University of California, Merced - Jody Murray

��ϰٿ�'s CAPE Takes Extraordinary Steps to Prepare Legislative Interns

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 22:04:58 +0000

By Jody Murray, ��ϰٿ�

June 5, 2025

At the legislative offices in Sacramento, U.S. Rep. Adam Gray, left, introduces friends to ��ϰٿ� Legislative Fellows (from left) Nijwam Anyangwe, Mariel Garcia and Noah Evjenth.

Mariel Garcia accepted a welcoming handshake from the chief of staff for state Sen. Tim Grayson. A large photograph of rolling hills at sunset near Walnut Creek, a city in Grayson’s district, dominated a wall in the compact reception room.

“Good to meet you,” said the chief of staff, Aaron Moreno. “We’ll make sure to get whatever you need.”

Behind Moreno was a doorway to Grayson’s Sacramento office on the seventh floor of a government complex across O Street from the state Capitol. This was where Garcia, a just-graduated student from ��ϰٿ�, would spend the next six weeks as a legislative intern.

Garcia was as ready as an intern could likely be, thanks to an extraordinary program at the university. In the academic year leading up to the internship, students first take a fall semester course that simulates how the state Senate works. Those chosen to be interns spend the spring semester working as undergraduate political science research assistants. Just before the internships begin, the students attend a one-week “bootcamp” in Sacramento.

Seven students are in this year’s Legislative Fellows cohort, the third for ��ϰٿ�’s Center for Analytic Political Engagement, or CAPE, which runs the program.

“The goal is for them to treat public policymaking as a craft. A lot of college students have strong ideologies,” said political science Professor Nathan Monroe, the CAPE director. “We help them step out of their shoes so they can be effective for the people they’re working for.”

Founded in 2021 by ��ϰٿ� political science faculty, CAPE’s mission is to connect students, faculty and community leaders for the enhancement of democratic participation in the San Joaquin Valley.

“CAPE does a lot of things at ��ϰٿ�, but the Legislative Fellows program is the crown jewel,” said Monroe, the university’s Tony Coelho Chair of Public Policy.

In state capitals from coast to coast, interns are a summer staple — governing bodies and agencies take on college students who experience the rhythms of democracy while providing help in areas such as researching policy, responding to constituents and helping to shepherd bills.

Interns from the ��ϰٿ� CAPE program and The Maddy Institute are introduced during an Assembly session.

ICAPE takes preparing students for such responsibilities to another level. The signature step is the first one — the fall semester immersive simulation of the California Senate. Taking on roles as senators, lobbyists or journalists, they live and learn the rules — formal and unwritten — of the Capitol’s upper house.

The course includes a one-day field trip to Sacramento and a featured guest speaker. Past speakers include Gov. Gavin Newsom, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla and Rep. Jim Costa.

Then, CAPE selects each year’s Legislative Fellows and assigns them to political science faculty research projects during the spring. Five of this year’s fellows — Garcia, Aarynn DeLeon, Gracie Jaime, Jade Tirado and Gabriela Vargas-Buell — completed bachelor’s degrees at semester’s end. Noah Evjenth and Nijwam Anyangwe will start their third and fourth years, respectively, this fall.

At the end of May, everyone packed up for Sacramento and a week of bootcamp. On Tuesday morning, the students trooped from their hotel to the Capitol (besieged by scaffolding and fences due to a huge renovation) for a tour led by former Assembly Member Ken Cooley.

After lunch, they gathered in a visitor gallery where, on the Assembly floor below, members applauded them after an introduction by Assembly Member Esmeralda Soria (the gallery group included three interns from The Maddy Institute who took part in the bootcamp).

The balance of Tuesday and the rest of the week were filled with seminars, workshops and agency visits. They heard from a campaign strategist, the president of the California Chamber of Commerce, the communications director for the Senate Republican Caucus office, and staff at the Assembly Democratic Office of Communications and Outreach.

The seminars covered basic tasks such as writing a bill’s fact sheet, creating a policy position letter and developing a vote recommendation for a legislator. Two seminars were run by ��ϰٿ� alumni — Baltazar Cornejo (’14), a policy advisor for a national law firm, and Ayeree Pipersburg (’23), a legislative aide for state Sen. Henry Stern.

Pipersburg has taken the journey this summer’s interns have begun and believes CAPE’s program can be transformative for the students, Sacramento and the Valley.

Pipersburg took the Senate simulation course at ��ϰٿ� and said it was a game changer.

At a dinner gathering, state Sen. Tim Grayson chats with ��ϰٿ� Legislative Fellow Mariel Garcia, who will intern in Grayson's office. (Photo by Meadow Moore)

“Some people questioned what I could do with a political science degree,” she said. “Well, I’m doing exactly what the degree meant for me to do. That’s nothing short of amazing

“Learning how to draft a bill from the ground up, understanding the politics and the people, having all that understanding before you come up here — that’s going to change people’s lives. That’s going to change the way this building runs.”

The Legislative Fellows also honed their networking skills with dinner events. On Tuesday night, more than 20 Capitol officials and staff gathered with the students at Brasserie du Monde for finger food and conversation. A circle of students spent several minutes chatting with ��ϰٿ� alumnus Matt Wainwright (’13), legislative manager of the state Department of Consumer Affairs.

“You’re all part of a training session tonight,” Monroe told the dinner attendees. “We talk to them about how to recognize these opportunities in professional, social situations, and to make the most of them.”

