First. Further. Forward

UC Merced's Study Abroad Program Among the Country's Best

April 1, 2026

Depicted is a collage of UC Merced students taking part in study abroad programs in various locations around the world.

Frida Quinto Ruiz went to Sweden with a curious mind. She came home with a plan. "Studying abroad completely reshaped the direction of my college career in ways I never expected," she said. "I went to Sweden already curious about the world, but I came back with a much clearer...

CAREER Award will Fund Research into Arthritis Cause

Professor Roberto Andresen Eguiluz has received a CAREER award for his research into the underlying cause of arthritis. He is the 33rd researcher from UC Merced to earn a CAREER award...

A student poses with several soccer balls on an athletic field.

A Day in the Life of a First-Year Student at UC Merced

First-year student Edwin Casillas found everything he was looking for in a university — and more — at UC Merced. Nearly a year after the Sonora native said he "felt at home...

A family takes a photo with a UC Merced sign.

Bobcat Day Gives Future Bobcats a Taste of UC Merced

UC Merced is hosting its annual open house event Saturday, April 22, to give admitted, prospective and transfer students the opportunity to learn more about what the university has to offer....

College Track President & CEO Shirley M. Collado and UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz sign a partnership between the two entities.

UC Merced and College Track Partner to Democratize Potential Through Higher Education

The University of California, Merced, and College Track are pleased to announce a new partnership focused on ensuring that college students from underserved communities who want to be the first in...

UC Merced researchers will use drones donated by SeekOps Inc. to gather data.

Drones Donated to UC Merced by Start-Up SeekOps Will Monitor Environmental Conditions

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipment donated by Texas-based start-up SeekOps Inc will support UC Merced's research efforts in environmental monitoring and conservation. The gift includes...

NASA mounted samples of solar films developed at UC Merced on a cube outside the International Space Station for 10 months.

First Test of Perovskite Films in Space Indicates More Resilience than Researchers Expected

Solar films developed by a graduate student in the Department of Physics at UC Merced while on an internship at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) not only survived 10 months in space with minimal...

Sarif Morningstar earned money by doing research in the Learning Aligned Employment Program.

Students Gain Experience (and Money) Doing Career-Oriented Work in New Program

Sarif Morningstar wondered something: "What happens if I grow plants using fog?" The UC Merced student's efforts to find an answer to that question led to a research project they got...

UC Merced alumni and campus leaders pose for a photo at M!X Downtown in Sacramento.

Alumni Come Together at Mixer Event in Sacramento

Dozens of UC Merced alumni — from the classes of 2009 to 2022 — gathered in downtown Sacramento on April 2 for an exclusive networking mixer hosted by the Office of Alumni...

Pop-up markets provide donated food that otherwise would go to waste.

Events at UC Merced Aimed at Reducing Food Waste

Roughly a third of all food worldwide goes to waste. Outside of the obvious direct costs, that waste has numerous other repercussions: much of it goes to landfills, where it generates methane, a...