Skip to content

News

photo of student with brown hair and yellow shirt on blue and gold backgroud

As one of UC Merced’s first students, Josue “Josh” Franco seized the chance to help shape student government for future scholars on campus; now he has grasped a new opportunity on Capitol Hill.

The three-time alumnus (B.A. ’09, M.A. ’16, Ph.D. ’18) has been awarded the American Political Science Association’s Congressional Fellowship for 2024-25.

Ph.D. candidate Arabi Seshappan will spend 10 months at a satellite campus of the Université Paris-Saclay in France after being selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.
Persistence has paid off for UC Merced doctoral candidate Arabi Seshappan. The graduate student from Fremont, about to start her sixth year, was selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program's Fulbright-Université Paris-Saclay Doctoral Research Award, which is only granted to three U.S. students...
Students and faculty are converging on Long Beach this week for the annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Seven students will present their research and Professor Asmeret Asefaw Berhe will serve as one of the meeting’s keynote speakers. This is the first time fourth-year Ph.D....
First cohort of Grad EXCEL peer mentors
As a young institution in the University of California system, UC Merced has placed a strong emphasis on serving students who are the first in their families to pursue graduate education. With its strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, UC Merced’s Graduate Division has created a...
Photo depicts UC Merced environmental engineering Professor Josué Medellín-Azuara.
California's agriculture faces challenges from a highly variable climate with temperatures that will increase over the next several decades. Droughts are worsening and the Sierra snowpack, integral to the water supply, is volatile. However, there are a number of ways to mitigate those changes, as...
Photo depicts concrete supports lining a canal in Keyes, California.
Construction has begun on a pilot project to install solar panels above two sections of Central Valley canals. This innovative initiative, which studies significant power and water issues, has already garnered recognition. Project Nexus, a partnership between the Turlock Irrigation District (TID),...
A female farmer is depicted holding a laptop computer in a field with the sun behind her.
Farmhand Ventures announces the publication of its research paper, "Inclusive Innovation in Agriculture: Redesigning Agtech Ecosystems for All," funded by UC Merced's Valley Institute for Sustainability, Technology and Agriculture (VISTA). The team of authors, led by Connie Bowen with support from...
Three faculty members have joined the prestigious ranks of Hellman Fellowship recipients this year. Applied mathematics Professor Tomas Rube, who studies mathematical biology, Professor Andrea Polonijo, a medical sociologist, and computer science and engineering Professor Peingfei Su will...
An orchard is depicted with a blue sky and clouds.
As the climate continues to change, the risks to farming are only going to increase. That's the key takeaway from a recent paper published by a team that included UC Merced researchers. The paper dives into what those challenges are, how farmers are working to address them and what should come next...
A graphic depicts a hand reaching toward water droplets.
Almost 3 billion people worldwide are projected to suffer from severe water scarcity by 2025. Thousands have already been affected in California alone, where more than 1,200 wells ran dry in 2022. It's never been more important to find ways to make the best use of this precious resource. A project...
Attendees look at posters of projects at the Internet of Things for Ag meeting at UC Merced.
Agriculture is in a time of daunting challenge: The world's population is growing and climate change is impacting every area of the food supply chain. Researchers from across the country who are working to address that challenge met at UC Merced this week. They are part of the Internet of Things...
School of Engineering Dean Rakesh Goel speaks with students at the Innovate to Grow event.
A translucent guide for needle placement to alleviate spinal pain. A collection system for urine to use as fertilizer. A system that attaches to the vents of a commuter train network to reduce the noise air makes when it is expelled. An artificial intelligence-powered chatbot to answer questions...

Pages