University of California, Merced - Brenda Ortiz

Students Awarded Prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

Anonymous — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 21:05:16 +0000

By Brenda Ortiz, ��ϰٿ�

June 4, 2025

��ϰٿ� graduate students Peter Nguyen and Hashel Orquiz (pictured) and alum Baldemar Motomoch were awarded National Science Foundation research fellowships.

Two ��ϰٿ� graduate students and an alum from the School of Natural Sciences were recently awarded fellowships from the highly competitive National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program.

This year, NSF awarded 1,000 GRFP fellowships compared to about 2,000 in previous years.

NSF’s website notes that the program is the oldest of its kind and is known for selecting outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees and who achieve high levels of success in their future academic and professional careers.

Peter Nguyen is a third-year Ph.D. candidate in Professor Jason Sexton's lab. He is also an affiliate researcher at the Joint Genome Institute at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

"It’s an absolute honor to receive the NSF GRFP, especially in such a challenging year,” he said. “This support allows me to focus on my research and move toward a career in academia. I hope to make a positive impact by contributing new knowledge to science and expanding our understanding of the natural world.

“This would not have been possible without the support of my mentors and collaborators."

Nguyen’s research in the Quantitative and Systems Biology Graduate Program focuses on how plants adapt to drought — specifically Eschscholzia californica, the California poppy.

“I look at how plant traits, genetic variation and the microbes around their roots and in the rhizosphere (the root-associated microbial zone) help them survive in different environments,” he said. “This work helps us better understand how plants respond to climate stress, with applications in conservation, restoration and agriculture.”

Nguyen is also a U.S. Department of Energy RENEW Fellow and a 2022-23 UC Santa Cruz Earth Futures Institute Fellow.

Hashel Orquiz was also awarded the NSF GRFP. She will join Professor Michael Dawson’s research group this fall as a Ph.D. student in the Quantitative and Systems Biology Graduate Program. Orquiz earned her bachelor’s degree in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Texas, El Paso, where she studied patterns of hybridization in Arctic willows and analyzed gene expression associated with deterioration in tussock cottongrass, a foundational tundra species.

She credited participating in two NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduate programs with sparking her interest in marine science and ultimately inspiring her to pursue it at the graduate level.

��ϰٿ�’s third GRFP recipient, Baldemar Motomochi, conducted research in life sciences and developmental biology on campus and received a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences. They are now a Ph.D. student at UC Berkeley.

Recipients receive an annual stipend of $37,000 for three years, as well as professional development opportunities.

The campus also had four graduate students and five undergraduate alumni recognized with honorable mentions:

Emma Brass, who earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from ��ϰٿ�, is now a Ph.D. student at UC Irvine.
Lynn Breithaupt earned a bachelor’s degree in organismal ecology and
evolution from California State University, Stanislaus, and is a Ph.D. student in Professor Jay Sexton’s lab at ��ϰٿ�.
Saam Doroodian, who earned a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences at ��ϰٿ�, is an associate scientist at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging.
Edith Gollub, who earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from ��ϰٿ�, will attend UC San Diego to pursue a doctoral degree in chemistry and biochemistry.
Charles Hu, who earned a bachelor’s degree from ��ϰٿ�, is a Ph.D. student in Earth system science at Stanford University.
Kyle Magro, who received a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from ��ϰٿ�, is a biomedical sciences Ph.D. student at UC San Diego.
Katherina Martinez received a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from California State University, Monterey Bay, and is a Ph.D. student in Professor Andy LiWang's lab at ��ϰٿ�.
Alejandro Ramos Hurtado, who earned a bachelor’s degree from UC Davis, is a Environmental Systems Ph.D. student in Professor Matt Hutchinson’s lab at ��ϰٿ�.
Mara Schwiesow, who earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from Cornell College, is a Quantitative and Systems Biology Ph.D. student in Professor Maggie Sogin’s lab at ��ϰٿ�.

This support allows me to focus on my research and move toward a career in academia.

Ph.D. candidate Peter Nguyen

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Carnegie Recognizes ��ϰٿ� for Student Access, Grad Earnings

Anonymous — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 23:00:33 +0000

By Brenda Ortiz

April 28, 2025

��ϰٿ� is one of only 21 universities in the country and one of three in California to hold both Carnegie R1 and ‘Opportunity’ classifications.

��ϰٿ� has earned two 2025 Carnegie distinctions, the Student Access and Earnings Classification “Opportunity Colleges and Universities” and the Institutional Classification by the Carnegie Foundation and the American Council on Education.

“It speaks to the mission and values we uphold as a student-centered, academically rigorous research institution,” said Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz.

