Campus Community

Give to UC Merced Campaign Tops $1.4 Million, Breaking Record for Third Year

January 26, 2025

Give to UC Merced, the university’s annual year-end fundraising campaign, was the most successful of its 11-year history, garnering nearly $1.43 million from 647 donors. The tremendous show of generosity far exceeded the original goal of $250,000 from 500 donors. Each year, the UC Merced...

Among the six scholarship recipients was second-year bioengineering major Gehad Elhanafy who received the highest scholarship, $3,500.

University Friends Circle Recognizes Six Students and Two Service Organizations with Awards

Since 2008, University Friends Circle (UFC) has shown its support to UC Merced students through programs that promote community interaction. One way UFC has been a critical advocate of the campus...

Faculty Members Earn Peer Honors for Teaching, Research and Mentorship

Faculty members at UC Merced are recognized throughout the year for excellence in a variety of ways, including by their colleagues in the Academic Senate. This year’s Academic Senate awards...

University of California Health Leader to Give Commencement Keynote

In Dr. Carrie L. Byington, the novel coronavirus met a formidable foe. As an expert in infectious disease, Byington has been uniquely suited to use her role as executive vice president and head of...

In addition to the virtual commencement this year, graduates had the option to take part in in-person activities.

Class of 2021 Takes Part in In-person Activities Followed by Virtual Commencement

The pandemic has changed many aspects of life, but UC Merced Bobcats demonstrated their ability to overcome life's unexpected curveballs during an academic year unlike any other. To ensure...

Applied Math graduate student Shayna Bennett

UC Merced Ph.D. Student Wins UC Grad Slam Competition

Applied Mathematics graduate student Shayna Bennett won first place at the University of California’s Grad Slam finals today (May 7). Bennett presented her dissertation research, “A...

Male Interdisciplinary Humanities graduate student Ivan G. Soto

UC Merced Alums, Students Earn Prestigious Fellowships

A half-dozen UC Merced students and alumni are recipients of significant fellowships to help support their graduate education. “We’re extremely proud of our undergraduate and graduate...

Zoom event presenters (top row) Patti Kishi, Jess Évora and Charles Nies, (center row) Hayley Montoya, Cassie Gunter and Brandon Lopez, (bottom row) Andrea Guerra

Leadership Awards Honor Students, Organizations

For the second year, the Margo F. Souza Student Leadership Center and the Office of Student Involvement (OSI) held the 2021 UC Merced Leadership Awards virtually. The April 30 event provided an...

Alicia Garza speaks during a virtual event to honor her with the Spendlove Prize.

Alicia Garza, Civil Rights Activist and BLM Co-Founder, Honored with Spendlove Prize

While this year's ceremony looked quite different from years past due to the coronavirus pandemic, the presentation of the Alice and Clifford Spendlove Prize in Social Justice, Diplomacy and...

Undergraduate Experience: Keanu Velasquez

Name: Keanu Velasquez Major: Sociology Major and Psychology Minor Year: Graduating May 2021, School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts Commencement Student Speaker Hometown: San...