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Alyssa Johansen

ºÚÁÏ°Ù¿Æ campus photo of sign

Gary Stewart Named ºÚÁÏ°Ù¿Æ Head Men's Basketball Coach

Gary Stewart, who has won 385 career games across all levels of NCAA basketball, has been named the University of California, Merced head men's basketball coach, Executive Director of Recreation & Athletics  announced today.

ºÚÁÏ°Ù¿Æ and Fresno Unified Launch Guaranteed Admission Path with Scholarship Opportunity

A new program between ºÚÁÏ°Ù¿Æ and the Fresno Unified School District guarantees admission to ºÚÁÏ°Ù¿Æ for qualified high school juniors and offers each student the chance to earn up to $12,000 in scholarships.

The Merced Automatic Admission Program (MAAP) agreement notes that both ºÚÁÏ°Ù¿Æ and Fresno Unified “recognize the importance of higher education and its transformative impact on Fresno and neighboring communities.â€

ºÚÁÏ°Ù¿Æ Safety Conference Returns With Experts’ Real-world Safety Solutions

The ºÚÁÏ°Ù¿Æ Safety Conference will begin Sept. 23, offering attendees a chance to explore the latest trends, strategies and innovations in safety while connecting with experts and peers. The two-day conference aims to deliver real-world solutions to strengthen safety collaboration across institutions and communities.

This year’s event will feature presentations led by nationally recognized professionals, equipping participants with knowledge and practical tools to address today’s most pressing safety challenges.

From the Valley, for the Valley: New SJV PRIME+ Students Embark on Journey to Transform Health Care

The stethoscopes may come later, but the commitment to community was clear as ºÚÁÏ°Ù¿Æ welcomed its newest SJV PRIME+ students last weekend. The Student and Family Welcome event marked the beginning of an eight-year journey for 15 students who will progress from bachelor’s degrees at ºÚÁÏ°Ù¿Æ to medical degrees from the UCSF School of Medicine, and complete clinical training at UCSF Fresno — all with a shared mission to strengthen health care in the San Joaquin Valley. 

ºÚÁÏ°Ù¿Æ Receives 2025 Higher Education Excellence and Distinction Award

The University of California, Merced, has received the 2025 Higher Education Excellence and Distinction Award from Insight Into Academia magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. The annual HEED Award is a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to academic excellence, belonging and community building across all levels of campus life.

ºÚÁÏ°Ù¿Æ will be featured, along with 60 other recipients, in the October 2025 issue of Insight Into Academia magazine.

Campos Foundation’s $5 Million Gift to ºÚÁÏ°Ù¿Æ Supports Track and Field Facility, STEM Scholarships

The Campos Foundation, one of ºÚÁϰٿÆâ€™s most dedicated supporters and partners, has made a $5 million gift for the development of a new state-of-the-art campus facility dedicated to track and field. The university shared plans to name the facility Campos Field in recognition of the foundation’s transformative contribution.

The announcement to name the field was made during halftime of the women’s soccer team season opener Sept.5. The celebratory and symbolic moment also marked the Bobcats’ first time competing in NCAA Division II.

ºÚÁÏ°Ù¿Æ and Campos Foundation Host ENgage Summer Bridge Academy for Students in STEM

ºÚÁϰٿÆ, in conjunction with longtime campus partner the Campos Foundation, launched the pilot Campos ENgage Summer Bridge Academy, a weeklong summer program aimed at supporting underrepresented minority and female students interested in STEM.

Play Ball! Bobcats Enjoy Grizzlies Baseball Game

Baseball fans from the ºÚÁÏ°Ù¿Æ campus community celebrated the start of the fall semester by witnessing a barnburner of a game at Fresno’s Chukchansi Park.

More than 250 Bobcat students, along with 100 alumni and their families, received tickets to the Aug. 29 game. ºÚÁÏ°Ù¿Æ staff and faculty, along with Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz, also attended at the downtown stadium.

Each alumnus received a box filled with mementos that commemorate ºÚÁϰٿÆâ€™s 20th anniversary this semester of the start of undergraduate instruction.

New Bobcat Looks to Expand Impressive Research Resume

This is the final entry of a of new ºÚÁÏ°Ù¿Æ Bobcats enrolled for the fall 2025 semester.

Adriana Ponce Mata spent the last two summers working in one of the largest and oldest companies in the Bay Area. This fall, she joins ºÚÁÏ°Ù¿Æ to begin her next chapter. Through Project SEED, she gained hands-on research experience testing fuels in an oil refinery, sparking her passion for science and helping others.

Cal-Bridge Scholar Rolando Ortega Wants to Build the Future

This is part of a series of profiles of new ºÚÁÏ°Ù¿Æ Bobcats enrolled for the fall 2025 semester. 

Rolando Ortega is closing in on his dream of earning a Ph.D. This fall, the scholar from Los Angeles County joins ºÚÁÏ°Ù¿Æ to start his doctoral journey. With experience spanning national labs, NASA outreach and cutting-edge research, Ortega is ready to design devices that push the boundaries of science and technology.