UC Merced News

UC Merced Graduate Student Finds New Career in Military Research

2012-01-27T09:41:00.000-08:00

As a chemistry teacher at Merced High School in 2004, Scott Seronello frequently told his students to keep working at their education and never give up their dreams. Then his students asked why he hadn’t done that himself.

So he applied to UC Merced to pursue his dream of earning a Ph.D., which he did in 2010. From there, Seronello’s path took an unexpected turn — toward military research in the U.S. Army.

Working with Professor Jinah Choi at UC Merced, Seronello studied the hepatitis C virus and its interactions with ethanol. Results from their work have been published in the journals PLOS One, the Journal of Biological Chemistry, and Free Radical Biology and Medicine.

Read more.

Media contact:
Brenda Ortiz

Computer Scientist Earns NSF Award, Research Grant

2012-01-23T09:52:00.000-08:00

Engineering Professor Ming-Hsuan Yang of the University of California, Merced, has been named a recipient of the National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award to further his work on improving visual tracking abilities in machines.

The award will provide Yang, a computer scientist, with research funding of $473,797 over five years. Yang’s research will focus on developing computer algorithms that can efficiently and effectively empower machines with object tracking, detection and recognition capabilities similar to human cognition, all with the use of only a single camera.

“Professor Yang’s innovative and groundbreaking research into visual tracking is certainly deserving of this honor from the National Science Foundation,” said Dan Hirleman, Dean of Engineering at UC Merced. “The award represents a clear recognition and validation of the importance of this work.”

While humans can effortlessly locate moving objects in different environments, visual tracking remains one of the most important and challenging problems in computer vision. Yang’s algorithms would help machines handle scenarios in which the objects they are designed to track drift, disappear and reappear, or are obscured by other objects.

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UC Merced Receives National CHEA Award

2012-01-20T13:42:00.000-08:00

UC Merced has been awarded the 2012 Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) Award for Outstanding Institutional Practice in Student Learning Outcomes. The campus was selected for demonstrating its capacity to address the challenges of student learning outcomes while providing increasing accountability.

UC Merced is one of three institutions selected from 47 applications submitted nationwide.

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Media contact:
Brenda Ortiz

UC Merced Researchers Improve Luminescent Solar Concentrator Design

2012-01-19T15:37:00.000-08:00

A team of researchers at the University of California, Merced, has redesigned luminescent solar concentrators to be more efficient at sending sunlight to solar cells.

The advancement could be an important breakthrough for solar energy harvesting, said UC Merced physics Professor Sayantani Ghosh, who led the project.

UC Merced researchers have improved the
efficiency of luminescent solar concentrators.

"We tweaked the traditional flat design for luminescent solar concentrators and made them into cylinders," Ghosh said. "The results of this architectural redesign surprised us, as it significantly improves their efficiency."

The main problem preventing luminescent concentrators from being used commercially is that they have high rates of self-absorption, Ghosh said, meaning they absorb a significant amount of the light they produce instead of transporting it to the solar cells.

The research team showed the problem can be addressed by changing the shape of the concentrator. They discovered a hollow cylindrical solar concentrator is a better design compared with a flat concentrator or a solid cylinder concentrator. The hollow cylinders absorb more sunlight while having lower self-absorption losses.

UC Merced and Fresno Unified Leverage Resources to Increase Rate of Valley Grads Going to College

2012-01-17T17:09:00.000-08:00

UC Merced's Center for Educational Partnerships (CEP) has teamed up with the Fresno Unified School District to support an important mission — helping more high school students graduate and get accepted to college.

Through a unique partnership, full-time coordinators from the CEP will work with high school counseling teams at every Fresno Unified high school in an effort to increase college-going rates.

“We are committed to helping students achieve access to higher education and to become leaders in their communities,” UC Merced Chancellor Dorothy Leland said. “Preparing students for success in college is an extension of our mission to serve the region.”

Pairing high school counselors with CEP academic coordinators will enable the high schools to further develop activities to promote a college-going culture in the fourth-largest school district in California, which serves more than 73,000 students. The collaboration is intended to increase the number of low-income and first-generation students who complete high school and enroll in and complete a postsecondary education, with a goal of increasing the college-going rate in the Fresno Unified district from 22 to 40 percent.

“We are truly fortunate to have this level of UC presence on our high school campuses, the level of which we have not seen before,” FUSD Superintendent Michael E. Hanson said. “Our students stand to benefit greatly from this significant partnership.”

The partnership will enable CEP coordinators to guide students with academic, financial aid and college counseling, broadening the depth of services on-site counselors can provide. Coordinators will help students complete college admissions applications, sign up and prepare for college entrance exams and provide financial aid information. They will also assist reentry students who want to get back on track to pursue postsecondary education.

One expected benefit of the partnership is immersing UC Merced’s CEP coordinators in the same equity and access philosophy training that Fresno Unified has implemented for decades, ensuring that upon graduation, students will have the greatest number of opportunities available to them.

Another potential outcome is creating a pipeline for high school counselors.

“Studies show that high school is the ideal time to generate awareness and interest in career fields,” said Orquidea Largo, interim director for the CEP. “School counselors are among the top resources that students turn to when seeking advice about choosing their career, so it seems natural that providing more guidance support may ultimately lead to recruiting students into the counseling pipeline.”

The partnership with UC Merced bolsters Fresno Unified’s existing collaborations with California State University, Fresno, and Fresno Pacific University, which also exist to increase the number of students applying for and being admitted to college.

State, federal and private funding have made the partnership between UC Merced and Fresno Unified a reality.

The CEP was recently awarded $3.4 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Education, and $1.15 million will be directed to its Talent Search program with two Fresno Unified School District high schools — Fresno and Roosevelt. The five-year grants are expected to support about 1,500 students per year throughout the Valley.

Approximately 600 students are benefiting from the first four-year grant CEP received from the Department of Education in 2006 to launch the Talent Search program at Delhi, Le Grand, Orestimba, El Diamante, Strathmore and Corcoran high schools.

Media contact:
Brenda Ortiz

UC Merced Sees Nearly 10% Increase in Applications

2012-01-17T17:02:00.000-08:00

UC Merced, continues to see growing interest from prospective students, as witnessed by a 9.9 percent rise in applications over the 2011 academic year.

UC Merced received 15,054 undergraduate applications for Fall 2012, up from 13,701 in Fall 2011. Freshman applicants totaled 12,838, which represents 11.3 percent more than last fall.

“An increase in applications points to the campus’ growing popularity,” said J. Michael Thompson, assistant vice chancellor for enrollment management. “It is a direct reflection of the strong value placed on a UC Merced education and the development of our academic programs, hands-on research opportunities and a growing array of student activities and amenities.”

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Media contact:
Brenda Ortiz

UC Merced Poli Sci Graduate Discipline to Debut in Fall

2012-01-10T10:45:00.000-08:00

Professor Jessica L. Trounstine

Graduate students interested in studying at UC Merced will have one more discipline to pursue this fall.

The political science group will launch its doctoral degree track within the Social and Cognitive Sciences graduate emphasis in August. The deadline to apply as a graduate student at UC Merced is Jan. 15.

In keeping with UC Merced's commitment to approaching research questions in innovative ways, the political science faculty structured the track in a different way.

Political science Professor Jessica L. Trounstine said most political science programs have four subfields — American politics, comparative politics, international relations and political theory.

"We think that is an outmoded way of thinking about political science," Trounstine said. "We think there are more interesting intersections."

Political science graduate studies at UC Merced will have two subfields, Political Cognition and Behavior (CAB) and Political Institutions and Political Economy (PIPE).

The Cognition and Behavior subfield will analyze how people behave and think politically, Trounstine said. This track has natural synergies with the fields of psychology and cognitive science.

Grad Student at Home in the Mountains

2012-01-06T11:01:00.000-08:00

Peter Kirchner may have been born in California’s San Fernando Valley, but his heart and mind have always been close to the mountains. Much of his life has been spent living in Mono County, where he worked at a wilderness scout camp at age 15.

In the mid-1990s, he was a training officer for the Mono County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team.So when Professor Roger Bales, director of UC Merced’s Sierra Nevada Research Institute (SNRI), invited him to work with him on a project in 2006, Kirchner knew it was a chance of a lifetime.

“I had just completed my master’s, and I came here to help (Bales) build a prototype hydrologic observatory, with an understanding that I would eventually begin a Ph.D. program,” Kirchner said.

Now, Kirchner is well on his way to earning his doctorate in environmental systems. He’s part of SNRI’s Mountain Hydrology Research Group, which is studying the impacts of climate change on the hydrology of mountain ecosystems.

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Accclaimed Costume Designer Brings Expertise into UC Merced Classroom

2012-01-04T16:00:00.000-08:00

Dunya Ramicova's costume designs have enchanted audiences for decades, but some of her biggest fans now sit in UC Merced classrooms.

Ramicova, the university's first arts professor and one of its founding faculty members, also is an acclaimed costume designer. Last year, she worked on four projects that included the Metropolitan Opera production of "Nixon in China" and the Santa Fe Opera's "Griselda."

But home base is UC Merced, where the Emmy-winning designer draws on a wealth of experience to teach students about art, fashion and the relationship between clothing and history, politics, culture and more.

"Our students are something special," Ramicova said. "It is such a privilege to teach them."

A native of the former Czechoslovakia, Ramicova immigrated to the U.S. in 1968 and studied at the Goodman School of Drama and the Yale School of Drama. She taught costume design at the Yale School of Drama, Harvard University, UC Santa Barbara and UCLA before moving to UC Merced in 2004.

Ramicova has developed an international reputation by designing costumes for about 150 productions, including theater, opera, ballet, dance, film and television in the United States and Europe.

One frequent collaborator is Peter Sellars, the director of "Nixon in China." The two worked on the original production in 1987 and others through the years before again joining together at the Met.

Ramicova said costumes for the opera — based on President Nixon's visit to China in the 1970s — are designed by history. She studied film and photographs to help capture the styles.

UC Merced Campus Community Gives Back During Holidays

2011-12-23T09:50:00.000-08:00

UC Merced's Ties with Community Continue to Increase

2011-12-21T09:59:00.000-08:00

MERCED, Calif. — The bond between the San Joaquin Valley and UC Merced continues to strengthen.

This past year, UC Merced’s ongoing research endeavors produced new knowledge that serves the San Joaquin Valley’s community and economy, while the university’s burgeoning athletics program became another source of pride for the community.

Additionally, the campus’ continued development serves as major source of economic investment during a difficult economy.

“UC Merced was built on the promise to improve lives and bring economic prosperity to the San Joaquin Valley,” Chancellor Dorothy Leland said. “Despite unprecedented economic challenges, this young and innovative campus has made substantial progress toward these goals, and it is poised to continue on this path through 2012.”

The campus’ research takes many forms and shapes, from engineering to natural sciences to literature. In some cases, the research directly involves issues confronting the San Joaquin Valley.

With nearly 5,200 students, the campus’ footprint is growing to accommodate more students and provide additional services. The campus has three construction projects underway and another major one set to begin next year.

Near the entrance to campus, two new student housing buildings are under construction. Set to open in fall of 2013, they’ll have 364 built-in beds and will be part of The Summits complex. Also, a second building is being added to the Joseph Edward Gallo Recreation and Wellness Center. The addition will provide much-needed recreation space and meeting rooms for students. Both buildings are being constructed with non-state dollars.

In 2012, construction is scheduled to begin on Science and Engineering Building 2, which will add important laboratory space for innovative research and more classrooms. Also, a student services building will be built to provide space for staff members who help students in their academic career.

UC Merced Fulfilling Mission to Give Back

2011-12-19T09:09:00.000-08:00

From spearheading canned food drives to collecting toys for underprivileged children, UC Merced students, staff and faculty are giving back this holiday season.

A group of UC Merced students spent the week before Thanksgiving collecting canned food for local needy families. About 30 Kappa Sigma fraternity members gathered nonperishable food items as part of the organization’s community service efforts. In preparation for the food drive, the fraternity members passed out flyers throughout Merced neighborhoods the week prior to collection.