Recognition with the Student Access and Earnings Classification and as an “Opportunity Colleges and Universities-Higher Access, Higher Earnings” institution signifies the campus’s alumni make at least 50% more than the median income of the comparison group in their region eight years after attendance.

��ϰٿ� is one of 81 research universities classified as Opportunity Colleges and Universities. This means it enrolls students who reflect the communities it serves and who go on to earn competitive wages compared to peers in their area. Only 16% of all U.S. colleges and universities are designated in the Student Access and Earnings Classification.

Demographically, 61% of ��ϰٿ�’s undergraduate students are first-generation, 61% are Pell recipients, more than 60% are underrepresented minorities and 99% of the students are from California.

��ϰٿ� has the second highest percentage of Pell-eligible students among all 176 R1 universities. The campus is one of only 21 universities in the country and one of three in California to hold both R1 and ‘opportunity’ classifications.

In a second designation, ��ϰٿ� was named in the Institutional Classification — which includes 82 institutions, representing 2% of U.S. colleges and universities. Institutions are classified based on degree types awarded, the subjects in which the institution awards degrees and the size of the institution.

This is the latest Carnegie recognition ��ϰٿ� has received for its commitment to student success. In February, the nearly 20-year-old campus earned Research I (R1) status from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, placing it among the nation's top research universities. In 2015, the campus received the Carnegie Community Engagement designation.

Carnegie classifications are based on data from the 2020-2023 academic years submitted to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Institutions are grouped by degree type, academic focus and size.

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Chemistry Ph.D. Student Wins Campus Grad Slam Top Prize, Advances to UC-wide Final

Anonymous — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 13:57:28 +0000

By Brenda Ortiz

April 28, 2025

Graduate students from across all three schools participated in ��ϰٿ�'s 2025 Grad Slam in March.

Adekunle “Kunle” Adewole isn’t a stranger to the spotlight, having grown up singing at family functions and performing in theater productions. He also has fervently watched “The Voice,” a singing reality competition television series, envisioning himself performing on stage.

“’The Voice’ is part of my singing journey. I've always wanted to do it, and maybe at some point I'll get the chance to perform there,” he said. “I’d probably sing ‘Jealous’ by Labrinth, or ‘Get to You Again’ by Mac Ayres.”

For now, the Chemistry and Biochemistry Ph.D. student is focused on delivering his three-minute presentation, "Zipping and Unzipping Peptide Tiles: A Targeted Approach to Medicine," at the University of California Grad Slam competition on April 29.

His performance at the campus finals in March earned him ��ϰٿ�’s 2025 Grad Slam Champion title, a $5,000 grand prize and the opportunity to represent the campus at the systemwide event.

Environmental Systems Ph.D. student Zachary Malone was awarded second place and $2,000, and third place and $1,000 went to Cognitive and Information Sciences Ph.D. student Helia Hosseinpour.

“It’s a huge honor to represent ��ϰٿ�. I feel like I bear the identity of the university now in some capacity, and I can't let people down,” Adewole said. “I'm giving it my best to represent myself, represent my project, represent my research, represent my department and represent ��ϰٿ�.”

He was inspired to compete during last year’s campus Grad Slam competition when his girlfriend, graduate student Alejandra Santoyo, secured second place.

“I was at the talks and my advisor said, ‘you should do this next year.’ My department chair was also there, and he said, ‘you should be here next year.” As the deadline to register for the 2025 competition drew closer, Adewole said he thought, “It's kind of my thing because I'm very extroverted,” and he submitted his qualifying round video and was selected as a finalist.

Campus Champion Adekunle Adewole will advance to the UC final round on April 29.

Adewole joined ��ϰٿ� in 2021 after receiving a bachelor’s degree from Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria. He joined Professor Andrea Merg’s lab in 2023 where he works with peptides, which are like proteins, but smaller.

“We’re designing peptides that fold like a protein through coiled coil interaction. They can be thought of as zippers we can use for applications like drug delivery or biological sensing by designing these peptides through sequence engineering,” he said.

These interactions are the basis of his Grad Slam talk.

“They're very proliferate. Nature uses them to do important things in our bodies, for example, to determine how our hair forms. To advance areas like medicine, we can design these new materials to deliver drugs,” Adewole said. “In my research, I'm using the zipper-like interaction to make this cage that can be useful in drug delivery for cancer, for example. You can zip and unzip the cancer drug using that cage.”

After earning his doctoral degree, he plans to take this knowledge of bioanalytical chemistry and peptide engineering design and use it in industry, possibly for biopharma research.

“I see myself discovering new molecules to drive new technologies that make new treatments possible,” he said.

