Chancellor

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...

Congressman Dan Costa (far left) and Assembly Member Adam Gray (far right) joined Chancellor Muñoz and President Vitelli at Friday's signing ceremony.

UC Merced, Merced College Unveil New Transfer Pipeline for Local Students

UC Merced and Merced College are teaming up to make it easier than ever for local students to matriculate through community college and earn bachelor’s degrees from the most respected public...

UC President Michael Drake and UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz

New UC President Drake Praises Merced for Research, Diversity, Student Success

In just 15 years since its founding, UC President Michael V. Drake, M.D., said UC Merced has come to embody the best of what the University of California has to offer when it comes to...

UC Merced Enrollment Passes 9,000 — a New High — Despite National Decline

UC Merced rose into the top 100 of the U.S. News & World Report rankings of National Universities earlier this month, and the university already has another milestone to celebrate. According...

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...

In just 15 years, UC Merced has reached the top 100 in the US News & World Report rankings.

UC Merced Moves Into Top 100 National Universities Ranked by U.S. News & World Report

UC Merced has broken into the top 100 of U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of the top national universities, placing 97th overall and 40th among public institutions. The university,...

UC Merced Makes Strong Debut in Money’s "Best Colleges" Rankings by Value

UC Merced is one of the country’s best four-year universities for quality, affordability and alumni outcomes, according to Money’s 2020 Best Colleges rankings by value. In its first...

UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz (left) meets with Merced College President Chris Vitelli

UC Merced, Merced College Do Their Part to Stem COVID-19 Outbreak

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,...

UC Merced Welcomes Juan Sánchez Muñoz as Fourth Chancellor

The University of California, Merced, is nearing the completion of an unprecedented campus expansion project and raising its reputation across the nation and the world, all during a time in which the...