Kenneth Mashinchi

Nearly 200 students took part in the campus’s Fall Commencement exercise Sunday at the Joseph Edward Gallo Recreation and Wellness Center as friends and family cheered them on.

Jessica Anderson ’10 served as the commencement speaker, continuing the tradition of having alumni speak at fall commencement. Shavone Charles ’12 and David Do ’09 were the speakers at the previous two fall commencement ceremonies.

Anderson encouraged students to discover what they are passionate about and to take their pioneering spirit with them as they enter the workforce.

UC Merced’s iconic Beginnings sculpture represents arms reaching out to embrace students as they embark on a higher education journey filled with wonder, excitement and joy.

Those same feelings embody the holiday season, and students, faculty and staff gathered last week for the ceremonial lighting of the sculpture. The annual tradition, now in its third year, helps ring in the holiday season with cookies and hot chocolate and a DJ playing popular holiday tunes.

Dr. Thelma Hurd’s journey in medicine has taken her from New Jersey to Nigeria, with stops in Texas and Buffalo. Along the way, she gathered experience as a clinician, public health researcher and translational scientist.

Her proficiency in these crucial areas has led Hurd to UC Merced, where she became the university’s director of medical education last month.

Nicole Pollack is happy to be home.

After a few years in the Bay Area, the longtime Turlock resident is back in the San Joaquin Valley and diving into her new role as UC Merced’s chief human resources officer and assistant vice chancellor of Human Resources.

Since starting the job Aug. 5, Pollack met with human resources staff members to get a feel for the department’s pulse. She embarked on a cross-campus listening tour to learn how the Department of Human Resources can partner with the campus to achieve common goals.

The UC Merced men's soccer team won their second straight California Pacific Conference title and earned an automatic berth to the 2019 NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship Opening Round.

The team will be the top seed in the California Pacific Conference Championship Tournament that kicks off at Bobcat Field this week. The Bobcats will play on Thursday at 2:30 p.m.

UC Merced is leading the charge to bring free outdoor concerts to Merced.

Through Nov. 20, you can cast a vote for Merced to be named one of the Levitt AMP finalists. If Merced finishes in the Top 25, the city will move one step closer to receiving a $25,000 matching grant to present 10 free outdoor concerts as part of the 2020 Levitt AMP Music Series.

Interim Chancellor Nathan Brostrom joined colleagues and partners from the Central Valley to present Governor Gavin Newsom with a draft of the Fresno DRIVE plan.

UC Merced has been a partner in the creation of DRIVE (Developing the Region’s Inclusive and Vibrant Economy), a regionally focused, inclusive, and holistic approach to economic development planning to generate increased investment in the Greater Fresno region from the public and private sectors.

The UC Merced Foundation Board of Trustees welcomed six new members, and an alumni representative, on Wednesday during their fall meeting on campus.

The Foundation welcomed:

The men’s and women’s basketball teams are set to take the court for the new season, and there will be plenty of opportunities to cheer on the Bobcats at Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium.

The men’s team will begin their home slate by welcoming NCAA Division II foe Dominican University on Saturday, Nov. 2. This is the first time UC Merced will host the Penguins and marks the first of 14 home games for the Bobcats.

UC Merced hosted its annual Homecoming celebration last weekend.

Current and prospective students and their families, as well as members of the community, took part in the Campus and Community Showcase, including face painting, inflatables, information tables and performances by various student clubs.