UC Merced researchers are launching a project that could change how Central Valley growers harness the sun’s energy, using a family of light-active molecules developed at the university to design smarter agricultural greenhouses.
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.
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.
David Zwart hadn't even finished introducing himself as the keynote speaker for "The Dutch -American Story in the San Joaquin Valley" at the UC Merced event on July 14 before he'd found a connection in the audience.
"Any connections?" the historian and associate professor at Grand Valley State University asked, rattling off the years he'd spent teaching in nearby Visalia in the late 1990s. An audience member called out a name he recognized. It's a parlor game Zwart calls "Dutch Bingo," a version of six degrees of separation that, among Dutch Americans, usually takes one or two.
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.
UC Merced will celebrate the Class of 2026 with three inspiring alumni returning to campus as keynote speakers for commencement ceremonies May 15-17.
Emily Reed, ’07, ’13, a tenured biology professor at Merced College, will share her story with more than 100 master’s and doctoral degree candidates and their guests at the Graduate Division ceremony on May 15.
Community voices, student research and cross-sector partnerships took center stage at the UC Merced’s Public Health Symposium, where speakers emphasized equity, access and connection as urgent priorities in the Central Valley and beyond.
On March 20, UC Merced's Center for Health Equity brought together researchers, regional health partners and community members to share findings from a study on how community health workers are transforming patient care across the San Joaquin Valley.
