Alyssa Johansen

At an intimate gathering of supporters, UC Merced awarded former Gov. Gray Davis the Chancellor’s Medal — the university’s highest honor — in recognition of his instrumental role in bringing the 10th University of California campus to Merced.

The medal was presented recently during a special evening marking UC Merced’s 20th anniversary year, celebrating two decades since the campus opened its doors to undergraduate students.

Female high school student-athletes are invited to the UC Merced campus on March 8 for Together We Will, a first-of-its-kind conference designed to inspire connection, confidence and leadership.

The one-day event will bring together speakers, mentors and health experts to provide a platform for young women to build skills for success in both competition and life.

Black History Month often honors familiar names, leaders whose courage and determination changed the course of a nation. But many others have made groundbreaking contributions that exposed injustice, advanced civil rights, reshaped American culture and revolutionized technology. Their achievements and efforts were met with threats, ignorance and suppression. Some had soaring potential cut short by mortal illness.

From open farmland in California’s Central Valley to a global model for sustainable design, UC Merced’s architectural story is currently on view as part of a special exhibit at UC Berkeley’s Bauer Wurster Hall.

Located in one of Berkeley’s most iconic Brutalist buildings and the home of the College of Environmental Design, “From the Ground Up: Building UC Merced” features oversized photographs, architectural models and sketches that trace Merced’s ambitious growth while creating a visual and conceptual bridge between the University of California’s first and newest campuses.

UC Merced will honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. by hosting a day of action, inviting the campus and community to serve together on Monday, Jan. 19.

In keeping with King’s call to build a “beloved community,” UC Merced’s Community Engagement Center is inviting students, staff, faculty and alumni to participate in a range of service projects throughout Merced and beyond as part of the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.

UC Merced has once again been recognized as a national leader in community-engaged scholarship. The 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement affirms the university’s deep and expanding commitment to serving the public.

To mark UC Merced’s entry into National Collegiate Athletics Association NCAA Division II competition, the university is launching the Bobcat Club – an initiative designed to support scholar-athletes and the campus’s elevated level of intercollegiate sports.

For more than 1,300 Central Valley students, this summer break wasn’t all about fun — it included strengthening their math and science skills to prepare them for the new school year and beyond.

UC Merced’s Center for Educational Partnerships offered a wealth of summer programming led by its three offices: K-20 Regional Alliances, State College Preparatory Programs and K-14 Federal Programs.

This is the final entry of a series of profiles of new UC Merced Bobcats enrolled for the fall 2025 semester.

Adriana Ponce Mata spent the last two summers working in one of the largest and oldest companies in the Bay Area. This fall, she joins UC Merced to begin her next chapter. Through Project SEED, she gained hands-on research experience testing fuels in an oil refinery, sparking her passion for science and helping others.

When UC Merced launches Give to UC Merced 2025 on Dec. 2, it won’t just be about one day of giving; the month-long campaign will be about hope, opportunity and community impact.

For the 12th year, the campus joins the global Giving Tuesday movement, inviting donors to power change through the university’s UC Merced Fund. Contributions to Give to UC Merced will support the campus’s greatest needs, ensuring UC Merced has the flexibility to fund emerging opportunities, expand programs and student support initiatives, and assist promising scholars with direct financial assistance.