“Our group feels that doing a canned food drive is a way to give back to the community that has given us so much,” said student Jeremy Ho, who serves as the fraternity’s public relations representative. “Knowing that the holidays were right around the corner, we decided that it was a great time to give back, especially to families in need during the hard economic times.”

In all, the Kappa Sigma collected and donated more than 2,000 pounds of canned food to the Merced Food Bank.

Another student club that is giving back is American Women Making a Difference. The student club raised almost $300 during a yard sale and donated it to the United Way to feed the needy in the area. Members of the club joined community members and assembled meal baskets at the United Way last month.

UC Merced’s Staff Assembly wrapped up its 2011 canned food drive, collecting more than 385 pounds of nonperishable food items from members of the campus community for the Merced County Food Bank.

“Every year this event is even more successful than the last,” said Laura Butler, chair of programs, events and outreach for Staff Assembly. “We couldn’t do it without generous donations from the UC Merced community and the Staff Assembly community service subcommittee and our partnership with the Merced County Food Bank staff and volunteers. We aspire to contribute even more to the Merced community and families in need during holiday seasons to come.”

In conjunction with the canned food drive, Lending a Hand — a student program hosted by the Office of Student Life’s Leadership Programs — tabled on campus in an effort to encourage students to think about how they spend resources and challenged them to sign a promise to spend one day without modern luxuries. Students were provided ways they can contribute to their community and were asked to donate nonperishable food items.

The Office of Student Life is also collecting unopened toys during its sixth annual toy drive to benefit children in the local community.

Study: Sugarcane Ethanol Production Causes Air Pollution

2011-12-16T13:15:00.000-08:00

The burning of sugarcane fields prior to harvest for ethanol production can create air pollution that detracts from the biofuel’s overall sustainability, according to research published recently by a team of researchers led by UC Merced scientists.

UC Merced graduate student Chi-Chung Tsao was the lead author on the paper and was aided in the study by UC Merced professors Elliott Campbell and Yihsu Chen. The study — published online this week in the Nature Climate Change journal — focused on Brazil, the world’s top producer of sugarcane ethanol and a possible source for U.S. imports of the alternative fuel.

“There is a big strategic decision our country and others are making, in whether to develop a domestic biofuels industry or import relatively inexpensive biofuels from developing countries,” Campbell said. “Our study shows that importing biofuels could result in human health and environmental problems in the regions where they are cultivated.”

Ethanol is seen as an alternative to fossil fuels, which emit greenhouse gasses when used and are a major contributor to air pollution and climate change. But despite some governments encouraging farmers to reduce field burning — which is done in part to protect farmworkers by removing sharp leaves and harmful animals — more than half of sugarcane croplands in Brazil continue to be burned.

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UC Merced Teach-In to Discuss Occupy Movement

2011-12-05T11:28:00.000-08:00

UC Merced students, faculty and staff will hold a teach-in on campus from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 7 in an effort to assist the campus community to better understand the nature of social movements and the many issues raised by the Occupy movements that have spread across the nation.

The teach-in — which be held in the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium — will provide diverse perspectives from students, faculty and staff on the economic, political and social factors that have led to the emergence of occupations as well as California’s ongoing public education crisis.

Members of the campus community are invited to drop in at any time during the event. At the conclusion, the discussion will be opened to audience members for comments or questions. Faculty members will share their views and research as it relates to this and other movements.

Sociology Professor Nella Van Dyke said she is participating in the event because like everyone at UC Merced, she cares about the future of education in California. Van Dyke studies social movements and will discuss the factors that make movements successful and how they relate to the Occupy movement.

“I think it’s positive to see students and other parts of the campus community engaging in dialogue and making their voices heard,” Van Dyke said. “A teach-in is a means of focusing on a topic, engaging in dialogue and providing information to the broader campus community in a way that can bring people together who might otherwise not have the opportunity to interact in the classroom.”

Family Provides Inspiration for UC Merced Engineering Student

2011-12-01T16:21:00.000-08:00

Growing up in the village of Juchipila in central Mexico, Jesus Luna knew exactly what he would do some day.

“When I was 3 or 4 years old, I told my mom I would be a scientist,” Luna said. “I told her I would discover something to cure disease.”

With several aunts and uncles succumbing to heart disease, Luna knew where he wanted to focus his studies. Today, he is pushing the boundaries of tissue engineering as a graduate student at UC Merced.

Luna’s parents came to California’s Central Valley, where they picked grapes and tended vineyards. Jesus stayed in Mexico, where he excelled in school. As his parents sacrificed, Luna advanced, eventually earning admission to the University of Guadalajara.

“It was really hard for them to support me in college,” he said. “They were sending about half of their salary so I could go to school in Mexico.”

Media contact:

James Leonard

Could Thinning Forests Increase Water Runoff?

2011-11-30T12:06:00.001-08:00

Runoff from the Sierra Nevada, a critical source of California’s water supply, could be enhanced by thinning forests to historical conditions, according to a report from a team of scientists with UC Merced, UC Berkeley and the Environmental Defense Fund.

The team proposes to test the hypothesis that forest-management strategies that use thinning to reduce fire risk and maintain the historical mix can also increase water yield and extend the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada.

The scientists suggest that by selectively reducing the number of trees — which use large amounts of the water received through precipitation — the amount of water that is released from the forest as runoff could increase. This enhanced runoff could make things easier for farmers and water managers statewide.

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UC Merced Students Take Home Honors for Research Presentations

2011-11-23T16:21:00.000-08:00

Undergraduates David R. Jones, Jessica Sood and Janna Rodriguez were awarded outstanding student presentation for poster presentations at the national conference of SACNAS, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing Hispanics, Chicanos and Native Americans in science.

All three said they received tremendous support from UC Merced professors who provided guidance and helped fine-tune abstracts required to present at SACNAS. Jones, Rodriguez and Sood said they were honored by the resume-building awards and happy to participate in a conference that allows them to network and learn about other academic research.

Campus Plans Teach-In to Discuss Occupy Movement

2011-11-22T15:34:00.001-08:00

UC Merced will hold a teach-in on campus Dec. 7 to give students, faculty and staff a chance to discuss the many issues raised by the Occupy movements that have spread across the nation.

The teach-in will be from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium. Faculty members will share their thoughts and insight on this and other movements, and students who recently traveled to New York to interview Occupy Wall Street participants will also present.

The teach-in is cosponsored by the Office of the Chancellor, the Academic Senate, Associated Students of UC Merced, the Graduate Student Association and the Division of Student Affairs.

More information on the teach-in will be available next week.

UC Merced Student Joins in Laser Research

2011-11-22T15:03:00.000-08:00

UC Merced physics major Alessandro Castelli takes what he learns in the classroom and applies it in the lab.

He's using lasers to hold and stretch cells and other tiny objects in Professor Jay Sharping's Applied Phototonics Research Group.

“What makes this experience awesome is the fact that I’m actually doing what I’m studying," Castelli said. "So instead of just learning it and then never actually utilizing it, I can come in and apply it.”

Sharping and Castelli are studying and refining the technology so the entire system can fit on an inexpensive lab chip. It's something that could be used in academic research, high school labs and even out in the field.

“It’s the closest thing that we can imagine that is a tractor beam in the laboratory because you’re really forcing a particle to be in one spot, sucking it into a particular spot with light,” Sharping said.

Castelli, of San Jose, came to UC Merced because he knew the intimate environment would offer him more opportunities.

"I had a feeling that if I came here it'd be better for me personally than if I went to some big college where I could get lost in the crowd,” Castelli said. “I think it's definitely turned out that way. I really doubt I would be having such awesome research experience if I was at some other college."

After graduating, Castelli plans to pursue a Ph.D.

UC Merced Students Win National Marketing Scholarship

2011-11-16T13:10:00.000-08:00

Earlier this year, three UC Merced students — Joselyn Delgado of Los Angeles, Lauriano Bucio of Long Beach and Stephanie Badillo of San Diego — entered the $100,000 Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Scholarship Competition sponsored by Sam’s Club, a national retail business. Participants had to develop a plan to increase the company’s visibility in Latino populations.

Last week, the group of undergraduates was one of five teams honored during an awards dinner in Washington, D.C.

The students heard about the competition from an advisor during final exams week, and the contest’s deadline was only days away. With little time to spare, the trio worked quickly and pulled together a marketing plan in about three days.

“We were just zooming,” said Delgado, a sociology major and management minor. “We brainstormed and wrote down ideas that we could expand on.”

The group worked with two advisors, lecturer S.A. Davis and visiting professor Mark Harris. Delgado had taken Davis’ marketing class, and the concepts she learned were still fresh in her mind.

Campus Size, Research Opportunity Benefit UC Merced Engineering Major

2011-11-10T13:11:00.000-08:00

Ian Donahue knows a thing or two about small class sizes.

The 21-year-old UC Merced senior from Jesuit High School in Sacramento has been having flashbacks to his high school days of late, especially in courses for his materials science and engineering major, which often have as few as 10 students per class.

The small size of the newest UC campus was a major reason for Donahue’s decision to attend UC Merced, along with the people.

“It just seemed like a place where you could succeed and everyone wanted you to succeed and wanted the best for the school,” Donahue said. “It was so small, and that was definitely a plus. It’s so one on one, and the classes are so small. I feel like if I went somewhere else, I would be just a number.”

The close interaction with faculty members that has become a hallmark of the UC Merced experience has paid off for Donahue. A week before summer school began this year, Donahue walked into Professor Valerie Leppert’s lab and asked if he could have a position doing research.

Donahue had taken classes with Leppert earlier in his time at UC Merced, but he was surprised to find her willing to bring her into the lab on such short notice.

Media Contact:

James Leonard

209-228-4406

Siblings Agree UC Merced Best Choice for College

2011-11-04T12:05:00.000-07:00

For siblings Erin, Dylan and Justin Ray, sharing the same campus was just another bonus. The trio from Ridgecrest in northeastern Kern County says they were drawn to University of California’s newest campus because of its size, age, academics and wide range of research and other opportunities.

Erin, a senior majoring in anthropology, made a similar connection. Last summer, she and several other UC Merced students traveled to Belize to take part in an archaeological project with Holley Moyes, an assistant professor in the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts.

“There are a lot of opportunities to work closely with professors,” she said.

UC Merced Professor Creates Powerful HIV Inhibitor

2011-10-31T11:16:00.000-07:00

UC Merced Professor Patricia LiWang has designed an HIV inhibitor that can protect people against nearly every strain of the deadly virus.

LiWang's inhibitor, a novel combination of two existing drugs, has a strength that ranges from several times better than existing inhibitors to several hundred times better, depending on the strain of HIV. The inhibitor works by blocking HIV from entering a person's cell at two different steps of viral entry. This so-called "entry inhibition" is at the forefront of new strategies for stopping the virus.

There are hundreds of different strains of HIV, LiWang said, and the virus mutates when it gets inside a person's body.

“However, since this drug is a combination of two inhibitors, it would be nearly impossible for a virus to mutate so it wouldn't get hit with either one of these drugs," she explained.

The research is an example of UC Merced's faculty addressing real-world health problems.

UC Merced Names First Alumni Association Board Members

2011-10-20T14:18:00.000-07:00

In conjunction with Homecoming weekend, UC Merced has announced the formation of the first-ever board of directors for its Alumni Association.

Christopher Abrescy (’09), Uday Bali (’08), Josh Bolin (’07), Jason Castillo (’09), Efferman Ezell (’09), Sam Fong (’09), Jose Godinez (’11), James Kirby (’10), Jacqueline Miramontes (’10), Elizabeth Perkins (’11) and Yaasha Sabba (’09) will represent their fellow alumni as the association moves into a new phase.

“UC Merced now has more than 1,200 alumni,” said Heather Buckner, director of alumni affairs. “This group will continue to grow by the hundreds and soon by more than a thousand every year. It’s important to establish a sound structure, with a board to advocate for the entire alumni base, as we move into a new phase.”

