UC Merced prides itself on its high social mobility ranking (No. 3 among public schools in the country, according to the Wall Street Journal). Social mobility is defined as the ability to move between socioeconomic tiers.
But what does that mean, really?
A doghouse built by Bobcats for a famous beagle beat out a fairytale structure hammered together by Bears.
UC Merced's student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers took part in the annual Timber-Strong Design Build competition in April, going up against UC Berkeley in a day-long contest at nearby Lake Yosemite.
Working in teams, students were challenged to design, construct and evaluate a two-story light wood-framed structure that balances sustainability, architectural appeal and structural performance.
An artificial intelligence-powered system to ensure the safety of the elderly while still providing privacy. Wearable muscle monitoring to speed recovery from injury. A chemical-free method of putting out fires. A more effective way to detect methane leaks.
These were just some of the projects highlighted during the innovators showcase at Merced 2 Market, an event on campus where products resulting from research are highlighted for the community and potential investors.
After a couple of years of sufficient water, much of California is showing "abnormally dry" conditions in spring 2026, according to the state drought monitor.
And as climate change adds more swings between wet and dry conditions, researchers are working on ways to better identify, predict and manage drought.
Toward that end, a UC Merced team contributed a chapter on "Artificial Intelligence for Multiscale Drought Modeling and Decision Making," in the new book "Global Drought and Sustainability."
UC Merced's chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers was again honored as the Region VI Medium Chapter of the Year. It is the second consecutive year the organization received this recognition. The NSBE, established at UC Merced in 2007, provides support, guidance and advocacy for its members through their college journeys and beyond.
A recent celebration marked important anniversaries for two partners in research and innovation, but both emphasized that the most exciting events still lie ahead.
The commemoration at UC Merced on Main marked 25 years of the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) and the Banatao Institute and 20 years of UC Merced, one of its member institutions.
"Together these anniversaries tell a shared story - rooted in innovation and access and public impact," UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz said.
Services are set Sunday afternoon for Professor YangQuan Chen, whose contibutions to UC Merced's School of Engineering and to the university as a whole will endure through programs he helped build, the research he advanced, and the many students and colleagues he inspired.
Chen, a professor of mechanical engineering, died April 27. He was 59.
Road changes such as lane shifts, new signs and speed-limit modifications can be confusing to drivers, both human and mechanical.
A human driver can quickly perceive and understand new or temporary changes to road conditions. A new project at UC Merced aims to deliver that same swift processing power to autonomous cars.
Left ventricular devices, or LVADs, are life saving for patients with advanced heart failure, a condition that affects more than 6 million Americans each year.
A UC Merced researcher has earned an American Heart Association Career Development Award to fund his work on improving how these mechanical pumps interact with the heart and body. It's the first time a faculty member from UC Merced has received one of these awards.
It's time to think bigger about mitigating climate change.
Measures such as recycling, turning off lights and reducing energy use are great, but making a real impact is going to take systemic change, said Leah Stokes, a political scientist, energy expert and climate communicator from UC Santa Barbara.