When he’s not working in the lab, Adewole sings with the Bobcat Band’s jazz combo “Jazzcats” and in his local church’s choir. If he wins the Slammy at the Grad Slam finals, perhaps he’ll sing a lyric for the audience while accepting his trophy.

Everyone is invited to watch the UC Grad Slam finals via livestream beginning at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 29, and cast a vote for Adewole for the People’s Choice Award at the end of the talks.

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Three Engineering Programs Ranked in Top 100 by U.S. News

Anonymous — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 00:01:52 +0000

By Brenda Ortiz

April 8, 2025

��ϰٿ�’s School of Engineering and its programs continue to be recognized by U.S. News & World Report as demonstrated in the release today of its 2025 Best Graduate Schools rankings.

The R1 school advanced three spots in the latest Best Overall Engineering Schools rankings, inching closer to the nation’s top 100.

“We will continue to strive for even greater heights and to make impactful contributions to the field,” School of Engineering Dean Rakesh Goel said.

The school was No. 106 in the rankings. In addition, three individual engineering graduate programs ranked in the top 100:

No. 91 in Best Materials Engineering Programs (part of the Materials and Biomaterials Science Engineering Program, up five spots from 2024.
No. 99 in Best Computer Engineering Programs (part of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Graduate Group), the program’s first time in the top 100, up three spots from last year.
No. 85 in Best Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering Programs (part of the Environmental Systems Graduate Group).

The university, which in February joined the nation’s top echelon of research institutions, appeared in three other engineering rankings — No. 122 in Best Electrical/Electronic/Communications Engineering Programs (part of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Graduate Group); No. 101 in Best Mechanical Engineering Programs; and No. 124 in Best Biomedical Engineering/Bioengineering Programs.

“Our computer engineering program has proudly secured a spot in the top 100, reflecting the dedication and hard work of our faculty, students and staff. Additionally, two other programs — environmental engineering and materials engineering — continue to hold their prestigious positions within the top 100, showcasing our consistent excellence across multiple disciplines,” Goel said.

“I am particularly excited to share that our electrical engineering program has made a significant leap, moving up 10 spots. This achievement is a testament to our commitment to innovation, research and academic excellence.”

This achievement is a testament to our commitment to innovation, research and academic excellence.

Engineering Dean Rakesh Goel

Highlights for the School of Engineering faculty include:

��ϰٿ� chemical and materials engineering Professor Roberto Andresen Eguiluz was awarded $168,700 from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the central research and development organization of the Department of Defense, to advance his work in this area.
��ϰٿ� researchers led by mechanical engineering Professor YangQuan Chen are taking part in a multi-agency effort aimed at efficiently measuring and mitigating methane emissions. IBM and Los Alamos National Laboratory are leading the effort, which earned a $20 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy in December.
Mechanical engineering Professor Resa Ehsani was announced as one of three inaugural recipients of the 2024 CITRIS Innovation Fellowship and AIC Awards , provided by the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society and the Banatao Institute.
Mechanical engineering Professor Debora Lyn Porter earned an early career award through the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory's HBCU/MI Early Career Program.
Computer science and engineering Professor Pengfei Su has received a CAREER award for his research on cross-layer performance tuning to enhance deep learning model efficiency.
Computer science and engineering Professor Ming-Hsuan Yang has been named a 2025 Fellow by the AAAI. It is the first such fellowship for ��ϰٿ�.

U.S. News’ graduate rankings, published separately from the yearly undergraduate program rankings, are considered the gold standard of graduate and professional rankings. They are based on surveys of academic leaders and, for select programs, additional quantitative measures including placement test scores, student/faculty ratios, research expenditures, salary by profession and job placement success.

U.S. News ranks business, education, engineering, law, nursing and medicine graduate programs annually, while other disciplines and specialties in the sciences, social sciences, humanities and other areas are ranked periodically.

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Center Engages Campus, Community with Africa and its Diaspora

Anonymous — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 22:44:35 +0000

By Brenda Ortiz

February 27, 2025

Professor Nicosia Shakes gives graduate student Omowumi Omole feedback during a creative-writing workshop with author Tsitsi Dangarembga hosted by the the Center for Africana Studies.

This story is part of a series for Black History Month. Read more stories highlighting Black excellence at ��ϰٿ�.

The brutal deaths of African Americans George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and others at the hands of police officers five years ago catalyzed for Black communities to unite globally and reignite the Black Lives Matter movement.

The movement also propelled the formation of the Center for Africana Studies at ��ϰٿ� with its mission to bring students, staff, faculty and community members together to develop an understanding of and appreciation for the African and African diasporic cultural identities.

