Outreach

The American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation Recognize UC Merced's Leadership in Community Engagement

January 12, 2026

collage of photo with yellow text on a blue background reading Carnegie Elective Reclassification for Community Engagement

UC Merced has once again been recognized as a national leader in community-engaged scholarship. The 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement affirms the university’s deep and expanding commitment to serving the public. The designation from the American Council on...

Local Ghost Town’s Past on Display in New Collaborative Exhibit

Driving past Merced Falls on the way to Lake McClure doesn’t usually inspire thoughts of a bustling mini-metropolis with its own movie theater. But a new exhibit opening at the Merced County...

Professor Sandra A. Brown in her office in front of a bookshelf filled with books.

Pellissier Speaker to Discuss Substance Abuse and the Adolescent Brain

California’s recent legalization of recreational marijuana and the nation’s ongoing opioid crisis have many parents worried that their own teenagers might succumb to the temptations of...

Female student addressing a classroom of high school students

Outreach Links Students With the Community

A unique collaboration between UC Merced students and inmates from the Sierra Conservation Center is helping Tuolumne County attract new businesses. The Captivated Thinking Project ...

Campus Voices: Serving Community Brings Benefits to Students

When it came time to apply for college, so many of us scrambled to compile those lists of community service hours to bolster our resumes. Was there enough? Could I explain in my personal statement...

Young students conducting a science experiment

Education, Service Among Campus Community’s Contributions

When the University of California chose Merced as the site for its 10th campus, the dream was to make a difference in the heart of California. As the campus matures and gains national exposure...

Record-Breaking Class Pushes UC Merced Enrollment Near 8,000

The University of California, Merced, received the largest incoming class of students in its 13-year history this semester, as total enrollment neared 8,000 for the first time. The fastest-growing...

Four female middle school students in summer robotics academy are gathered around a desk. All four students are sitting in front of laptops and writing code for their robots.

Summer STEM Academy Aims to Prepare Valley Students for College

The leap from high school to college is an enormous intellectual hurdle. But UC Merced engineering Professor Yanbao Ma wants to ease the transition by better preparing Central Valley students for the...

Two Students Receive Strauss Scholarship for Public Service

Since 2006, 10 UC Merced undergraduates have been awarded the prestigious Donald A. Strauss Foundation scholarship. This year, two more joined their ranks. The Strauss Foundation selected biological...

Campus Joins Merced County Fair’s Food Drive Effort

UC Merced is partnering with the Merced County Fair to support Mercy Medical Center’s “We Care Wednesday” Community Food Drive presented by EECU and University Industrial Park. Anyone can join the...