U.S. Rep. Adam Gray, a former CAPE associate director, was on hand throughout bootcamp week, attending events, offering insight and answering questions. Early in the week, he guided three students to the offices where they would work as interns. Gray, a former state senator, stopped along the hallways several times to greet old colleagues and introduce the students.

The internship takes place during one of the most dynamic periods of the legislative calendar. Lawmakers will pass the state budget, move bills from committees to floor votes and get things squared away before summer recess, which starts just as the internships end.

Anyagwe, Garcia and Tirado said their plans after the internship include a possible pursuit of a law degree. Anyangwe, from San Jose, hoped an up-close experience in policymaking would help her as a lawyer who defends the law. Tirado, from Santa Ana, wants to be an attorney who protects the underserved.

Garcia spent the last two years at ��ϰٿ� as student coordinator for Services for Undocumented Students, a part of the Calvin E. Bright Success Center. After graduation, she wants to enter law school and land more internships, perhaps at a law firm or immigration office.

“I want to build up experience first and be sure that a law career is something I’m truly committed to,” Garcia said.

For Pipersburg, the ��ϰٿ� alumna, the journey these interns have started is much like the one that led to a Capitol career. She believes the CAPE program can be transformative for the students, Sacramento and the Valley.

“Learning how to draft a bill from the ground up, understanding the politics and the people, having all that understanding before you come up here — that’s going to change people’s lives,” Pipersburg said. “That’s going to change the way this building runs.”

CAPE fellows, from left, Gracie Jaime, Gabriela Vargas-Buell and Jade Tirado visit the governor's office. (Photo by Meadow Moore)

��ϰٿ� Project Aims to Strengthen Heat Relief in Kern County

Anonymous — Wed, 21 May 2025 15:00:50 +0000

By Jody Murray, ��ϰٿ�

May 21, 2025

Cooling centers — spacious buildings that open to the public on dangerously hot days — are one way to ward off heat-related illness in Kern County.

In California’s Kern County, nearly 925,000 people live in oppressive heat 125 days per year.

Several types of relief are offered. Residents can get breaks on energy bills bloated by air conditioning costs. Triple-digit temperatures trigger the opening of public buildings labeled “cooling centers.” Schools and businesses get tips about preventing heat-related illness.

But how effective are these protections? Kern County’s rate of heat-related hospitalizations from 2000 through 2020 was twice California’s average. Access to services are strained by a poverty rate nearly 50% higher than the state’s.

What more can be done?

A research project that partners ��ϰٿ� with Stanford University aims to find answers. The study will combine health data, interviews with affected residents and expertise from a community advisory board into an action plan to further understand the benefits of heat interventions and improve the quality of life for people in the San Joaquin Valley’s southernmost county.

Public health Professor Sandie Ha leads the project, which is funded by the California Air Resources Board and began April 1. Ha said the project looks beyond heat-related deaths and delves into how oppressive temperatures affect mental, respiratory and cardiovascular health, as well as pregnancies. It also will analyze the health benefit and, by extension, cost-effectiveness of heat interventions.

The Stanford team is taking the lead in working with the community advisory board and interviewing residents about heat interventions — how well they work and what barriers exist. Did residents hear about how they can reduce their power bills? Do they know an agency will pay to button up their homes with caulk and insulation? Are they able to catch a ride to cool off at the East Bakersfield Veterans Hall or the Arvin Community Center?

“Of course, we want to help the communities there. But we want them to help us as well. ��ϰٿ� is here in the Valley. We’re part of them.”

Professor Sandie Ha

“All of these aspects, cumulatively, make the project more innovative than similar ones done before,” said Ha, a member of ��ϰٿ� Health Sciences Research Institute.

Ha has extensive experience with population-based studies on environmental impacts on health. In 2024, she and a team of researchers published a study on the effects of air pollution on residents from a concentration of commercial trucks in south Fresno. The study supported a proposal to shift truck routes away from residential areas.

But Ha’s current project is much bigger, at least geographically. Kern County is California’s third-largest county by area. Bakersfield is its anchor city, but some communities stretch into the Sierra Nevada and Coast Range, along with desert landscapes and broad swaths of farmland. More than half of the county’s population is Hispanic.

Dangerous heat is a relative thing. Cooling centers on the valley floor are supposed to open when a day’s forecasted high temperature hits 105 degrees. In the mountain town of Frazier Park, the trigger is 93. In the desert community of Rosamond, it’s 108.

No matter where a Kern County resident lives, exposure to hot days can break down a body’s defenses. According to a recent study, prolonged exposure to extreme heat accelerates aging in people 56 or older. In the study, subjects faced highs of 90 degrees at least 140 days a year. Kern County approaches that mark with an average of 128 such days from 2014 through 2023.

This far-reaching effect of hot weather on Kern County’s people is one huge reason why interviewing, surveying and empowering residents about methods of heat relief is a pivotal part of Ha’s project. Manali Patel, a professor of medicine at Stanford, will head the effort, which the researchers call “ground truthing.”

“Of course, we want to help the communities there. But we want them to help us as well,” Ha said. “��ϰٿ� is here in the Valley. We’re part of them. Our mindset is to give them genuine care and work to make it bi-directional.”

