2024 was a remarkable year for UC Merced. From groundbreaking research and academic excellence to inspiring student achievements and impactful community engagement, it has been a year of growth, innovation, and resilience. All of this was documented by our newsroom staff in more than 200 articles.
Here’s a look back at the stories that shaped 2024.
Grad Student Turns Passion For Helping Military Families Into State Law
January 24, 2024
As the new year dawned, a bill that widens access to education for dependents of disabled veterans in California became law. Drawing from her own experiences – Seijas’s spouse is a service-connected combat veteran – UC Merced grad student Karla Seijas worked with Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria on a policy that would eventually become AB 1745. Expect to hear more from Seijas who is currently focused on increasing awareness for 9/11 military families.
UC Merced Featured on “The College Tour”
February 2, 2024
Hollywood came to UC Merced as the university was featured on Amazon Prime’s “The College Tour”. The half-hour program that showcases a different school each episode was created to provide prospective students and their families with an idea of what campus life is like in order to aid in the enrollment decision-making process. For the episode premiere, a watch party was held on campus complete with a blue carpet entrance.
UC Merced Presented with Prestigious Transformation Award
March 5, 2024
UC Merced’s efforts identifying and breaking down barriers for current and prospective students resulted in the university being one of two schools in the country presented with the 2024 Award for Institutional Transformation. The award was established a decade ago by the American Council on Education (ACE) and Fidelity Investments as a way to recognize institutions that respond to higher education challenges in innovative and creative ways and achieve dramatic changes in a relatively brief period.
New Facility to Provide Improved Access To Conservation Lands
April 1, 2024
Until now, people visiting the Merced Vernal Pools and Grasslands Reserve that lies adjacent to the UC Merced campus have had to do so while battling the elements. That will soon no longer be the case thanks to a combination of grants and generous donors. When completed, the Field Education and Research Center will facilitate tours, researchers and anyone else who wishes to observe and learn about the animals and plants that reside within this protected area.
Ground Broken for Medical Education Building
May 15, 2024
The highly-anticipated groundbreaking for the Medical Education Building at UC Merced took place during the spring while UC Regents were on campus for their board meeting. When complete, the facility will house the university’s departments of public health and psychology, the Health Sciences Research Institute and the school’s BS to MD program. The building is scheduled to open for students in Fall ‘26.
Charles Nies Bids UC Merced Farewell
May 27, 2024
For the last 18 years, Charles Nies was whatever the Bobcat community needed him to be; an advisor, a thought partner, an ambassador. He was UC Merced’s biggest cheerleader and the newsroom’s go-to whenever the media called for an interview, no matter the topic. Assuming his new role of chancellor at University of Minnesota, Duluth, is a homecoming of sorts for Dr. Nies who was born and raised in The North Star State. Our loss is certainly UMD’s gain.
UC Merced Accepted Into NCAA Division II
July 11, 2024
After a dozen years in the Cal-Pac Conference of the NAIA, UC Merced’s leap to Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) was made official. The Bobcats will begin NCAA DII competition next fall and call the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) home. Among the benefits of this transition, several of the other schools within the division are closer in proximity to the campus, making it much easier for supporters to attend away games.
Goats Invade UC Merced
July 29,2024
Over the summer, portions of campus were abuzz with activity – but not the usual kind. Hundreds of goats were brought in to graze on the dried-out excess growth, aiding in weed removal efforts and reducing any fuel for potential wildfires. The furry four-legged visitors also attracted a lot of attention from students, faculty and staff and became social media darlings.
Prestigious Award Allows Graduate Student to Study in France
August 7, 2024
Arabi Seshappen is currently conducting research in France thanks to a prestigious award she earned as a grad student at UC Merced. The award is part of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program and is only granted to three students in the country each year. Seshappen will be working under Professor Leonardo Mazza, an expert in fractional quantum spin, at a satellite campus of the Université Paris-Saclay in Orsay.
UC Merced Annexed Into the City of Merced
August 23, 2024
UC Merced’s incorporation into the City of Merced was a part of the original plans of the university going back to 1995. This year, it finally happened. The annexation is seen by all as a strengthening of the relationship between UC Merced and its namesake. It will also streamline development around the campus that will bring in more businesses, housing and jobs.
UC Merced Named No. 1 in the Nation for Social Mobility
September 4, 2024
UC Merced’s reputation for changing the lives of its students was etched in stone this year when the university was named the top school for social mobility in the Wall Street Journal’s national rankings. The annual report examines several factors related to student outcomes and takes into consideration the proportion of students coming from lower-income families, graduation rates, impact on graduate salaries and affordability. Overall, UC Merced was named the 18th best university in the country and No. 5 among public institutions.