Soil Scientist Chosen for Selective Fellowship

2011-10-17T12:55:00.000-07:00

Stephen C. Hart, an ecology professor in the UC Merced School of Natural Sciences, has been chosen as a 2011 Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) Fellow, the group announced.

The SSSA will recognize Hart and the 12 other new fellows at a special awards ceremony during its annual meeting this week in San Antonio, Texas.

Members of the society nominate worthy colleagues based on their professional achievements and meritorious service. Only 0.3 percent of the SSSA’s active and emeritus members may be elected as a fellow.

“I am honored to be elected to such an elite group,” Hart said. “As a scientist who studies the interfaces between biological and earth sciences, I hope this recognition will further my cause of promoting interdisciplinary approaches to solving environmental problems.”

Hart, also a member of UC Merced’s Sierra Nevada Research Institute, received his bachelor’s and doctoral degrees at UC Berkeley and his master’s at Duke University. His research focuses on plant-soil interactions in wildland soils.

Before coming to UC Merced in 2008, he spent 17 years as a professor in the School of Forestry at Northern Arizona University. He has authored or co-authored more than 125 publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals and has received more than $13.5 million dollars in research grants as a principal or co-principal investigator.

Hart has been actively involved with SSSA, serving as an associate editor and now as a technical editor for the Soil Science Society of America Journal. He was also a division chair for the society.

The SSSA is a progressive, international scientific society that fosters the transfer of knowledge and practices to sustain global soils. It has more than 6,000 members dedicated to advancing the field of soil science, and it provides information about soils in relation to crop production, environmental quality, ecosystem sustainability, bioremediation, waste management, recycling and wise land use.

Researchers Net $2M Grant for Sierra Snowpack Measurement

2011-10-03T09:09:00.000-07:00

UC Merced Professor Roger Bales and a team of researchers from UC Merced and UC Berkeley have received a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to expand on a prototype system that uses a network of wireless sensors to track snowpack depth, water storage in soil, stream flow, and water use by vegetation in the Sierra Nevada — information that is key to efficient usage of such a scarce resource.

The research team will develop and implement a network of sensors throughout the 2,000-square-mile American River Basin of the Sierra Nevada, serving as the largest prototype yet of a system that could ultimately provide water managers in California the ability to better predict snowmelt runoff, the source of much of the state’s water supply.

“With this new funding, we will be able to test our system for snow and related measurements at the full watershed scale,” said Bales, director of UC Merced's Sierra Nevada Research Institute. “We believe this type of wireless sensor network could ultimately revolutionize the way we understand our most important sources of water, both in California and elsewhere.”

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UC Merced Students Clash in Month-Long Battle to Save Water

2011-09-30T12:19:00.000-07:00

Hundreds of UC Merced students are about to learn just how far they can stretch a drop of water.

“UC Merced Water Battle 2011” begins Saturday, pitting students in the nine Valley Terrace residence halls against each other in a monthlong water conservation competition. The hall that saves the most water per person through Nov. 5 wins a pizza party and $1,000 to donate to local nonprofit organization.

About 565 students live in the Valley Terraces.

“Our challenge is to get students motivated and create awareness,” said Martin Figueroa, a junior biology major and team manager for the Alliance to Save Energy’s Green Campus Program at UC Merced.

Largest Freshman Class in Campus History Boosts UC Merced Enrollment to Nearly 5,200

2011-09-30T08:52:00.000-07:00

The University of California, Merced, today announced total enrollment for the Fall 2011 semester is 5,198, exceeding 5,000 students for the first time thanks to the largest freshman class in the campus’ history.

The total enrollment reflects an influx of 1,681 new students, including 1,444 freshmen, 174 transfer students and 63 graduate students. According to statistics from UC Merced's Institutional Planning and Analysis, approximately 60 percent of undergraduates are first-generation students — those whose parents did not earn a college degree.

Winston Unveils Innovative Solar Cooling Project

2011-09-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

Using solar thermal energy to power an air conditioning unit can be difficult and expensive. But UC Merced Professor Roland Winston and his team of student researchers, have added a game-changing advance to the process that could make it much simpler, less costly and more effective.

Winston and his team have designed and developed a system that gathers and concentrates sunlight onto specially made collector tubes. The heat generated can then be transformed using existing technology for cooling, heating and a number of other potential uses.

The key factor in their design is this: The collectors are entirely stationary. Typically, solar collectors must move and track the sun to achieve optimal energy production, necessitating additional equipment that can be costly to install and complex to maintain.

The UC Merced design — called an External Compound Parabolic Concentrator (XCPC) — generates solar thermal efficiency of 60 percent at temperatures up to 400 F, achieving thermal performance previously seen only in tracking systems. And in contrast to tracking systems that work only on clear, sunny days, the UC Merced design can work in hazy conditions because it “sees” most of the sky, allowing collection of both direct and indirect sunlight.

UC Merced Student Balances Athletics and Academics

2011-09-21T09:51:00.000-07:00

Sophomore Alexandria Curtis is doing something most students wouldn’t even consider — competing in two of UC Merced’s first varsity intercollegiate sports this fall while juggling a full college course load.

Curtis, a literatures and cultures major from San Jose, started playing volleyball in the eighth grade, but she says she was cut from the team her junior year because she was too tall. Now, Curtis will be starting in the Golden Bobcats’ home opener on Sept. 22.

The student-athlete says striking a balance between class work, training and social activities has been the key to maintaining a 3.7 grade point average.

“My advice for students balancing their academics and whatever other things they have going on is academics is first,” Curtis said. “But also, not to immerse yourself just in academics, because that’s when you sort of lose yourself. You don’t just want to just be here going to school. You want to be able to become a part of the school and leave something behind.”

Campus' Economic Impact on Valley Nears $650M

2011-09-14T09:36:00.000-07:00

The University of California, Merced, has contributed approximately $650 million to the San Joaquin Valley economy since the campus began initial operations in July 2000, the university reported today.

Statewide, the value of UC Merced’s cumulative economic contribution has amounted to $1.225 billion. Both totals reflect university expenditures through June 30, the end of the campus’ 2010-11 fiscal year.

According to the campus’ Business and Financial Services unit, UC Merced has paid more than $417 million in local wages and compensation, awarded $109 million in construction contracts to local businesses and purchased $122 million in goods and services from local suppliers since July 2000. The total Valley investment of $648 million shows a growth of nearly $100 million since the end of the prior fiscal year.

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Campus’ First Varsity Sporting Events Approaching

2011-09-13T10:38:00.000-07:00

UC Merced’s athletics program will celebrate the first varsity sporting events on campus this week, with the women’s volleyball team playing its home opener on Sept. 22 and an Athletics Kickoff Tailgate event prior to their game on Sept. 24.

The Golden Bobcats are in their first season of competition in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, and the campus is gearing up for the Sept. 22 volleyball match against Pacific Union College, one of UC Merced’s opponents in the California Pacific Conference.

The match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at the Joseph Edward Gallo Recreation and Wellness Center. General admission is $5. Admission is free for UC Merced undergraduates and $2 for UC Merced graduate students, high school students or students from other colleges.

Two days later, on Sept. 24, the Bobcats will take on Cal State San Marcos in a nonconference match at 5 p.m. Prior to the game, at 3:30 p.m., the Recreation and Athletics Department will host an Athletics Kickoff Tailgate.

The event will provide an opportunity for the Merced community to meet the coaches, enjoy light refreshments and learn about the Bobcat Club, the primary fundraising and support group for UC Merced athletics.Admission for the tailgate, which will be held outside the entrance to the Recreation Center, is $30 for both the event and the game or $25 for the event only.

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Impact: Engineers Building Sustainable Solutions

2011-09-07T11:33:00.000-07:00

UC Merced is the new headquarters of Engineers for a Sustainable World, an organization committed to improving the quality of life and the prosperity of the planet in a way that's economically, environmentally and socially sustainable.

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UCSF, UC Merced to Study Anti-Tobacco Programs

2011-09-07T09:57:00.000-07:00

Researchers with UCSF and UC Merced will examine the effectiveness of state and local antismoking programs across the United States in an effort to make sure health authorities are able to use their increasingly limited resources to support and defend the most effective approaches.

Stanton A. Glantz, UCSF professor of medicine, James Lightwood, UCSF assistant professor of clinical pharmacy, and Anna V. Song, UC Merced assistant professor of psychology, were awarded a five-year, $2.6 million grant on Sept. 1 from the National Institutes of Health to study which anti-smoking programs are working best and how the tobacco industry works to prevent states from pursuing the most effective tobacco control policies and programs.

“California’s tobacco control program has already saved California taxpayers and businesses well over $86 billion in direct health costs,” Glantz said. “With this research, we hope to inform policy makers and public health professionals how we can essentially eliminate tobacco as a public health problem in California in the next few years.”

Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death in California and the nation. Not all programs are equally effective in reducing smoking or bringing down health care costs. Understanding which programs are best can help inform government policy decisions and make sure money is spent on effective programs.

“We are combining modern understanding of adolescent and young adult psychology with mathematical models to understand the spread and decline in tobacco use,” Song said. “It’s similar to the way epidemiologists understand the spread of infectious diseases, with the tobacco companies playing the role of mosquitoes spreading disease.”

Senator Boxer Visits UC Merced

2011-08-26T15:21:00.000-07:00

UC Merced received its first visit by a U.S. senator Wednesday, as Sen. Barbara Boxer met with Chancellor Dorothy Leland, learned about the work of the Sierra Nevada Research Institute (SNRI), interacted with faculty and student researchers and spoke to a select group of students and news media.

Boxer, chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, said the nation needs to create jobs by increasing its use of clean energy technology, which is one of UC Merced’s primary areas of research.

“We can and we must ensure that America is the leader in clean energy technology,” Boxer said. “You’re right in the middle of this, right here.”

UC Merced Campus Emerging as Force for Change in State

2011-08-25T11:25:00.001-07:00

With student enrollment expected to top the 5,000 mark this fall, faculty research projects winning major new grants and making national headlines, and intercollegiate athletics about to begin, UC Merced begins its seventh academic year with rising expectations and a rapidly evolving profile within the San Joaquin Valley, the state and the UC system.

“We’ve definitely turned an important corner in our development,” said Chancellor Dorothy Leland, who succeeded Steve Kang as UC Merced’s top administrative officer on July 1.

“After many years dedicated to building a strong foundation, attracting great people and putting excellent academic and research programs in place, our young campus is quickly emerging as a significant force for change at a critical time in California’s history.”

This year’s freshman class consists of approximately about 1,400 students from every corner of the state. Exact enrollment numbers and geographic distribution won’t be tabulated until the fall census is completed in October. Eighteen new faculty members also have been added this year, giving the campus 144 ladder-rank professors and 120 lecturers.

UC Merced Professors Coauthors Study Building on Plausible Scenario for Origin of Life

2011-08-09T16:35:00.000-07:00

A relatively simple combination of naturally occurring sugars and amino acids offers a plausible route to the building blocks of life, according to a paper published in Nature Chemistry co-authored by a UC Merced professor.

The study, "A Route to Enantiopure RNA Precursors from Nearly Racemic Starting Materials," shows how the precursors to RNA could have formed on Earth before any life existed. It was authored by Jason E. Hein, Eric Tse and Donna G. Blackmond, a team of researchers with the Scripps Research Institute. Hein is now a chemistry professor with UC Merced. The paper was published online Sunday.

Biological molecules, such as RNA and proteins, can exist in either a natural or unnatural form, called enantiomers. By studying the chemical reactions carefully, the research team found that it was possible to generate only the natural form of the necessary RNA precursors by including simple amino acids.

"These amino acids changed how the reactions work and allowed only the naturally occurring RNA precursors to be generated in a stable form," said Hein. "In the end, we showed that an amazingly simple result emerged from some very complex and interconnected chemistry."

Tulare County Valedictorians Continue Friendship, Academic Dreams at UC Merced

2011-08-05T11:09:00.000-07:00

Stephanie Ruiz and Marisela Torres have been friends since seventh grade, and they share dreams that include college degrees and teaching careers.

