News

Rotary District Scholar to Conduct Sanitation Research in Haiti

June 9, 2021

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 sanitation and human waste processing in the Caribbean country. Bischak is a third-year...

Pursuing a Career in Public Health Comes with Many Benefits

June 4, 2021

Individuals looking to expand their job opportunities should explore the field of public health. This discipline brings together several different academic areas to provide a comprehensive approach to health care. Individuals who choose to specialize professionally find pursuing a career in this...

UC Merced Professor Studies How Best to Speed COVID-19 Recovery at Home

June 3, 2021

A UC Merced professor is collaborating with faculty from UCLA and the University of Illinois in a study that aims to find how people might best deal with COVID-19 at home. Jennifer Hahn-Holbrook, a professor of health psychology and the director of the Lactation Attachment Technology and Child...

Professor Hestir Turns NASA Technology Toward Earth’s Biodiversity

June 1, 2021

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 forests, the diversity of life in South Africa’s Greater Cape Floristic Region (GCFR) is the subject of...

Smokers Light Up More Cigarettes Following California COVID-19 Lockdown Order, Study Finds

May 27, 2021

The fallout from the coronavirus pandemic has been felt around the world. COVID-19's grip has affected people's mental health and sense of what was once normal, prompting them to turn to new and familiar behaviors to help cope. According to a new study published in the International Journal of...

Improved Molecular Tool Deepens Study of Gene-Cell Interaction

May 26, 2021

A group of researchers harnessing the power of light to control gene expression has dramatically improved its method, optimizing speed and precision, and opening new research avenues for scientists who employ optogenetics — the use of light and genetic engineering to control cells. A new paper in...

Western Fires Are Burning Higher in the Mountains at Unprecedented Rates, Professor Finds

May 25, 2021

The Western U.S. appears headed for another dangerous fire season, and a new study shows that even high mountain areas once considered too wet to burn are at increasing risk as the climate warms. Nearly two-thirds of the U.S. West is in severe to exceptional drought right now, including large parts...

Summer Environmental Internship to Create Bridge for Diverse Talent

May 24, 2021

UC Merced’s Office of Sustainability and Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion are working to create a more inclusive workforce. This summer, both offices are teaming up with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a nonprofit international environmental advocacy group, to allow one...

Beyond Cinema: Reviews Shared for Professor's Films on Immigrants and Refugees

May 20, 2021

Global arts Professor Yehuda Sharim's 2019 documentary "Songs That Never End" continues to garner attention both on and off the screen. The film, along with two of his previous works — "We Are in It" (2016) and "Seeds of All Things" (2018) — were the subjects of in-depth reviews by colleagues from...

Report Examines Methods to Monitor PFAS in Environment to Protect Public Health

May 19, 2021

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are human-made chemicals that for decades have been used in a variety of products, including food packaging materials, nonstick cookware, furniture, carpets and firefighting foams. However, research has shown that these substances can contaminate...