Undergraduate Students

New Bobcat Looks to Expand Impressive Research Resume

August 29, 2025

This is the final entry of a series of profiles of new UC Merced Bobcats enrolled for the fall 2025 semester. Adriana Ponce Mata spent the last two summers working in one of the largest and oldest companies in the Bay Area. This fall, she joins UC Merced to begin her next chapter. Through...

Undergrad Experience: Jose Garcia-Esparza

Name: Jose Garcia-Esparza Year: Fourth, graduating May 2021 Major: Computer Science & Engineering Hometown: Fresno What is a memorable project that you worked on during your...

Two New Faculty Members Expand Physics Department and Bring the Cosmos to Campus

UC Merced occupies just one small corner of the world. But through the research, teaching, experience, and connections of two new Department of Physics faculty members, students can access and begin...

Undergrad Experience: Diana Cruz Garcia

Name: Diana Cruz Garcia Year: Fourth Year Major: Bioengineering Hometown: Los Angeles What is a memorable project that you worked on during your time at UC Merced? The most memorable...

Undergrad Experience: Allen Kalampukattussery

Name: Allen Kalampukattussery Year: Third year Major: Biological Sciences, Human Biology emphasis Hometown: San Jose What is a memorable project that you worked on during your time at UC...

Computer science Professor Ahmed Arif stands with two of his female graduate students in the Science and Engineering 2 Building.

Lip-reading Software Helps Users of All Abilities to Send Secure Messages

A computer science lab focused on making human-computer interaction easier for people of all abilities has developed a digital lip-reader complete with its own repair system so the software can...

Undergrad Experience: Austin John Escobar

Name: Austin John Escobar Year: Third year Major: Biological Sciences with Human Emphasis; minor in Education Hometowns: Dublin, Calif., and Manila, Philippines What is a memorable...

Physics Professor Dustin Kleckner studies structure in fluid and soft matter systems.

With Kleckner’s Award, Physics Department Nabs its Third CAREER Grant This Year

Physics Professor Dustin Kleckner has received a prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER award for his research — the third in his department this year. He studies how optical and...

UC Merced Services Clear the Path for Incoming Students

A student can swing between confidence and uncertainty in the months between signing a university’s acceptance letter and the first day of classes. The people at UC Merced entrusted with...

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...