So it’s no surprise that these Tulare County valedictorians have something else in common: UC Merced.

Both graduated in May from Granite Hills High School in Porterville. Thanks to hard work and advanced placement classes, Ruiz and Torres carried grade-point averages over 4.0 and represented their class as two of the three valedictorians.

Torres said she and Ruiz became friends in middle school as they bonded over schoolwork, a love of math and career goals. Both will be the first in their families to earn four-year degrees — encouraged in part by their parents.

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UC Merced Police Mentor Program Steers Youngsters Toward College

2011-07-29T12:44:00.000-07:00

Uriel Bravo is about to become a freshman in high school, but he’s already thinking about college — thanks partly to the encouragement of a UC Merced program.

“I really want to go to college,” he said. “I know if I don’t go, I won’t find a good-paying job.”

Uriel, 14, is one of the hundreds of students touched by the UC Merced Police Department’s Mentor Program since it began in 2006. Through the program, UC Merced student mentors and other role models work with fourth-grade students at Alicia Reyes Elementary School in south Merced.

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Climate Change to Increase Yellowstone Wildfires Dramatically

2011-07-25T12:42:00.000-07:00

An increase in wildfires due to climate change could rapidly and profoundly alter the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, according to a new study authored by environmental engineering and geography Professor Anthony Westerling of the University of California, Merced.

The study by Westerling and his colleagues — which will be published online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences — suggests that the expected rising temperatures caused by climate change could increase the frequency of large wildfires in Yellowstone to an unprecedented level.

The projected increase in fires would likely cause a major shift in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, with fewer dense forests and more open woodland, grass and shrub vegetation. The change could happen by 2050, Westerling posits, with forests becoming younger, the mix of tree species changing and some forests failing to regenerate after repeated fires. This would affect the region’s wildlife, hydrology, carbon storage and aesthetics.

“What surprised us about our results was the speed and scale of the projected changes in fire in Greater Yellowstone,” Westerling said. “We expected fire to increase with increased temperatures, but we did not expect it to increase so much or so quickly. We were also surprised by how consistent the changes were across different climate projections.”

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UC Merced Staffers Find Fitness Benefits Beyond Looks

2011-07-22T15:51:00.000-07:00

With busy job schedules, family demands and hectic social calendars, working out often seems impossible to work in. But finding time for fitness reaps great rewards, according to a number of UC Merced employees.

Take Lisa Perry, for example. Answering call after call at the Students First Center can take a toll, but she finds a run after work to be the perfect way to shake off the day and get refreshed.

“I like the way it makes me feel,” the UC Merced cheerleading coach said. “It gives me confidence and helps me to manage daily stress.”

Faust Gorham, who works for information technology, has also made fitness into a lifestyle instead of a fad. Gorham lost almost 100 pounds within his first three years of working at UC Merced. When it comes to staying fit, there isn’t much in the way of exercise that he won’t do. He lifts weights, runs outdoors when the weather permits, plays competitive racquetball and gets his body moving every chance he gets.

UC Merced has made a deliberate effort to create a culture of wellness among faculty and staff. The university’s Choose Well program offers a variety of incentive-based activities to help employees incorporate healthy eating and exercise choices. One of Choose Well’s most popular programs is the Fit Cat Weight Loss Challenge.

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Engineering Service Learning Links UC Merced Students with Community

2011-07-13T15:09:00.000-07:00

UC Merced students gain hands-on experience as they develop solutions to real-world problems. Get S.E.T., a team of about 20 students, develops supplementary K-12 science curricula in collaboration with the Merced County Office of Education.

Get S.E.T. team members say their project is especially important as schools deal with tight budgets while also working to meet the demands of state educational standards.

“Time is so constricted in the classroom,” said Océane Stanek, an engineering student and Get S.E.T. team leader who came to UC Merced from the Bay Area.

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Golden Bobcats Announce Inaugural Sports Schedules

2011-07-12T15:33:00.000-07:00

The first varsity sporting event on the UC Merced campus will take place Sept. 22, when the Golden Bobcats host Pacific Union College in women’s volleyball. And UC Merced’s men’s basketball team will face its biggest test on Nov. 11, when it travels to face Santa Clara.

Those are among the highlights on the schedules released today by UC Merced, which will join the California Pacific Conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in four sports this fall. Schedules for men’s and women’s cross country have not yet been finalized.

“This will be a momentous year for UC Merced as we begin building the foundation for what we hope will be a vibrant athletics program with a rich tradition,” said David Dunham, director of recreation and athletics. “That tradition begins now, and our future success will depend on the hard work put in by our athletes, coaches and staff, as well as support from the community.”

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Study: Cap-and-Trade Trumps Carbon Taxes

2011-07-07T09:54:00.000-07:00

A cap-and-trade system is more likely than a carbon tax system to trigger the adoption of clean energy technologies, according to a study by UC Merced Professor Yihsu Chen. The study also found that the volatile pricing of a cap-and-trade system could lead to earlier adoption of clean technology by firms looking to hedge against carbon cost risks.

The study used economic models based on a framework of real options to determine the optimal timing for a coal-burning firm to introduce clean technologies using the two most commonly considered policies — cap-and-trade, in which carbon emissions are capped and low-emission firms can sell excess permits to high-emission firms; and carbon taxes, which employ a fixed monetary penalty for per-unit carbon emissions.

"To our knowledge, there has been no formal study based on real options that compares the investment timing of these two instruments," Chen said. "In our view, cap-and-trade offers 'carrots' while taxes offer 'sticks.' Cap-and-trade induces firms to explore profit opportunities, while taxes simply impose penalties to turn clean technology into a less costly option."

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Impact: Sustainable Students Making a Difference

2011-07-07T09:52:00.000-07:00

UC Merced is a campus built on a foundation of sustainability, and that commitment has been taken up by its students, as well.

Student Demand for UC Merced Reaches New Heights

2011-06-30T14:24:00.000-07:00

Next fall’s freshman class at the University of California, Merced, will be the largest ever at the newest UC campus — up 6 percent from the fall of 2010, based on data released today by the university’s Office of Admissions.

The campus said it has received a Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) from 1,829 freshmen admitted for Fall 2011 classes. That compares with 1,725 SIRs at this time last year.

While the actual number of new students will not be known exactly until fall registration is completed, the surge in freshman enrollees is expected to push UC Merced’s total enrollment past the 5,000-student mark for the first time.

“This is an exciting time for UC Merced as we welcome the Class of 2015 and surpass the 5,000 enrollment mark,” said Jane Lawrence, vice chancellor for student affairs. “Both the academic qualifications and the diversity of the class of applicants accepted by UC Merced are at record high levels.”

To view UC systemwide SIR data, visit http://www.ucop.edu/news/studstaff.html.

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Media Contact: Brenda Ortiz, 209-228-4203

Engineers for a Sustainable World Moves to UC Merced

2011-06-28T09:18:00.000-07:00

Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW) — a fast-growing, global nonprofit network of about 4,000 students, faculty and professionals dedicated to building a sustainable world for current and future generations by way of collaborative, interdisciplinary engineering projects — is moving its headquarters to UC Merced, effective July 1.

ESW, like UC Merced itself, is committed to finding sustainable solutions to society’s most challenging problems, from developed countries creating millions of tons of pollution and waste each year to people around the world struggling to gain access to clean water, healthy food and suitable shelter.

“The vision for Engineers for a Sustainable World is improving the quality of life and the prosperity of the planet, but in a way that’s economically, environmentally and socially sustainable,” said E. Daniel Hirleman, dean of UC Merced’s School of Engineering and chair of the ESW advisory board. “UC Merced has sustainability in its DNA, so I think it’s an obvious home for a group like Engineers for a Sustainable World.”

ESW’s move to UC Merced is yet another example of the campus’ commitment to sustainability. The campus itself is a living laboratory, with many research projects that take advantage of its own sustainable practices in design and operations. And UC Merced is the first campus in the nation to have all of its buildings certified silver or better by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.

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UC Merced Study Shows Urban Rail Reduces Air Pollution

2011-06-27T09:42:00.000-07:00

The opening of a major urban rail system in Taiwan caused a reduction in air pollution, according to a forthcoming study by UC Merced professors.

"Despite the importance of the transportation sector for air pollution, little work has examined the air pollution effects of transportation infrastructure directly," Professor Alexander Whalley and Professor Yihsu Chen wrote in the paper. "This paper seeks to fill the gap by examining the effects of one major type of transportation infrastructure — urban rail transit — on air quality."

Researchers have disagreed about whether investment in urban rail infrastructure would improve air quality by taking cars off the road or harm it by encouraging more travel. The UC Merced study, "Green Infrastructure: The Effects of Urban Rail Transit on Air Quality," helps to answer that question. It has been accepted for publication in the "American Economic Journal: Economic Policy."

Whalley is an economist in the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts (SSHA). Chen is an environmental and energy economics professor with a dual appointment in SSHA and in the School of Engineering. The research is an example of UC Merced faculty members taking an interdisciplinary approach to creating new knowledge.

The Taipei Metro opened in 1996 as a new urban rail transit system, the culmination of an effort to improve the city's transportation and air quality. From the 1970s to the 1990s, Taipei had some of the worst air among the world's largest cities, with a significant amount coming from automobiles.

Whalley and Chen used hourly air quality data from Taiwan to quantify how the new rail transit system impacted the air quality. The UC Merced researchers found that the system's opening caused a meaningful reduction of carbon monoxide, between 5 and 15 percent. They also found some evidence that there was a reduction in the nitrogen oxides in the air. The public health impacts implied in the findings are an important beneficial aspect of mass transit infrastructure often not taken into account by policy makers, according to the study.

First UC Merced Alum Receives Juris Doctorate

2011-06-17T09:49:00.000-07:00

Ann Hinesley-Perez wasn’t thinking about making history when she enrolled three years ago at the San Joaquin College of Law. But she’s doing that as the first-ever UC Merced alum to earn a Juris Doctorate from the Fresno-area law school.

Hinesley-Perez, who was born and raised in Merced, left town in 2003 to pursue a degree in psychology at UC Berkeley. She didn’t have the option of staying home because UC Merced was still in development.
But after the new campus opened in 2005, she returned to her roots — and her career goals also began to shift.

Hinesley-Perez arranged to job-shadow an attorney at the Merced law firm of Morse, Morse & Morse. She took a job there as a legal assistant and found that she enjoyed the field, prompting a change in her career path.
The job “definitely influenced my decision” to go to law school, she said. “It gave me the push I needed.”

In 2008, Hinesley-Perez graduated from UC Merced with a psychology degree and began law school. She said psychology and the law are related.

“To effectively practice, you have to understand a lot about psychology,” Hinesley-Perez said. “It was an easy transition.”

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Impact: Marine Biodiversity on Display

2011-06-14T10:30:00.000-07:00

UC Merced marine biologist Michael Dawson studies jellyfish, unique animals found in both fresh and salt water locations. Some of that research is currently on display in an exhibit on the third floor of the Kolligian Library.

“Jellyfish are one of the oldest groups of organisms that exist on the planet, so they’ve been an important component of ecosystems for a long, long time,” Dawson said. “I think we’re really interested in how the diversity of life evolved and how it all fits together.”

The exhibit focuses on marine biodiversity, and Dawson’s research is uncovering important new information about jellyfish populations.

“We found jellies that have just been known to have a distribution in the western Pacific and Indonesia, and now we found them in the eastern Pacific around El Salvador, Oaxaca and the Gulf of California,” said Liza Gomez Daglio, a graduate student in Dawson’s lab. “So this is really really surprising.”

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Social Smokers Less Likely to Try to Quit

2011-06-13T13:48:00.000-07:00

If you're a social smoker, you probably haven't given much thought to quitting or tried for more than a month.

That is one of the many findings from a national study in the American Journal of Public Health conducted by professors at the University of California, Merced, and UC San Francisco.

