News

Latest CAREER Award Funds Research into Building Climate Control

November 28, 2023

UC Merced Professor Wan Du has received a CAREER award for his research on energy efficient building management. He is the 36th researcher from UC Merced to earn a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). CAREER awards are among the NSF's most prestigious awards. They are given...

Give to UC Merced 2023 Invites Campus and Community to Help Create Lasting Impact

November 27, 2023

After Thanksgiving wraps up, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday take hold of many people's time, attention and dollars. However, there is another day of opportunity — one that holds the potential of creating a positive ripple effect originating at UC Merced and extending across...

Grant Funds Research into Wildfire Behavior and Ecological Effects of Fuel Treatments

November 22, 2023

A grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) will fund a project led by a UC Merced researcher looking into predicting behavior of wildfires. Jeanette Cobian-Iñiguez is leading a team from UCs Merced and Irvine awarded $1,179,479 to predict the impact of forest fuel treatments on fire...

New Collaborations Designed to Increase Access to Data Science for All Students

November 20, 2023

UC Merced is part of several new initiatives aimed at increasing the accessibility and inclusivity of data science studies and opening new opportunities for historically underserved students after graduation. New grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Energy (DOE) and...

Research Team Explores the Effects of Climate Catastrophes on Different Species

November 15, 2023

How different species of animals respond to extreme weather events — which are increasing because of climate change — appears to be related to body size and habitat preference, a new study shows. When extreme weather causes widespread flooding, smaller species and those living in low-elevation...

ARCS Scholars Work to Advance STEM Research

November 13, 2023

Four UC Merced graduate students can focus fully on their research and academic studies this year thanks to a generous gift from the Northern California Chapter of the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation. ARCS, a national organization established and operated entirely by...

UC Merced Well-Represented at California Sociological Association Conference

November 9, 2023

Nearly a dozen UC Merced graduate students and graduate alumni participated in the annual California Sociological Association (CSA) Conference in Sacramento on Nov. 3-4. The theme of this year’s CSA conference centered on “Sociology and Praxis: The Labor and Obligations of Creating a More Just...

UC Merced Team Picked for Federal EV Battery Competition

November 8, 2023

A team from UC Merced has been selected to participate in the Department of Energy (DOE) "BattChallenge," a three-year competition to develop a battery for an electric vehicle. Mechanical engineering Professor Ricardo Pinto de Castro is leading a team of students that will design, build, test and...

An Exploration of Music's Role in Children's Brain Development

November 7, 2023

Music can be entertaining, moving and, when played too loud, infuriating. It also plays a vital role in the development of children's brains, one researchers are just beginning to understand. UC Merced cognitive sciences Professor Heather Bortfeld recently edited a special issue of the...

Cognitive Science Professor’s First Book Released by Princeton University Press

November 6, 2023

Cognitive science Professor Paul Smaldino has astronomically high hopes for his first book. “I hope literally everyone reads this book,” Smaldino said. “Modeling Social Behavior” is a textbook, so it probably won’t make the New York Times bestseller list any time soon, but it is definitely going...