Faculty

Ants, Endurance and a Ph.D. at the Finish Line

March 18, 2026

UC Merced graduate student Reo Maynard studies a carpenter ant from one of his many ant colonies.

On most days, Reo Maynard’s life swings between two ecosystems: the microscopic world inside an ant’s gut and the sprawling one that stretches from Fresno to the Sierra Nevada mountains. The 51-year-old Navy veteran, dad of two, screenwriter-in-waiting and newly minted Fresno City...

Campus' Annual Celebration of Research Continues to Grow

From the campus’ own undergraduate and graduate students to distinguished faculty members from here and abroad, Research Week at the University of California, Merced, will offer a wide range of...

Marine Biologist Receives Fulbright Award

Mónica Medina, a professor in the School of Natural Sciences at the University of California, Merced, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to conduct research at the Observatoire Océanologique...

Continued Smoking Can Spread Cancer, Research Shows

Cigarette smoke cannot only cause cancer, but it’s also responsible for the spread of it, according to research by UC Merced biochemistry Professor Henry Jay Forman. Forman discovered tobacco smoke...

Researchers Discover Protein Critical for Tissue Regeneration

A flatworm known for its ability to regenerate cells is shedding more light on how cancer could be treated and how regenerative medicine could better target diseases, according to researchers at the...

Researcher Aims to Use Social Multimedia for Enhanced Mapping

Mapping what is where on the earth’s surface is currently done primarily through overhead aerial and satellite images. This is useful in many ways but is limited in terms of portraying things like...

Surgeon General's Report: Cigarette Ads Cause Youth to Start Smoking

Cigarette advertising and promotion cause youth to start smoking and facilitate progression to regular use, according a U.S. Surgeon General’s Report released today. UC Merced Professor Anna V. Song...

Campus Partners in Program for Public Lands and Cultural Heritage

UC Merced is one of six universities that are part of a certificate program to develop forward-thinking leaders who will manage public lands through 21st-century challenges. The Leadership for Public...

Mayan Creation Myth the Focus of Upcoming Events

The Popol Vuh, the ancient Mayan creation myth, has permeated several classes at UC Merced this year, offering undergraduate students several ways to learn more about Mayan culture. The focus on the...

Impact: Ecologist Simulates Climate Change with Infrared Heaters

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06VNtISfSycClimate change is leading to higher temperatures around the world, forcing plants, trees and animals to adapt to new conditions or relocate, often to higher...