“The center was in the works for a number of years, and it became paramount post the George Floyd murder. I think the activities of BLM put it at the forefront of the campus leadership,” said center co-director Muey Saeteurn, a history professor who studies the lived experiences of rural Kenyans or rural Africans and their role in the nation-building process.

The Department of History and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies in the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts hit a critical mass of faculty who study Africa and African descendants across the world, including Saeteurn and CAS co-director Professor Sabrina Smith, who studies African-descended people in colonial Mexico.

CAS — initially dubbed the Black Collective — officially launched in summer 2023. “We felt like we were in a privileged position to bring people together to have the conversation,” Saeteurn said.

“We have such a diverse campus, and we do have a sizable number of African students in our graduate programs and undergraduates as well,” Smith said. “Through CAS, we can have these conversations with all of our students and create the space for that type of intellectual growth and community engagement beyond the boundaries of the campus.”

UCLA Distinguished Professor Robin D.G. Kelley visited campus earlier this month to encourage students, faculty, staff and community members to consider past and current threats to education, and individual and collective activism.

Undergraduate history major Virginia Mateo took Smith’s African Diaspora in Latin America class in 2023. She learned about CAS’ posting for a Student Success Internship.

“Their mission statement really spoke to me,” said the Pomona native who spent two semesters interning with CAS. “At the end of my junior year in 2024, they invited me to join the center as a staff member.”

As a student assistant, Mateo does outreach to her peers, updates the center’s website, designs marketing materials and posts on its social media channels.

The center hosts and co-sponsors initiatives on and off campus. Recent events were ��ϰٿ� professors Nicosia Shakes’ presentation of her book, “Women’s Activist Theatre in Jamaica and South Africa” and Kevin Dawson's “Open Water: Afroaquatics and History” session at the annual meeting of the American Historical Association.

CAS, the Division of Equity, Justice, and Inclusive Excellence, Interdisciplinary Humanities Graduate Program, Department of History and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, Department of Sociology, Black Research Excellence and Organization of American Historians brought Distinguished Professor Robin D.G. Kelley, the Gary B. Nash Endowed Chair in U.S. History at UCLA, to campus earlier this month to present “The Responsibility of Black Studies in the Face of Fascism and Genocide.” Over 400 students, faculty, staff and community members attended the OAH Distinguished lecture, which encouraged the campus community to consider past and current threats to education, and individual and collective activism.

Last November, CAS partnered with SSHA to bring Zimbabwean filmmaker, writer and activist Tsitsi Dangarembga to campus, where she was honored as the 2024 Alice and Clifford Spendlove Prize in Social Justice, Diplomacy and Tolerance recipient.

Graduate students participated in a story-making workshop the next day led by Shakes and an intimate question-and-answer session with Dangarembga. They learned about her creative process, participated in their own creative project, and received feedback from Dangarembga and Shakes.

Through CAS, we can have these conversations with all of our students and create the space for that type of intellectual growth and community engagement beyond the boundaries of the campus.

Professor Sabrina Smith

Ph.D. student Bethany Padron has been involved with CAS leading a recent book club and receiving a travel grant for her dissertation research.

These events, among others, showcase CAS’ multidisciplinary approach and its goal of centering the experiences of Africans and African-descended people across the diaspora.

That’s something Interdisciplinary Humanities Graduate Group Ph.D. student Bethany Padron knows firsthand. She recalled being offered an opportunity to host a book club for Dangarembga’s book, “Nervous Conditions.”

“I thought, ‘I'm African American. Why would they choose me to host this book club of this woman from Rhodesia?’ We have all these wonderful African students who might be a better fit,” Padron said. “And it was such a blessing in disguise. I recognized, in a very artistic way, how my experiencing that book through an Africana lens brought me back to my ancestral homage through my family, and it made me think about things from a much more global perspective.”

Her dissertation research focuses on discussing ideas and creative outlets of liberation with Black women and their experiences by using Black feminist theory to explore performance studies.

“I'm looking at poetry, blues music and informal arts to examine the ideation of Black women's ideas of liberation,” said the second-year graduate student from the Central Valley.

Padron was awarded a travel grant from CAS and spent a week in New Orleans doing research in summer 2024.

“Louisiana is different than the city of New Orleans itself. I wanted to go and explore these ideas of the African diaspora not only from Black women who have migrated there from other places outside of the country but Black women who have migrated there from other places in the United States,” she said. “How have they built their resiliency there and shaped themselves as a Black unit and as a community?”

Mateo also received a CAS travel grant that allowed her and three classmates to travel to Oaxaca for a week to conduct archival research on the history of slavery and African-descended people in Mexico.