��ϰٿ� Graduates Encouraged to Embrace Every Moment

Anonymous — Mon, 19 May 2025 21:00:34 +0000

By Jody Murray, ��ϰٿ�

May 19, 2025

Two of the more than 1,500 graduates who were celebrated during the Spring 2025 Commencement ceremonies.

With cheers, hugs and leis, more than 1,500 ��ϰٿ� graduates received a celebratory sendoff to their bright futures as a prominent keynote speaker told them to make the most of the here and now.

Hundreds of families and friends joined the graduates in three days of commencement ceremonies at the university’s Recreation Field. White picket fences lined the processional path for graduates, faculty and campus leaders of the San Joaquin Valley’s only research institution.

University of California President Michael Drake, a longtime champion of the 20-year-old campus, told graduates at Sunday’s ceremony to make the most of every moment.

“This is your life. Today doesn’t come again,” Drake said. “You need to keep your hearts and minds open. When you’re turning in an assignment or completing a project for work, always ask yourself if you’ve done your best. Great if the answer is yes, but if not, it’s always appropriate to double back and improve your effort.

“That kind of focus and engagement leads to learning. It leads to lasting relationships. It leads to success in life.”

Drake, who will step down as UC president later this year, received a Chancellor’s Medal, ��ϰٿ�’s highest individual honor, from university Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz.

On Friday night, Jennifer Alvarez’s moment included holding 3-year-old daughter Aluna as she and family celebrated her doctoral degree in environmental systems. Two years ago, Alvarez and her husband, Pedro Millan, moved from Modesto to Merced so Aluna could receive on-campus day care, and her mom could devote more time to coursework.

“It feels like everything was perfect timing,” said Alvarez, who is on a path to be a soil conservationist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “I really needed the push of the responsibility of having a child to believe in myself and finish.”

About 120 students received advanced degrees Friday, including a limber master’s graduate who performed the splits while crossing the stage. Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Education Hrant Hratchian told the graduates that only 13% of U.S. residents attain master’s degrees and just 2% earn doctorates.

The speaker that evening noted that 10 years ago, “almost to the day,” she received a Ph.D. in psychology from ��ϰٿ�.

“I was sitting where you are,” said Kristynn Sullivan, who earlier this year was appointed director of the Merced County Department of Health.

Sullivan said her achievement a decade also brought her to crossroads. She had a baby daughter, a doctorate and two career options —a crime analyst or an epidemiologist. She chose the latter though she had little knowledge of the public health industry.

Why? Two reasons. One, getting vaccinations for her daughter through Medi-Cal was a “horrific” experience; perhaps she could effect change from the inside. Two, the job had a better insurance plan.

“Allow space for those moments, for that magic, to infiltrate, even when you have a five-, 10- and 20-year plan,” Sullivan said. “Stopping, assessing and making sure you are listening to your gut and still choosing the next right thing can lead to opportunities you never imagined. Saying yes to unexpected things can lead to the most beautiful of lives.”

UC President Michael Drake, center, received the ��ϰٿ� Chancellor's Medal from Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz and UC Board of Regents Chair Janet Reilly.

Saturday’s ceremony brought together about 600 bachelor’s degree recipients from the School of Natural Science and the School of Engineering. Among the students was Simriya Sandhu of El Dorado Hills. Thanks to numerous advanced placement courses in high school and extra research work at ��ϰٿ�, Sandhu needed just three years to earn a degree in molecular and cell biology.

The new graduate joined her parents, grandparents, brother and an uncle near the Big Rufus statue on University Plaza. “I’m feeling so happy,” said grandmother Anita Sandhu. “I’m very proud of her.”

The keynote speaker that day was Shirley Collado, president of CEO of College Track, an organization that helps underserved young people overcome systemic barriers and earn academic degrees.

Collado shared the personal story that shaped her career. She is from Brooklyn, the daughter of a cab driver and garment worker who earned a scholarship to Vanderbilt University. She and her mother took a 26-hour bus ride to Nashville and a seemingly limitless future — something she now strives to make possible for students who might otherwise be left behind.

“We exist right now in a world that seems so divided, where our shared humanity feels so vulnerable,” Collado said. “This moment requires compassionate awareness, intellectual maturity, meaningful connections and the ability to have productive conversations across lines of difference.”

More than 800 graduates attended Sunday’s ceremony for the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts — the largest one-day commencement event in ��ϰٿ� history. Janet Reilly, president of the UC Board of Regents, introduced UC President Drake as the day’s keynote speaker.

After the ceremony, the throng of grads and well-wishers at University Plaza included Buya Degonbaatar, who hopes to parlay his cognitive science degree into a career in digital user experience design.

“I learned a lot of things, ranging from philosophy to computer science to artificial intelligence,” he said.

Degonbaatar’s father, Avirmed, stood next to his oldest son, beaming.

“It’s a wonderful day,” he said. “Very exciting. Wonderful things happening.”

��ϰٿ� Alumna’s Legal Career Soars in Silicon Valley

Anonymous — Tue, 13 May 2025 20:02:19 +0000

By Jody Murray, ��ϰٿ�

May 13, 2025

As a legal counsel, Temnee Wright ('08) has shaped the development of several Silicon Valley startups. She earned a bachelor's degree in political science at ��ϰٿ�.

Temnee Wright (’08) has realized a successful career as legal counsel at several Silicon Valley companies. Her interest in law was forged at ��ϰٿ�, where she made the most out of being a student in the university’s first undergraduate class.

