UC Merced Students Gain Insight into Patient Care Through Local Emergency Department

Through the Mercy Medical Center Emergency Department Volunteer Program, students like Amber Parkinson and Randell Rueda are able to gain first-hand experience with patients in the emergency department, cultivate relationships with medical professionals and solidify their career goals.

“I chose to be a volunteer because I knew that I was interested in a medical career,” said Parkinson, a biological sciences major from Sacramento who has been a volunteer since 2009. “I wanted to get some hands-on experience and shadow some medical professionals and see if it was a really a fit for me.”

While there may occasionally be opportunities for them to support staff during the provision of clinical care, the focus of the volunteer position is to provide information and comfort to patients and their families.


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Brenda Ortiz

UC Merced Unveils Stem Cell Foundry

MERCED — Stem cell research at UC Merced is taking a step forward with the opening of its state-of-the-art Stem Cell Instrumentation Foundry, made possible through the support of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) and Ed and Jeanne Kashian of Fresno.

The foundry, housed on the first floor of the Science and Engineering Building, will expand the research capabilities of UC Merced's stem cell faculty members and serve as a resource for researchers throughout the state.

The foundry will allow them to manipulate and study individual stem cells with highly-specialized instruments. This kind of analysis helps researchers better understand how stem cells make decisions — the goal being to use the cells for regenerative medicine, which could combat diseases such as cancer, heart disease, heart disease and neural degeneration.

UC Merced's Stem Cell Instrumentation Foundry will allow campus researchers to conduct single cell analysis with highly-specialized tools.

"This facility is a testament to the caliber of the campus' research and is also an investment in the state's economy," Vice Chancellor for Research Sam Traina said. "The stem cell advancements, coupled with entrepreneurs ready to take the new knowledge to market, will contribute to developing a biotech industry in the region."

A $4.36 million grant from CIRM in 2008 funded construction, and the generous support of the community equipped the 3,905-square-foot facility, which includes two ultra-clean rooms that prevent dust and other particles from interfering with the research.

Wells Fargo Scholarship Gift to Aid UC Merced Students

As the need for financial assistance continues to rise, the Wells Fargo Foundation has made a commitment to help close the gap for students at UC Merced. The Foundation has donated $250,000 to for scholarships, bringing the foundation’s total support of the campus to nearly $1.5 million. Since 2005, Wells Fargo has supported 206 scholarships to UC Merced students.

“Wells Fargo is proud to support UC Merced, an academic institution that helps promote the economic and educational advancement that our students deserve,” said Michael Congdon, regional vice president for Wells Fargo’s Mid-Valley Regional Commercial Banking Office. “Nothing is more important to a community’s well-being than the quality of education its students receive. We believe that UC Merced believes in this same philosophy.”

MEDIA CONTACT
Brenda Ortiz