School of Social Sciences Humanities and Arts

20 Years In, UC Merced Celebrates Achievements, Looks to Future

October 23, 2025

Only 20 years since undergraduate instruction began, UC Merced is a recognized leader in conducting academic research, developing young minds for career success and driving economic growth, the university’s chancellor said Wednesday. Speaking to a gathering of campus and community...

Sociologist to Discuss Hate Speech and Free Speech

The Bias Incident Response Team at UC Merced presents sociology Professor Nella Van Dyke, speaking on “Hate Speech and the Limits of Free Speech,” from 3-5 p.m. Nov. 29 in the California...

Graduate Dean Honored for Work in Criminal Justice

Outstanding contributions in service to professional organizations, academic institutions and the advancement of criminal justice have earned Graduate Dean Marjorie Zatz the Julius Debro Award from...

From White House to Campus, Labor Economist Digs Deep into Data

Professor Laura Giuliano isn’t the only female economics faculty member at UC Merced, but she is the only faculty member who worked in the Obama administration before joining the campus. As a...

A man in a blue button-down shirt stands on a balcony in front of a concrete wall.

Prestigious Fellowship Furthers Grad Student’s Asthma Research

Very few people will admit to an abiding love of statistics. But Emanuel Alcala, a second-year public health doctoral student, believes statistics are key to solving many of the San Joaquin Valley...

Campus Efforts Improve Community’s Access to Healthy Foods

Hunger is a critical issue facing most of the nation and the world, but it’s even closer to home than some might think. At UC Merced, it's an issue that many students face, and one that...

New Center, Conference Focus on Mesoamerican Studies

Topics ranging from ethnobotany, public health and feminism to agriculture, urban growth and social movements are among the highlights of the Mesoamerican Studies Center’s upcoming conference...

Grad Student Researches Biology Behind Political Views

If you’ve ever wondered why people stand where they do on the political spectrum, science might have at least part of the answer: People can be biologically predisposed to certain feelings...

Students Invited to Celebrate Political Science Anniversary

Political science students are invited to help celebrate the 10th anniversary of the unit’s founding with a special student-oriented event from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Oct. 18 in the Classroom and...

Cognitive Scientists Find Links Between Jazz, Speech and Whale Songs

Jazz musicians riffing with each other, humans talking to each other and pods of killer whales all have interactive conversations that are remarkably similar to each other, new research reveals....