Wright is the senior commercial counsel for San Jose-based Astera Labs, a semiconductor company that develops connectivity solutions for AI and cloud infrastructures. She negotiates details of and drafts documents for things like software licenses, vendor contracts, real estate leases and strategic partnerships.

She provides legal support and advice on existing contracts to colleagues in areas such as sales, procurement and engineering. Wright also works to stay abreast of the changing landscape in data privacy, along with contract and employment law.

Wright said she chose ��ϰٿ� in part for the opportunity to make her mark on the new campus. The university also was an easy drive from the family home in San Jose. She followed through on the former, founding the Merced Pre-law Society and serving as a founding officer of the African American Student Association.

“In high school I enjoyed being in clubs — doing activities and planning things. My counselor thought ��ϰٿ� would be a great opportunity for that,” Wright said. “And she was right.”

Broad swaths of the campus remained under construction when Wright and 875 fellow Bobcats gathered for ��ϰٿ�’s first undergraduate courses in 2005. She initially majored in psychology, but an elective course about the Supreme Court during her second year hooked her on political science.

“I was like, ‘I want to do this instead,’” she said. The creation of the Pre-Law Society soon followed. She and other club members lined up volunteer events and internships. They took a field trip to UC Hastings College of the Law.

Temnee Wright (standing, fourth from right) founded ��ϰٿ�'s Pre-Law Society, pictured here at a field trip to UC Hastings College of the Law.

“It was great,” she said of the club. “��ϰٿ� was very supportive.” Several members of the club went on to pursue careers in legal fields, Wright said.

Wright graduated in three and half years, getting her political science bachelor’s degree in fall 2008. The good news: She could focus on starting work on a law degree at UC Hastings. The “oops” news: She didn’t walk the stage in the spring 2009 ceremony where First Lady Michelle Obama was the keynote speaker.

“It was fine, though, because I was very focused on starting law school,” Wright said. “I went to the spring ceremony with friends and it was really fun.”

At UC Hastings (since renamed UC San Francisco College of the Law), she received a Doctor of Law degree in 2013. She was a member of the Black Law Students Association and of the Pro Bono Society, providing more than 100 hours of pro bono services.

Initially, she saw her legal future behind a bench as a judge. Then an internship in the legal department of a tech company sparked her interest in Silicon Valley culture. Her first professional job was as a contracts manager with Intermedia Cloud Communications in Sunnyvale.

Less than a year later, a contract management role in another company drew Wright into the surging, shifting world of tech startups. She developed a reputation helping new ventures cement partnerships and contracts, ensuring agreements were legally sound.

Over the years, two of her employers went public with stock offerings and one was bought by a larger company — watershed achievements for Silicon Valley startups. Wright said she built a reputation for guiding young companies to a desired level of growth. And Silicon Valley still operates like a small town; it’s who you know.

“I would interact with a lot of customers and different companies. People see your work,” she said. “Fortunately, I have many previous managers who speak highly of me.”

Wright said the people at ��ϰٿ� supported her desire to leave a legacy and make a difference.

“I feel like I was celebrated, appreciated,” she said. “Back then, they called us pioneers. I feel ��ϰٿ� still has that supportive, entrepreneurial spirit. I’m so happy to see it growing and flourishing.”

A Picture of Kindness: Campus Photographer Adrover to Retire

Anonymous — Wed, 07 May 2025 17:53:31 +0000

By Jody Murray, ��ϰٿ�

May 7, 2025

Veronica Adrover has spent 20 years photographing milestones, memories and achievements at ��ϰٿ�.

Through the lens of Veronica Adrover we have seen buildings rise, graduates cheer and lasers glow. We’ve seen governors, a First Lady and a former U.S. president. We’ve glimpsed a young bobcat in tall grass and celebrated young Bobcats in labs, corridors and classrooms.

Through 20 years at ��ϰٿ�, Adrover and her camera documented the emergence of a 21st century research university and the people who work, learn and teach there. She is among the most recognized folks on campus, due in part to the Canon EOS at her side but more for the impression she makes on the people whose lives she touches.

"Veronica was one of the first staff members I met at ��ϰٿ�,” public health Professor Sidra Goldman-Mellor said. “Her warmth, gentle humor and consummate professionalism immediately stood out.”

Adrover is retiring from ��ϰٿ� in May, dropping the curtain on a career that began in February 2005 when she became an administrative assistant for the university’s communications team. It was a time when the San Joaquin Valley campus existed more on blueprints than in concrete and steel. Cranes and bulldozers dominated a site six months from hosting its first undergraduate classes.

“Veronica never hesitated to put on a hardhat and boots and walk into a construction zone,” said Patti Waid, the communications director at the time. “She came to work every day with a can-do attitude.”

In 2009, Adrover was among a crew of photographers who captured one of the most remarkable events in UC history: First Lady Michelle Obama’s appearance on campus to give the keynote address for the university’s first four-year graduating class. Thousands packed the commencement grounds, contending with tight security and triple-digit weather.

“She met with the students who arranged the campaign to get her out here and gave them all hugs,” Adrover said. “In the midst of that crazy chaos and hot day she looked so elegant and was as cool as a cucumber.”

Adrover formed a friendship with television anchor Lester Holt, who came to ��ϰٿ� ahead of Obama’s appearance to do a piece for NBC and returned to the San Joaquin Valley in 2010 as the spring commencement speaker.

