Student Life

Open Arms, Open Skies: Students Welcomed at Spirited, Soggy Scholars Bridge Crossing

August 26, 2025

Spirits were high and futures bright while all else was soaked in a summer storm that made Tuesday morning’s Scholars Bridge Crossing, UC Merced’s traditional greeting to new students, a welcome unlike any before. Call them Thunder ‘Cats. The ceremony embraced about 2,000...

Energize UC Merced 2021 Offers Students, Community Inspiration on Renewable Energy

The campus community and its partners can learn more about the importance of renewable energy at this year’s Energize Merced conference, an annual event hosted by UC Merced’s Solar Energy...

Undergraduate Experience: Michael Aquino

Name: Michael David Aquino Year: Fourth Major: Sociology Hometown: Los Angeles What is a memorable project that you worked on during your time at UC Merced? A memorable project that I...

Undergraduate Experience: Erika Estrada Rodriquez

Name: Erika Estrada Rodriguez Year: Third Year Major: Sociology Hometown: Panorama City What is a memorable project that you worked on during your time at UC Merced...

"Richard II" is a 12-part web series featuring a range of UC Merced students and faculty with more than two hours of content that can be enjoyed by both English and Spanish speakers.

Bilingual Shakespeare Sets the Stage for Future Productions

Shakespeare can feel stuffy and difficult to understand. Native English speakers often struggle with decoding the Bard’s works, so imagine how difficult it would be to appreciate Shakespeare if...

Fall Commencement's Alumni Speaker Maps Out Path to Success

p.news::first-letter { font-size: 100%; } 5:15 a.m.: Wake up. My phone is my alarm, placed under my bed so I must get up to turn it off. Make my bed. Stretch. Ish Verduzco has a weekday...

Undocumented Bobcats Find Support on Campus and Through One Another

Being a university student is stressful on its own. Students who have an uncertain immigration status have an additional layer of worry. The nearly 600 UC Merced students with undocumented status...

UC Merced Named Top 5 ‘Cool School’ by Sierra Club and Makes 'Green College Honor Roll'

UC Merced’s national reputation for sustainability continues to grow, with the Sierra Club naming the university No. 5 on its 2020 “Cool Schools” list and The Princeton Review...

Students will be able to connect with each other and vital resources through the new virtual Student Den initiative.

‘Student Success Anywhere’: Innovative Student Den Program to Provide Community for Undergraduates this Fall

The coronavirus has changed the way people work and live: One population feeling it most acutely is students. This semester undoubtedly will be different for both new and returning UC Merced...

UC Merced Makes Strong Debut in Money’s "Best Colleges" Rankings by Value

UC Merced is one of the country’s best four-year universities for quality, affordability and alumni outcomes, according to Money’s 2020 Best Colleges rankings by value. In its first...