Diversity & Inclusion

Native and Indigenous Student Coalition Promotes Culture and Community at UC Merced

November 17, 2025

November marks Native American Heritage Month — a time to celebrate, honor and amplify Indigenous traditions and histories. At UC Merced, the student-led Native and Indigenous Student Coalition has become a powerful source of community and cultural pride since its founding in 2012. At the...

New Project Focuses on Women of Color in the Geosciences Throughout the UC

Although there has been a lot of talk this summer about paleoecology Professor Sora Kim’s research on the now-extinct megalodon shark, there is another focus to her work: BAJEDI, or belonging,...

Campus and Academic Growth Highlighted in UC Merced State of the University Address

Distinguished rankings, new academic offerings, world-class research and campus expansions were among the highlights of the UC Merced State of the University address delivered by Chancellor Juan...

UC Merced Receives 2023 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award

UC Merced has received the 2023 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education...

HACU Leadership Cohort an ‘Exciting Opportunity to Learn,’ Ortiz Says

Physiology Professor Rudy M.Ortiz has been named a Fellow in this year's cohort of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities’ Leadership Academy (La Academia de Liderazgo...

A mortarboard with a Spanish inscription is displayed at UC Merced commencement.

UC Merced Is a Hispanic Serving Institution. What Does that Mean?

Merced is one of five University of California campuses designated a Hispanic Serving Institution, or HSI. (The others are Riverside, Santa Cruz, Irvine and Santa Barbara.) But what does it mean...

Department of Energy Awards $37 Million to Build Research Capacity

Five faculty members from the School of Natural Sciences received grants recently from the Department of Energy (DOE) under its Funding for Accelerated, Inclusive Research (FAIR) initiative. To...

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...

Sharim’s New Photo Essay Reveals Night in Merced County

Global Arts Studies Professor Yehuda Sharim has published a new photo essay, “A Map of Light,” on the University of California Humanities Research Institute (UCHRI)’s digital...

Rivera Middle School students get a lesson in engineering at the CalTeach Learning lab.

Learning Lab Offers Education for Children and Future Teachers

Every Tuesday and Thursday during the school year, elementary, middle and high school students from around the region travel to a special lab at UC Merced designed just for them. It’s the...

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