This is the final entry of a series of profiles of new UC Merced Bobcats enrolled for the fall 2025 semester.
Adriana Ponce Mata spent the last two summers working in one of the largest and oldest companies in the Bay Area. This fall, she joins UC Merced to begin her next chapter. Through Project SEED, she gained hands-on research experience testing fuels in an oil refinery, sparking her passion for science and helping others.
This is part of a series of profiles of new UC Merced Bobcats enrolled for the fall 2025 semester.
Rolando Ortega is closing in on his dream of earning a Ph.D. This fall, the Cal-Bridge scholar from Los Angeles County joins UC Merced to start his doctoral journey. With experience spanning national labs, NASA outreach and cutting-edge research, Ortega is ready to design devices that push the boundaries of science and technology.
Where I come from: I was born and raised in Baldwin Park and graduated from Baldwin Park High School in 2018.
The new academic year is a momentous milestone for UC Merced — two decades of growth, innovation and achievement. In 2005, the first undergraduate students were welcomed on the new campus. Now, 20 years later, thousands more new students will begin their own journeys that will shape their futures and the future of UC Merced.
For more than 1,300 Central Valley students, this summer break wasn’t all about fun — it included strengthening their math and science skills to prepare them for the new school year and beyond.
UC Merced’s Center for Educational Partnerships offered a wealth of summer programming led by its three offices: K-20 Regional Alliances, State College Preparatory Programs and K-14 Federal Programs.
To mark UC Merced’s entry into National Collegiate Athletics Association NCAA Division II competition, the university is launching the Bobcat Club – an initiative designed to support scholar-athletes and the campus’s elevated level of intercollegiate sports.
UC Merced remains one of the top universities in the nation according to Money’s 2025 “Best Colleges in America” report.
The university earned 4.5 stars out of 5 in Money’s latest poll, which scores over 700 schools. The ratings are based on several factors, including graduation rates, cost of attendance, instructor access and economic mobility.
A group of dedicated UC Merced alumni have come together to launch an endowed fund focused on supporting LGBTQ+ student initiatives, programs and priorities.
Spearheaded by University of California Regent Emeritus Keith Ellis ’12, the LGBTQ+ Lambda Student Engagement Endowment was created to foster a more inclusive and affirming environment for students from diverse sexual and gender identities, now and for generations to come.
This is part of a series of profiles of new UC Merced Bobcats enrolled for the fall 2025 semester.
Trinity King is coming to UC Merced with dreams of shining both as a performer and in the health care world. She’s excited to blend her love for dance with her academic journey as a public health major, believing that both experiences at UC Merced will bring her closer to her goals.
Where I come from: I’m from Hayward. I attended Mount Eden High School.
UC Merced students, faculty and staff have access to a new safety tool: the Bobcat Safety App — the university's official safety app — launched by the UC Merced Police Department ahead of the new academic year.
The app integrates with UC Merced's safety and security systems. After downloading it to their mobile devices, students, staff and faculty will have access to essential campus safety resources and communication tools.
Growing up in Watsonville, a vibrant agricultural community on California's Central Coast, Adamaris Alvarez always knew she wanted to work in agriculture. She worked on her family's berry ranch, Alvarez Farms, where she grew a deep appreciation for the hard work agriculture demands.
But it wasn't until she saw an Instagram post about an internship at UC Merced's Experimental Smart Farm that she realized she could help shape the future of farming.
