Commencement

Fall 2023 Commencement (Slideshow)

December 19, 2023

Downtown Merced was awash in blue and gold as UC Merced's Fall 2023 Commencement literally spilled into the streets. Graduate students took the stage of the Art Kamangar Center inside the Merced Theater on Friday evening. They were followed on Saturday by the graduating class from the Schools...

David Do ('09) will be the 2018 fall commencement speaker for UC Merced. Photo courtesy of Mayor's Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs.

UC Merced Selects Outstanding Alum David Do as Fall Commencement Speaker

Before David Do earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from UC Merced, he helped spearhead a Valentine’s Day card campaign that convinced First Lady Michelle Obama to give the...

Outstanding Student Awards Celebrate the Cream of the Crop

Verenize Arceo of Winton has represented UC Merced at the state Capitol, but her most recent achievement is closer to home. The history major is among the 20 graduates in the Class of 2018 honored...

More than 1,200 degrees were conferred last weekend, pushing the campus's alumni total over 9,000.

Perseverance, Leadership Key Themes of Campus’ Spring Commencement

UC Merced’s exuberant spring graduates got the chance to demonstrate their gratitude during the 13th Spring Commencement ceremonies this weekend as many of them paused to thank the faculty...

Coty Ventura steams a graduation gown while her daughter Bobbi assists.

Volunteers Help Make Commencement Memorable for Grads, Families

Early on Mother’s Day morning, Coty Ventura and her daughters Bobbi and Jessica headed to UC Merced to do their part to help make the day special for hundreds of UC Merced graduates and their...

UC Merced graduates are wrapping up finals and getting ready for UC Merced's 13th Spring Commencement ceremonies this weekend.

Campus Conferring its Highest Number of Doctorates at Commencement

This weekend, 1,250 UC Merced undergraduate and graduate students, including 52 doctoral candidates — the most in the campus’s 12-year history — are expected to cross the...

Tomanike Banks will receive a bachelor's degree in public health on May 12, then a month later her journey will take her to Sierra Leone with the Peace Corps.

Grad’s Ambition Continues to Motivate Her Success

The odds of Tomanik’e Banks graduating from college were slim — only slightly lower than the odds she’d go to college at all. But Banks had one thing going for her that many...

Graduating students listen to a speaker during commencement.

Graduation Events Honor UC Merced's Rich Diversity

Commencement is one of the biggest events – if not the biggest – in a student’s academic career. It’s a time-honored tradition that recognizes students’ scholarly...

Mario Banuelos will complete his doctoral studies in Applied Mathematics at UC Merced and participate in the university’s 13th spring commencement.

Applied Math Grad Student Committed to Central Valley Roots

When Mario Banuelos was 12, his mother took him into the fields to tie grape vines. The labor was tough and the wages were meager. After just one day on the job, Banuelos knew that his path in...

Student-athlete and leader Abbie-Leigh Meneses is preparing to graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences with an emphasis human biology and a minor in anthropology.

Women’s Soccer Star, Campus Leader Wraps Four Fulfilling Years

When prospective student-athletes visit UC Merced, soccer standout Abbie-Leigh Meneses is among the first people they meet. Not long ago, Meneses was a recruit herself, touring the University of...