School of Social Sciences Humanities and Arts

Her UC Merced Path Changed But Stockton Student Stays on Track

March 25, 2026

UC Merced student Taliyah Miller poses for photo

Taliyah Miller would be the first to tell you she arrived at UC Merced with an unwavering, long-range goal: become an anesthesiologist. What she could not have predicted was that a difficult roommate, a therapist’s question and a job she forgot she applied for would upend that goal and leave...

Former UC Merced Students Travel Entrepreneurial Path to China

Three entrepreneurs with UC Merced roots are trying to revolutionize the biking experience. UC Merced graduate Seena Zandipour, and former students Tony Belmontes and Kenneth Gibbs, are developing...

Summer Research Takes UC Merced Around the Globe

Just because it’s summertime doesn’t mean research at UC Merced comes to a halt. Just the opposite. This summer, professors and students at all levels are conducting a variety of research projects on...

Anthropologist Publishes Ethnography on Nation-Building

Nation-states, as we know them, have been built and rebuilt since the 18th century. Professor Robin DeLugan is an expert in nation-building and recently published a case study examining how the...

Graphic Labels Discourage Smoking in Young Adults

Graphic cigarette warning labels are better at discouraging smoking in young adults than text-only labels, according to research recently published by a UC Merced professor. Health psychology...

Cog Sci Program’s Strength Shown at Conference

Cognitive and Information Sciences at UC Merced will be the top program represented this summer at the discipline’s premiere conference, Cognitive Science. There will be 25 presentations from the...

Science, Math Program to Offer More Paths to Aspiring Teachers

Armanti Hardesty is ready to join the next generation of teachers. “We’re all going into a more technological age,” said Hardesty, an alumnus from Long Beach. “It’s great to have new teachers...

Anthropology Lab Gives Students a Tactile Edge

With a growing collection of artifacts and replicas, UC Merced’s anthropology teaching laboratory gives students the ability to hold history in their hands. Students taking anthropology courses are...

Political Journalist Alumnus Witnesses History Makers at Work

As a founding student at UC Merced, Justin Duckham, ’09, trudged up the hill every day for classes. Now, he spends many of his days on a different hill — Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. “I go to a...

Graduating Doctoral Student Pursues Research in Language, Behavior

Graduate student Stephanie Huette knew she would face challenges at UC Merced. The University of California’s 10th and newest campus was in its earliest stages when she arrived in 2008. No one sugar...