Undergraduate Students

From Strawberries to Smart Farm: Alum Adamaris Alvarez Grows Passion into a Career Path

June 18, 2025

Photo depicts UC Merced graduate Adamaris Alvarez in a black hat on a blue and gold graphic background.

Growing up in Watsonville, a vibrant agricultural community on California's Central Coast, Adamaris Alvarez always knew she wanted to work in agriculture. She worked on her family's berry ranch, Alvarez Farms, where she grew a deep appreciation for the hard work agriculture demands. But...

A woman comforts another woman by holding her hand.

Brain Study 'Turns Off the Brake' to Understand How Sympathy Can Be Increased

A new study by faculty members and students in UC Merced's Department of Cognitive and Information Sciences takes a closer look at the sympathy people have for one another. The...

New Swarth Fogel NRS Undergraduate Research Scholarship to Support Student Field Research

UC Merced undergraduates interested in pursuing field research and mentorship opportunities at one of the University of California Natural Reserve System (NRS) sites will now have access to vital...

Scholars Bridge Crossing Returns: 'Finally, We're Here Together'

Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz stood at a podium framed by blue and gold balloons and smiled at the throng of students who had come for the Scholars Bridge Crossing. “Finally, we’re...

Incoming freshman Kyle Chun (mechanical engineering), third-year Daniel Baerwaldt (chemistry) and first-year Alejandro Lopez-Vaca (engineering) in front of their presentation.

USDA-funded Internship Program Introduced New Bobcats to Agriculture Research

Shortly before the fall semester kicked off in person, 11 students were wrapping up their first summer on campus as part of the FACTS summer bridge program. FACTS stands for San Joaquin Valley...

Professor Thomas Harmon shows students how to use Topcon Positioning Systems equipment on campus.

New Civil Engineering Major Designed for a Sustainable Future

Civil engineering usually brings to mind bridges and skyscrapers, but at UC Merced the engineering program extends far beyond that. This fall, UC Merced is launching a new civil engineering...

From left, UC Merced faculty Lei Yue, Keith Thompson, Changho Kim, Professor Zenaida Aguirre-Muñoz and Mayya Tokman work on planning the new calculus effort with their teammates. Photo by Jim Chiavelli

New Collaboration Aims to Help Students Understand the Hows and Whys of Calculus

More than a few students have probably asked themselves why they have to take calculus — the course is notoriously difficult for some. “People haven’t been taught math the way it...

The exterior of the Leo and Dottie Kolligian Library at UC Merced is seen on the evening of Jan. 27, 2014.

After 18-Month Closure Amid COVID-19 Pandemic, UC Merced Library Reopening Its Doors

Since opening its doors in August 2005, the UC Merced Library has served as the hub of the campus. That all changed when the coronavirus pandemic hit and the building was forced to close in...

Hands-on, Handmade Instruments Boost Engagement for Remote Physics Class

With her students spread to the four winds by COVID-19, a UC Merced professor discovered she could build engagement in a virtual classroom with cardboard, painter’s tape and a child’s toy...

A machine developed in Professor Reza Ehsani's lab improves almond harvests by reducing the amount of dust stirred up as the nuts are gathered from the ground.

New AI Institute Expands UC Merced’s Smart, Sustainable Agriculture Effort

With a new $20 million federal grant, UC Merced becomes part of a multi-institutional research collaborative to develop artificial intelligence — or AI — solutions to tackle some of...