Staff & Faculty News

Project Aims to Put AI to Work Reducing its Own Energy Needs

April 8, 2026

Photo depicts Elizabeth Nowadnick, center, surrounded by members of her lab on campus at UC Merced.
It's no secret that artificial intelligence uses a lot of electricity. A standard ChatGPT query consumes approximately 0.34 watt-hours - roughly 10 times more than a Google search. According to the Pew Research Center, U.S. data centers consumed 183 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2024 -...
Provost Gregg Camfield

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...

Ancient Genomes from the Andes Highlands Reveal Novel Adaptations

The genomes of ancient Andean settlers reveal a complex picture of human adaptation, including when they became able to digest starches and how evolutionary modifications allowed them to live at such...
Members of the Office of the Chancellor and interns from the Green Offices program with the platinum Green Offices certification

UC Merced Secures First Platinum Certifications in Labs, Offices

It’s the crown jewel of sustainability — a platinum certification signifying all the steps to making a space sustainable have been met. For UC Merced, platinum certification had eluded...
two women talking in a office

Open Enrollment Begins Oct. 25: Are You Ready?

Open Enrollment begins at 8 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 25, and in an organization as large as the University of California, the options can seem daunting. UC Merced’s Human Resources Benefits Team...

CAREER Award Will Help Professor Advance Organic Chemistry Education

Chemistry and chemical biology Professor Ryan Baxter recently became the campus’s 22nd recipient of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) prestigious early CAREER awards for untenured...

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