“By the second year, we were buddies,” Adrover said. “Every night when I watched him on the news, it would be like, ‘Hey, Lester.’”

Over the years, Adrover and her camera were on hand for campus visits by former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, author and environmentalist Winona LaDuke, and California governors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gavin Newsom.

The campus visit that made the biggest impression on Adrover was that of former President Jimmy Carter, who came in 2010 to accept the Spendlove Prize and speak to the National Park Institute. At a small get-together before the Spendlove ceremony, the nation’s 39th president gave the campus photographer a hug.

“That was pretty special,” Adrover said. “A genuine, heartfelt, compassionate person.”

Adrover photographs student models for images to be used in marketing campaigns.

The communications team needed pictures of construction work and of ��ϰٿ�’s pioneering faculty and staff for its website and publications. Adrover’s hand shot up. She knew her way around a camera thanks to an associate’s degree in photography from San Francisco City College.

The task was hers. Adrover added “photographer” to her duties but kept her original job description. In ��ϰٿ�’s formative period it was common to wear multiple hats.

A longtime colleague said the same about Adrover. A couple of years ago, Lorena Anderson, senior editor in Public Relations, spent two months in a hospital. Adrover visited Anderson every day, providing kindnesses like cleaning Anderson’s glasses or cooling her face with a washcloth.

“I don't know what I would have done without her,” Anderson said, “and I can never adequately thank her.”

In 2013, at age 60, Adrover shed her administrative assistant title and became ��ϰٿ�’s official, full-time photographer.

Space for classrooms, offices and labs is a precious commodity on any campus. In the late 2010s, ��ϰٿ�’s communications team was headquartered in a business park a few miles from the university. Adrover, who often had several assignments a day at the university, needed an on-campus site to store her gear and set up a computer for photo editing and archiving.

Adrover was honored with a plaque from Vice Chancellor for External Relations Ed Klotzbier, left, and Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz.

She carved out an unofficial campus hideaway thanks to a long friendship with Professor Mark Aldenderfer, a revered anthropologist and archaeologist. Aldenderfer’s third-floor lab was filled with ceramic fragments, stone tools, field books and notes from expeditions to Tibet and Nepal. With the professor’s blessing, Adrover set up a workstation there, in a sunlit corner framed by tall windows that overlooked Scholars Lane.

“That meant a lot to me,” she said.

“It just seemed like the right thing to do,” said Aldenderfer, now a professor emeritus who departed ��ϰٿ� in 2020. “I appreciated her always-cheerful attitude toward her work and the people she met while doing it.”

Over the decades Adrover and her camera captured the pulse of a research institution, photographing labwork, classrooms and field studies. ��ϰٿ�, nested in a vast grassland, fed Adrover’s fondness for nature and led to countless images of blooms and wildlife, including a bobcat cub she saw hiding near the campus canal in 2008.

Adrover perfected the art of putting subjects at ease and of disappearing into an event’s margins to frame the ideal moment. You might see her lean her compact frame against a stage or drop to one knee for the best angle. Or she’s in front of you, crisply arranging people for a group shot.

All of these tactics needed time to develop in someone who describes herself as an introvert.

“This job required me to go into situations I would normally be uncomfortable in. I would have to walk in front of a crowd and do what I had to do to get my pictures. That was a challenge. Sometimes it still is,” Adrover said.

“The calm and gentle manner with which she presents herself makes her very approachable,” said longtime ��ϰٿ� staff member Tamela Adkins, Protective Services business operations manager. “I will miss her terribly.”

“The calm and gentle manner with which she presents herself makes her very approachable."

Tamela Adkins, Protective Services business operations manager

Sociology Graduate Program Debuts Strongly in U.S. News Rankings

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 17:12:07 +0000

By Jody Murray, ��ϰٿ�

April 30, 2025

Graduate students in an Environmental Sociology course are shown at a field trip to rural San Joaquin Valley. Connecting with the region is a key part of ��ϰٿ�'s Sociology graduate program.

Only 10 years after it began, the Ph.D. program in ��ϰٿ�’s Department of Sociology made an impressive debut in U.S. News & World Report’s latest rankings of graduate-level offerings.

The Sociology graduate program tied for No. 64 nationally, sharing the position with UC Riverside, Temple University, the University of Florida and Washington State University.

In its first decade, the program placed a remarkable 15 graduate students in tenure-track faculty positions, including at UC Davis, Louisiana State University, the University of Houston-Downtown and several California State universities and community college campuses. Others are serving in key administrative and research roles in higher education.

Nearly all of these alumni are first-generation college students.

The Sociology program became eligible for ranking by U.S. News by conferring a certain number of doctoral degrees.

“We are thrilled to be 64th in our debut on the U.S. News graduate program rankings. But we’re not surprised,” said Professor Nella Van Dyke , a founding faculty member of the Department of Sociology. “When we began developing the program, our goal was to be ranked in the top 100 as soon as we were eligible.

“We designed a high-quality graduate program and hired excellent faculty. We provide a supportive environment where our graduate students can thrive.”

“For ��ϰٿ�’s Sociology graduate program to be ranked in the top 100 in its first appearance reflects the growing prominence of the department’s faculty among colleagues nationwide.”

Hrant Hratchian

U.S. News’ 2025 rankings of social sciences and humanities programs were based on peer assessment surveys in which top officials rated programs of other institutions.

