Staff & Faculty News

Founding UC Merced Staffer Wraps Up 45 Years in Law Enforcement

August 28, 2025

A collage of photos depicting Tamela Adkins and other staff during the past 20 years.

On Aug. 12, 2005, less than one month before UC Merced opened its doors to undergraduate students, Tamela Adkins joined the campus’s Police Department as support services manager. Intially, her role included managing records and evidence, overseeing the police dispatch center and hiring....

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...

Gregg Camfield Named Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost

The University of California, Merced, today announced the appointment of longtime faculty member and administrator Gregg Camfield as Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost. Camfield has served in...

Researchers Assess Western Forests’ Ability to Survive Next Drought

UC Merced researchers have evidence that California’s forests are especially vulnerable to multi-year droughts because their health depends on water stored several feet below ground. “...

UC Merced Designing Management School of the Future

A new effort is underway to lay the groundwork for the next major development at UC Merced — a fourth school, this one with the Gallo family name on it. The planning initiative is a faculty-...

Professors ShiPu Wang and Ignacio Lopez-Calvo have been named to endowed chairs at UC Merced.

Two Professors Assume New Roles as Endowed Chairs

Professor ShiPu Wang has been named the Coats Family Chair in the Arts. Wang plans to use funding from the endowment to not only supplement his research, but also to provide a broader experience and...

Blois to Helm NRS Holdings

Professor Jessica Blois is the new faculty director of UC Merced’s Natural Reserve System (NRS) holdings. Jessica, an associate professor in Life and Environmental Sciences, recently received...

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