School of Social Sciences Humanities and Arts

Social Sciences Graduate Programs Shine in U.S. News Rankings

April 10, 2025

UC Merced political science mock legislative hearing

UC Merced’s School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts made a splash in the latest rankings of university graduate programs compiled by U.S. News and World Report. The university’s Political Science program ranked 52nd in the nation, tied with UC Riverside, Purdue University-...

Ancient Genomes from the Andes Highlands Reveal Novel Adaptations

The genomes of ancient Andean settlers reveal a complex picture of human adaptation, including when they became able to digest starches and how evolutionary modifications allowed them to live at such...

Psychologists Look to Partner with Merced Babies, Moms for National Study

Psychology Professor Eric Walle ’s Interpersonal Development Lab will recruit local infants and mothers as an important and unique part of a large-scale study focusing on the development of...

Health Communication Researcher Working to Improve Internet-based Medical Information

If you’re an American with Internet access, you’ve probably done it. You get a headache, a sniffle or a mystery bruise, and instead of seeing your doctor, you consult “Dr. Google....

Jonathan Daniel, who is working on a doctorate degree in Physics, is part of the Cal-Bridge program funded by NSF.

$5 Million Cal-Bridge Grant Aims to Boost Physics, Astronomy Ph.D. Diversity

UC Merced is part of a concerted effort to dramatically increase diversity in physics and astronomy over the next five years. The campus is one of nine University of California campuses and 15...

The grant will help the campus offer workshops focused on such topics as teaching challenges and best practices for advancing research and will provide networking opportunities with supportive senior faculty and administrators.

Andrew W. Mellon Grant Helps Campus Expand Diversity in the Humanities Faculty

A new grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation will help UC Merced further diversify its community of graduate students and faculty, beginning with the humanities and humanistic social sciences...

From left: Interim SSHA Dean Jeff Gilger, alumnus Michael Pierick ('16), Chancellor Dorothy Leland and Merced Mayor Mike Murphy at Wednesday's UC Board of Regents meeting.

UC Regents Learn of UC Merced's Community Impact

Michael Pierick’s road to presenting as part of the UC Merced delegation at this week’s UC Board of Regents meeting started in 2012, with a pit stop on the way to a basketball tryout at...

UC Merced Professors Honored for Work with First-Generation Students

UC Merced psychology Professor Anna Song and biology Professor Jennifer Manilay had a special dinner with UC President Janet Napolitano at her Oakland home recently to honor the faculty...

Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow Colleen Cheverko's research focuses on the interactions between growth disruptions due to experiences during childhood and subsequent mortality risk as adults.

Campus Awards Chancellor’s Postdoc Fellowships

Two of UC Merced’s newest postdoctoral researchers, Colleen Cheverko and Maria-Elena Young, received the Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellowship (CPFP) for 2018-2019. The fellowships,...

Guatemalan Nobelist Announced as This Year’s Spendlove Prize Recipient

Nobel laureate Rigoberta Menchú Tum, recognized for her work in social and ethno-cultural reform, has been selected to receive the 2018 Alice and Clifford Spendlove Prize in Social Justice...