Undergraduate Students

Fresno Student Eager to Dive into Life at UC Merced

July 27, 2026

Bobcat Bound graphic and a photo of incoming student Peyton Smith.

This is part of a series of profiles of new UC Merced Bobcats enrolled for the fall 2026 semester. Peyton Smith brings a love of water sports, an interest in medicine and a goal to work as a pediatrician to UC Merced. The Fresno student brings a deep resume of public service in high school...

Summer Program Helps First-Gen Student Take Flight Into Drone Research

When first-generation mechanical engineering student David Miguel arrived at UC Merced, he had no research experience, but a passion for engineering and a desire to learn. A former foster care...

Journeys That Start with a Boarding Pass and Change Everything

Editor's note: This story is republished from the Spring/Summer 2026 issue of UC Merced Magazine. Yaritza Mora clutched her boarding pass and took a deep breath. Alone at the...

New UC Merced student and the Bobcat Bound graphic

From Atwater to UC Merced with a Big Head Start

This is part of a series of profiles of new UC Merced Bobcats enrolled for the fall 2026 semester. Tayven Tipler won’t travel far from his hometown when he starts at UC Merced and he is...

Victorville Student Pursues Neuroscience at UC Merced

This is part of a series of profiles of new UC Merced Bobcats enrolled for the fall 2026 semester. After moving from Nigeria to the United States two years ago, Wonderful Ezieme built a...

Leadership from Las Positas and UC Merced Board of Trustees pose with big check

UC Merced Foundation Trustees Establish Endowed Scholarship to Support Las Positas Transfer Students

Four members of the UC Merced Foundation Board of Trustees have created a $100,000 endowed scholarship designed to remove financial barriers for Las Positas College students on...

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...

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...

A graduate student eagerly anticipates her hooding ceremony.

Degrees, Cheers and a Record Number of Graduates Under the Open Sky

UC Merced is abuzz with celebration as students, families, friends, staff and faculty finish last-minute preparations for the largest commencement in university history. Across three outdoor...