“It was very special to me to learn about such a rich culture,” she said. “I am of Mexican descent, so I felt a connection to learning about the African diaspora in Latin America. It is a prominent theme in our contemporary history.”

She presented her research findings at the Pacific Coast Branch of the American Historical Association conference.

“Being part of CAS, both as someone who has received a grant and behind the scenes, I see the difference it makes in people's lives because research is not always accessible for everybody,” said Mateo, who is graduating in May and plans to apply for a Ph.D. program in Latin American history.

In addition to helping scholars actualize their research dreams, the center continues to do important work to deepen the understanding of Africa and its diaspora.

“The work that the Center for Africana Studies does to incorporate the African diaspora is timely and necessary for us to understand not only what Africana studies is but everything that comes from it,” Padron said. “CAS can benefit everybody on campus.”

The work that the Center for Africana Studies does to incorporate the African diaspora is timely and necessary for us to understand not only what Africana studies is but everything that comes from it.

Graduate student Bethany Padron

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Give to ��ϰٿ� Campaign Tops $1.4 Million, Breaking Record for Third Year

Anonymous — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 17:39:42 +0000

By Francesca Dinglasan

January 26, 2025

��ϰٿ�'s annual year-end fundraising campaign raised a record-breaking $1.43 million.

Give to ��ϰٿ�, the university’s annual year-end fundraising campaign, was the most successful of its 11-year history, garnering nearly $1.43 million from 647 donors. The tremendous show of generosity far exceeded the original goal of $250,000 from 500 donors.

Each year, the ��ϰٿ� campaign launches on Giving Tuesday, the worldwide day of charitable giving on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving. In 2020, the university’s fundraising effort was extended to encompass the month of December.

From Dec. 3 through Dec. 31, the university community of alumni, parents, faculty, staff and friends came together last year to provide philanthropic funding for a variety of campus priorities. ��ϰٿ� students, in particular, rose to the occasion, representing the largest share of the campaign’s donors, with 318 current scholars contributing to the fundraising effort.

Top fundraising areas included academics and research ($524,894), scholarships and fellowships ($374,960), student success ($212,912) and medical education ($207,265).

Gift highlights from the 2024 campaign include establishing the first endowed faculty chair in agricultural technology and significant support for medical education students and health scholars. Give to ��ϰٿ� also benefitted from several match and challenge gifts offered by donors. These special opportunities, ranging from $1,000 to $25,000 in potential additional funding, incentivized additional giving by offering dollar-per-dollar matches or a new contribution if a goal was met.

“This year set a new record!” said Vice Chancellor and Chief External Relations Officer Ed Klotzbier. “Thank you to all those who believe in the potential of our students, our campus and in ��ϰٿ�. We are grateful to be moving Boldly Forward together.”

Final tallies for the 2024 campaign surpassed the Give to ��ϰٿ� record of $1.29 million from 616 unique donors set in 2023. In 2022, the campaign raised $952,563 from 573 unique donors. Every dollar raised during Give to ��ϰٿ� applies to Boldy Forward, the university's comprehensive fundraising campaign. Boldly Forward aims to raise $200 million by 2030 that supports the campus’s pillars of Leading Through Discovery, Cultivating Healthy Societies and Empowering Student Success.

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Josiah Beharry Oﬀers Unique Perspective as 50th Student Regent

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 01:30:15 +0000

By Brenda Ortiz

December 18, 2024

UC President Michael Drake, Student-Regent Josiah Beharry and ��ϰٿ� Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz

First-generation doctoral student Josiah Beharry made history in 2023 when he was chosen as the ﬁrst student regent from ��ϰٿ�.

In addition to being the 50th student to serve on the Board of Regents that governs the University of California system, Beharry also is the ﬁrst publicly identiﬁed undocumented DACA student to be named.

Born in Trinidad, he immigrated to the U.S. with his family at age 3 and was raised in Ventura.

“I think being an undocumented and DACA recipient student helps me give insight to the board. There are a lot of conversations about what undocumented students bring to this country in general. How much we give in our service, our time and our taxes, and what we get back” he said. “I've helped by telling them my experience and sharing the ways that UC can help support our dreams and our future especially at a time when we are under a microscope and ﬁghting to prove our worth amid a system that often questions our belonging.

“Being undocumented, ﬁghting 10 times harder, and constantly watching the ﬁnish line move has taught me a truth I hold close: You don’t wait for a seat at the table — you build your own. You claim your opportunities with your hands steady and unshaken."

Beharry said it's an honor and a privilege to represent more than 295,000 UC students.

