First. Further. Forward

UC Merced Agricultural Experiment Station Adds Fire, Insect and Soil Researchers

September 2, 2025

Photo depicts mugshots of professors Andrea Joyce, Josh Garcia and Crystal Kolden on a background of the Beginnings sculpture at UC Merced.

Three professors are joining UC Merced’s Agricultural Experiment Station this fall, bringing more expertise and resources to the 3-year-old research center. Management of complex systems Professor Crystal Kolden will focus on the intersection of agriculture and wildfire, public health...

Alice Waters Institute Challenges Student Chefs to Get Creative

Student employees in UC Merced’s dining centers got an up-close look at the sustainable techniques at a family almond farm and were challenged to create locally sourced dishes as part of a...

The cover of the October edition of Science is depicted in front of a UC Merced sign and palm trees.

Western US Fires Getting Faster, More Dangerous, Study Shows

Fast-growing fires were responsible for nearly 90% of fire-related damages despite being relatively rare in the United States between 2001-2020, according to a new study. "Fast fires,"...

A graphic displays the calculation of structures used in a course-based research project.

Professor Brings Course-Based Research Experiences to Physics

Conducting research can be daunting. UC Merced, like its sister University of California campuses, prides itself on the opportunities it provides its students to conduct research as part of their...

Photo depicts drones delivering water to crops.

Research Center Aimed at New Ways to Make Natural Rubber

Natural rubber is used in a wide range of products used throughout the globe. Lab-produced rubber works for many applications but is insufficient for vital items like airplane tires and specialty...

Pooja Chopra, a former student in Professor Bin Liu’s lab, holds an example of a design fabricated on a silicon substrate using photolithography.

Grant Provides New Equipment with Diverse Applications

A new instrument that can fabricate extremely small features and devices could have a very big impact on several STEM programs at UC Merced. Parveen Kumar of the university's Office of...

UC Merced Receives Second Consecutive HEED Award For DEI Efforts

UC Merced has received the 2024 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, making it the second straight year the university has earned the distinction. The award, given by Insight Into...

Global CO2 emissions from forest fires increase by 60%

A major study publishing Friday in Science reveals that carbon dioxide emissions from forest fires have surged by 60% globally since 2001, and almost tripled in some of the most climate-...

Annaliza Perez Torres is pictured on campus at UC Merced.

UC Merced Grad Honored by Society of Women Engineers

Annaliza Perez Torres has already accomplished plenty. A 2019 graduate of UC Merced, Perez was named the School of Engineering's Outstanding Student in Materials Science and Engineering and...

Fresno Developer Ed Kashian Named 2024 Chancellor's Medal Recipient

Philanthropist and community leader Ed Kashian was awarded the UC Merced Chancellor’s Medal, the university’s highest honor, at the campus’s State of the University event on Oct. 9...