In the study, "Social Smoking Among Young Adults: Investigation of Intentions and Attempts to Quit," the researchers compared the cessation efforts of three different definitions of social smokers. The researchers found that how young adults define their smoking plays a role in whether they try to quit and how successful they are at quitting.

"The self-identified social smokers may pose a particular challenge for cessation," UC Merced psychology Professor Anna V. Song and UCSF Professor Pamela M. Ling wrote in the paper. "These 'social smokers' may not regard themselves as 'real smokers.' The 'social smoker' label may represent an effort to deny or discount the risks associated with smoking."

While the health consequences of social smoking have not been specifically studied, the professors said light smoking (fewer than 10 cigarettes per day) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk and an increased risk of cancer, respiratory tract infections, cataracts, impaired fertility and fractures.

Song and Ling looked at people who identify themselves as social smokers but smoke outside of social situations or smoke alone, as well as those who limit their smoking to either smoking mainly or entirely with other people.

Juan C. Meza Named Dean of Natural Sciences

2011-06-03T12:27:00.000-07:00

UC Merced today announced the appointment of Juan C. Meza as the new dean of its School of Natural Sciences. He will join UC Merced in the fall.

Meza will take over for Mike Colvin, who has served as interim dean since February. Colvin replaced founding Dean Maria Pallavicini, who resigned to become provost at the University of the Pacific.

Meza studied at Rice University — earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering and a Ph.D. in computational and applied mathematics — and currently works at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) as head of the High Performance Computing Research Department and acting director of the Computational Research Division, where he manages a staff of 272 employees and a $50 million budget.

At LBNL, Meza helped grow research funding levels and established collaborations with the lab’s earth sciences, environmental energy technologies, physics and genomics divisions.

Meza, named one of Hispanic Business magazine’s “Top 100 Influentials of 2009” and one of the “Top 200 Most Influential Hispanics in Technology” by Hispanic Engineer and Information Technology magazine in April, is the son of Mexican immigrants and a first-generation college student.

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Enterprising UC Merced Students Strive to Market Telehealth

2011-05-26T16:01:00.000-07:00

One enterprising group of UC Merced students aspires to change the face of how diabetes is managed in the Merced area.

The local chapter of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), under the guidance of management lecturer S.A. Davis, is creating a telehealth initiative to help women manage gestational diabetes without having to make frequent trips to the doctor.

SIFE is an international nonprofit that works with leaders in business and higher education to mobilize college students to make a difference in their communities while developing the skills necessary to become socially responsible executives. SIFE teams apply business concepts to develop outreach projects that improve the quality of life for people in need.

UC Merced's team chose to focus on diabetes in its project because the disease is so prevalent in the Central Valley and poses a laundry list of preventable side effects.

“It can’t be cured, but it can be managed,” said chapter President Jessica Gibson.

Gestational diabetes puts both mother and child in danger and managing gestational diabetes in Merced County is difficult because of inadequate access to health-care providers and cultural norms that prevent women from making regular visits to the doctor.

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New Chancellor Poised to Raise Campus Profile, Continue Growth

2011-05-18T10:52:00.000-07:00

With a proven record of building universities, UC Merced Chancellor-Designate Dorothy Leland is prepared to lead the campus through its next phase of development by growing its academic and research profile.

"In some ways, I feel I’ve been preparing for this experience throughout my entire career," Leland said. "This is truly a dream come true, and I couldn’t be more excited about it."

The UC Board of Regents today approved Leland's appointment to serve as the third chancellor of UC Merced. She begins July 1. Leland, who holds a doctoral degree in philosophy from Purdue University, currently serves as president of Georgia College & State University.

Leland will lead UC Merced during a time of unprecedented budget challenges for California, though she said the campus' size allows it to be nimble and adjust to changes more easily than other institutions. She has worked through similar problems during her time leading Georgia College.

"A campus sustained by a spirit of innovation has the flexibility to approach issues with greater dexterity and speed without the burden of legacy traditions and programs," she said.

Leland, a California native, said she looks forward to returning to her home state to lead its newest research university. Rather than coming in with a preconceived notion about its priorities, her plan is to meet first with major stakeholders to learn from them and to understand the challenges they face in reaching their goals.

She said she sees current and potential partners, such as other educational institutions, businesses and the campus supporters, as being important for the campus' future.

"To reach our long-term goals as an institution, we must be very creative and resourceful in our efforts to partner with those who share our vision and, through their generosity or mutual interests, can help us build the foundation for a world-class institution," she said.

UC Merced, as the world's first research university of the 21st century, should foster a culture of strategic risk-taking and entrepreneurialism, she said.

"This campus can become a leader in adopting or creating new technologies, new systems, new ideas and new methodologies that could ultimately benefit the entire UC system," Leland said.

UC Merced's commitment to sustainability, through its design and its research, is an area that distinguishes it from other universities, Leland said.

"I would like to explore ways in which UC Merced might leverage and grow its sustainability emphases and gain broader national recognition and funding support as a leader in this field," she said.

Furthering the town-gown relationship is also important to Leland, who said public universities have special responsibilities for working in partnership with others for the economic, cultural and educational benefit of their regions.

"I intend to put that belief into practice in Merced and the San Joaquin Valley," she said. 

UC Merced Marks Milestone at Commencement 2011

2011-05-14T20:30:00.000-07:00

UC Merced marked a historic milestone at its sixth commencement exercise today, as the university awarded its 1,000th degree.

Members of the Class of 2011 hail from 35 counties across California, as well as five additional states and one foreign country.

The commencement not only marked the 1,000th degree conferred, it marked a milestone for Chancellor Steve Kang, who will end his four-year tenure June 30 to return to teaching and research at UC Santa Cruz.

Chancellor Kang urged the graduates to think and act as global citizens and stewards.

“As you go through life, you will realize that many problems facing the nation and world are complex and interrelated,” he said. “And it is up to all of us to work together to find solutions across cultural and geographical boundaries.”

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Media contact: Brenda Ortiz

UC Merced Students Selected for Harvard Latino Leadership Initiative

2011-05-13T10:41:00.000-07:00

Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government has selected six University of California, Merced undergraduate students to attend the second Latino Leadership Initiative (LLI) Program.

LLI has partnered with seven universities across the country including UC Merced, the University of Houston, Texas A&M International University, the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and Loyola Marymount University. New to the initiative this year are the University of Texas-Pan American and Miami Dade College.

The selection process was highly competitive, with more than 100 students — representing a diverse range of career interests and outstanding academic and leadership accomplishments — being nominated by their respective universities. The program, which addresses the rapid growth of the Latino population and the lack of Latino leadership representation across all sectors of society, runs June 25 to July 2.

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UC Merced Grad Finds Purpose, Plans Academic Career

2011-05-11T12:28:00.000-07:00

Graduating senior Orisa Santiago Morrice believes his strong academic roots enabled him to excel in UC Merced’s anthropology and creative writing courses.

His family’s continuing guidance steered him toward higher education — particularly the example of his brother, who recently completed a Ph.D., and the counsel of his mother, a schoolteacher. His mother’s college experiences particularly prepared Morrice to be a critical thinker.

This fall, Morrice will begin a Master of Fine Arts in poetry at Mills College in Oakland.

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UC President Announces UC Merced Chancellor

2011-05-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

University of California President Mark G. Yudof announced today he will recommend that the UC Board of Regents appoint Georgia College & State University President Dorothy Leland as chancellor of UC Merced, citing her accomplishments as an institution builder and higher education leader.

Leland, who grew up in the rural Southern California community of Fillmore, emerged from an exhaustive national search as the top candidate to succeed Sung-Mo "Steve" Kang, who announced in September 2010 that he plans to step down as chancellor on June 30, 2011, and return to teaching and research as a UC faculty member. Kang, who became the second chancellor of UC Merced on March 1, 2007, oversaw the growth of both enrollment and the campus itself.

As the 10th president of Georgia College, Leland has led the university to national distinction. Since becoming president on Jan. 1, 2004, she has enhanced both its academic aspects and physical facilities, overseen a 54 percent increase in federal funding for research and sponsored projects during the past five years and reached into surrounding communities with economic development and educational initiatives. Georgia College was cited by U.S. News and World Report this year among a handful of public universities with a "strong commitment to teaching," and was again named to Kiplinger's Top 100 Public Colleges.

"Dorothy Leland is a great fit for UC Merced at this pivotal stage of its development," Yudof said. "She's a proven leader who knows how to bring vision to a mission, and how to build support from different people to get things done."

If approved by the Board of Regents, Leland would take office on July 1.

UC Merced History Student Fulfills Speaking Promise at Commencement

2011-05-06T11:17:00.000-07:00

Dulcemaria Anaya once vowed to represent her UC Merced class as the student speaker at commencement.

Anaya, a world history major from Merced, was an incoming freshman when she made the promise to her mother and herself. Over the past four years, she overcame shyness, built confidence and became more comfortable speaking in public.

“I wanted to make that promise a reality,” Anaya said.
Anaya’s dream will come true at commencement May 14, when she’ll deliver a speech representing the Class of 2011. She was selected by a committee of faculty, students and staff.

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SNRI Scientist Wins Fulbright Fellowship

2011-05-04T16:19:00.001-07:00

Andrea Joyce, an assistant research scientist with the Sierra Nevada Research Institute (SNRI) at the University of California, Merced, was recently awarded a Fulbright fellowship to study beneficial insects in El Salvador.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.

Joyce’s research includes the study of parasitoid wasps, which are used as an alternative to insecticides to reduce populations of pest insects on agricultural crops. She will work with colleagues in El Salvador on a collection of beneficial insects of agriculturally important crops, including corn, rice, sorghum and sugarcane.

“I’m truly honored to have received this prestigious fellowship,” Joyce said. “This will allow me to continue research that is very important to me and to our society as a whole, while also giving me an extraordinary opportunity to work with a distinguished group of international scientists.”

Research Week Poster Contest Winners Announced

2011-04-29T13:00:00.000-07:00

Research Week, UC Merced’s annual celebration of faculty and student research, took place last month and was highlighted by a student research poster competition and a number of lectures and symposia. Winners have been announced in the undergraduate and graduate Student Research Poster Competitions.

In the undergraduate division, sponsored by the Associated Students of UC Merced, Desiree Sigala placed first. Ruth Adams was second and Catherine Le third. Each received a $50 gift certificate to the College Store and a certificate of achievement from the Office of Research, and each will have her name engraved on the Research Poster Winners Hall of Fame plaque.

The graduate division, sponsored by the Office of Research, was divided by school. Heather Orrell won for the School of Engineering; Ronald Pandolfi won for Natural Sciences; and Justin Hicks won for Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts. Each will receive a monetary award of $75 and a certificate of achievement from the Office of Research.

UC Merced Seminar Helps Park Leaders Plan for Future

2011-04-29T11:01:00.000-07:00

Park leaders are faced with issues like climate change, habitat loss, encroachment into parks and protected lands, budget constraints and rapid changes in leadership — all of which make management a challenge.

UC Merced partnered with the National Park Service, the Great Valley Center, the National Parks Conservation Association and the Stanford Graduate School of Business to present the intensive 12-day leadership program.

Pulitzer Prize-winning ecologist and author E.O. Wilson, whose lecture was considered a seminar highlight by participants, commented on the value of having Yosemite almost in UC Merced’s backyard.

“The opportunity for partnership between the two — and in the greater scale between an institution of the high quality and probity of the National Park system and the University of California system — is quite extraordinary for the advancement of both research and teaching,” Wilson said.

The institute provided park leaders from the United States and 9 other countries the opportunity to learn from one another and from world-renowned experts on topics like fire policy, ecosystem management, water resources and air quality that affect the future of natural lands.

Read more.

SoCal Edison Gift Funds Energy, Water Research

2011-04-28T10:09:00.000-07:00

Dozens of UC Merced students will be able to research new ways of increasing energy efficiency and protecting our environmental resources thanks to a $250,000 gift to the campus from Southern California Edison (SCE).

