First. Further. Forward

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

January 6, 2026

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

Kevin Arrieta got into robotics to avoid getting into trouble. Arrieta said he joined the robotics club at his Compton high school after the teacher who ran it gave him an ultimatum. "I had gotten in with the wrong crowd," he said. "I had a physics teacher who told me, '...

It’s Official: UC Merced to Compete in NCAA Division II Athletics

UC Merced will begin Division II competition after official acceptance Thursday by the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA). The university will begin NCAA Division II competition in the...

A graphic depicts a book, a light bulb, a computer and a mug of Jesus Silva.

Bobcat Looks to Leave His Mark at 'Freshly Made' UC Merced

Editor's note:This is part of a series of profilesabout new UC Merced Bobcats enrolled for the fall 2024 semester. Jesus Silva graduated from Central Valley High School in Ceres after being...

NSF-Funded Project Promotes Reuse of 'Greywater' in Households Integrating AI Toward Equity

Almost 3 billion people worldwide are projected to suffer from severe water scarcity by 2025. Thousands have already been affected in California alone, where more than 1,200 wells ran dry in...

A graphic depicts UC Merced's ranking of 109 among top graduate schools, according to U.S. News & World Report.

UC Merced Engineering School, Programs Rise in U.S. News Grad Rankings

The vision of the School of Engineering at UC Merced is to be a leader in research, education and innovation. Based on U.S. News & World Report's 2024-2025 edition of Best Graduate Schools...

UC Merced students look at high-speed rail tracks during a site visit.

High-Speed Rail, High-Quality Jobs: Career Trek Shows Students Opportunities

California high-speed rail, a multibillion-dollar project designed to connect the Central Valley to Los Angeles and the Bay Area, promises swift transportation, the protection of agricultural land...

The Science and Engineering 2 building is shown.

UC Merced Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Celebrates CAREER Successes

The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) program provides some of the National Science Foundation's most prestigious awards to higher education faculty. According to the NSF website, these...

TUSCEB scholars showcased their research projects at a recent symposium.

Stem Cell Engineering and Biology Program Hosts First Symposium

In April, the Training Undergraduates in Stem Cell Engineering and Biology (TUSCEB) program marked a significant milestone toward its mission of fostering excellence in stem cell engineering and...

A flexible material that gets stronger the more it is hit and conducts electricity is shown.

Stretchy Material That Gets Stronger When Hit Has Exciting Potential

Much of the work Yue (Jessica) Wang does at UC Merced sounds like science fiction: She creates flexible material that gets stronger the more you hit it. And it conducts electricity. Science, yes....

The 2023 spring commencement ceremony at UC Merced is shown.

UC Merced Announces Spring Commencement Speakers

The speakers who will address graduating UC Merced students at their commencement ceremonies May 10-12 come from a variety of backgrounds and achievements, but all three are vanguards in their fields...