In The Community

UC Merced Injects Over $1 Billion in Economic Vitality into San Joaquin Valley, State

January 20, 2026

UC Merced, a beacon of academic achievement in the San Joaquin Valley, is also a powerful driver of economic growth and prosperity in the region it was created to serve. UC Merced generates $1.12 billion in economic production per year in the Valley, according to an...

Free Discussion, Reception at UC Merced Centers on Climate Change Messaging

Climate change is a very real - and very scary - threat. Climate change and its underlying primary cause - burning fossil fuels - are arguably the world's leading causes of preventable death...

Mark Arax and Ellen Hank discuss water at UC Merced.

Future of Water in California - Bleak or Promising? A Discussion

Water is the most valuable resource in the world. And it's a particularly important commodity in the Central Valley, historically a desert but also home to some of the richest agricultural soil...

Aguirre-Muñoz Brings Biliteracy Education Resources to Livingston

Cognitive Science Professor Zenaida Aguirre-Muñoz has a passion for biliteracy that has driven her to improve the quality of learning in both English and Spanish at schools in Texas and Central...

Retired NASA astronaut Jose Hernández speaks to media ahead of a screening of "A Million Miles Away" at UC Merced.

Regent/Astronaut Shows UC Merced Students Their Dreams Aren't 'A Million Miles Away'

The new feature film "A Million Miles Away" is a universally relatable story of resilience and achievement, depicting Jose Hernández's journey from working the fields of the San Joaquin...

UC Merced and Riverbank Unified Announce Automatic Admissions Partnership (Slideshow)

UC Merced and Riverbank Unified School District (RUSD) have signed an agreement for a new guaranteed admissions partnership. Through the Merced Automatic Admissions Program (MAAP), RUSD students...

UC Merced to Host Inaugural Safety Conference

The inaugural UC Merced Safety Conference is an effort to bring nationally recognized subject matter experts to the San Joaquin Valley to share critical safety information, best practices, and the...

Second Year of College Corps Expands Service Opportunities for Students

Dozens of UC Merced students took their oaths as members of the College Corps recently. The program, which provides stipends to students in exchange for working with community partners, is in its...

Charles James Ogletree Jr., native Mercedian, UC Merced champion, Harvard legal scholar, dies at 70

The late Charles Ogletree, Jr., (December 31, 1952 - August 4, 2023) a civil rights icon and proud native of Merced, was also a great friend and champion of The University of California, Merced, and...

Native Nights to Showcase Indigenous Culture at UC Merced

Indigenous drumming, storytelling and art will be on full display at UC Merced during the inaugural Native Nights event. The UC Merced Native and Indigenous Student Coalition (NISC) is...