“When you go to college, you can make something of yourself,” Beharry said. “Being part of that picture by helping other students come to the University of California and helping their experience be more equity-minded is why I wanted to be part of this.

“My mom raised me with the understanding that impact is more important than legacy. I think about the impact I get to make in this role like it’s a garden; I'm planting the seed for other people to pour water on, give sun — whatever it may be — and watch it grow.”

Beharry earned a bachelor's degree in critical race and ethnic studies at ��ϰٿ� in 2022 and is a second-year doctoral student in interdisciplinary humanities, working with Teaching Professor Eileen Camﬁeld. His research areas are education, pedagogy, gender and trauma studies.

“Merced has been such a great place for me to grow and ﬁnd my independence, and I love the people and the community,” he said. “Here, I get to collaborate with incredible individuals while addressing the critical need for research that directly impacts the Valley. This region holds immense potential, and our work here has the power to create meaningful change for the community we call home."

He is committed to making sure ��ϰٿ� is in the conversation.

"So much is happening here that demands to be at the forefront. Despite our youth compared to other UCs, our impact is undeniable — shaping the lives of our students, empowering our faculty and staﬀ, and transforming the communities of the Central Valley," he said.

Beharry served as the student regent-designate in 2023-24 ﬁscal year and participated in all deliberations. He gained voting privileges July 1, 2024.

Emeriti student-regents Marlenee Blas Pedral, Merhawi Tesfai, Jamaal Muwwakkil and current student-Regent Josiah Beharry

“I had a great predecessor, Merhawi Tesfai, who trained me incredibly well, and I have a great colleague right now, Sonya Brooks, who's the new student regent-designate,” he said.

With six months remaining in his term, Beharry said he will continue to push for important conversations, from undocumented issues to equity, housing and everything in between. Two projects he has been involved in are encouraging students to vote in the 2024 election and supporting Cal Bridge, a program aimed at diversifying the professoriate in STEM ﬁelds.

“Going into this position you have a ton of ideas. Then you ﬁnd the issues choose you,” he said. “Campus protests and climate have been a number one issue that's taken a lot of our attention.”

For Beharry, a particularly heavy moment came in January 2024, when the Board of Regents decided to delay consideration of the Opportunity for All initiative, which would have opened pathways for undocumented students to work on California public university campuses.

“I think that's the toughest week I've had at this job. There were a lot of emotions, tears, phone conversations and text messages from students. I remember feeling I didn't advocate for it enough,” he said. “I texted the student leader in charge of this movement and said, ‘I am sorry for letting you guys down.’ He texted back and said, ‘I don't know how you could ever think that because you are our wildest dreams. To see you, an undocumented student like us, on the board shows us that we too can do it, and that our siblings and parents have a voice on the board now.’

“I realized then when you're sitting in the boardroom you're not just advocating for current students; you're advocating for past students, future students and every single person who has never had a voice or who won't ever get that opportunity.”

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Fellowship Draws ��ϰٿ� Alum Back to the Capitol

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 19:57:50 +0000

By Brenda Ortiz

November 13, 2024

Founding ��ϰٿ� student Josue Franco is heading to Capitol Hill this month to begin a prestigious fellowship.

As one of ��ϰٿ�’s first students, Josue “Josh” Franco seized the chance to help shape student government for future scholars on campus; now he has grasped a new opportunity on Capitol Hill.

The three-time alumnus (B.A. ’09, M.A. ’16, Ph.D. ’18) has been awarded the American Political Science Association’s Congressional Fellowship for 2024-25.

It’s been 15 years since Franco walked the Capitol hallways and he couldn’t be more thrilled to return, this time with his wife and fellow ��ϰٿ� alumna, Mayra (’09), and their sons, Ethan and Caleb, by his side.

“I am looking forward to serving as an APSA Congressional Fellow and experiencing Congress again,” he said. “I have a deep admiration for our system of government, a genuine appreciation for the halls of power, and a tremendous respect for how individuals and the public at large hold their elected officials accountable between elections.”

It’s been more than 60 years since a community college faculty member was awarded the APSA Congressional Fellowship. That makes this opportunity even more remarkable for him.

I have a deep admiration for our system of government, a genuine appreciation for the halls of power, and a tremendous respect for how individuals and the public at large hold their elected officials accountable between elections.

Alumnus Josue Franco

A first-generation college student born in Mexico and raised in southeast Los Angeles County, Franco attended Cerritos College in Southern California and earned an associate’s degree before transferring to ��ϰٿ� as a founding student in fall 2005.

During his time at ��ϰٿ�, he made his mark helping to develop the newest UC’s constitution and bylaws. He was elected by his peers as the campus’s first student body president in 2006.

