Engineering

Amazon Funds Research into Making AI More Efficient

March 3, 2026

Depicted are the letters "Ai" on a green graphic background

Two UC Merced computer science and engineering professors will delve deep into artificial intelligence in projects with Amazon. Dong Li and Xiaoyi Lu earned Amazon Research Awards, the technology giant announced recently. Amazon Research Awards provide unrestricted funds and Amazon Web...

Kevin Arrieta is pictured speaking to an electrical engineering class at UC Merced.

UC Merced Alum, Now a Robotics Expert for Amazon, Advises Students to Get Their Hands Dirty

Kevin Arrieta got into robotics to avoid getting into trouble. Arrieta said he joined the robotics club at Dominguez High School in Compton high school after Gloria Esiobu, the teacher who ran it...

Photo depicts climate scientist Michael Mann speaking at a podium at UC Merced.

Climate Speaker Series at UC Merced Kicks Off with Warnings … and Hope

The global climate crisis was entirely predictable and impacts nearly every facet of life. But we still can slow its progress and mitigate the effects we already see. That was the message...

Photo depicts Professor Mukesh Singhal on a blue and gold background.

Electrical Engineering Professor Named IEEE Life Fellow

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers has bestowed the honor of "IEEE Life Fellow" to Mukesh Singhal, professor of electrical engineering at UC Merced. According to its...

Photo depicts a vendor demonstrating a drone on the UC Merced campus.

Challenges, Opportunities Presented at Small Farm Tech Expo

The Small Farm Tech Expo brought researchers, farmers, university students and even a group from a Modesto elementary school to UC Merced to talk about agriculture technology and how it can best help...

Photo is a mugshot of Professor Josué Medellín-Azuara depicted on a blue and gold background.

Report Reviews How California's Water Projects Balance Needs of People and Endangered Species

A National Academies committee that includes a UC Merced researcher recently released its findings from a review of the science behind the operations of two massive California water projects....

Photo depicts Professor Siddaiah Yarra accepting a plaque on a blue and gold graphic background.

Engineering Professor Earns Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award

The American Society of Civil Engineers has awarded civil and environmental engineering Professor Siddaiah Yarra the Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award for Region 9. The ASCE San Francisco...

Photo depicts Professor Xiaofan Yu standing next to the UC Merced sign.

New UC Merced Professor Delves Deep into Artificial Intelligence in Real Life

From smartphones to medical devices, artificial intelligence is a part of much of everyday life. One of UC Merced's newest professors is working to make AI more explainable and more efficient...

Depicted is a sign reading "UC Merced Experimental Smart Farm" with the university campus in the background.

Ag Tech For Small Farms Highlighted at UC Merced Expo

An expo at UC Merced next week will bring together farmers, ranchers, researchers and community organizers to highlight what's possible when agriculture technology is designed for small farms...

Professor and Environmental Champion Bales Retires, But Research and Advocacy Continue

Professors Roger Bales and Martha Conklin arrived in Merced in 2003, the first non-administrative faculty members at UC Merced. They came with a vision: to create a research university that would...