Political Science

First-generation Students Shine at UC Merced. This Week Celebrates Them

November 3, 2025

UC Merced Professor Rose Scott, student Narciso Martinez Solorio

More than six in 10 UC Merced undergraduates are the first in their families to attend a university. The national average for four-year universities is about two in 10. Opening doors to opportunity for first-generation students is infused into UC Merced’s DNA. Young people who had little...

Researching the Hows and Whys of Politics

Note: This story originally appeared in the Fall 2014 issue of UC Merced Magazine and has been updated in the wake of the Nov. 4 elections. Read the whole issue online. In two small rooms on the...

Scholarship Empowers Students to Make a Difference

Five words from one of American history’s most famous speeches inspired Dalton Rogers to contribute to society. He was called to public service in high school when he read President John F. Kennedy’s...

Commencement Speakers Bring Varied Experience to Campus’s Largest Commencement

The University of California, Merced, has selected CEO of Enduring Hydro LLC and former U.S. Undersecretary for Energy Kristina Johnson and Merced County Superior Court Judge Paul C. Lo to deliver...

Political Science Professors Leaders in Field with Publications

UC Merced political science professors publish in leading journals and with top university presses at a rate that outpaces just about every other elite institution. The finding — an example of the...

Two Students Win Slots in Prestigious Assembly Internship Program

Students Leanne McKenzie and Mustafa Nawabzada are getting an up-close look at the legislative process as the first-ever UC Merced interns in the California State Assembly chief clerk’s office. The...

Russian Student Gives U.S. a Second Chance, Finds Niche at UC Merced

Vadim Gassiy was in eighth grade when his mother encouraged him to leave Russia for a taste of American life, culture and education. But the small town of Niceville, Fla. proved too sharp a contrast...

Campaign 2012 Academic Seminar Gives Students Perspective

When UC Merced first announced it would be sending students to the national political conventions through The Washington Center program, senior Chelsea Coe never expected she’d be one of the lucky ...

Professor: In Politics, It’s Not Just What You Say, It’s How You Say It

In an election year, as people are being machine-gunned with millions of dollars’ worth of political messages from all sorts of sources, it might be re-assuring (or distressing) to discover that even...

Impact: Racing Team Puts Classroom Lessons to the Test

http://youtu.be/AZKkpc9PUTQ UC Merced’s Society of Automotive Engineers team members gain hands-on experience that will help them in their future careers and beyond.