He also gained public policy experience at the state and federal levels, becoming well versed in state and federal lawmaking, regulations and policy.

He served as district intern for Congressman Dennis Cardoza from 2005-06. In 2007, he began working for California Lt. Gov. John Garamendi. When Garamendi ran for Congress and won the election in 2009, Franco moved to the district to work as Garamendi’s senior legislative assistant and later his policy advisor.

Franco returned to ��ϰٿ� in the fall 2012 and pursued a doctoral degree in political science, working with Professor Nathan Monroe. After graduating in 2019, he began teaching political science at Cuyamaca College in San Diego County and is now a tenured faculty member.

"The APSA Congressional Fellowship is a truly elite award. Many of the intellectual giants in the study of congressional politics began their most influential research through this same fellowship,” Monroe said. “To have a ��ϰٿ� Ph.D. alumnus from our first class of admits receive this distinction is remarkable."

After coming full circle from community college student to professor, Franco is steadfast in his commitment to introducing first-generation, low-income and historically underrepresented students to political science.

“I believe that my students deserve the best introductory experience to our discipline,” he said. "Given that the gateway for students into political science is an introductory course on U.S. government and politics, I will update and expand my Congress in Action Workbook after I return from the fellowship.”

This month, Franco is putting his successful academic career on hold to be part of the Congressional Fellowship, a highly selective, nonpartisan program aimed at expanding knowledge and awareness of the inner workings of Congress.

The nine-month program begins each November with an intensive one-month introduction covering topics such as congressional foundations, representation, policymaking, committees, leadership and media. Then each fellow will work in the placement of their choosing through mid-August 2025.

“I hope to gain firsthand experience of the dynamics of the Senate and House Judiciary committees and how they approach shaping the federal courts. This experience will help me complete my book manuscript, which is based on my dissertation,” he said. “While previous research has examined instances when district court seats were created, we still know little about the structuring of the district courts by Congress in totality.”

As an experienced congressional staffer and faculty member, he believes the fellowship will give him the chance to reflect on his time as a fledgling political aide versus now “in a time of intense policy differences, starker political divisions and a significant changing of the generational political guard.”

To have a ��ϰٿ� Ph.D. alumnus from our first class of admits receive this distinction is remarkable.

Professor Nathan Monroe

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Alice Waters Institute Challenges Student Chefs to Get Creative

Anonymous — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 23:42:29 +0000

By Seth Allen, ��ϰٿ�

October 28, 2024

Student employees with ��ϰٿ� Dining Services visited a local family farm as part of a workshop to learn about sustainable farming. (Photo credit: Mithy Evans)

Student employees in ��ϰٿ�’s dining centers got an up-close look at the sustainable techniques at a family almond farm and were challenged to create locally sourced dishes as part of a workshop inspired by an internationally famous chef. The workshop was presented by the Alice Waters Institute for Edible Education in collaboration with ��ϰٿ� Executive Chefs Anthony Pangelina and Mitchell Vanagten.

The institute is an academic offshoot of the Edible Schoolyard Project that Waters, founder and owner of Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, created in 1995. The institute was launched in 2020. Waters is often credited with popularizing the farm-to-table movement, which promotes the advantages of sustainable, organic agriculture and connecting people with the sources of their food.

On a warm day in September, Dining Services student employees visited Burroughs Family Farms in Denair. The participants were kitchen student managers, responsible for food preparation, inventory and inspections in the Pavilion and Yablokoff-Wallace Dining Center. They learned about the advantages of regenerative farming and cooking with local, seasonal ingredients.

Burroughs Family Farms in Denair is the first almond farm in the world to be certified as regenerative organic. (Photo credit: Mithy Evans)

Benina Montes led the tour with husband Heriberto. Together, they manage the operation, which began as a small dairy operated by Montes’ ancestor, Benjamin Burroughs, in 1906.

Burroughs Family Farms is the first almond farm in the world to be certified as regenerative organic by the Regenerative Organic Alliance. Their products also include almond butter, almond milk, olive oil and eggs.

The farm’s sustainable methods are based on some main principles:

· Keep the soil covered

· Maintain a high level of biodiversity

· Integrate livestock

· Minimize tilling

· Never use synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers

Between the rows of almond trees are plantings of rosemary, butterfly bush, deer grass and lavender. They improve soil health by maximizing water retention and allow chickens and sheep to graze the orchard and provide natural fertilizer.

“I was surprised to learn how regenerative organic farming keeps the land covered in mulch year-round to return nutrients to the soil,” third-year student Diego Regalado said. “It gave me a new perspective on farming and how it’s not only about growing crops, but also about nurturing the land itself."

