Diversity

Cultural Historian Jeff Chang Brings Bruce Lee's Legacy to UC Merced for AANHPI Month

May 13, 2026

Chef Jeff Chand and event moderator Bayani Jol Manilay seated at the front of the room. Chang is speaking into a microphone.

Bruce Lee's favorite dish was oyster sauce beef, and on the evening of May 7 it was on the menu at UC Merced, alongside a conversation about who Lee really was, why he still matters and what his story says about America. Jeff Chang, cultural historian and author of “Water Mirror Echo:...

Free Health Conference Offered for Spanish-Speaking Students and Families

UC Merced will hold a free Spanish-language health conference for the community on Saturday, Nov. 16, with sessions on topics including preventative health measures, coping with stress, domestic...

Professor Kevin Dawson receives the Harriet Tubman Prize for his book "Undercurrents of Power: Aquatic Culture in the African Diaspora" during an Oct. 10, 2019, ceremony at the Lapidus Center in New York.

Dawson Wins Harriet Tubman Prize for Book on Aquatic Culture of African Diaspora

As a child, Kevin Dawson traveled from California to visit his grandmother in Harlem, where he recalls playing in Jackie Robinson Park. Dawson, an avid swimmer and surfer, would peer through a fence...

Celebrate Hispanic Culture, Heritage and Education

Mid-September through mid-October is National Hispanic Heritage Month, and today marks the start of Hispanic Serving Institutions Week, too. UC Merced offers free events and programming to observe...

Engineering Honored for Achievements in Diversity

UC Merced’s School of Engineering has been recognized with a bronze award for its excellence in inclusiveness by the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE). To accelerate the...

UC Merced's new Multicultural Center opened last month after years of searching for a permanent space on campus.

New Multicultural Center Captures Past, Present and Future of UC Merced

Diversity, equity and inclusion are pillars of UC Merced’s mission to serve, teach and conduct research. After years of working to find a permanent support space for students of all...

Dorothy Leland will step down as UC Merced chancellor in August after eight years at the university.

Dorothy Leland to Step Down as UC Merced Chancellor

Dorothy Leland announced today (May 13) her intention to step down as chancellor of the University of California, Merced, effective Aug. 15, 2019. “These have been the most gratifying eight...

Sociologist’s New Research Explores ‘Collateral Consequences’ of Deportation in Newest Publication

The number of people being deported from the United States is at a historic high and one UC Merced professor is on the ground-level, meeting with family members of those affected to better understand...

Dania Matos has been named Associate Chancellor of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Dania Matos to Lead Campus Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Efforts

The University of California, Merced, today announced the appointment of Dania Matos as Associate Chancellor of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Matos is the first appointment to the new...

UC Merced students took part in the annual Pride Week march on Monday, April 1.

Pride Week Celebrates Year of Growth, Resistance and Expression

On Monday, April 1st LGBTQ+ students and allies at UC Merced kicked off their annual Pride Week festivities with a ceremony by the Native Indigenous Student Coalition (NISC), followed by a...