Chancellor

UC Merced Graduates Encouraged to Embrace Every Moment

May 19, 2025

With cheers, hugs and leis, more than 1,500 UC Merced graduates received a celebratory sendoff to their bright futures as a prominent keynote speaker told them to make the most of the here and now. Hundreds of families and friends joined the graduates in three days of commencement ceremonies at...

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...

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-...

First Virtual Commencement Honors Class of 2020

The Class of 2020 has officially graduated and while students didn’t cross the stage in typical commencement fashion, the celebration was memorable. In the first virtual commencement for a...

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...

UC Merced is commemorating the tremendous accomplishments of its graduates with a virtual ceremony streamed at 10 a.m. May 16.

Virtual Commencement Promises Surprises for Grads, Families

While the COVID-19 pandemic has altered many things this spring on the UC Merced campus — from classes and research to events — UC Merced is making sure the Class of 2020 has a forum to...