First. Further. Forward

Sow and Grow Workshops Connect Smart Farm, Community

November 13, 2025

Photo depicts Ph.D. student Lynn Breithaupt holding up a native plant cutting.

On a chilly autumn morning at the UC Merced Experimental Smart Farm, about a dozen people enthusiastically dug/plunged their hands into soil in an exercise on how to propagate plants. For the less horticulturally inclined, propagating is the process of creating new plants from a single parent...

A collage of photos depicting Tamela Adkins and other staff during the past 20 years.

Founding UC Merced Staffer Wraps Up 45 Years in Law Enforcement

On Aug. 12, 2005, less than one month before UC Merced opened its doors to undergraduate students, Tamela Adkins joined the campus’s Police Department as support services manager. Intially,...

UC Merced Recognized Nationally for Excellence, Affordability and Student Success

UC Merced remains one of the top universities in the nation according to Money’s 2025 “Best Colleges in America” report. The university earned 4.5 stars out of 5 in Money’s...

A large group of UC Merced Extension students holding up their certificates is pictured.

Community Health Worker Program Celebrates First Graduates

The region has nearly 170 newly certified community health workers after the first cohort completed a specialized training program at UC Merced. Graduates of the training, offered through the...

Photo depicts Brian O'Bruba, assistant vice chancellor at UC Merced, and student Tatiana Howell in graduation cap and gown.

UC Investment Academy Propels Students to Financial Career Success

This summer, 2024 UC Merced graduate Tatiana Howell is set to begin working as a wealth management analyst with Goldman Sachs. She got the job through tenacity, a strong work ethic and participation...

Photo depicts a UC Merced student holding a 3D printer available for use at the university's Makerspace.

Imagination the Only Limitation at UC Merced's Makerspace

UC Merced's Makerspace lab has been living up to its name recently. The School of Engineering's lab, housed in the Sustainability Research and Engineering building, has been increasingly...

Photo depicts UC Merced student Jesse Martinez operating a robot on the Experimental Smart Farm.

UC Merced's Smart Farm Abuzz with Activity

At UC Merced's biggest lab, students work from before sunrise to well after dusk. They are operating the university's Experimental Smart Farm, 40 acres of dirt and plants, research and...

Photo depicts the UC Merced team using a large screen to present its project.

Project Envisioning Air Transport Between UC Campuses Earns Award

A simulation for a proposed air transport system among University of California campuses earned an award for a team of UC Merced students. Advised by mechanical engineering Professor Francesco...

Photo depicts the reservoir at the UC Merced Experimental Smart Farm.

Idea for Powering UC Merced Smart Farm a Winner in Solar Energy Contest

A UC Merced team competing in a U.S. Department of Energy contest won its division with a proposal to use floating solar panels to power the campus's Experimental Smart Farm. The Solar...

Photo depicts UC Merced graduate Adamaris Alvarez in a black hat on a blue and gold graphic background.

From Strawberries to Smart Farm: Alum Adamaris Alvarez Grows Passion into a Career Path

Growing up in Watsonville, a vibrant agricultural community on California's Central Coast, Adamaris Alvarez always knew she wanted to work in agriculture. She worked on her family's berry...