For the second year, UC Merced has partnered with the Campos Foundation to host the Campos ENgage Engineering Summer Bridge Academy, a weeklong summer program aimed at supporting underrepresented minority and female students interested in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
This is part of a series of profiles of new UC Merced Bobcats enrolled for the fall 2026 semester.
Driven by a passion for animal care, incoming biological sciences major student Esperanza Garcia is already well on her way toward a future in veterinary medicine.
This is part of a series of profiles of new UC Merced Bobcats enrolled for the fall 2026 semester.
Incoming UC Merced student Shrihan Lakinana is bringing a growth mindset, a passion for engineering and a deep appreciation for community to the Bobcat experience.
Editor's note: This story is republished from the Spring/Summer 2026 issue of UC Merced Magazine.
Dr. Garima Handa's journey from an undergraduate at UC Merced to a physician specializing in interventional cardiology at Dignity Health in the Central Valley was a full circle one.
Talk about meta: A pop culture phenomenon is using a pop culture phenomenon to undo the results of a pop culture phenomenon.
And for the fourth consecutive year, paleoecology Professor Sora Kim is diving back into the spotlight of the Discovery Channel hit "Shark Week," this time with a K-pop twist intended to rebrand sharks as less frightening.
Kim appears in the new "Shark Week" premiere show, "K-Pop Shark Heroes," which uses the power of K-pop, or Korean popular music, to transform the perception of sharks across the globe.
Everyone recognizes the sharp, clean fragrance of pine needles.
But that's not just a pine forest or a Christmas tree we're smelling - it's the aroma of thousands of microscopic partners working quietly on every needle, helping shape the health of entire forests.
This is part of a series of profiles of new UC Merced Bobcats enrolled for the fall 2026 semester.
After moving from Nigeria to the United States two years ago, Wonderful Ezieme built a new foundation in California, where he distinguished himself as a dedicated student and active member of his high school community. He balanced academics with athletics while nurturing a growing interest in neuroscience.
Where I come from: I went to University Preparatory School in Victorville.
Four members of the UC Merced Foundation Board of Trustees have created a $100,000 endowed scholarship designed to remove financial barriers for Las Positas College students on the path to earning a UC Merced degree.
Four members of the UC Merced Foundation Board of Trustees have created a $100,000 endowed scholarship designed to remove financial barriers for Las Positas College students on the path to earning a UC Merced degree.
A $3 million grant from the Gates Foundation is advancing UC Merced’s efforts to expand educational pathways and improve college and career outcomes for thousands of high-school students across the San Joaquin Valley.
University of California, Merced
NSF-CREST Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Machines
Biomedical Sciences and Physics (243 - 248)
5200 North Lake Road
Merced, CA 95343
