Student & Alumni Success

Program Helped Her Finish a Degree After 14 Years. Now She's Helping Others

January 22, 2025

Lilly Uvalle is pictured outside of the Merced on Main building

It took Lilly Uvalle a few tries to complete her education at UC Merced. Uvalle started her collegiate career in the fall of 2010 after graduating from Buhach Colony High School in Atwater. "I did two years, my freshman and sophomore years," she said. "Then I withdrew. I tried...

UC Merced's mascot Rufus and a student pose for a photo.

Bobcat Day Attracts Record Crowd to UC Merced

The excitement was palpable at UC Merced as a record number of people descended on the campus for Bobcat Day. More than 5,700 students, family members and friends attended the annual open house event...

A student poses with several soccer balls on an athletic field.

A Day in the Life of a First-Year Student at UC Merced

First-year student Edwin Casillas found everything he was looking for in a university — and more — at UC Merced. Nearly a year after the Sonora native said he "felt at home...

Graduate student Di An uses drones to assess soil carbon.

UC Merced Invests in the Next Generation of Ag-Tech Leadership

The new UC Merced Farms Food Future innovation initiative is investing in 10 graduate researchers to solve climate and community challenges. Their work is the start of a concerted focus in climate-...

A family takes a photo with a UC Merced sign.

Bobcat Day Gives Future Bobcats a Taste of UC Merced

UC Merced is hosting its annual open house event Saturday, April 22, to give admitted, prospective and transfer students the opportunity to learn more about what the university has to offer....

College Track President & CEO Shirley M. Collado and UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz sign a partnership between the two entities.

UC Merced and College Track Partner to Democratize Potential Through Higher Education

The University of California, Merced, and College Track are pleased to announce a new partnership focused on ensuring that college students from underserved communities who want to be the first in...

UC Merced researchers will use drones donated by SeekOps Inc. to gather data.

Drones Donated to UC Merced by Start-Up SeekOps Will Monitor Environmental Conditions

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipment donated by Texas-based start-up SeekOps Inc will support UC Merced's research efforts in environmental monitoring and conservation. The gift includes...

From left, graduate student John Wilson, alumnus Qiaochu “Michael” Li and Professor Jing Xu.

Graduate Students Help Further the Understanding of Diseases such as Alzheimer's

Student researchers in experimental physics Professor Jing Xu’s lab have played a critical role in a study that will help understand Alzheimer’s and other diseases that progressively...

Sarif Morningstar earned money by doing research in the Learning Aligned Employment Program.

Students Gain Experience (and Money) Doing Career-Oriented Work in New Program

Sarif Morningstar wondered something: "What happens if I grow plants using fog?" The UC Merced student's efforts to find an answer to that question led to a research project they got...

UC Merced alumni and campus leaders pose for a photo at M!X Downtown in Sacramento.

Alumni Come Together at Mixer Event in Sacramento

Dozens of UC Merced alumni — from the classes of 2009 to 2022 — gathered in downtown Sacramento on April 2 for an exclusive networking mixer hosted by the Office of Alumni...

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