Faculty

Innovative Research Secures Coveted Fellowships for Ph.D. Students

January 14, 2026

graphic with five individuals higlighted; three females and two males with UC Merced and ARCS logos on blue background

The ARCS Foundation Northern California awarded five UC Merced graduate students with 2025-26 fellowships. ARCS advances science and technology in the United States by providing financial awards to exceptional graduate-level scholars in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. In...

Campus Humanities Center to Expand Mission with Private Gift

With the help of a $2 million gift, UC Merced’s humanities center will support scholars in conducting interdisciplinary research, engaging the public and addressing issues critical to the San Joaquin...

Academic Year Begins with Sharper Focus on Emerging Fields of Excellence, Graduate Programs and Flexible Growth

The University of California, Merced, begins its eighth academic year today with record enrollment of approximately 5,600 students, a 23 percent increase in graduate-student enrollment and 26 newly...

Member of National Science Foundation Leadership Team Appointed Provost

The University of California, Merced, today announced the appointment of Thomas W. Peterson, assistant director for Engineering at the National Science Foundation (NSF), to the position of provost...

Researchers Spend Summer Working on Projects Near and Far

From the caves of Belize to laboratories in Japan, UC Merced faculty members and students are abroad conducting research this summer across the globe. Though the semester ended in mid-May, the campus...

Cognitive Scientist Awarded McClatchy Chair in Communications

Cognitive science Professor Teenie Matlock has been named the McClatchy Chair in Communications at the University of California, Merced. Matlock’s appointment marks the first time the UC’s newest...

Research Lends Insight into Controlling Cells, Addressing Diseases

A discovery by a UC Merced biophysicist has moved science a step closer toward fine-tuning cell functions and combating certain diseases. Professor Jing Xu found that a cell’s nanomotor can be...

Cognitive Science Student Studies Conflict

http://youtu.be/AVZS22SFLVgGraduate student Alexandra Paxton finds opinionated students, puts them in a room together and tells them to argue about a hot-button issue. Then she records what happens....

Study: Bone Density May Affect Immune System

Researchers at the University of California, Merced, have discovered a new way in which bone health impacts a person’s immune system. The discovery could impact how scientists try to combat bone-...

'Ugh the Duck' to Entertain Local Youth

“Ugh the Duck,” a retelling of the classic tale, “The Ugly Duckling,” will be performed at UC Merced in May as part of an effort to expose Merced County youth to opera and theater. The project is...