“For ��ϰٿ�’s Sociology graduate program to be ranked in the top 100 in its first appearance reflects the growing prominence of the department’s faculty among colleagues nationwide,” Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies Hrant Hratchian said.

The Sociology program prepares students for research-based careers at academic institutions or at nonprofit, government or advocacy organizations. There are six areas of concentration:

Race and ethnicity
Gender and sexuality
Health/Environmental sociology
Political sociology/Social movements
Education
Immigration

Faculty also have expertise in intersectionality, community organizing, labor, economic sociology and law/criminology. They also employ innovative pedagogy in the classroom and with field research and mentoring.

“Sociology represents one of SSHA’s core strengths in the social sciences, and this national ranking affirms both the strength of our academic mission and the broad impact of our faculty,” SSHA Dean Leo Arriola said. “This recognition is a testament to the vision of Sociology’s faculty. In a brief time, they have built a program that is a leader in socially engaged research and graduate training.”

Two other Ph.D. programs in ��ϰٿ�’s School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts appeared in this U.S. News ranking cycle. Political Science tied for 54th and Psychological Sciences tied for 95th.

A ��ϰٿ� graduate-level Sociology presentation.

Students at Bobcat Day: Why I Chose ��ϰٿ�

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 19:20:38 +0000

By Jody Murray, ��ϰٿ�

April 23, 2025

Thousands of prospective students and their families came to ��ϰٿ� for Bobcat Day.

��ϰٿ� is only two decades into its mission of shaping the next generation of trailblazers. But that’s more than enough time for multiple Bobcats to come from the same family.

Dawit Gemeda’s sister attended the university about eight years ago, so the surroundings felt comfortably familiar when he and his folks joined thousands of others at Bobcat Day, the annual open house for the San Joaquin Valley’s only research university.

Wispy clouds and a cooling breeze greeted attendees April 19 as they chatted with representatives from every corner of the campus community, enjoyed food and music, toured labs and residence halls and sat down for a wide range of presentations.

Thousands of prospective students and their families came to ��ϰٿ� for Bobcat Day.

Gemeda, who lives in Pleasanton, plans to attend ��ϰٿ� this fall, majoring in computer science.

“I like how nice everyone is, how accommodating everyone is,” he said. The university has doubled in size since his sister was here, but ��ϰٿ� still feels like home, he said.

Here are a few others who came to Bobcat Day and intend to return as students. We asked why they chose ��ϰٿ�.

Zeida Castillo. Hometown: Hayward. Declared major: biology: “They have more research opportunities for undergrads. And I like that they’re building a medical education building that I will have access to in the future.”

Mohammed Muzammil Mugibhur, Yuba City, computer science: “��ϰٿ� was one of my top choices. The faculty are more hands-on and can provide a better education for students.”

Savana Garcia, Chino Hills, biology: “I have a cousin who’s a third-year right now and I really like the environment, how it’s not really busy.”

Jabheth Nwani, Sacramento, psychology: “I saw that ��ϰٿ� is No. 1 in social mobility, something I thought was very cool. It’s close to home, and the campus is beautiful.”

Hengyi Lu, China, environmental science: Lu is from Guangzhou, a port city north of Hong Kong. Through an interpreter, he said ��ϰٿ� has a strong program in his chosen major and he likes that the university is near the Pacific Ocean — a good source for environmental studies.

Live music was everywhere at Bobcat Day.

Karina Cruz, Coalinga, management and business economics: “I just looked at universities close to home and which one had the benefits I want. And this one checked all the boxes.”

Adrian Gonzalez, Los Angeles, business management: Gonzalez has enlisted in the Army and plans to get a deferment and start at ��ϰٿ� next spring. “I did my research, and this is a really good university," he said. "I like the programs and the people. And the financial aid is great.”

Faris Natour, Santa Clarita, electrical engineering: “The program has much newer tools and resources. And I know someone who goes here, so that influenced me.”

Jimena Quintana, Merced, management and business economics: “I did a summer program here last year and I really loved the people. I think it’s a wonderful university. I’m excited to be a part of it.”

Students Get Real-world Education with Behavioral Health Internships

Anonymous — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 21:11:07 +0000

By Jody Murray, ��ϰٿ�

April 21, 2025

��ϰٿ� students currently interning at Merced County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (clockwise from top left): Chandler Tien, Sianna Martinez, Simran Randhawa, Luis Guevara.

��ϰٿ� students are getting first-hand experience in providing mental health care to the most vulnerable and needful among us, thanks to a partnership between the university and Merced County.

Undergraduate psychology majors are serving as interns at the county’s Department of Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, which works with other agencies to offer a system of care for people living with mental illness or substance abuse disorders.

The internship program launched in 2022 in response to California’s shortage of behavioral health professionals. Interns work directly with clients and are mentored by professionals.

These face-to-face experiences with people grappling with any combination of addiction, abuse, hunger and homelessness give the students a clear-eyed view of what a career in mental health care could be like.

This real-world training also makes the students more attractive candidates for graduate-level studies and research, along with careers in mental health care, social work, or marriage and family therapy. A central goal of the state grant was to increase the number of professionals in mental and social care.

Many of the ��ϰٿ� students in the internship program are from the San Joaquin Valley and expressed a desire to give back to their communities.

“To become a clinical psychologist or a psychiatrist, you must have hands-on, real-life experience before you can get into graduate school,” psychology Professor Jennifer Hahn-Holbrook said.