Between two installments of $125,000, one in 2010 and one in 2011, the gift will benefit a total of 46 undergraduate and four graduate students in UC Merced’s Sierra Nevada Research Institute (SNRI) and Solar Power Forecasting Initiative. In addition, two UC Merced students will receive internships with SCE.

Les Starck, SCE’s vice president of local public affairs, said the gift is an investment in future technologies that will ultimately improve energy efficiency and water resource management on a global scale.

“UC Merced is already making great strides in areas of study that are critical to our future as an energy provider and our ability as a society to deal with the extreme challenges we face,” Starck said. “The work being conducted by these future engineers and scientists means so much to Californians and to the world of energy and water.”

UC Merced Annual Donors Help Shape the Future

2011-04-22T09:59:00.000-07:00

A group of university supporters from various professions and backgrounds have something in common — they’ve joined UC Merced’s Chancellor’s Associates and found a way to connect with the campus and stand behind its mission of education, research and public service.

Don and Nancy Bergman are committed to the importance the University of California, Merced, plays in the successful future of the Merced community. They enthusiastically support the value of education and believe that everyone has a responsibility to improve the lives of children and youth by serving as strong, positive and ethical leaders and role models.

"Serving as a Chancellor's Associate provides an important opportunity for us to remain actively involved in the University community,” the couple explained. “We particularly enjoy meeting new friends and connecting with other
community members who have similar interests in contributing to Merced County."

Campus Plan Wins National Award

2011-04-20T12:30:00.000-07:00

The Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) has announced that UC Merced’s 2009 Long-Range Development Plan (LRDP) was named a winner of the nation’s leading award for campus planning and urban design.

UC Merced earned an honor award in the category of Excellence in Planning for an Established Campus. It’s the first national award and fourth overall for the 136-page document, which guides the campus’ physical growth, development and land-use priorities.

Campus planners use the LRDP when deciding the locations of future buildings, structures, plazas, parks, roads, infrastructure and natural undeveloped areas. The document also addresses how students, faculty, staff, visitors and vehicles will navigate the campus as it grows to accommodate about 25,000 students in the next 30 years.

UC Merced’s LRDP, adopted in March 2009, sets industry-leading policies, including a “Triple Zero Commitment” to produce as much energy from renewable sources as is used, eliminate landfill waste and produce zero net greenhouse gas emissions, all by 2020.

The LRDP will be featured in the October issue of Planning for Higher Education and will be the focus of a session during the SCUP’s annual convention in Baltimore in July.

UC Merced Sports Step Up to NAIA

2011-04-19T12:29:00.000-07:00

UC Merced has been approved for membership in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). With the approval, the Golden Bobcats will begin play in the California Pacific Conference in Fall 2011 in four sports: men’s basketball, women’s volleyball and men’s and women’s cross country.

“We couldn’t be more pleased that the NAIA has accepted UC Merced as a member,” said David Dunham, the campus’ director of recreation and athletics. “We feel our teams are more than ready to compete at this level and continue building a foundation for the future of Golden Bobcat athletics.”

Dunham said with the campus projected to eventually grow to a student enrollment of 25,000, UC Merced’s goal remains to compete at the NCAA Division II level. For now, the Golden Bobcats will compete against Bethany University, California Maritime Academy, Holy Names University, Menlo College, Mills College, Pacific Union College, Simpson University and William Jessup University in the Cal Pac Conference.

The NAIA includes nearly 300 colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada. It holds national championships in 23 sports, and its stated mission is to promote the education and development of well-rounded students and productive citizens through intercollegiate athletics.

Foster Poultry Farms Donates $1 Million for UC Merced Student Scholarships

2011-04-18T15:00:00.000-07:00

For many high school students, going to a university often comes with financial challenges. The Foster Poultry Farms Scholarship Fund — a $1 million scholarship fund that will be given over the next 10 years — has been established to help eligible UC Merced students receive the financial support needed to further their education.

“Our initial gift has already made a remarkable impact in the lives of UC Merced students and the community,” said Sue Foster, the company’s director of corporate giving. “We are delighted to further support the university and its important mission by providing student scholarships.”

To date, Foster Poultry Farms has supported the university with donations totaling nearly $2.3 million.

“The Foster family has been truly visionary, supporting the 10th UC campus before it was even built,” Chancellor Steve Kang said. “Generations of students will benefit from their generosity.”

Sustainability Research Opportunities Abound for 2010 UC Merced Grad

2011-04-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

As an undergrad, applied mathematics major Andrea Mercado, '10, worked as an intern with UC Merced Facilities, implementing improvements on the Central Plant and developing the Energy Performance Platform (EPP). During her internship, she worked on mapping the specifications of the EPP and developing metrics to monitor energy efficiency in UC Merced’s buildings. The work was subsidized by a grant from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL).

After her graduation from UC Merced, Mercado began working at LBNL as a research associate in the Environmental Energy Technologies Division.

“My internship with (UC Merced Director of Energy and Sustainability) John Elliott was what landed me the job here at LBNL and prepared me for the tasks ahead,” Mercado said. “Now I’m testing the EPP for accuracy so it can be deployed to the UC Merced campus as a reliable means of monitoring the sustainability of our buildings.”

In her job, Mercado researches energy sustainability methods in buildings, including developing metrics, modeling and classifying and interpreting building data. In addition to working on the EPP, she is organizing a large database that will store data from buildings nationwide.

Research Week Returns April 18-22

2011-04-12T11:02:00.000-07:00

Research Week, the annual celebration of faculty and student research at the University of California, Merced, returns this month with a student research poster competition and a number of lectures and symposia.

Research Week’s traditional mainstay events — the Student Research Poster Competition and the Vital and Alice Pellissier Distinguished Speaker Series — will be joined by a new event, the Sierra Nevada Research Institute (SNRI) Research Symposium. All three events are open to the public.

“UC Merced students and faculty are routinely undertaking groundbreaking research, and Research Week is our chance to celebrate that and invite the general public to learn more about the important work being done here,” said Sam Traina, vice chancellor for research.

A complete schedule of events, including dates, times and locations, can be found here.

Earth Week Celebration Returns

2011-04-08T13:47:00.000-07:00

Now in its second year, UC Merced’s student-run Earth Week celebration is growing and evolving.

Organized by junior Diana Franklin — the Associated Students of UC Merced’s Commissioner of Sustainability — the five-day fete will begin with a kickoff event on April 18 and culminate on Earth Day, April 22.

The kickoff event, scheduled for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 18, will be something of a sustainability street fair, with various attractions, information and food. Campus clubs devoted to environmental awareness and energy efficiency will have tables along Scholars Lane. And the campus’ student chapter of Engineers for a Sustainable World are organizing a green business fair, which will feature local businesses committed to sustainability — like J&R Tacos of Merced, which will be giving away free organically-grown corn.

“Earth Week is a perfect time for us to raise awareness about reducing energy use and protecting our environment,” said Franklin, who’s also the team manager of the Alliance to Save Energy’s Green Campus Program at UC Merced. “Sustainability is what this campus was built on, and our students, staff and faculty all have to do their part if we’re going to make a real difference.”

READ MORE

Medina Awarded Guggenheim Fellowship

2011-04-07T14:08:00.000-07:00

Mónica Medina, a biology professor in the School of Natural Sciences at the University of California, Merced, has been awarded the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation announced today.

Medina is among a diverse group of 180 scholars, artists and scientists to receive the fellowship this year, the 87th year of the competition for the United States and Canada — and one of just three in the field of organismic biology and ecology. The fellows were chosen from a group of nearly 3,000 applicants, based on prior achievement and exceptional promise.

The fellowship will allow Medina to apply systems biology theory — which she studies, using the relationship between coral and algae as a model — to symbiosis in general. She will collaborate on the project with two internationally prominent scientists: Roberto Iglesias-Prieto, a coral reef ecophysiologist from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and Hiroaki Kitano, a systems biologist from the Systems Biology Institute in Tokyo.

Medina has fast become one of UC Merced’s most decorated researchers. In 2007, she won the National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award. And in 2008, she won the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers. She recently published a study that showed coral genomes differ depending on their geographic location and that they may be adaptive enough to cope with changing environmental conditions.

Volleyball Team Proves it’s Ready for NAIA

2011-04-05T15:26:00.000-07:00

If there was any question whether UC Merced was ready to take its sports teams to a higher competitive level, the women’s volleyball club team has proved it this year.

When senior Kayla Taylor first joined the team as a freshman, in the club’s second year, the Bobcats struggled to win even a single game of any of their matches. In this season’s opening game, though, UC Merced beat UC Davis’ club team in convincing fashion.

“From then on, we realized what a serious team we’d turned out to be,” said Taylor, now the club’s president. “It was a little shocking to us. It used to be a struggle to win any games, and now we’re taking some matches easily.”

It was an encouraging sign of things to come. Women’s volleyball is one of four sports scheduled to begin play in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics in 2011-12, along with men’s basketball and men’s and women’s cross country.

UC Merced’s acceptance into the NAIA is expected to be approved during the NAIA national convention in mid-April.

“We are all very excited to join the NAIA and be a part of a competitive league,” said junior Brigitte Mayes, a political science major. “It is a big step for the women’s volleyball program, and we’re ready for the challenge.”

UC Merced's Spendlove Award Prize to Honor Former State Supreme Court Justice

2011-03-31T16:29:00.000-07:00

Former California Supreme Court Justice and civil rights lawyer Cruz Reynoso has been named the 2011 recipient of the Alice and Clifford Spendlove Prize in Social Justice, Diplomacy and Tolerance.

The University of California, Merced, will award the prize to Reynoso during an evening ceremony Thursday, April 21. The following day at 3:30 p.m. in Classroom and Office Building, Room 105, Reynoso will give an oral history that's open to the public. No RSVP is required.

The Spendlove Prize was established through a generous gift to the university from Sherrie Spendlove in honor of her parents, lifelong Merced residents Alice and Clifford Spendlove. The prize every year honors an individual who exemplifies the delivery of social justice, diplomacy and tolerance in his or her work.

"Justice Reynoso has been a lifelong trailblazer, helping those of humble beginnings have access to the legal system," Sherrie Spendlove said. "One of the things that makes our sixth recipient so compelling is that he withstood his own adversities and disadvantages and became a champion of social justice for all people."

Diverse Physics Faculty Above National Average, Earn Prestigious Awards

2011-03-31T09:49:00.000-07:00

UC Merced’s physics group is defying the odds.

Women make up 14 percent of physics faculty at U.S. degree-granting institutions, according to a 2010 survey by the American Institute of Physics. At UC Merced, three of the eight professors are women, or more than a third. Also, one of the two lecturers is a woman.

Rachel Ivie, who tracks hiring trends in physics departments for the institute, said UC Merced is doing better than a lot other campuses in terms of hiring a diverse physics faculty. She noted 10 percent of university physics departments in the United States don’t have any women.

“UC Merced has a good start with three women,” Ivie said. “Congratulations to your campus for doing that.”

The campus' physics group was formed six years ago when the campus opened and will continue to expand, as resources are available. Undergraduate students can earn a bachelor's degree in physics, and graduate can students study under the Physics and Chemistry emphasis.

Many women entering college don’t consider studying physics, which leads to fewer women with doctoral degrees who could go on to conduct research at universities, Ivie explained. The reasons aren’t entirely clear, though it may be that physics is considered a male science field.

Physics, historically as a discipline, has had a problem with gender equity in faculty ranks. Soft-matter researcher Linda Hirst said the startup nature of UC Merced’s group has set it apart, helping it attract a diverse pool of applicants and hire the strongest candidates, whether they are men or women.

“With physics hires, we are going for excellence,” Hirst said. “Our standards for recruitment are as high as any other campus.”

The caliber of the research is underscored by the fact that half of the members in the physics group — Kevin Mitchell, Linda Hirst, Lin Tian and Sayantani Ghosh — have been awarded National Science Foundation’s prestigious and highly-competitive CAREER award. The honor is given to junior professors “who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations.” Tenured faculty are not eligible for the award.

