Alyssa Johansen

Mechanical engineering Professor Ricardo Pinto de Castro has turned a penchant for systems-level thinking and a longtime love of cars into a climate-resilient research mission.

UC Merced Executive Director of Recreation & Athletics David Dunham has been named California Pacific Conference Athletic Director of the Year for the second straight year and for the third time in four years.

Under Dunham's leadership in 2024-25, UC Merced won a Cal Pac-record 13 conference championships and became the first school in NAIA history to qualify its men's and women's basketball teams, men's and women's cross country teams, men's and women's soccer teams, and men's and women's volleyball teams for NAIA national championship competition.

A new endowed chair will significantly enhance UC Merced’s work to advance research and innovation in the agricultural technology sector.

Housed in the School of Engineering, the Christine Nemec Long Endowed Chair in Agricultural Technology was created through a generous gift from longtime UC Merced Foundation Board of Trustees member Christine Long.

UC Merced is excited to welcome admitted students, their families and friends for another unforgettable Bobcat Day. Set for Saturday, April 19, this annual open house promises a full day of engaging presentations, activities and a firsthand look at life as a Bobcat. Throughout the event, faculty, staff, students and alumni will be available to share personal experiences and answer questions about academic programs, student life, clubs and organizations.

Each spring, master’s and doctoral students across UC Merced’s 18 graduate groups are invited to contend in the campus’s Grad Slam Finals. They are given three minutes and one visual slide to present their research to a panel of non-specialist judges.

This year’s competition will take place during Research Week on Wednesday, March 12, in the Dr. Vikram and Priya Lakireddy Grand Ballroom in the Conference Center.

UC Merced has assumed its place in the top echelon of research institutions in the nation by earning R1 status from Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The announcement was made Thursday morning by the American Council on Education and comes less than 20 years after the university opened its doors.

On Dec. 3, the date of this year's Giving Tuesday, UC Merced will participate in the worldwide day of charitable giving by launching Give to UC Merced 2024. For the fifth year, the university's annual fundraising initiative will extend beyond its original 24-hour period to the entire month of December.

An international organization recognized UC Merced Executive Sous Chef Jonathan Gutierrez Santiago for his commitment to innovative and sustainable use of fresh produce for the university’s Dining Services.