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...

Two Staff Members Honored as Latina Women of the Year

New student orientation and learning assistance coordinator Dulcemaria Anaya and School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts graduate specialist Karla Seijas were recognized as 2019 Latina...

Staff member Cassie Gunter was named "Woman of the Year" candidate by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Gunter Set on Making a Difference for Cancer Research

Twelve years ago, Cassie Gunter was fighting for her life. Now she wants to give back to the group that helped her survive. At age 22, she went to the emergency room with what she thought was...

New Project to Build Climate Resilience through Improved Land Management

A $4.6 million grant to UCs Merced and Irvine will help researchers develop new tools and methods for better managing the state’s forests, shrub lands and grasslands. The Innovation Center...

Sustainability Director Colleen McCormick and the UC Merced solar array

McCormick Leaves Sustaining Legacy at UC Merced

When Colleen McCormick joined UC Merced as its sustainability director in 2014, the university had lofty aspirations but no specific action plan to get from Point A to Point B. Today, the campus...

Updates Made to Celebrating Service Awards

Celebrating Service is UC Merced’s annual event to celebrate the loyalty of employees who have reached service milestones. Historically, the campus honored staff who reached milestones at...

All employees at the University of California, Merced, are now eligible for professional development through Lynda-dot-com

Employees Can Boost Their Skills With the Return of Lynda.com

It’s been a little over a year since UC Merced ended its contract with Lynda.com. But thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Administrative Coordination Team (ACT), Human Resources, Office...

New Book Explores How Formerly Incarcerated Persons Participate In Civic Activism

When pondering faith and redemption, the concept of “making good” on the past can be a crucial step in moving forward. Professor Edward Orozco Flores’s new book, “Jesus...

Professor’s Research Earns Prestigious Appointment to Help Guide Tobacco Policy

Professor Mariaelena Gonzalez has been appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown to the California Tobacco Education and Research Oversight Committee (TEROC). Gonzalez, with the School of Social Sciences,...

More than $9M in Research Grants to Address California’s Critical Issues

The University of California Office of the President announced its biennial Multicampus Research Programs and Initiatives (MRPI) grants, funding 16 collaborative projects encompassing issues...

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