Staff & Faculty News

Astronomers Reveal Hidden Activity in the Early Universe’s Most Massive Galaxies

January 5, 2026

Spectroscopy at the UC's W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii helped the researchers interpret complex data about ultramassive galaxies. Photo courtesy of the W.M. Keck Observatory.

An international team of astronomers has studied ultramassive galaxies - galaxies containing more than 100 billion stars - as they existed when the universe was less than 2 billion years old. The results show that while some of these ultramassive galaxies, or UMGs, had already shut down star...

New chief campus counsel Cesar Alvarado-Gil is shown, with the entrance to UC Merced.

New Chief Campus Counsel Selected for UC Merced

Cesar Alvarado-Gil joins UC Merced as chief campus counsel, bringing his broad background in the law, deep affinity for education and firm ties to Merced. "Higher education is critical for...

Betsy Dumont Named Provost at UC Merced

Elizabeth "Betsy" Dumont, Ph.D., has been named executive vice chancellor and provost of the University of California, Merced after a robust process that drew candidates from across the...

Professor Claire Lukens, right, and recent graduate Kolleen Peyakov measure the geochemistry of a rock using an XRF spectrometer.

Lukens’ Latest Research Tracks Sediment’s Journey in the Eastern Sierra

Rocks, from ponderous boulders to tiny grains of sand, are subject to the whims of moisture, weather and time as they tumble from surrounding slopes into rivers, pools and lakes. UC Merced...

Two New Officers Added to UC Merced Police Department

The sworn ranks of UC Merced’s police department grew by two on Monday. UC Merced Police Chief Chou Her administered the oath to new officers joining his department. Angela Henke and...

Graduating students walk pass UC Merced sign

2023: A Look Back

2023 was a remarkable year in which UC Merced experienced tremendous growth and acclaim. Several milestones were reached, setting up the university to continue thriving in the near future and beyond...

UC Merced women’s soccer wins their first Cal Pac Conference Tournament Championship, beating Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 2-1 on Bobcat Field on Nov. 11, 2023.

2023 Brought Many More Firsts for Bobcat Athletics

The year just ending has been one for the college sports record books and many kudos are due to the Bobcat athletes and their coaches. UC Merced men’s and women’s outdoor track swept...

Researcher Among the World's Most Highly Cited for the Fourth Straight Year

Distinguished Professor Martin Hagger from the Department of Psychological Sciences has been awarded one of this year’s Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher awards. He is one of four...

UC Merced's New Medical Education Director Values Service

During college, Dr. Margo Vener was on a completely different career path. Having received a C in chemistry early on, she had all but closed the door on any notion of pursuing a career in medicine....

Study of Racial Effects of University Funding Cuts Wins $100,000 Education Prize

A $100,000 award will fund a UC Merced researcher's work into determining how the nation's public universities can do a better job educating students of color. Sociology Professor Laura...

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