Leadership

Former Gov. Gray Davis Awarded Chancellor’s Medal for Transformative Leadership in Bringing UC Merced to the Central Valley

February 24, 2026

UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sanchez Munoz and Governor Gray Davis pose with the Chancellor's Medal

At an intimate gathering of supporters, UC Merced awarded former Gov. Gray Davis the Chancellor’s Medal — the university’s highest honor — in recognition of his instrumental role in bringing the 10th University of California campus to Merced. The medal was presented...

About 300 undergraduate and graduate students participated in the 2017 Leadership Conference.

Conference Boosts Students’ Leadership Skills, Confidence

UC Merced students had the chance to gain knowledge and leadership skills for their personal and academic careers at the 2017 Leadership Conference, hosted by the campus’s Margo F. Souza...

Chancellor Dorothy Leland addresses staff members during last year's convocation.

Academic Year Kicks Off With Faculty, Staff Convocations

UC Merced faculty and staff members are invited to start the 2017-18 academic year at Faculty Convocation and Staff Convocation. Staff Convocation will take place from 9-10:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 18,...

School of Natural Sciences Dean Betsy Dumont

Campus Welcomes New Dean of Natural Sciences

Elizabeth (Betsy) Dumont joins UC Merced today as the newest dean of the School of Natural Sciences. She’s the third dean in the school’s history and the second woman to serve in this...

Governor Names Harris to Fair Employment and Housing Council

Mark T. Harris, J.D., has been appointed to the California Fair Employment and Housing Council by Gov. Jerry Brown. Harris is a continuing lecturer of management and business economics at UC Merced...

Student Speakers Share Desire to Make a Difference

Jocelyne Fadiga and Havilliah “Jake” Malsbury traveled from different worlds to study at UC Merced. The youngest sister of 13 children, Fadiga grew up in Côte d’Ivoire (the Ivory Coast) in West...

Class of 2017 Shows Anything is Possible at UC Merced

The newest campus in the University of California system, UC Merced is a campus that attracts leaders — individuals who enjoy the challenge of paving the way for others to follow — and...

Students Recognized at Leadership Awards Event

Student leaders, advisors, campus organizations and athletes were recognized at the annual the Margo F. Souza Student Leadership Center 2017 Leadership Awards celebration on April 23. A campuswide...

Campus Mainstay Chou Her Named Chief of Police

The University of California, Merced, announced today (April 12) the appointment of Chou Her to chief of police, effective immediately. Her, the first person of Hmong descent to lead a UC public...

New Classroom Building Earns Campus’ 17th LEED Certification

Ten years after receiving its first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), UC Merced has earned platinum certification for...