Events

Degrees, Cheers and a Record Number of Graduates Under the Open Sky

May 13, 2026

A graduate student eagerly anticipates her hooding ceremony.

UC Merced is abuzz with celebration as students, families, friends, staff and faculty finish last-minute preparations for the largest commencement in university history. Across three outdoor ceremonies, 1,649 undergraduates and 112 graduate students will walk the stage at Spring Commencement...

The campus is preparing for the largest graduating class of roughly 1,200 candidates who are eligible to participate in the weekend’s ceremonies.

CNN Contributor Maria Cardona, Civic Leader Lenny Mendonca to Speak at UC Merced’s Largest Commencement Ceremonies

The University of California, Merced, has selected political commentator and public affairs professional Maria Cardona and civic leader and entrepreneur Lenny Mendonca to deliver keynote addresses at...

Twitter's Trier-Lynn Bryant speaks to first-generation students about what makes them unique in today's workplace.

First-Gen Students Get Career Tips at New Conference

Starting and navigating the career-planning process can be daunting for any college student, but especially for those who will be the first in their families to graduate from college. UC Merced...

Chancellor Dorothy Leland and Berkeley Lab Director Michael Witherell sign MOU agreement on a white table.

Chancellor Inks Deal with Berkeley Lab to Promote Collaboration

At a ceremony held earlier today, UC Merced Chancellor Dorothy Leland and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Director Michael Witherell signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish a...

Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky speaking with students.

Berkeley Law Dean Speaks Up for Free Speech

People on college campuses hold a wide range of views, and the First Amendment gives everyone the right to express their opinions. But restricting speech at a public institution — even when...

Professor Sandra A. Brown in her office in front of a bookshelf filled with books.

Pellissier Speaker to Discuss Substance Abuse and the Adolescent Brain

California’s recent legalization of recreational marijuana and the nation’s ongoing opioid crisis have many parents worried that their own teenagers might succumb to the temptations of...

Shavone Charles' interest in technology started during a summer internship with Google, where she served as a student ambassador liaison between the technology company and UC Merced students.

Alumna Shavone Charles Continues to Blaze a Path in Music and Tech

It’s been five years since Shavone Charles walked across the stage at commencement. On Saturday (Dec. 16), she will return as UC Merced’s first alumni keynote speaker at Fall Commencement...

Four students stand in front of a poster explaining their Innovate to Grow capstone project.

Wells Fargo Gift Helps ‘Innovate to Grow’ Continue Fall Expansion

Innovate to Grow (I2G), the School of Engineering’s showcase for senior capstone projects and student ingenuity in engineering and entrepreneurship, is emerging as a twice-a-year event, thanks...

Marcus Shaw will celebrate his dream of earning a Ph.D. in sociology at the university’s first Fall Commencement ceremony Dec. 16.

Former Street Kid Fulfills Educational Promise with Ph.D.

As a teenager in Merced, Marcus Shaw lived a life marked by poverty, poor choices and indifference to education. The idea of college — especially at the new UC Merced campus — seemed...

6 adults in business suits holding a large honorary check in the amount of $125,000

Wells Fargo: Partners in Education and Economic Growth

UC Merced is distinguished by its trailblazing ethos, and the university has pushed the boundaries of innovation in ways that impact both the campus and the wider community. This is due in large part...