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celebrating black excellence

Black History Month

Engaging the Black Community Inside, Outside UC Merced

February 21, 2023

UC Merced Professor Maria Martin
Professor Maria Martin has a lot going on. On Feb. 18, she was the grand marshal and a speaker at a program and march honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in downtown Merced. This weekend, she and the university will host a two-day gathering that investigates Black identity from...
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...
Ph.D. alumna Maxine Umeh-Garcia

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...

Okoli to UC Merced Students: ‘This is Your Place. This is Your Home’

University students deserve to feel welcome and safe in their home away from home. It’s a responsibility Daniel Okoli assumes without hesitation. He has designed countless physical spaces for...
Damilola Sule has been breaking basketball records at UC Merced.

Dami Sule, A Difference Maker

“Be Great Always” It’s a slogan that Damilola Sule and her family would like to trademark. The second-oldest of five Sule children, Damilola, or Dami, is a standout sophomore...
Members of the National Society of Black Engineers at UC Merced, which was established in 2007.

National Society of Black Engineers Fosters Student and Alumni Success

Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields are particularly rigorous and demanding courses of study, and the difficulty for individuals pursuing degrees in these areas can be compounded...
Members of the UC Merced Black Student Coalition, which started in 2022.

Black Student Coalition Focuses on Mental Health, Is Open to All Students

When Stephen Smith got to UC Merced, he found several organizations aimed at helping Black students succeed. But he didn't find one specifically aimed at mental health. So, he started one....
Sociology Ph.D. student Jullanar Williams Chancellor’s Fellowship for Inclusive Excellence

Four Ph.D. Students Awarded Chancellor’s Fellowship for Inclusive Excellence

UC Merced has awarded its second cohort of Chancellor’s Fellowship for Inclusive Excellence to four incoming Ph.D. students from the schools of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, Natural...

Community College Leadership Retreat Builds Pipeline for Students of Color to Attend UC Merced

To continue to execute and build a strong foundation for students of color to attend a four-year college, UC Merced held its first Black California Community Colleges CEO’s Retreat. The three-...
Kamil Williams-Fisher, of Los Angeles, dons her high school graduation cap and gown.

Count Me In Program Helps LA Student Choose UC Merced

Kamil Williams-Fisher is enjoying the summer in her hometown of Los Angeles before starting classes this fall at UC Merced. A graduate of St. Mary's Academy in Inglewood, she first heard about...

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