Staff & Faculty News

From Soil to Climate Solutions: Berhe Leads Sierra Nevada Research Institute into its Next Chapter

September 11, 2025

When Professor Asmeret Asefaw Berhe arrived at UC Merced in 2009, she and her husband, Professor Teamrat Ghezzehei, were leaving major research institutions to join a brand-new campus in California’s Central Valley. It was a leap of faith — one made easier by the Sierra Nevada Research...

Professor Jessica Trounstine smiles while giving a presentation at UC Merced.

Political Science Professor Named 2022 Carnegie Fellow

The Carnegie Corporation of New York announced that Department of Political Science Chair and Professor Jessica Trounstine has been named to the 2022 Class of Andrew Carnegie Fellows....

Professor Brings Her Computational Expertise to a New Field of Chemistry

A new five-year collaboration has presented Professor Christine Isborn the opportunity to be part of the emerging field of polariton chemistry, the results of which could change the face of...

A drone, viewed from below, flies between tall buildings on a partly cloudy day.

CITRIS Researchers Lay Groundwork to Bring Flying Buses to California Skies

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has awarded a team of researchers from the University of California campuses at Merced, Berkeley and Davis a two-year grant to simulate urban...

Kurtz Earns Highest Status in International Electrical Engineering Organization

In recognition of her contributions to photovoltaic devices and systems reliability, Professor Sarah Kurtz has been elevated to a Fellow in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (...

Sofia Andom, Cat Flores, Bella Camfield and Bethy Harmelin are seen sitting on the grass.

Shakespeare in Yosemite's 'Love's Labor's Lost' Ready to Hit the Stage

Yosemite National Park is once again serving as the backdrop for a loose adaptation of one of Shakespeare's comedies. Shakespeare in Yosemite's "Love's Labor's Lost" will...

UC Merced Professor Yehuda Sharim is seen in this 2021 photo.

Sharim to Serve as Artist-in-Residence at Virginia Tech, JGU in Germany

Professor Yehuda Sharim is sharing his experiences in cinema and community engagement with students at universities across the country and the globe. The Department of Global Arts Studies...

Engineer and Dentist Partner to Root Out Problems in Teeth

A trip to the dentist isn't something most people look forward to. But computer science and engineering Professor Shijia Pan found inspiration and a new collaborator at her dentist’s...

UC Merced Chief of Police Chou Her is seen in this image.

UC Merced Police Chief Honored with Distinguished Staff Award

As someone who has overcome many obstacles to get where he is now, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Public Safety and Chief of Police Chou Her understands the importance of uplifting his community....

UC Merced Professor Manuel M. Martín-Rodríguez is seen in a 2019 photo.

Literature Professor Inducted as Permanent Member of Prestigious Academy

A UC Merced professor is being recognized by a major organization for the work he has accomplished related to the Spanish language. Literature Professor Manuel M. Martín-Rodríguez will be the...

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