News

Study Finds Cannabis Addiction in Pregnancy Linked to Higher Risk of Postpartum Psychiatric Crises

October 22, 2026
Key points Pregnant women with cannabis use disorder (CUD) had a 10 percent rate of postpartum psychiatric emergency visits, compared to 2.7 percent among those without the disorder. CUD during pregnancy was linked to a 40 percent higher risk of psychiatric emergency visits during the first...

Chancellor's Catalyst Awards Ignite Research in Humanities, Social Sciences

August 12, 2026
Digging for stories in a Gold Rush town that vanished in flames 170 years ago. Pinging brainwaves for reactions from sentences that slide between Spanish and English. Fortifying students’ skills and confidence with a practice called powerwriting. These ventures are among nearly a dozen UC Merced...

Fresno Student Eager to Dive into Life at UC Merced

July 27, 2026
This is part of a series of profiles of new UC Merced Bobcats enrolled for the fall 2026 semester. Peyton Smith brings a love of water sports, an interest in medicine and a goal to work as a pediatrician to UC Merced. The Fresno student brings a deep resume of public service in high school to her...

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

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

New Study Urges Earlier Detection of Valley Fever as Cases Climb

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

Five UC Merced Faculty Members Earn Early Career Research Awards

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

UC Merced Alumni to Take the Stage as Commencement Speakers

May 11, 2026
UC Merced will celebrate the Class of 2026 with three inspiring alumni returning to campus as keynote speakers for commencement ceremonies May 15-17. Emily Reed, ’07, ’13, a tenured biology professor at Merced College, will share her story with more than 100 master’s and doctoral degree candidates...

UC Merced Student Makes Campus History with Goldwater Scholarship

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

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

April 17, 2026
Community voices, student research and cross-sector partnerships took center stage at the UC Merced’s Public Health Symposium, where speakers emphasized equity, access and connection as urgent priorities in the Central Valley and beyond. The symposium was co-organized by the Departments of Public...

Turlock Student Blends Public Health, Advocacy to Support Underserved Communities

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

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