School of Social Sciences Humanities and Arts

Sociology Graduate Program Debuts Strongly in U.S. News Rankings

April 30, 2025

Only 10 years after it began, the Ph.D. program in UC Merced’s Department of Sociology made an impressive debut in U.S. News & World Report’s latest rankings of graduate-level offerings. The Sociology graduate program tied for No. 64 nationally, sharing the position with UC...

Campus’s First Student Fulbright Scholar Heads to El Salvador for Research

UC Merced graduate student Danielle Bermudez will spend the next 10 months in El Salvador, conducting research and serving as a cultural ambassador for the campus as a Fulbright U.S. Student...

Feeling a Little Puckish? Get Thee to Yosemite for ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

Desperate lovers, a fairy king and queen, a woman with a donkey’s head and a scamp with Cupid’s arrow in flower form are taking over Yosemite National Park on Earth Day weekend....

Lecturer Honored for New Book on Pedagogy

Lecturer Iris D. Ruiz, Ph.D., won Honorable Mention in the 2018 Outstanding Book Awards given by the Conference on College Composition and Communication’s (CCCC). Ruiz’s award is in...

Study: Kitchen and Culture Clash When Promoting Healthy Eating to Latinos

Latinos suffer from some of the highest obesity rates in the nation. Health officials have tried to intervene with messaging that encourages healthy eating and healthy behavior, but these campaigns...

The campus is preparing for the largest graduating class of roughly 1,200 candidates who are eligible to participate in the weekend’s ceremonies.

CNN Contributor Maria Cardona, Civic Leader Lenny Mendonca to Speak at UC Merced’s Largest Commencement Ceremonies

The University of California, Merced, has selected political commentator and public affairs professional Maria Cardona and civic leader and entrepreneur Lenny Mendonca to deliver keynote addresses at...

Campus Voices: Join Us in Advocacy for Humanities Research Funding

Besides being a groundbreaking research powerhouse, the University of California is an economic engine for California and the nation, providing an educated workforce and generating new knowledge,...

A man in glasses stands in front of a monitor displaying desert scenes.

LibraryCAVE Brings Virtual Reality and Big Data Into the Classroom

Professor Nicola Lercari is leading his students on a tour of Palenque, the ancient Mesoamerican city that flourished at the peak of Maya civilization. They’re exploring the altar atop the...

Shavone Charles' interest in technology started during a summer internship with Google, where she served as a student ambassador liaison between the technology company and UC Merced students.

Alumna Shavone Charles Continues to Blaze a Path in Music and Tech

It’s been five years since Shavone Charles walked across the stage at commencement. On Saturday (Dec. 16), she will return as UC Merced’s first alumni keynote speaker at Fall Commencement...

Professor Susana Ramirez in a red jacket and black-rimmed glasses stands in front of bookshelves filled with books.

Public Health Professor Honored for Early-Career Research

The American Public Health Association (APHA) presented public health Professor Susana Ramirez with the 2017 Early Career Award at its annual meeting last month. The award is handed out every year...