Undergraduate Experience at UC Merced

Student & Alumni Success

Grant Supports UC Merced's Work to Strengthen College and Career Pathways in the San Joaquin Valley

June 10, 2026

Student walking across a bridge on campus
A $3 million grant from the Gates Foundation is advancing UC Merced’s efforts to expand educational pathways and improve college and career outcomes for thousands of high-school students across the San Joaquin Valley.  The funding is part of the...
Isabelle Haddad

UC Merced Graduate Student Secures Fellowship in Climate Equity Work

When Isabelle Haddad, a Ph.D. candidate in Environmental Systems, looks ahead to the next chapter, her future is already coming into focus. The New York native participated in commencement in May...
Headshot Jarrod L Brown Jr.

Sociology Ph.D. Student Receives Prestigious Dissertation Fellowship

Jarrod L. Brown Jr. is the first UC Merced graduate student to be awarded the National Academy of Education/Spencer Dissertation fellowship, supporting his doctoral research in structural inequality...
Depicted is UC Merced graduate Eduardo Savala Alvarez, in a cowboy hat and stole on campus.

A Brand-New Degree and a Stellar Job Offer to Accompany it

UC Merced prides itself on its high social mobility ranking (No. 3 among public schools in the country, according to the Wall Street Journal). Social mobility is defined as the ability to move...
Depicted are students in yellow vests and hard hats standing around and in a two-story Snoopy doghouse.

Bobcats Outbuild Bears in Timber Strong Competition

A doghouse built by Bobcats for a famous beagle beat out a fairytale structure hammered together by Bears. UC Merced's student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers took...
A student hones communication skills by learning how to use comedy to deliver messages.

From Wild Mushrooms to Punchlines, Bobcats Learn in Out-of-the-Box Ways

Editor's note: This story is republished from the Spring/Summer 2026 issue of UC Merced Magazine. Walk across UC Merced’s campus on any weekday, and you might hear laughter spilling from...
Members of UC Merced's National Society of Black Engineers pose with their certificate at the convention in Baltimore.

Black Engineering Society Honored as Chapter of the Year, Again

UC Merced's chapter of the  National Society of Black Engineers was again honored as the Region VI Medium Chapter of the Year. It is the second consecutive year the organization received this...
Microscope on lab bench with researcher in background.

W.M. Keck Foundation Expands Investment in UC Merced’s Bold Scientific Research

The W.M. Keck Foundation has awarded UC Merced nearly $1.8 million in new grants that fuel ambitious research and give early-career scientists a crucial boost at a pivotal stage of their careers....
UC Merced student Tyrese Francis poses at an outdoor hallway

New Business Administration, Accounting Majors Address High Demand

A new UC Merced major arrived just in time for Tyrese Francis. When the student starts his third year at the university this fall, he will dive into coursework for a degree in business...
Blue and gold streamers fly over the heads of graduates at UC Merced's Graduate Division commencement ceremony.

Commencement Celebrates UC Merced's History, Looks Ahead to Future

Smiling even as she cried, Nancy Rodas De Leon stood in UC Merced's University Plaza, accepting hugs, flowers, stuffed animals and cards from extended family. "These are happy...

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