UC Merced

What does a summer of research look like at UC Merced? 🔬

For 92 undergraduate researchers—49 from UC Merced and 43 visiting scholars from across the country—it meant spending nine weeks working alongside faculty mentors, tackling real-world challenges and developing the skills needed for graduate school and research careers.

At the 2026 SURI Research Symposium, students presented projects spanning public health, agriculture, climate, engineering and the social sciences, showcasing the discoveries they made throughout the summer.

Interested in undergraduate research? Visit uroc.ucmerced.edu to learn more about research opportunities, faculty mentorship and programs available to Bobcats throughout the year. 🐾

Meet Peyton Smith👋 She's an incoming Bobcat from Fresno who's already made an impact through athletics and community service. Now she's headed to UC Merced to pursue pre-med, explore research opportunities and build toward a career in pediatric medicine 🩺

Welcome to the Bobcat family, Peyton! 💙💛

Read Peyton's story and meet more future Bobcats: https://news.ucmerced.edu/news/bobcat-bound

Our favorite bobcats just got a new home! 🐾
Boomer, Bobbie and Rufus are settling into their newly renovated habitat as the Applegate Zoo reopens after months of improvements!
As part of our commitment to the Merced community, UC Merced helped fund the new bobcat exhibit and announced an additional $20,000 gift toward the zoo's next chapter💙💛
Read more 🔗 https://ucm.edu/074hpl

For the fourth consecutive year, Discovery's Shark Week turned to UC Merced Professor Sora Kim to help tell the story of sharks. 🦈

This year, she's sharing the screen with actor and comedian Ken Jeong and Grammy-nominated singer and rapper Rei Ami in the premiere episode, K-Pop Shark Heroes. Together, they're blending science, comedy and K-pop to bust myths and help audiences see sharks in a whole new light!

Don't miss Professor Kim kicking off Shark Week in the premiere episode on Sunday, July 26, at 8 p.m.

Full story 🔗 https://ucm.edu/sd5xym

Watch UC Merced Professor Sora Kim this Sunday on Discovery’s “Shark Week.” 🦈 She’s back on the popular summer program for the fourth year in a row— this time with some familiar faces! 👀

UC Merced Professor Sora Kim Makes Waves Again on Shark Week | Newsroom University CommunicationsJuly 22, 2026Professor Sora Kim is joined on the show by Ken Jeong and Rei Ami. Talk about meta: A pop culture phenomenon is using a pop culture phenomenon to undo the results of a pop culture phenomenon. And for the fourth consecutive year, paleoecology Professor Sora Kim i...

📍From Atwater to Bobcat country.
Atwater native Tayven Tipler is staying close to home to pursue biological sciences at UC Merced after graduating high school with an associate's degree already in hand. His goal? Medical school and giving back to the family, friends and community that helped shape him.
Welcome to the Bobcat family, Tayven! 💙💛

Read Tayven's story and meet more future Bobcats: https://lnkd.in/gBYTnG4z

Meet Wonderful Ezieme. After moving from Nigeria to California just two years ago, he excelled in the classroom, competed in track and field, and discovered a passion for neuroscience. Now he's ready to begin the next chapter of his journey at UC Merced, where he's eager to pursue research, explore Yosemite and make his mark as a Bobcat. Welcome to the Bobcat family! 💙💛

Read Wonderful's story and meet more future Bobcats: https://news.ucmerced.edu/news/bobcat-bound