Climate Change

Research Team Focuses on the Next Generations of Scientists

March 4, 2025

Professor Michele Nishiguchi talks to a group of Plainsburg Elementary School students at a science outreach event.

The Biology Integration Institute (BII): The Institute for Symbiotic Interactions, Training and Education in the Face of a Changing Climate, or INSITE, stands out because it is supported by $12.5 million from the National Science Foundation, one of the largest NSF grants UC Merced has ever received...

Two engineering professors and a graduate student received a grant from NASA to study how wildfires alter changes in carbon and sediment along California’s coastline.

Engineering Professor Awarded NASA Grant to Study Impacts of Wildfires on California’s Coastline

California is known for its beautiful coastline, where the Pacific Ocean meets sandy beaches and rugged cliffs. While many scientists have studied the land or the ocean independently, less is known...

Rotary District Scholar to Conduct Sanitation Research in Haiti

With COVID-19 protections lifting, many people are eager to travel again. Among them is graduate student Elena Bischak, who is planning multiple trips to Haiti in the coming months to study improving...

Professor Erin Hestir (Photo by Veronica Adrover, UC Merced)

Professor Hestir Turns NASA Technology Toward Earth’s Biodiversity

Half a world away from California’s Central Valley is a place with similar climate but an unparalleled diversity of plants, marine animals and ecosystems. From deserts to shrubland to montane...

Science Must Dig Deeper to Understand Climate Change’s Full Impact, Study Shows

Scientists often study the relationship of global warming and topsoil because soil is an important mediator of climate change. A newly released study indicates it’s critical to consider subsoil...

Professor Berhe Nominated to Lead Federal Office of Science

President Joe Biden has nominated UC Merced Professor Asmeret Asefaw Berhe to be the new director of the Office of Science in the federal Department of Energy. In honor of Earth Day, the White...

UC Merced Teams Up with Globe Theatre for Shakespeare and Climate Emergency Conference

A major international conference looking at the relationships between William Shakespeare's works and the current climate crisis will soon get underway. UC Merced is co-hosting the virtual event...

The Center for Climate Justice’s two-day launch event kicks off on Earth Day, April 22.

Professor Tracey Osborne Leads New UC Center for Climate Justice

The University of California is launching a new center just in time for Earth Day: the Center for Climate Justice. Led by Management of Complex Systems Professor and UC Presidential Chair Tracey...

Engineering Professor Marie-Odile Fortier stands among the solar array that helps power the campus.

CAREER Award will Support Enhanced Renewable Energy Assessments

Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor Marie-Odile Fortier’s plan to make more accurate assessments of renewable energy systems’ carbon footprints has made her the fifth UC Merced...

Covering California's canals in solar panels could save 63 billion gallons of water annually, which is comparable to the amount needed to irrigate 50,000 acres of farmland.

Solar Panels Over Canals Can Save Money, Energy and Water, Study Shows

Covering the 4,000 miles of California’s water canals could save billions of gallons of water and generate renewable power for the state every year, according to a new study. The study...