News

UC Merced Scientists Use Sewage to Track Nicotine Use in Central Valley

June 24, 2026
Key points: Researchers successfully tested a technique that uses human sewage to measure the use of nicotine products such as cigarettes and vaping pens in a selected community. The project, led by scientists at UC Merced, can strengthen public health efforts by supplementing surveys about...

New Study Urges Earlier Detection of Valley Fever as Cases Climb

June 3, 2026
Key Points: Valley fever is widely underdiagnosed and often mistaken for common respiratory illnesses, leading to delayed diagnosis and unnecessary antibiotic use. Cases are rising and spreading geographically, driven by climate patterns, soil disruption and population growth, making the...

Five UC Merced Faculty Members Earn Early Career Research Awards

May 12, 2026
Five UC Merced faculty members are among the first awardees of a UC-wide honor given for exemplary research in budding academic careers. The Early Career Faculty Research Excellence Awards, launched last fall, support commitment to scholarship and creative activity across the 10-campus system. The...

UC Merced Alumni to Take the Stage as Commencement Speakers

May 11, 2026
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...

UC Merced Student Makes Campus History with Goldwater Scholarship

April 27, 2026
Avinav Biswas, a third‑year undergraduate majoring in biological sciences at UC Merced, has been named a 2026 Barry M. Goldwater Scholar, becoming the university’s first recipient of one of the nation’s most prestigious undergraduate awards for students pursuing research careers in science,...

From Classrooms to Communities, UC Merced Symposium Tackles Public Health Challenges

April 17, 2026
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. The symposium was co-organized by the Departments of Public...

Turlock Student Blends Public Health, Advocacy to Support Underserved Communities

April 16, 2026
Simone Samra’s dedication to education and community work is influenced by her mother's experience immigrating from India and her belief in the power of education for immigrant women. Samra is keenly aware of the barriers immigrants face when attempting to transfer their education or degrees, often...

New Liberal Studies Major Expands Paths for Degree Completion and Future Teachers

April 13, 2026
A highly customizable degree that rewards curiosity, reaches out to a diverse set of learners and prepares scholars for people-centered careers has arrived at UC Merced. Liberal studies, a bachelor’s program that taps into disciplines in the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, debuts in...

UC Merced’s Center for Health Equity Convenes Partners to Address Patient Trust Gap in San Joaquin Valley

March 26, 2026
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. "This has been a long-term vision for myself and...

Ripon Student Turning Heart and Heritage into a Path of Healing

March 19, 2026
As a child of the Central Valley and a member of a Native tribe, Grace Grinder developed an early awareness of health care disparities affecting rural regions and underserved communities. While in third grade, Grinder lost her grandmother to what she described as too few physicians nearby to...

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