Campus Community

Incoming Bobcats ‘Grew Up’ with UC Merced

July 31, 2025

Two people with a banner, blue and yellow graphic reading "Bobcat Bound."

This is part of a series of profiles of new UC Merced Bobcats enrolled for the fall 2025 semester. One could say UC Merced has always been part of incoming Bobcats Ella and Satchel Ortez’s lives. The twins’ father worked for the 10th UC campus when it opened, and they lived...

UC Merced Emergency Manager Laura Rodriguez-Mascorro

UC Merced's First Emergency Manager Laura Rodriguez-Mascorro Comes Prepared

Emergencies can come in many forms, from a burst pipe that causes a flood, to a major earthquake, to a threat of violence. No matter its character, Laura Rodriguez-Mascorro will make sure the campus...

Dr. Thelma Hurd joins UC Merced as the Director of Medical Education after years working as a clinician, public health researcher and translational scientist.

New Director of Medical Education Ready to Unleash Valley’s Untapped Potential

Dr. Thelma Hurd’s journey in medicine has taken her from New Jersey to Nigeria, with stops in Texas and Buffalo. Along the way, she gathered experience as a clinician, public health researcher...

Students walk across campus at UC Merced

UC Merced Aims to Draw 1,000 Donors in a Day with ‘Give Tue UC Merced’ Campaign

Jose Nava-Mejia hopes to work in renewable energy after he graduates from UC Merced. That means every moment spent on his environmental energy courses is a moment invested in the planet’s...

UC Merced Welcomes Visit by Junior Leadership Merced Students

Fifteen students from Merced County high schools experienced a bit of college life this week as part of the Junior Leadership Merced program. The students visited UC Merced on Monday, Nov. 25,...

Nicole Pollack joined UC Merced in August, marking a return to the Valley for the longtime Turlock resident.

New Chief Human Resources Officer Nicole Pollack returns to her Valley roots

Nicole Pollack is happy to be home. After a few years in the Bay Area, the longtime Turlock resident is back in the San Joaquin Valley and diving into her new role as UC Merced’s chief human...

Storytellers to Share Personal Lessons in Inaugural ‘Spoken Experience’ Event

Students, faculty and staff members will step up to the microphone and share lessons from their lives during UC Merced’s inaugural The Spoken Experience storytelling event on Thursday, Nov. 14...

Star Student and NASA Standout Preparing for a Stellar Future

Like many young women, Calista Lum absorbed the message that she was not as capable as her male peers when it came to science, technology, engineering and math. Teachers in her Fairfield high...

Postdoctoral Fellow Earns Best Presentation at International Conference

Deepti Chittamuru won the best abstract award — out of 700 abstracts submitted — at the 17th International Conference on Communication in Healthcare. She was also awarded the...

Interim Chancellor Nathan Brostom welcomes Maria Echaveste to UC Merced for a conversation on "The Future of American Democracy."

Chancellor Brostrom Welcomes Maria Echaveste for Conversation on Democracy

At a time of dramatic political division in our society, the role of universities — as places where people can connect with others and explore ideas — is more important than ever,...