Faculty

Researchers Rebuild Microscopic Circadian Clock That Can Control Genes

February 10, 2026

Blue-green algae in flasks are used by researchers at UC Merced and UC San Diego to further the understanding of circadian clocks. Image courtesy of UC San Diego.

Our circadian clocks play a crucial role in our health and well-being, keeping our 24-hour biological cycles in sync with light and dark exposure. Disruptions in the rhythms of these clocks, as with jet lag and daylight saving time, can throw our daily rhythms out of whack. But a group of...

Campus to Tackle Food Waste with CalRecycle Grant

UC Merced is one of the first recipients of the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery’s new Food Waste Prevention and Rescue Grant. As part of the state’s...

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...

A portrait of a smiling professor, Juan Meza, in front of a gray background.

NSF Taps Former Dean Juan Meza to Lead Division of Mathematical Sciences

The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced that they have selected former Dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Applied Mathematics Professor Juan Meza as the new Division Director for the...

UC Merced reveals its new, comprehensive Sustainability Strategic Plan to further advance it goals, including reaching its Triple Zero Commitment.

Campus Launches New Framework for Sustainable Practices

UC Merced has a new Sustainability Strategic Plan to help the campus further advance its sustainability goals. In 2016, the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability (CACS), and the...

Campus Invests Time, Resources to Help New Faculty Adjust

Management Professor Alexander Petersen said that without the roadmaps UC Merced offers for new faculty, he’d have been adrift on campus his first year. “I tend to get lost easily when...

Preserving the Past: Library Digitizing a Century of Ag Records

An ongoing effort to collect, digitally preserve and share 100 years of historical records by the UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) has earned the UC Merced Library a more than $300,000 grant....

A smiling male student walks along Scholars Lane while carrying an arm full of papers.

Entrepreneurs to Share Secrets of Success

Make the connections that will help you make your ideas and dreams become a reality. Spend a couple days at UC Merced meeting successful entrepreneurs and hearing how they have brought their ideas...

A bird's-eye view of browning forest due to the effects of drought.

Scientists Explain Mechanisms Affecting Runoff Levels During Drought

Scientists at UC Merced’s Sierra Nevada Research Institute (SNRI), UC Irvine, UC Davis and the USDA Forest Service have enumerated the mechanisms that serve as master regulators of streamflow...

A man in glasses stands in front of a monitor displaying desert scenes.

LibraryCAVE Brings Virtual Reality and Big Data Into the Classroom

Professor Nicola Lercari is leading his students on a tour of Palenque, the ancient Mesoamerican city that flourished at the peak of Maya civilization. They’re exploring the altar atop the...