In The Community

On Monday (Oct.31), UC Merced and Fresno City College (FCC) signed the Merced Promise Pathway Program memorandum of understanding (MOU). The signing of this MOU further extends access for transfer students in the Central Valley.

FCC is the largest community college in the Central Valley region. This partnership will provide students with a dedicated transfer counselor with expertise in UC Merced transfer admissions and knowledge of FCC support services.

The University of California, Merced, as the lead agency working in collaboration with partners from Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties, was awarded a planning grant for $250,000 to plan and design streamlined pathways for students from high school to postsecondary education to the workforce.

This week, UC Merced welcomed the community to campus as it hosted a debate between candidates for the State Assembly District 27 seat Esmeralda Soria (D) and Mark Pazin (R). The newly established seat represents Merced, Madera and Fresno counties. Soria is currently a Fresno City Council member, and Pazin is a former Merced County sheriff.

The debate was moderated by Mark Keppler with The Maddy Institute. Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz opened Monday’s ceremony with welcoming remarks.

The debate can be watched in its entirety below.

A five-year grant totaling more than $1.4 million awarded by the U.S.

Linda Barreto ('08), Jessica Jaramillo Perez ('14) and Alejandra Tenorio Zurita ('20) all knew at a young age that they wanted to become lawyers. What they didn't know, however, was that UC Merced would play a pivotal role in merging their paths to create a powerhouse that advocates for hundreds of immigrants in the Central Valley.

This past weekend was a time of festivities for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) chapter at UC Merced as members celebrated their 10th anniversary as part of the Bobcat community.

After two years, the National Science Foundation-funded CREST STEM Camp returned to in-person activities on campus this summer, giving 26 middle school students from around the Central Valley and beyond exposure to exciting STEM topics and the abundant opportunities that exist in STEM fields.

UC Merced’s battle against climate change is traveling south of the border as campus leaders joined UC Alianza MX to help launch a strategic alliance between the UC system and counterparts in Mexico.

To continue to execute and build a strong foundation for students of color to attend a four-year college, UC Merced held its first Black California Community Colleges CEO’s Retreat. The three-day event welcomed to the campus several Black community college leaders from around the state.

For the first time, UC Merced has been awarded a Platinum rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements under the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS.)

Platinum is the highest rating a higher education institution can receive for its sustainability programs and actions. Currently, only 11 institutions throughout the nation have earned this rating.