UC Merced Undergraduates Assist High School Students with Key Exam

2011-03-19T11:06:00.000-07:00

UC Merced students are showing their passion for serving the community by tutoring a group of Merced High School students who are in danger of failing a key exit exam.

The group was organized by world history major Dulcemaria Anaya, of Merced, and environmental engineering major Jesse Anaya, of Modesto, with the help of UC Merced Spanish lecturer Yolanda Pineda-Vargas.

The two students (no relation) were among the six students from UC Merced who participated in Harvard’s Latino Leadership Initiative in Cambridge, Mass., last year. Part of the program requires the students to make a difference in their community.

The students spent two hours each week through February and the first week of March tutoring about 20 students who are in danger of failing the English section of the California High School Exit Exam (CASHEE). For the seniors in the group, this is their last shot to pass.

"For many students, reading, analyzing and writing – the core subjects the CAHSEE aims to test – are skills vital to succeed in the university setting," Jesse Anaya said. "These skills, using the CAHSEE as our tool, are the ones we are hoping to help them develop. And we could not be more grateful for the opportunity."

Campus to Host Green Hall of Fame Event

2011-03-15T10:27:00.000-07:00

UC Merced will be the host for the inaugural International Green Industry Hall of Fame (IGIHOF) Induction Ceremony and Conference, to be held March 25.

The all-day event will be highlighted by the announcement of the first six inductees to the new Hall of Fame, which is designed to recognize individuals and organizations for outstanding achievements in the green industry and provide an educational forum for the international public.

The event will include tours of the campus and an address by UC Merced campus architect Thomas Lollini, FAIA, associate vice chancellor for physical planning, design and construction. Registration is under way.

“Our founding chancellor, the late Carol Tomlinson-Keasey, established a mission at UC Merced to set the standards for sustainable use of energy and other scarce resources and to be a model of development in the great San Joaquin Valley,” said Mark Maxwell, the campus’ assistant project manager and LEED coordinator. “We are meeting and in some areas exceeding her mission. This event is great opportunity to learn from others and work together to ultimately help preserve our environment.”

Sam Geil, chairman of the IGIHOF board of directors, said the group chose UC Merced for its commitment to sustainability both in research and in architecture and operations — the campus is the only one in the country to have all of its buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.

The keynote speaker for the event is Rod Diridon Sr., recognized as the “father” of modern transit service in California’s Silicon Valley, who will address “Transportation and High-Speed Rail in California: An Insider’s Perspective.”

Student Avoids Japan Earthquake Thanks to Break

2011-03-11T20:19:00.000-08:00

Fred Knutson was the only UC Merced student studying in Japan this semester, spending time in the coastal city of Sendai while learning Japanese and immersing himself in the culture. Knutson, who has several family members of at least partial Japanese descent, has made many trips there for fun, as well.

Last Thursday, March 3, Knutson returned from Japan to the United States for an extended break, as did most UC students who were studying there. His time at home was supposed to last just 18 days, but it couldn’t have been timed much better.

Knutson missed the 8.9 earthquake that struck Japan today — the largest recorded quake in the country’s history — and all of its aftershocks and the ensuing tsunami. The buildings he lived in survived, but the earthquake and tsunami left hundreds dead or injured.

“I heard about the earthquakes last week, the small ones, but never imagined it could turn into this,” Knutson said. “I thought I was missing out on seeing my friends. Now I am wondering where they are.”

At home in Orange County, Knutson spent much of his time Friday trying to locate friends still in Japan. It was a difficult task, he said, because phone lines have been cut and cell reception affected.

“I know that people are trying to find their loved ones, just as I am trying to find my friends, but I just need to keep on hoping that they are all right and are able to stay with each other until they get found, if they aren't in a shelter already,” he said. “I heard from one person already, and a few more through Facebook and friends, and that helped me through the day. It’s bad not knowing, but the worst is not being able to do anything to help.”

Knutson joined Chancellor Steve Kang in encouraging fellow students, faculty and staff at UC Merced to donate to relief efforts through one of the following organizations:

American Red Cross, http://www.redcross.org/, 800-RED-CROSS

CARE, http://www.care.org/, 800-521-CARE

Catholic Relief Services, http://crs.org, 800-736-3467

Operation USA, http://www.opusa.org, 800-678-7255

Salvation Army, http://salvationarmyusa.org, 800-SAL-ARMY

U.S. Fund for UNICEF, http://www.unicefusa.org, 800-FOR-KIDS

World Vision, http://www.worldvision.org, 866-280-6587

UC Merced Engineering Alumnus on the Right Path

2011-03-11T16:59:00.000-08:00

For alumnus Matt Nelson, '09, a summer internship with PG&E internship before his senior year led to a full-time job as a program engineer in the Technical Product Support group.

“I’m glad to know that my education at UC Merced allowed me to get a good job, even during a down economy,” he said.

He advises current and future UC Merced students to take a cue from his experience to help maximize their chances of finding similar success.

“Get to know your professors well,” Nelson admonished. “Networking is key, and faculty can be a great resource, especially when it comes to getting internships. And try to get an internship, because it really gives you an advantage when it comes time to find a job.”

UC Merced Seminar to Focus on National Parks, Reserved Lands Leadership

2011-03-09T15:36:00.000-08:00

In April, more than two dozen park leaders from across the globe will gather at the National Parks Institute Executive Leadership Seminar to address issues like climate change, habitat loss, encroachment, budget constraints and rapidly changing leadership.

The seminar, a collaborative venture of UC Merced, the National Park Service, the Institute at the Golden Gate, the Great Valley Center and the National Parks Conservation Association’s Center for Park Management and, provides management development curriculum for park and public land managers, promotes scientific research in parks, fosters stewardship, and promotes and develops environmentally sustainable resource management practices.

Pulitzer Prize-winning ecologist and author E. O. Wilson will provide a though-provoking discussion to participants.

Media contact: Brenda Ortiz

A Step Up for Snowpack Measurements

2011-03-04T12:58:00.000-08:00

More than half of the water used in California for farming and drinking and other everyday uses comes by way of runoff from the Sierra Nevada, and gauging the amount of snow there and predicting how much runoff there will be is an annual rite that has a major trickledown effect of its own.

Currently, water managers physically measure the snow depth at a series of index sites, and they compare the results to those from past years to predict water availability and thus determine how much water will be allocated to farmers and communities. The data are limited and the predictions can have a high uncertainty, which leads to costly inefficiencies in the process.

That could all be changing soon, as Professor Roger Bales of the University of California, Merced — with help from UC Berkeley and the UC’s Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) — has designed a system that will use clusters of wireless sensors to provide more accurate measurements of snowpack depth, water storage in soil, stream flow and other important factors, and make that data available to the public in real time.

The result could be a boon to a statewide farming industry that already totals $35 billion annually, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

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

2011-02-25T14:21:00.000-08:00

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.

Media contact:
Brenda Ortiz

UC Merced Unveils Stem Cell Foundry

2011-02-23T15:03:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-03T15:23:00.000-08:00

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

Fashion Show Will Highlight UC Merced’s Diversity, Assist Moms in Need

2011-01-21T13:07:00.000-08:00

The American Women Making a Difference club will host its first Students vs. Faculty and Staff Fashion Show at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 29 in the Lakireddy Auditorium on campus.

Dozens of models will show off more than 200 outfits on five stages, creating an epic fashion event. Even better, students will compete with faculty and staff models to determine who has the best fashion sense.

Tickets are $5 for any high school or college student, $10 for staff, faculty and community members. Proceeds will benefit single mothers in the community through the United Way.

UC Merced Professors Launch Campus’ First Journal of Literary and Cultural Criticism

2011-01-14T15:30:00.000-08:00

Two UC Merced literature professors have launched the campus’ first online literary journal through University of California’s eScholarship.

Professors Ignacio López-Calvo and Cristián H. Ricci will publish next semester the first edition of “TRANSMODERNITY: Journal of Peripheral Cultural Production of the Luso-Hispanic World,” a peer-reviewed and interdisciplinary journal of Luso-Hispanic and U.S. Latina/o literary and cultural studies

The editorial board includes professors from Harvard, Penn State, Purdue, Vanderbilt, Arizona State, University of Minnesota, Georgetown University, University of Liverpool, and several other scholars from the University of California’s sister campuses.

“We are also excited about the open-access policy of our journal,” López-Calvo said. “It will be free for everyone, including people in underdeveloped countries, where this cultural production is often produced, and whose universities don't have the funds to pay for expensive journals and books.”

UC Merced Alumnus Serves as Staffer in DC

2011-01-07T10:13:00.000-08:00

Josh Franco (’07) is exactly where he planned to be. Every step leading to his current job as a senior legislative assistant for U.S. Congressman John Garamendi has been carefully taken by Franco with his gifts for connecting with others and for absorbing and sharing information in mind. And one of those steps included his choice of UC Merced for his undergraduate education.

Franco, who is from Bell Flower in Southern California, specifically wanted to get involved with establishing UC Merced’s student government, and that’s just what he did, serving as the first president of the Associated Students of UC Merced. He majored in social, behavioral and cognitive sciences with an emphasis in public policy.

“I wanted a multidisciplinary approach to better understand policy, politics, government and governance,” he explained.

UC Merced met his expectations. He said the campus and the local and regional community prepared him by challenging his assumptions about people, places and ideas, encouraging collaboration, cooperation and creativity, and fostering an insatiable appetite for information and knowledge.

Study Examines Impact of Greenhouse Gases on Marine Life

2010-12-20T12:28:00.001-08:00

A study by UC Merced marine biologist Michael Beman shows the prolonged, extensive emission of greenhouse gases over the next several decades could have significant impacts on ocean life.

Increases in carbon dioxide emissions — exacerbated by the burning of fossil fuels and other human activities — are making ocean water more acidic, and Beman’s study shows that the increased acidity will fundamentally alter the way nitrogen cycles throughout the sea.

Because nitrogen is an important nutrient for all organisms, this could ultimately have significant impacts for all forms of marine life.

“There is growing concern about this issue because human activities are modifying ocean pH so rapidly,” Beman said. “While we do not know what the full effects of changing the nitrogen cycle will be, we performed experiments all over the world and believe that these changes will be global in extent.”

Beman’s study — funded by the National Science Foundation and co-authored by a team of researchers from the University of Hawaii, University of Southern California and the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences — will be published this week in the prestigious journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Beman conducted the studies while at the University of Hawaii, before coming to UC Merced in 2009.

Paramount Farms to Offer Scholarships to South Valley UC Merced Students

2010-12-16T11:15:00.000-08:00

Paramount Farms has pledged $1 million to a scholarship fund at the University of California, Merced, in an effort to help low-income students from the south San Joaquin Valley pursue their higher education dreams.

"The Resnicks and the leadership of Paramount Farms are demonstrably committed to access to education in the Valley," said David Hosley, interim vice chancellor for University Relations. "This leadership gift is a great investment in our growing university and young people, many of whom will be the first in their families to attend college. The Paramount Farms Scholarship Fund will give students from the region the opportunity for a life-transforming experience."

Paramount Farms, owned by Lynda and Stewart Resnick, is the largest farmer of tree crops in the world. The company processes almonds, lemons, oranges and pistachios.

Azucena Robles, a mechanical engineering major from Bakersfield who will graduate in May 2013, is among the students who have been helped by Paramount Farms' past scholarships.

"This scholarship has helped me begin to achieve my long-term goal, which is to obtain higher education, find a great job and be a successful woman," Robles said.

Brochure Highlights Inventions by UC Merced Faculty

2010-12-14T12:38:00.000-08:00

UC Merced's Office of Research has released a publication that showcases a number of inventions by campus researchers, from technologies that increase the efficiency of solar energy collectors to medical developments that could limit the reproduction of the hepatitis C virus or the spread of HIV to materials that could improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries.

“Inventions” (view PDF here) is a 64-page, full-color document that includes detailed descriptions and stunning photographs illustrating 55 inventions processed from January 2007 to July 2010. The selection includes 16 inventions related to solar energy technology and 12 related to health research.

