School of Natural Sciences

Giving Tuesday at UC Merced: Collective Generosity Transforms Lives

December 1, 2025

Every gift during the Give to UC Merced 2025 campaign supports students on their educational journeys.

When UC Merced launches Give to UC Merced 2025 on Dec. 2, it won’t just be about one day of giving; the month-long campaign will be about hope, opportunity and community impact. For the 12th year, the campus joins the global Giving Tuesday movement, inviting donors to power change through...

Professor Marc Beutel waits to collect a wastewater sample as a facilities employee helps to remove the manhole covering on campus.

Campus Wastewater Testing Offers COVID-19 Early Warning System, Establishes Protocols for the Future

COVID-19 upended life as we know it, especially among the science community. While some scientists rushed to develop a vaccine, others sought a better understanding of the virus, hoping to predict...

Ph.D. Student Named Underrepresented Chemist of Color by Merck

Chemistry and Chemical Biology graduate student Ali Abou Taka is one of 12 students to receive the inaugural Merck Research Award for Underrepresented Chemists of Color. Abou Taka, a Ph.D....

From Earth to Space and Back Again: Solar Samples Show Surprising Results

When physics graduate student William Delmas made samples of solar energy harvesting perovskite films two years ago, he had no idea that this summer, he’d be analyzing those same samples after...

With the support of Mayor Matthew Serratto and others, Adison Martinez's lemonade stand raised more than $1,000 to buy trees for Rahilly Park.

Staff Members’ Daughter Raises $1,000 to Plant New Trees

A core tenet of UC Merced’s mission is public service, something staffers Tom and Esmeralda Martinez know all about thanks to their daughter. On June 5, Merced natives the Martinezes and...

Improved Molecular Tool Deepens Study of Gene-Cell Interaction

A group of researchers harnessing the power of light to control gene expression has dramatically improved its method, optimizing speed and precision, and opening new research avenues for scientists...

Science Must Dig Deeper to Understand Climate Change’s Full Impact, Study Shows

Scientists often study the relationship of global warming and topsoil because soil is an important mediator of climate change. A newly released study indicates it’s critical to consider subsoil...

Faculty Members Earn Peer Honors for Teaching, Research and Mentorship

Faculty members at UC Merced are recognized throughout the year for excellence in a variety of ways, including by their colleagues in the Academic Senate. This year’s Academic Senate awards...

In addition to the virtual commencement this year, graduates had the option to take part in in-person activities.

Class of 2021 Takes Part in In-person Activities Followed by Virtual Commencement

The pandemic has changed many aspects of life, but UC Merced Bobcats demonstrated their ability to overcome life's unexpected curveballs during an academic year unlike any other. To ensure...

Applied Math graduate student Shayna Bennett

UC Merced Ph.D. Student Wins UC Grad Slam Competition

Applied Mathematics graduate student Shayna Bennett won first place at the University of California’s Grad Slam finals today (May 7). Bennett presented her dissertation research, “A...