School of Social Sciences Humanities and Arts

UC Merced Scientists Among Global Elite Shaping AI, Climate and Health

January 26, 2026

UC Merced continues to demonstrate its growing influence on the global stage. Several faculty members landed on Clarivate’s 2025 list of the world’s most‑cited researchers. The honor is reserved for the top 1% of scholars whose work has shaped their fields over the last 10 years....

Political Scientist Studies Who Tortures Whom, and Why

What makes a government decide to use torture in its interrogations? How do those decisions differ when terrorism is suspected? Once torture starts, how can it be stopped? These questions are at...

Aldenderfer to Speak at Prestigious Indian Event

Mark Aldenderfer, dean of the UC Merced School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, will speak this weekend as a guest lecturer at Kshitij, the annual “techno-management fest” of the Indian...

Students' Spanish Skills Aid Valley Crisis Center

In the fall semester, UC Merced Senior Lecturer Virginia Adán-Lifante offered extra credit to students who volunteered to translate a portion of the Valley Crisis Center website into Spanish. The...

Sociologist’s Influence in Higher Ed Debate Grows

UC Merced sociologist Laura Hamilton has gained national attention since the 2013 release of the book she coauthored, “Paying for the Party: How College Maintains Inequality.” The book, which...

Undergrad Embodies UC Merced’s Entrepreneurial Spirit

“Start something new” could be the unofficial motto of UC Merced. Even in our 10th academic year, many opportunities for innovation still exist on campus. Armando Lomeli, a senior from Los Banos,...

Students, Faculty Inducted into Hispanic Honor Society

Spanish majors and minors at UC Merced have a new measure of excellence to pursue, thanks to the recent charter of the university’s chapter of Sigma Delta Pi. UC Merced is the seventh UC campus to...

Discover Magazine Features Archaeologist’s Cave Research

Most archaeologists have to dig in the field, but Professor Holley Moyes digs deeper than most. Her research takes her more than 400 feet into the Belize underground, where ancient Maya caves hold...

Six UC Merced Students Awarded UC Food Initiative Fellowships

As part of the University of California Global Food Initiative, 54 students — including six from UC Merced—have been awarded fellowships to fund projects that will address issues ranging from...

Chancellor Attends Second White House Education Summit

MERCED, Calif. — The University of California, Merced, will report at the White House today (Dec. 4) on progress the campus is making in its efforts to support undocumented students, create career...