center to Campus

UC Merced has been awarded a $3.8 million grant to establish the UC Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center (NCPC), positioning UC Merced and the San Joaquin Valley region as a leading center for the...

Longtime Supporter Fred Ruiz Honored for Distinguished Service to Education

Fred Ruiz’s support of UC Merced goes back decades and includes substantial contributions through philanthropy, advocacy and service. For his commitment to UC Merced and to education in the...

UC Solar Awarded $1.1M Grant to Build Solar-Powered Water Purification Systems

UC Solar received a $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) to develop solar-thermal desalination technologies that reduce the cost of creating...

Students tend the UC Merced Campus Community Garden.

Campus Earns Kudos for Sustainability Best Practices

UC Merced demonstrated that it’s living up to its reputation for being “green from the ground up” by winning five awards — more than any other University of California campus...

News and Notes: UC Launches Million Light Bulb Challenge, Upcoming Ally Trainings Offered

Let There Be Energy-Efficient Light The University of California is spearheading a statewide effort to advance the purchase of 1 million high-quality, energy-efficient light bulbs for campus...

Students in white lab coats working at a lab bench with scientific equipment.

Campus Lands $1M Howard Hughes Grant to Make STEM More Inclusive

UC Merced’s efforts to make science education more inclusive were recently given a huge boost after the campus was awarded its first Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) grant, an...

Woman in olive shirt rests on railing in front of concrete wall.

Beaudin Named Campus’ Second Winner of Prestigious Pew Award

Biology Professor Anna Beaudin was named a member of the 2018 class of Pew Biomedical Scholars today, one of 22 early-career researchers nationwide to receive this year’s prestigious award...

Berhe Selected by National Academies to Serve as “New Voice” for Science

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) just announced that they’ve selected Professor Asmeret Asefaw Berhe to serve as an inaugural member of the Academies’...