Awards

UC Merced a National Finalist for Student Success Award

October 16, 2025

UC Merced, recognized nationwide for providing access to a world-class education and transforming young scholars’ lives, is a finalist for the inaugural Excellence in Student Success Award offered by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. UC Merced is among five...

Sharim Film 'Flora' Wins Festival's Social Justice Award

“Flora,” a film by UC Professor Yehuda Sharim, earned an award from the Latino and Native American Film Festival. The film, which Sharim describes as a memoir of post-teen daughters...

Two men in safety garments and goggles conduct an experiment at UC Merced.

UC Merced-led Collaborative Awards $10.6 Million to Community, Education Partners

The WE Will! Education and Workforce Collaborative, spearheaded by UC Merced and composed of partners from Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties, has awarded $10.6 million to community and...

Students, Alums Awarded Prestigious NSF Graduate Fellowships

Three UC Merced graduate students and two undergraduate alumni were recently offered fellowships from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). “I am...

UC Merced’s Chef Jonathan Gutierrez Santiago Wins 3rd Annual CASA Chef Cookoff

In an impressive display of his culinary capabilities, Executive Sous Chef Jonathon Gutierrez Santiago was crowned champion of the 2024 CASA Chef Cookoff. With a team of fellow UC Merced staff...

UC Merced’s Chef Mitch Earns Top Honor from Peers

Mitchell Vanagten, executive chef for UC Merced’s Lakeside Catering , has been named Chef of the Year by the Monterey Bay chapter of the American Culinary Federation. The award from the...

Professor Shahar Sukenik studies intrinsically disordered proteins.

Sukenik Named Sloan Research Fellow for Pioneering Research in Protein Chemistry

Professor Shahar Sukenik has been a faculty member for only 5 1/2 years, but he has already built an impressive resume, becoming a leader in his research field, an innovator and an exceptional...

Active-matter Researcher will Further Modeling, Education with NSF CAREER Award

Department of Physics Professor Kinjal Dasbiswas has received a CAREER award for his work on the theory and modeling of shape-changing active solids. He is the 38th researcher from UC Merced to...

UC Merced women’s soccer wins their first Cal Pac Conference Tournament Championship, beating Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 2-1 on Bobcat Field on Nov. 11, 2023.

2023 Brought Many More Firsts for Bobcat Athletics

The year just ending has been one for the college sports record books and many kudos are due to the Bobcat athletes and their coaches. UC Merced men’s and women’s outdoor track swept...

Researcher Among the World's Most Highly Cited for the Fourth Straight Year

Distinguished Professor Martin Hagger from the Department of Psychological Sciences has been awarded one of this year’s Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher awards. He is one of four...