Brenda Ortiz

Students Awarded Prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

June 4, 2025

Two UC Merced graduate students wearing blue

Two UC Merced graduate students and an alum from the School of Natural Sciences were recently awarded fellowships from the highly competitive National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program. This year, NSF awarded 1,000 GRFP fellowships compared to about 2,000 in previous years...

New Financial Aid Application Process Benefits Students

This year’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process has two major changes aimed at making it easier for students to apply for financial aid. The FAFSA for the 2017-18 academic year...

$3.6 Million Grant Funding Helps Valley Students Realize Educational Dreams

Three grants totaling more than $3.6 million from the U.S. Department of Education will help UC Merced’s Center for Educational Partnerships (CEP) continue its Talent Search program, which...

Future Public Servants Get a Boost From UC Fellowships

UC Merced student Stephanie Maldonado was excited when she earned a slot in the University of California’s public service internship program in Washington, D.C., this fall — then came the financial...

Rising Student Demand Drives UC Merced Enrollment Growth

The University of California, Merced, enters its 12th academic year with a record-breaking incoming class, signifying strong demand for the newest campus in the UC system. “More and more students are...

Run Raises $2,500 for Scholarship Funds

More than 300 participants, including students, alumni, faculty and staff members and friends of the campus, gathered for the second annual UC Merced Journey 5K Fund Run earlier this month. First-...

New Director Looks to Build on Sexual Violence Prevention Efforts

UC Merced was ahead of the curve in 2009, when it created the Violence Prevention Program to combat sexual violence, dating and domestic violence, and stalking on campus and in the community just...

UC Merced ‘Cool’ Again in Sierra Sustainability Rankings

A week after being lauded by Washington Monthly in its rankings for social mobility and value, UC Merced today was named one of the Sierra Club’s “Cool Schools” for its commitment to sustainability....

Young Students a Glimpse of College Life, Leadership

Ke-Myrion Anderson had never set foot on college campus before he spent a week at UC Merced in July. The Fresno eighth-grader was one of 150 students from across California who were invited to live...

GirlCode Workshop Aims to Address STEM Gender Gap

Women make up about half of the nation’s college-educated workforce, but in the fields of science and engineering, that drops to less than 30 percent. UC Merced’s STEM Resource Center is working to...