News

Applied Math Grad Student Committed to Central Valley Roots

April 23, 2018

When Mario Banuelos was 12, his mother took him into the fields to tie grape vines. The labor was tough and the wages were meager. After just one day on the job, Banuelos knew that his path in life would be different. He worked even harder in school and earned nearly straight As. His efforts paid...

Billions of Gallons of Water Saved by Thinning Sierra Forests

April 23, 2018

There are too many trees in Sierra Nevada forests, say experts from UC Merced, UC Irvine and the National Park Service working at the National Science Foundation Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory (NSF SSCZO). This comes as a surprise to those of us who see dense, verdant forests as a sign...

QSB’s Portia Mira Wins GradSlam!, Advances to Finals

April 19, 2018

After a fierce round of competition during last week’s UC Merced GradSlam! finals, the third time was the charm for quantitative and systems biology (QSB) student Portia Mira, who emerged as the campus’s new champion. For her success, Mira earned a $5,000 grand prize and the honor of representing...

Undergraduate Student Advocates for Youth at Empowerment Event

April 18, 2018

Kimberly Ramirez Gonzalez has been advocating for youth for four years and she is committed to dedicating the rest of her life to doing so. The third-year UC Merced student takes the stage April 19 alongside world-renowned entertainers and social activists such as Morgan Freeman, Jennifer Aniston...

Researchers Examine Barriers to Organ Donation and Possible Remedies

April 16, 2018

Every 10 minutes, someone is added to the national organ transplant waiting list, and about once every hour, someone on the list is removed — either because they died while waiting or grew too ill for surgery. The number of Americans on the waiting list totals more than 114,000 as of this writing,...

Sustainable California Video Highlights UC Water Academy Experience

April 13, 2018

April is Earth Month. It’s also when UC Water Academy — an intensive course aimed at training the next generation of California water experts — starts its second year. To mark the occasion, UC Water released its second video for the UCTV Sustainable California channel. “Knowing Our Water — The UC...

Health Psychology Professor Wins Prestigious Award

April 13, 2018

The Society of Pediatric Psychology has recognized Professor Deborah Wiebe for her body of research on the psychology of adolescent health. Wiebe, the head of UC Merced’s Health Psychology program within the Psychological Sciences graduate group, won the Dennis Drotar Distinguished Research...

Lifetime Achievement Award Honors Distinguished Psychology Professor

April 12, 2018

Distinguished Professor Jan Wallander heads to New Orleans today (April 12) to attend a conference and receive the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Pediatric Medicine and Behavioral Health from the Society of Behavioral Medicine Child and Family Health...

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

April 11, 2018

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 Researcher. She is the campus’s first student winner of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. There are other...

Women’s Soccer Star, Campus Leader Wraps Four Fulfilling Years

April 9, 2018

When prospective student-athletes visit UC Merced, soccer standout Abbie-Leigh Meneses is among the first people they meet. Not long ago, Meneses was a recruit herself, touring the University of California’s 10th and newest campus. She fell in love with UC Merced and its central location within...