Campus Life

Flavors & Stories: Chef Sean Sherman Brings Indigenous Culinary Wisdom to UC Merced

October 14, 2025

The beat of drums and the scent of cedar filled UC Merced’s Conference Center as acclaimed chef, author and activist Sean Sherman shared stories of tradition, resilience and culinary innovation during “Flavors & Stories: A Fireside Chat with the Sioux Chef.” The New York...

Professor Roland Winston and his student researchers

Our First Campus Was a Castle

The University of California, Merced, was established in 2005 — or so the story goes. The main campus officially opened in September of that year, but that particular reading of history elides...

Rufus is the real-life iteration of the UC Merced bobcat.

What’s In a Name? The Strength of Bobcats

Five years before it opened, UC Merced held a mascot-naming contest for local elementary school students. Among the nominees: the Marmots, the Hawks and the Black-Tailed Hares “There was an...

Aerial photo from the early days of the UC Merced campus.

Postcards, Persistence Paid Off for Merced

Yazil Navarro might have played a bigger role in the founding of UC Merced than she realizes. As a Merced County second-grader, Navarro — now the learning and professional development manager...

The UC Merced Journey 5K Fund Run is Sept. 9.

Journey 5K Fund Run Honors Late Cross Country Coach

Saturday’s annual Journey 5K Fund Run has special meaning for the UC Merced community. Last November, the campus lost Ryan Nunez — head coach of the men’s and women’s cross...

New Academic Year Brings New Faces, Opportunities

More than 2,200 students — many entering their first year at UC Merced — arrived last weekend in cars, trucks and minivans packed to the gills with living essentials from clothing and...

Campus Named a Top-50 ‘Cool School’ for Sustainability

UC Merced checks in at No. 50 in the Sierra Club’s 2017 "Cool Schools" list, rising more than 30 spots from its previous position in the ranking of sustainable colleges and...

Sun setting in red-orange sky over darkened mountain range as seen from UC Merced's Kolligian Library.

Professors Demystify Eclipse for Merced Skygazers

As the frenzy surrounding the Aug. 21 solar eclipse begins to peak, physics Professor Wil van Breugel is using the opportunity to give Merced stargazers a crash course in the science and history of...

'Kopi's Hometown Connections' Highlights Merced 2020 Project

Kopi's Hometown Connections, a popular series of features on KMPH Fox 26 in Fresno, recently visited Merced to highlight the city's many successes, including the rapid growth of its...

Prachumsri Named Men’s Volleyball Coach

UC Merced’s Athletics Department has hired women's volleyball coach and alumnus Surabordin “Ai” Prachumsri as the men's volleyball head coach. He will remain coach of the women’s team, as well. After...

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