Student & Alumni Success

COSMOS Expands to UC Merced, Opening Doors for California’s Brightest Young Scientists

December 11, 2025

High school students will have a wider array of research opportunities through COSMOS starting next summer.

Starting next summer, UC Merced will join an elite group of University of California campuses hosting COSMOS — the California State Summer School for Math and Science — giving some of the state’s most talented high school students a new destination for exploring advanced STEM...

Young man sitting against the wall with head down and laptop computer open on lap

Emergency Fund Offers Hope to Students in a Bind

Karen Merritt came from a family without much money. Like nearly 90 percent of UC Merced’s students, financial aid made her college dreams a reality. However, she quickly learned the costs of...

Pioneering Alumna Embraces Career in Immigration Law

UC Merced alumna Linda Barreto always wanted to become a lawyer, but an experience in college helped reinforce her career path. While driving, Barreto was pulled over and cited for failing to...

Eager to Make a Difference, Student Focuses on Human Rights

Adriana Diaz Mireles is on a mission. Inspired by coursework on human rights, the UC Merced senior is intent on pursuing a career in humanitarian advocacy. But first, she’s working to make a name for...

Researchers Eye Social Media’s Influence on Relationships, Stress

Nearly 70 percent of Americans use some form of social media, according to a Pew Research Center survey. There is little doubt it affects our daily lives — but how? UC Merced Ph.D. graduate Holly Rus...

Two Students Receive Strauss Scholarship for Public Service

Since 2006, 10 UC Merced undergraduates have been awarded the prestigious Donald A. Strauss Foundation scholarship. This year, two more joined their ranks. The Strauss Foundation selected biological...

‘Swarmathon’ Robotics Team Competes at Cape Canaveral

Manuel Meraz transferred to UC Merced with a mission: to revive what had once been an award-winning, student-led robotics scene on campus. Meraz had just completed a robotics internship at the...

Former ASUCM President Gaining Capitol Experience

Domonique Jones got a taste of public office while serving as president of the Associated Students of UC Merced (ASUCM). Now the 2016 graduate is furthering that information in the state Capitol....

Campus Marks Largest Class, Year of Growth With 2017 Commencement

More than 1,200 undergraduate and graduate students are expected to participate in the University of California, Merced’s 12th commencement ceremonies this weekend — its largest class since opening...

Students’ Engineering Chops to be Showcased at ‘Innovate to Grow’

Is it still possible to build a better mouse trap? Engineering students at UC Merced think so. “Eraticate” — a fitting name for a group focused on mouse trap optimization — isn’t concerned with the...

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