Student chefs created dishes while being coached by Alice Waters Institute's culinary director, Jennifer Sherman. (Photo credit: Mithy Evans)

Another part of the workshop took place at the Yablokoff-Wallace Dining Center. Jennifer Sherman, culinary director for the Alice Waters Institute, led the students through an engaging discussion about the importance of cooking with in-season ingredients. The students were then divided into three groups and tasked with creating a dish using local produce. One group prepared roasted chicken legs with homemade barbecue sauce, cabbage-apple slaw with cider vinegar dressing, and cornbread. Another group made butternut squash tacos with avocado salsa and a fig salad with homemade ranch dressing. The third cooked coconut-roasted sweet potatoes with Thai sauce and eggplant caponata.

“It was cool to see how farming has been in the Burroughs family for generations, and how using mulch and staying pesticide-free really helps the plants,” student Kimberly Flores said. “I also learned some super helpful cooking techniques and tricks that I can’t wait to use in my own work,” said student kitchen manager Kimberly Flores.

Pangelina and Vanagten challenged the students to create recipes using the knowledge and experience from the workshop. The chefs said top three dishes will be featured in both dining centers.

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Fresno Developer Ed Kashian Named 2024 Chancellor's Medal Recipient

Anonymous — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 19:34:32 +0000

By Francesca Dinglasan, ��ϰٿ�

October 11, 2024

Fresno developer and longtime ��ϰٿ� supporter Ed Kashian was awarded the Chancellor's Medal by ��ϰٿ� Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz

Philanthropist and community leader Ed Kashian was awarded the ��ϰٿ� Chancellor’s Medal, the university’s highest honor, at the campus’s State of the University event on Oct. 9.

Established in 2005, the Chancellor’s Medal recognizes individuals who epitomize exemplary engagement, unwavering commitment and a transformative and lasting impact on ��ϰٿ�. Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz presented the award to Kashian following his annual address to the campus community highlighting the year’s past achievements and forthcoming plans.

“I am delighted to bestow this year’s Chancellor’s Medal to a deeply respected community leader who has been utterly instrumental to the growth of our university since its very earliest days,” Muñoz said. “Please join me in thanking Mr. Kashian for his leadership, his generosity, his stewardship and his unwavering commitment.”

Kashian, who served as a founding member on the ��ϰٿ� Foundation Board of Trustees, is the CEO of Fresno-based Lance-Kashian & Co., one of the region’s largest real-estate development and property management firms.

He and his wife, Jeanne, have supported numerous high-profile initiatives throughout the university, including naming the Ed and Jeanne Kashian Main Floor within the Leo and Dottie Kolligian Library, providing funding for faculty stem-cell research and most recently granting a $5 million gift for the campus’s new Medical Education Building. Slated to open in the fall of 2026, the state-of-the-art facility will feature the Ed and Jeanne Kashian Atrium as one of its most prominent community spaces.

Speaking to the audience gathered for the ceremony and the State of the University address, Kashian’s remarks focused on the value of ��ϰٿ� to the Central Valley and his gratitude for being able to support the campus’s work.

“I simply want to say I am very proud of the service you have all given to the people of the Valley,” Kashian said. “Your work has already significantly impacted the lives of everyone here, and I want to take this opportunity to commend all of you in this wonderful school.

“(The Medical Education Building) will truly increase access to healthcare for many people, and this school will make a generational change for all of us,” he added. “I am only pleased that ��ϰٿ� offered me the opportunity to help build the (Medical Education Building)… and for that, I am truly grateful.”

A list of previous ��ϰٿ� Chancellor’s Medal recipients:

· 2020— Michael Murphy and Dr. Hanimireddy Lakireddy

· 2019 — Dr. Art Kamangar and Calvin E. Bright

· 2012 — former California Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante

· 2011 — Michael Gallo and Lloyd Dean

· 2010 — Frederick Ruiz and Odessa Johnson

· 2009 — Robert Gallo, Marie Gallo, founding ��ϰٿ� Chancellor Carol Tomlinson-Keasey Ph.D, Michelle Obama, Dennis Cardoza and Yosemite National Park

· 2008 — former Merced County Supervisor Kathleen Crookham

· 2005 — Robert Carpenter, U.S. Rep. John Garamendi, Leo Kolligian and Bettylou George

Media Contact

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Office: (209) 228-4203

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University of California, Merced - Brenda Ortiz

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Fresno Developer Ed Kashian Named 2024 Chancellor's Medal Recipient

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Give to ��ϰٿ� Campaign Tops $1.4 Million, Breaking Record for Third Year

Fellowship Draws ��ϰٿ� Alum Back to the Capitol