Sam Traina, UC Merced's vice chancellor for research, said “Inventions” is a testament to the quality of research being conducted at UC Merced and is even more impressive given the campus’ relatively brief period of existence.

“Our progress compares favorably with that of larger, more established campuses,” Traina said, “especially when you consider that a high percentage of our faculty are assistant professors who are early in their careers.”

UC Merced Alumni Launch Solar Thermal Company

2010-12-10T12:02:00.000-08:00

Alumni Kevin Rico, Heather Poiry and Kevin Balkoski have started a new company called SunTherm Energy, with the goal of providing solar thermal technology and service to companies in the San Joaquin Valley and beyond.

The trio met at UC Merced while studying under Professor Roland Winston, a founding faculty member and a pioneer in non-imaging optics, a science concerned with collecting, concentrating, transporting and distributing light energy.

Undergraduate Finds UC Merced Experience Rewarding

2010-12-03T12:53:00.000-08:00

Senior mechanical engineering major Edirin Egbikuadje is enjoying opportunities such as engaging classes, hands-on research, soccer and much more.

“My experience has been amazing," Egbikuadje said. “I really like the community here. Small feel, everybody knows your name.”

The ability to conduct research as an undergraduate has been the most important experience at UC Merced, he explained. Students at other campuses have not gotten the same opportunities to work side-by-side with renowned faculty as he has.

UC Merced Professor Earns Sigma Xi's Young Investigator Award

2010-12-01T15:42:00.000-08:00

University of California, Merced, cognitive science Professor Teenie Matlock has been given Sigma Xi's 2011 Young Investigator Award for excellence in research.

Matlock is the 14th recipient of the award. Past recipients include biochemist Brandt F. Eichman of Vanderbilt University and biologist Laura F. Landweber of Princeton University.

Matlock has published more than 50 articles to date. Her research combines theory from cognitive linguistics and methods from experimental psychology. Many of her projects address the understanding of meaning, especially spatial language and, more recently, political language.

A recent paper, co-authored with Indiana University psycholinguist Caitlin Fausey, will appear in the journal Political Psychology. The paper discusses how even the subtle linguistic details in political messages can have an impact on how political candidates' past actions are perceived by voters. In addition to being well received in the academic community, the work has been reported in several national media outlets, including Science and The Washington Post, bringing it to a larger audience.

Sigma Xi is an international research organization founded in 1886 to honor excellence in scientific investigation and to encourage a sense of companionship and cooperation among researchers in all fields of science and engineering.

UC Merced Study Shows Grammar Impacts Voter Support for Candidates

2010-11-29T11:36:00.000-08:00

Politicians spend millions of dollars each year formulating effective campaign messages, but they may not always focus on the right details. A recent study conducted by a UC Merced professor suggests they may want to pay closer attention to the fine-grained details of those messages.

UC Merced cognitive science Professor Teenie Matlock and Indiana University post-doctoral research fellow Caitlin M. Fausey recently discovered that verb forms can have significant impacts on how voters view a candidate’s past negative actions. The researchers studied people’s attitudes about a fictitious political candidate after reading sentences that were phrased with imperfective (verb+ing) or perfective (verb+ed). Students from UC Merced and Stanford University participated in the experiments.

A key finding of the research is that people felt the candidate was likely to fail in a bid for re-election if the action was in the imperfective form.

“These findings provide novel insights about how language can shape thought in the political realm,” the authors wrote. Most research on political messages focuses on language yoked to partisan issues or word-level phenomena.

In their paper, “Can Grammar Win Elections?,” Matlock and Fausey argue that using the imperfective form in political messages can amplify politicians’ negative past actions, such as “accepting hush money” or “having an affair” because voters infer that such negative actions may continue. In contrast, the perfective implies that these actions may be “over and done with.”

UC Merced Professor Finds Natural Collaboration with Australian University

2010-11-23T14:08:00.000-08:00

UC Merced Professor Jay Sharping will be collaborating with the University of Adelaide in Australia to test optical fiber made of soft glass. Optical fibers carry all of our voice and data information, but the vast majority of devices are made from just one or two types of glass. There are, however, literally thousands of different types of glass that one can choose from.

The University of Adelaide is one of only a few universities that can fabricate this type of optical fiber, and UC Merced has a lab well-suited for studying the way light behaves as it propagates through optical fibers.

“It’s a pretty natural pairing,” Sharping explained. “I’m interested in new and different types of optical fiber and they are looking for compelling reasons to make them.”

Most optical fiber isn’t made with soft glass because it isn’t good for transporting data over long distances. It does have the potential to be useful for other applications such as data encryption and laser microscopy.

Using extremely shorts bursts from a laser one can optically stimulate living cells without damaging or killing them, allowing researchers to learn more about them.

The Australian Research Council funded the collaboration for three years. Sharping is in the midst of applying for a grant from the National Sciences Foundation to further support the work.

Senior Enjoys Opportunities at UC Merced

2010-11-12T17:58:00.000-08:00

Modesto native Edirin Egbikuadje spent the past summer applying mechanical engineering knowledge in the lab working to figure out how to keep heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) running more efficiently.

For Egbikuadje, the ability to conduct research as an undergraduate has been the most important experience at UC Merced.

“My experience has been amazing,"he said. “I really like the community here. Small feel, everybody knows your name.”

New Program to Help Cities Address Climate Change

2010-11-05T13:25:00.000-07:00

Many large cities in the Valley, including Sacramento, Stockton and Fresno, have already started planning for climate change. But smaller cities often lack the financial resources or staff time to commit to these programs or hire consultants.

A new program organized by the Great Valley Center — a partner of the University of California, Merced — will offer free assistance to local governments in the San Joaquin Valley to help them develop an inventory of their greenhouse gas emissions and ultimately offer recommendations on how each city can reduce the amount of energy used in its own operations.

The Green Communities Program, funded by PG&E and the California Public Utilities Commission and implemented with the help of ICLEI: Local Governments for Sustainability, will pay interns from UC Merced, University of the Pacific and California State University, Stanislaus, to work with staff members in participating cities.

Thus far, cities that have signed on to participate in the Green Communities Program are Modesto, Turlock, Ceres, Patterson, Oakdale, Riverbank, Hughson, Waterford, Newman and Livingston. Stanislaus County and the cities of Los Banos and Sanger are also looking into the program.

The Great Valley Center interns will use meter information to assess energy use while also interviewing city staff members about solid waste management, sewage treatment, landfill emissions and even commuting practices. They will then offer customized recommendations based on the findings.

In addition to helping those cities plan for climate change, the program also gives cities an opportunity to become leaders in sustainability, setting an example for their residents and neighboring towns.

UC Merced Student Group Connects Women in Science, Engineering

2010-11-04T15:08:00.000-07:00

Although its name may suggest otherwise, UC Merced’s Women in Science and Engineering is open to men and women and students of all disciplines. Its mission is to “generate and promote equal opportunities for women in diverse science and engineering disciplines.”

“It’s nice to have that reinforcement – that you’ll struggle (in some classes) – but that you’ll make it through,” said undergraduate management major and group founder Patricia Dugan. “That’s a message everyone wants to hear.”

Dugan was talking last semester about forming some sort of group with Professor Sayantani Ghosh, who suggested they consider starting a Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) group on campus. During the summer, Dugan identified the mission of the group and gained guidance and final approval from Ghosh and School of Natural Sciences Dean Maria Pallavicini, who acts as founding faculty mentor.

“WiSE should be considered a source of information for incoming students, a platform for forming friendships and social ties with peers for current students and a stepping stone for information on future career development for ones about to graduate,” Dugan said.

UC Merced WiSE has 10 officers from across UC Merced’s three schools and 20 members. It has been holding weekly tea-time conversations as well as monthly meetings that feature faculty speakers. Recently, Professor Mayya Tokman was the featured speaker. She discussed her journey and gave the audience inspirational advice through her own successes.

Cognitive science Professor Teenie Matlock spoke Nov. 2, and soil biogeochemistry Professor Asmeret Asefaw Berhe will speak in December.

UC Merced, UCSF Study: Having Oral Sex Increases Likelihood for Intercourse Among Teens

2010-11-01T13:25:00.000-07:00

Half of teens who have oral sex during the ninth grade will have intercourse by the end of the 11th grade, and most sexually active teenagers will begin engaging in oral sex and sexual intercourse within the same six-month period, according to findings from a new survey conducted by researchers at UCSF and UC Merced.

The study is the first to track teens' sexual behavior over time to determine whether oral sex increases the likelihood of having sexual intercourse or acts as a protective measure delaying the onset of further sexual activity. The data, explain the researchers, yield important information about adolescent sexual development and the need to deliver more comprehensive sex education programs.

"Health care providers, health educators and parents need to not be shy about discussing oral sex with teens," said Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, PhD, senior author of the study and a professor of pediatrics at UCSF. "I see most of the health policies out there and guidelines for preventive services talking about sex generally, but they do not specify oral sex. That is an important distinction because teens don't consider oral sex to be sex, and many are not aware of the risks involved."

Among teens who reported becoming sexually active during the three-year study, most said they had intercourse for the first time after or within the same six-month period of initiating oral sex. According to Halpern-Felsher, this indicates oral sex is influencing the onset of riskier sexual behavior, underscoring the need to encourage open, honest discussion about sexual activity.

"Our study demonstrates that through its relationship with intercourse, oral sex contributes to the total risk associated with sexual activity among teens, including sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy," said Anna V. Song, PhD, first author of the study and an assistant professor of psychological sciences at UC Merced. "Understanding teen sexual behavior is so important because incorrect assumptions about how and why teens engage in sex can undermine interventions that aim to curb these negative outcomes."

Progress Being Made Toward Intercollegiate Sports

2010-10-28T11:33:00.000-07:00

UC Merced continues to make progress toward an intercollegiate athletics program, with a student interest survey beginning soon in advance of the campus’ application to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in January.

The campus remains on track to begin intercollegiate competition in at least two sports in Fall 2011, according to Director of Recreation and Athletics David Dunham.

The survey will begin going out by e-mail to students this weekend. Its questions are designed to gauge the students’ interest in having an intercollegiate athletics program on campus, their preferences as to which sports should be included, and their openness to the possibility of a student fee to finance the athletics program.

Dunham said the campus expects to submit its membership application to the NAIA in January, with a decision expected to come at the NAIA National Convention in April. Dunham said he’s confident that UC Merced’s application will be accepted.

If it is, the Golden Bobcats are expected to begin varsity competition in Fall 2011, with sports to be determined in part by the results of the survey. The timing is in line with the April 2009 recommendations from the Chancellor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, though with a slower pace in terms of how many sports are to be added each year, Dunham said.

UC Merced Study: Republicans, Democrats Viewed as Polar Opposites

2010-10-27T16:07:00.000-07:00

People view Democrats and Republicans, and liberals and conservatives as exact opposites, according to a recently published interdisciplinary study conducted by two UC Merced professors.

The findings, authors Evan Heit and Stephen Nicholson wrote, suggest that the American political system is highly coherent and organized. Elected officials — as members of political parties or ideological backgrounds — offer a distinct choice since a candidate running for office is not typical of both.

"It seems like it's lonely to be in the middle, politically speaking," said Heit, a cognitive scientist. "Politicians can be typical Democrats or typical Republicans, but they can’t be typical of both."

The article, "The Opposite of Republican: Polarization and Political Categorization," was published recently online by "Cognitive Science," the official journal of the Cognitive Science Society. The article will also be included in the upcoming printed edition.

The findings, Heit and Nicholson note, have implications for governance, which often requires compromise and consensus. A Republican proposal could be opposed by Democrats simply because it is viewed as being opposite of what Democrats would do, the paper notes.

"It's really a new era of politics," said Nicholson, a political scientist. "It's the loss of bipartisan governance. We're living it today so it's hard to appreciate how politics were once very different. If we could go back in time to do this study, I wouldn’t expect to see such extreme polarization."