Annual US News Rankings Places UC Merced in Top 30
September 23, 2024
Weeks after UC Merced was named the top school in the country for social mobility by The Wall Street Journal, the university cracked the Top 30 in US News and World Report’s ranking of the nation’s public universities. Coming in at No. 26, UC Merced was buoyed by its performance in several categories including social mobility, graduation rates, manageable debt and post-graduate success.
UC Merced Unveils New Monument
September 26, 2024
UC Merced’s newest landmark is an ode to the school’s mascot, Rufus Bobcat. The addition of the 10-foot bronze statue was made possible by a generous donation from longtime supporter Art Kamangar. “Big Rufus” is set upon three inscribed pillars and is featured prominently in University Plaza, welcoming all to campus for many years to come.
UC Merced Earns Seal of Excelencia Recerification
October 1, 2024
In recognition for its continuing efforts to advance Latino student success, UC Merced earned recertification of the prestigious Seal of Excelencia. Given out by Excelencia in Education, the seal is a national certification for institutions that strive to go beyond enrollment and more intentionally serve Latino students. A designated Hispanic Serving Institution since 2010, the campus features a student body that is over 54% Hispanic and 65% first generation.
Chef Maria’s Pozole Is a Delicious Campus Staple
October 9, 2024
Every Thursday, the campus community crowds into the Pavilion to enjoy a bowl (or two) of Chef Maria’s famous pozole. Made from scratch every week, the traditional Mexican stew has been warming the bellies of students, faculty and staff for almost 20 years. Chef Maria says that she is happy to share with everyone a little bit of her heritage, the recipe of which was handed down from her mother.
Landmark Summit Focused on Transfer Students Held at UC Merced
November 18, 2024
The low percentage of students who transfer from two-year to four-year universities in California is a problem that can no longer be ignored. That was the purpose behind the inaugural Strategic Transfer Summit held at UC Merced. Leaders of the UC, CSU and California Community Colleges systems were in attendance to discuss and explore solutions to barriers that may prevent students from transferring. Current and former transfer students also provided their first-hand experience to shed some light on the issue.
New Canal Project Expands on UC Merced Solar Research - Federal and state government officials announced a new project to place solar panels on the water in the Delta-Mendota Canal. The project will complement work the state has been doing with UC Merced, the Turlock Irrigation District and Solar AquaGrid.
Stretchy Material That Gets Stronger When Hit Has Exciting Potential - Researchers at UC Merced have developed material that has "adaptive durability," which means it stays soft when being used or moved through consistent motion, then gets stronger when abruptly hit or stretched. The material also conducts electricity, making it ideal for the next generation of wearables or personalized medical sensors.
Youth Grapple with Interpreting the Unspoken for Their Immigrant Families - UC Merced researchers are shedding light on a little-explored aspect of cross-cultural communication that involves no spoken words but sometimes can cause confusion and anguish for children acting as interpreters for older family members.
People Facing Life-or-Death Choice Put Too Much Trust in AI - In simulated life-or-death decisions, about two-thirds of people in a UC Merced study allowed a robot to change their minds when it disagreed with them -- an alarming display of excessive trust in artificial intelligence, researchers said.
UC Merced Leads $6.5 Million Initiative to Reduce Promotion and Tenure Bias Against Black and Hispanic Faculty - Black and Hispanic faculty members seeking promotion at research universities face career-damaging biases, with their scholarly production judged more harshly than that of their peers, according to a groundbreaking initiative co-led by UC Merced that aims to uncover the roots of these biases and develop strategies for change.
Researchers Discover Mechanism that Could Control Longevity, Cancer Cell Production - Researchers at UC Merced used fruit flies to uncover a cellular process common to many organisms that could dramatically impact the understanding of cancer and aging.
NSF-Funded Project Promotes Reuse of 'Greywater' in Households Integrating AI Toward Equity - A project with co-principal investigators from UC Merced aims to significantly reduce residential water consumption by re-using much of that water before it is flushed into the sewer system.
Physics-based Modeling Reveals Surprising Behavior of Blood Clots - A group of researchers, including physicists from UC Merced, has made discoveries about the mechanics of blood clots that could help in the development of biomaterials for tissue engineering and improved surgical adhesives.
Climate Change Extends Drought Recovery by at Least Three Months - A group of researchers at UC Merced has found that climate change means it takes about three months longer for California to recover from drought, and probably longer.
Grant Supports UC Merced Effort to Improve College Readiness in Valley - A significant grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will advance UC Merced's efforts to create a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of college readiness among high-school students in the San Joaquin Valley, particularly those from underrepresented and socioeconomically diverse backgrounds.
