Chancellor’s Office

Former Gov. Gray Davis Awarded Chancellor’s Medal for Transformative Leadership in Bringing UC Merced to the Central Valley

February 24, 2026

UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sanchez Munoz and Governor Gray Davis pose with the Chancellor's Medal

At an intimate gathering of supporters, UC Merced awarded former Gov. Gray Davis the Chancellor’s Medal — the university’s highest honor — in recognition of his instrumental role in bringing the 10th University of California campus to Merced. The medal was presented...

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...

UC Merced, MUHSD Announce Merced Automatic Admission Program

UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz, Ph.D., and Merced Union High School District Superintendent Alan Peterson formally signed the first Merced Automatic Admission Program (MAAP) for students at...

Chancellor Muñoz Honored for Leadership on Workers’ Rights and Humanitarian Issues

UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz was a first-generation college student who became a lifelong advocate for education and the social mobility it provides to students from underrepresented...

UC Merced made the Princeton Review's 'Best Colleges' list for the second year in a row.

University Makes Princeton Review ‘Best Colleges’ Guide for Second Year

For the second year in a row, UC Merced is being recognized as one of the top universities in the country, according to the Princeton Review’s “Best 386 Colleges.” Since 1992,...

Consensus: Muñoz a ‘Perfect Fit’ as UC Merced Chancellor

Juan Sánchez Muñoz won’t begin his tenure as UC Merced’s fourth chancellor until July 1, but leaders in the University of California and across campus are already expressing excitement...

The Beginnings sculpture on the UC Merced campus.

UC Alum Juan Sánchez Muñoz Named UC Merced’s Fourth Chancellor

The University of California Board of Regents approved today Dr. Juan Sánchez Muñoz’s appointment as UC Merced’s fourth chancellor. Muñoz comes to UC from the University of Houston-...

The Lakireddy family poses in front of UC Merced's Dr. Lakireddy Auditorium, one of the largest lecture halls on campus. Top: Dr. Hanimireddy Lakireddy and his son Dr. Vikram Lakireddy; Bottom: Hanimireddy's wife Vijaya and his daughter-in-law, Priya.

Mayor Murphy and Dr. Lakireddy Named 2020 Chancellor’s Medals Recipients

Merced Mayor Michael Murphy and cardiologist Hanimireddy Lakireddy will be awarded the prestigious UC Merced Chancellor’s Medal. Established in 2005, the Chancellor’s Medal is the...

Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will give a speech on the future of civic engagement as part if interim Chancellor Nathan Brostrom's speaker series.

Former LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to Speak at UC Merced

Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will give a speech on the future of civic engagement as part of UC Merced interim Chancellor Nathan Brostrom’s speaker series. Villaraigosa was...

UC Regents’ Committees to Meet at UC Merced Jan. 30-31

UC Merced will host members of the University of California Board of Regents Jan. 30-31, as the board’s Presidential Selection and Public Engagement and Development committees meet with the...