Staff

Astronomers Reveal Hidden Activity in the Early Universe’s Most Massive Galaxies

January 5, 2026

Spectroscopy at the UC's W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii helped the researchers interpret complex data about ultramassive galaxies. Photo courtesy of the W.M. Keck Observatory.

An international team of astronomers has studied ultramassive galaxies - galaxies containing more than 100 billion stars - as they existed when the universe was less than 2 billion years old. The results show that while some of these ultramassive galaxies, or UMGs, had already shut down star...

A female teacher writing on a white board.

Beyond the Basics: Training Better Teachers

It was only after graduate school, while working as a professor, that James Zimmerman realized something had been missing from his education. Trained as a nuclear scientist, Zimmerman was well-...

Merced 2020 Project Wins Gold for Social Infrastructure

The Merced 2020 Project earned two more awards this week, claiming the top prize for Best Social Infrastructure Project at the P3 Awards in Washington, D.C. UC Merced earned the Gold Award for...

Police Department Increases Outreach on Campus

Members of the UC Merced Police Department visited several campus locations last week to play a new question-and-answer game called “Your Campus, Your Police.” The idea stemmed from a...

Andrew De Los Santos works in the recycling and composting center to help UC Merced attain Triple Net Zero.

New Initiative Helps Students Explore Green Careers

When Chigoziri Ibechem attended her first planning commission meeting in downtown Merced last November, she had no idea where it might lead. After the meeting, the psychology major from Los Angeles...

Student Success Internship Proposals Due Sept. 25

The Division of Student Affairs and the Office of Undergraduate Education are excited to announce the Student Success Internship (SSI) program, which provides opportunities for undergraduate students...

Annual 5K Run Raises $6,000 for Scholarships

The third annual UC Merced Journey 5K Fund Run drew a record 475 participants Saturday and raised more than $6,000, exceeding the event’s stated goal. Proceeds and donations from this...

UC Staff member Breeana Sylvas poses outdoors with two reusable water bottles.

Nine of Merced’s ‘20 Under 40’ Have Ties to UC Merced

The Merced Sun-Star’s inaugural “20 Under 40” list honors rising stars under the age of 40 who are actively engaged in making Merced a better place to live and work — and UC...

The UC Merced Journey 5K Fund Run is Sept. 9.

Journey 5K Fund Run Honors Late Cross Country Coach

Saturday’s annual Journey 5K Fund Run has special meaning for the UC Merced community. Last November, the campus lost Ryan Nunez — head coach of the men’s and women’s cross...

Several hundred staff members are seated in the Dr. Lakireddy Auditorium listening to a speaker on stage.

Staff, Faculty Convocations Celebrate Successes, Highlight New Priorities

Chancellor Dorothy Leland, members of her executive team and other campus leaders kicked off UC Merced’s 2017-18 academic year by lauding faculty and staff members, recapping successes of the...