Research Excellence

A Husband’s Self-esteem Could Protect Against Preterm Births, Study Finds

November 20, 2025

A husband’s optimism and confidence might play a crucial, if often unseen, role in helping babies arrive healthy and on time. A new study from UC Merced psychology researchers found that when married fathers reported higher levels of resilience — a quality that includes traits...

A portrait of electrical engineering assistant teaching professor Ayush Pandey

Can AI Increase Air Traffic Safety?

Air traffic controllers sort out three-dimensional space at 600 miles per hour while keeping your flights safe and on time. But as challenges in air traffic increase, the Center for Information...

Photo shows tree mortality in Sierra National forest, taken by Margot Wholey, December 2015.

Having a Mix of Tree Heights Enhances Drought Resilience in Sierra Nevada Forests

In a paper published in Nature Communications, UC Merced Professor Roger Bales, collaborating with an international team, found that the height of neighboring trees strongly influenced whether...

Professor Claire Lukens, right, and recent graduate Kolleen Peyakov measure the geochemistry of a rock using an XRF spectrometer.

Lukens’ Latest Research Tracks Sediment’s Journey in the Eastern Sierra

Rocks, from ponderous boulders to tiny grains of sand, are subject to the whims of moisture, weather and time as they tumble from surrounding slopes into rivers, pools and lakes. UC Merced...

New Study Suggests Chance Plays a Bigger Role Than One Might Think in Faculty Promotion

For professors, it’s up or out when it comes to tenure and promotion: After five years on the job as assistant professors, junior professors’ promise is evaluated by their more senior...

¿Field Curious? Smashes Barriers to Outdoor Science

When Carlos Martinez was growing up in Southern California, his experience outdoors largely consisted of the irrigated lawns and tidy trees of his local park. Camping and hiking were not in his...

Graduating students walk pass UC Merced sign

2023: A Look Back

2023 was a remarkable year in which UC Merced experienced tremendous growth and acclaim. Several milestones were reached, setting up the university to continue thriving in the near future and beyond...

Researcher Among the World's Most Highly Cited for the Fourth Straight Year

Distinguished Professor Martin Hagger from the Department of Psychological Sciences has been awarded one of this year’s Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher awards. He is one of four...

CAREER award funds high-performance computing research

Computer science and engineering Professor Xiaoyi Lu has received a CAREER award for his research into high-performance computing (HPC) cyberinfrastructure systems. He is the 39th researcher...

The spring 2022 I2G showcase is displayed.

I2G Highlights Students' Solutions to Real-World Problems

Using magnetic resource imaging, or MRI, to harmlessly detect seeds in Mandarin oranges. Identification of pathogens in an image library with artificial intelligence (AI) to diagnose plant disease....

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