Political Science

Spotlighting Black Trailblazers Whose Stories Deserve to be Told

February 12, 2026

Collage of historical Black figures: Lorraine Hansberry, W.E.B. Du Bois, Ida Wells, Oscar Michaeux, Granville Woods

Black History Month often honors familiar names, leaders whose courage and determination changed the course of a nation. But many others have made groundbreaking contributions that exposed injustice, advanced civil rights, reshaped American culture and revolutionized technology. Their achievements...

3 New Majors Meet at Crossroads of Communication and Science

Information – how it is shaped, delivered and received – is a thread that runs through three dynamic new majors at UC Merced. Communication and media; neuroscience; and science,...

UC Merced political science Professor Christopher Ojeda displays a slide showing people say they feel depressed in polls taken after elections.

Stressed Out by the Election? Political Scientists Explain Why and Offer Tips

If it seems anxiety around elections is at an all-time high, then political groups have done their jobs. "It's very conscious, it's very calculated," said UC Merced political...

New SSHA Dean Thanks Helping Hands Along a Remarkable Journey

He studied in hallowed halls of academia. His highly respected research takes him halfway around the globe into societies both foreign and familiar. In his newest role, he leads the largest school of...

A cohort of six UC Merced political science students traveled to Sacramento for the CAPE Legislative Bootcamp.

Political Science Students Take on Lawmaking and Lobbying at the State Capitol

UC Merced political science students returned to Sacramento to get first-hand experience at California’s Capitol with internships. The Center for Analytic Political Engagement (CAPE)...

Graphic art of a person talking to a group

Study Examined How Jewish Israelis React to Human Rights Criticism. Then Oct. 7 Happened.

A UC Merced professor and his co-researchers set out to measure how Jewish Israelis react to different sources of criticism about Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. Does disapproval from...

New Dean of SSHA Arriving with the Fall Semester

Professor Leonardo R. Arriola from UC Berkeley has been named dean of the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts (SSHA) as of Aug. 1. Vice Chancellor and Provost Betsy Dumont made the...

Scholar Workshop Studies Genocide from Several Angles

An online workshop this week aims to deconstruct one of humanity’s most destructive traits: genocide. UC Merced’s Department of Cognitive and Information Sciences is bringing together...

Graduating students honored by UC Merced

SSHA Honors Outstanding Graduating Students

ul { font: normal .9em Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; } ul p { font: normal .9em Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; } Thirteen graduating students were honored by UC Merced’s School...

Students to Present Wide Array of Research at Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium

UC Merced students will present research conducted over the summer at the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center (UROC) annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. The research presentations...