She teaches a course aligned with the internship that covers scientifically supported clinical practices, along with strategies for working with underserved communities. Alexander Khislavsky, a former ��ϰٿ� psychology professor, provides invaluable support to Hahn-Holbrook and the interns.

“The state targeted high schools, colleges and graduate programs to catch people who might be interested in mental health services so they can be someone’s health worker or counselor four or five years down the line,” Hahn-Holbrook said.

Through the fall 2024 semester, the program had six paid interns per term. Funding from a state grant ended in December 2024. The current semester has four interns; all parties involved agreed they could work as volunteers. As before, the students receive course credit. The university is looking for new sources of financial support.

Hahn-Holbrook said four out of five students who completed the internship have been accepted by clinical psychology graduate programs and most of the rest are working in the mental health field.

Former interns include Jaydah-Zo Aguilar, who is employed at BHRS as a peer support specialist. She will receive a bachelor’s degree in psychology in May. “The internship provided many opportunities and I’ve always had a passion to help others,” she said.

Professor Jennifer Hahn-Holbrook said four out of five students who completed the internship have been accepted by clinical psychology graduate programs and most of the rest are working in the mental health field.

Geovanni Angelica graduated in spring 2024 with a double major in psychology and philosophy. He is employed at BHRS, working with children and teenagers who struggle with substance abuse. Angelica said the internship showed him the effort required to spread awareness about mental health services.

All four of this semester’s interns are set to graduate in May.

Chandler Tien works with a team that visits adult clients at home or on the street. The workers strive to maintain a connection, to understand clients’ needs, and to coax them to visit the county’s Wellness Center or join a support group.

“Working at BHRS has shifted my focus from marriage and family therapy and social work because of the outreach and social justice aspects,” said Tien, a native of San Francisco.

Interns Simran Randhawa and Luis Guevara work in outpatient services for children and teenagers. Like the services provided to adults, the unit draws on agencies inside and outside the county government, covering everything from therapy to housing to food.

Randhawa, a native of Turlock, said the internship strengthened her determination to become a clinical psychologist. “It opened paths to the community I grew up in and helped me see what my community needs,” she said.

Guevara, who is from Madera County, said the internship strengthened his plan to pursue clinical psychology research next fall at California State University, Northridge. “I wanted to go into clinical practice to see what is working for children in smaller, rural communities,” he said.

The fourth intern, like Tien, is from San Francisco. Sianna Martinez works in a BHRS unit that provides treatment and recovery services for drug users aged 12 to 17. The program includes counseling, life skills development and support against relapses.

Tien and Martinez both plan to return to San Francisco to pursue master’s degrees and continue working in behavioral health. Martinez said they would probably focus on LGBTQ+ youth. “Growing up queer in San Francisco, I know that community,” they said. “I would like to give something back.”

All of the interns said the experience goes beyond rules and best practices. Interacting closely with people – young ones, in many cases – struggling to stay afloat mentally, physically and socially can wear on you.

Martinez recalled a teenage girl in a drug relapse-prevention group they led who was easy to talk to. They developed a rapport. Then, near the end of the program, the girl relapsed. She repeated this pattern several times.

“Since I was able to be closer to this client, it was hard,” Martinez said. “I just tried to be patient and guide them through. It reinforced that healing isn’t linear.”

Tien, who has done two BHRS internships, remembered an early experience when a girl with a history of self-harm arrived for a therapy session with fresh cut marks. “I had to step back and let the professionals do what they do.”

Balancing compassion with professionalism and a measure of emotional removal is a big part of the job.

“We could take home a lot of things our clients tell us. Siana sees people relapse. Luis, Simran and I see people who have been abused,” Tien said. “We’ve been told by our supervisors and our professors to leave work at work.”

As much as the ��ϰٿ� interns have learned from the county professionals and about themselves, they have given back to the agency in a special way.

“They remind a lot of us about why we got into the field because they bring that hope and sparkle and shine,” said Program Coordinator Jill Kojima, who heads the internship effort for BHRS. “For them to be able to have their life-changing ‘a-ha’ moments with us is really amazing.”

Into the Woods: Nature Works its Magic in Shakespeare in Yosemite

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 17:44:21 +0000

By Jody Murray, ��ϰٿ�

April 15, 2025

Tonatiuh Newbold, left, plays Touchstone at an "As Yosemite Likes It" rehearsal with David Patridge and Aryn Torres. Newbold composed original songs for the show.

If Arden, the sprawling, wild forest in William Shakespeare’s “As You Like It,” were in the United States instead of the Bard’s imagination, it would certainly be a national park.

Like Yosemite.

That is why this light comedy is an ideal fit for the annual ��ϰٿ� theater project that weaves modern issues of environmental stewardship into the 16th-century playwright’s words.

“As Yosemite Likes It” is the eighth edition of Shakespeare in Yosemite. Like its predecessors, it features performers and backstage talent from the Merced and park communities and is packed with toe-tapping music, including three original songs.

But it is Shakespeare’s storyline, in which characters come to the forest of Arden from a corrupt city and experience the transformative power of nature, that makes it ideal for theater and literature Professor Katie Brokaw’s themes of appreciating and protecting the ecosystem.

From left, Joey Serrano, who plays Orlando, rehearses with Joanne Lopez, David Patridge and Leighton Shelley.

“This play is perfect for Shakespeare in Yosemite,” said Brokaw, who co-founded the project, writes the scripts and directs the productions. “It’s fundamentally about people going into the woods and finding love and a better version of themselves.”

Each year, Shakespeare in Yosemite is scheduled near Earth Day (April 22 this year) and Shakespeare’s birthday (widely accepted as April 23). “As Yosemite Likes It” will have five performances, all with no admission charge:

6 p.m. Thursday, April 24, Wallace-Dutra Amphitheatre, ��ϰٿ� (in front of Little Lake)
Four shows at the outdoor amphitheater in Yosemite’s Curry Village (next to Seven Tents dining pavilion and The Mountain Shop): 5 p.m. Friday, April 25; noon and 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 26; and noon Sunday, April 27.
Consider taking public transportation to the park for performances.

“We have such a talented group, on stage and off. Everybody is having the time of their life,” said Joey Serrano, a ��ϰٿ� student who plays Orlando, a belittled younger brother who flees to Arden.

Serrano, a second-year global arts and writing major, is a theater kid through and through. He figured this is his 35th production, give or take, starting when he was 5.

Haley Skinner (Rosalind) and Phillip Gallo at a rehearsal for "As Yosemite LIkes It."

“When I was younger, my friends and I would run around the neighborhood pretending to be heroes or pirates,” Serrano said. “When I found I could do that in front of an audience, well, that was awesome.”

Joanna Lopez, a second-year biology major from San Francisco, plays a scientist who studies the park’s ecosystems. “I think the play is our way of talking about the natural world,” she said.

The original “As You Like It” has a handful of tunes that have been performed traditionally or adapted to contemporary styles over the centuries. Tonatiuh Newbold, a pianist at Yosemite’s Ahwahnee Hotel, composed three original songs he performs onstage with a band.

Displacement is a powerful theme in the original script. Characters are exiled, forced out or stripped of their identities. Amid the natural beauty of Arden they experience insight, renewal and love.

“The idea of removing someone from their normal environment and what can happen when you do, Shakespeare has a lot to say about that,” Newbold said. “So the lyrics were very easy for me to write.”

We have such a talented group, on stage and off. Everybody is having the time of their life.

Performer and ��ϰٿ� student Joey Serrano

Social Sciences Graduate Programs Shine in U.S. News Rankings

Anonymous — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 23:16:00 +0000

By Jody Murray, ��ϰٿ�

April 10, 2025

Political science Professor Nate Monroe, standing, demonstrates a legislative committee hearing simulation. Students play the roles of committee members.

��ϰٿ�’s School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts made a splash in the latest rankings of university graduate programs compiled by U.S. News and World Report.

The university’s Political Science program ranked 52nd in the nation, tied with UC Riverside, Purdue University-West Lafayette, the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and Arizona State University.

��ϰٿ�’s Psychological Sciences graduate program tied for 95th, alongside institutions such as UC Santa Cruz, the University of Massachusetts-Boston and the University of Alabama.

The university's Sociology graduate program tied for No. 64, sharing the position with UC Riverside, Temple University, the University of Florida and Washington State University.

U.S. News’ rankings of social sciences and humanities programs for 2025 were based on peer assessment surveys in which top officials rated programs of other institutions.

Students who pursue a Ph.D. in Political Science at ��ϰٿ� can choose from two concentrations: Political Institutions/Political Economy and Political Cognition and Behavior. This structure encourages interdisciplinary research and takes advantage of one-on-one mentoring by faculty.

“Our program resonates with students because our faculty conduct world-class research and invest significant time and energy into our students’ education,” said Professor Christopher Ojeda, who chairs the graduate program.

“It is great to see, once again, that Psychological Sciences is listed as one of the top programs in the nation," said Professor Eric Walle, the program chair.

Ojeda said recent Political Science Ph.D. graduates have taken positions at institutions such as Stanford University, the University of Kentucky and Gettysburg College, along with the political survey firm Morning Consult.

“We hope to build on these successes as we look to the future,” Ojeda said.

The university's Psychological Sciences Ph.D. program offers three areas of emphasis: Developmental Psychology, Health Psychology, and Quantitative Methods, Measurements and Statistics.

Psychology Professor Eric Walle, the department’s graduate program chair, said: “It is great to see, once again, that Psychological Sciences is listed as one of the top programs in the nation. Each of our areas of research is committed to bringing our expertise to address issues facing the Central Valley and the world.”

Walle said current research includes studying how children navigate different cultures, the lingering effects of the pandemic on children and families, health outcomes and disparities in various groups, and the methods for studying these issues.

“This sustained recognition demonstrates the research excellence of our faculty and students, the high-quality training we provide, and the impact our department has on the field,” Walle said.

School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts Dean Leo Arriola said the national rankings “affirm the strong foundation our faculty has built for graduate education. Students are challenged intellectually, supported in their scholarly development, and prepared for impactful careers across sectors.”

University of California, Merced - Jody Murray

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Social Sciences Graduate Programs Shine in U.S. News Rankings

��ϰٿ�'s CAPE Takes Extraordinary Steps to Prepare Legislative Interns

��ϰٿ� Project Aims to Strengthen Heat Relief in Kern County

��ϰٿ� Graduates Encouraged to Embrace Every Moment

��ϰٿ� Alumna’s Legal Career Soars in Silicon Valley

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