Dear Colleagues,

As we approach the end of the year, I find it meaningful to reflect on the remarkable progress and resilience demonstrated by our community. This year has been a milestone for UC Merced. In addition to celebrating the 20th anniversary of our founding, the university achieved R1 research classification by the Carnegie Foundation, placing us among the nation’s leading research institutions. We also transitioned to NCAA Division II, elevating the visibility and competitiveness of our athletics program and campus.

UC Merced continues to earn national recognition:

• Ranked among the Top 25 Public Universities by U.S. News & World Report
• No. 3 in Social Mobility for the second consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report
• 14th Best College in the Nation and No. 3 among public universities by Wall Street Journal

Our School of Engineering reflects this upward trajectory. Graduate programs advanced in national rankings, and several faculty members earned prestigious accolades for research, teaching, and service. These achievements underscore our commitment to preparing graduates for high-demand careers and driving innovation through impactful research.

As we celebrate these successes, we also remain mindful of the challenges and evolving realities affecting higher education. These realities strengthen our resolve to collaborate and innovate as we move forward. The progress we have made is a testament to the dedication and talent of our faculty, staff, and students. Together, we will continue to build on this momentum and pursue excellence in research, education, and service.

As this year concludes, I extend my best wishes for a season of reflection and renewal, and for continued success and collaboration in the year ahead.

Boldy Forward | UC Merced is building the future in the heart of California, and the School of Engineering is proud to be a major part of the university’s continued success.

Our Academic Rankings Continue to Impress

UC Merced was ranked the 14th best college in the nation and 3rd among public universities by the WSJ!

DR. MUKESH SINGHAL

IEEE Life Fellow

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers has bestowed the honor of "IEEE Life Fellow" to Mukesh Singhal, professor of electrical engineering at UC Merced. Singhal's research interests include cloud computing and distributed computing systems, cybersecurity, cryptocurrency, blockchain, consensus algorithms, artificial intelligence and machine learning, wireless and vehicular networks, mobile computing, network security and the Internet of Things.

Professor Dong Li | Research Title: Efficient Sparse Training with Adaptive Expert Parallelism on AWS Trainium.

Professor Xiaoyi Lu | Research Title: Accelerating Large Language and Reasoning Model Workloads with AWS Trainium.

Yarra was chosen in recognition of his exceptional mentorship, leadership and dedication to student success.

The American Society of Civil Engineers has awarded civil and environmental engineering Professor Siddaiah Yarra the Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award for Region 9.

The ASCE San Francisco Section Individual Awards aim to recognize people for outstanding achievements or leadership in civil engineering, or who, through their work, support and advance the civil engineering profession.

Professor Erin Hestir co-led the BioSCape project. Photo by Otto Whitehead, Fishwater Films

Multinational Effort to Map South Africa’s Biodiversity from the Air Earns NASA Award

A multinational research project co-led by UC Merced has received a Group Achievement Award as part of the 2024-25 NASA Honor Awards. BioSCape was NASA’s first biodiversity-focused campaign. Researchers used a combination of aircraft equipped with remote sensing technology and field work to collect data about South Africa’s Greater Cape Floristic Region, one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. 

Upcoming:The project also is the subject of a documentary film that premiered this month and will be shown next year in Merced.

The program will prepare students for the emerging job market of quantum technologies.

The project is aimed at accelerating the future of artificial intelligence and scientific research.

The project includes one test bed served by an AI system and one watered traditionally.

Photo by Farms to Incubators.

AI-Powered Irrigation System Offers Opportunities for Communications as well as Farming

Researchers at UC Merced and the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources installed an irrigation system powered by artificial intelligence to deliver the precise amount of water needed and measure the results. The project includes one test bed served by an AI system and one watered traditionally. Photo by Farms to Incubators.

The project was funded through the Fall 2023 Climate Action Seed Funds. It included a goal that’s almost as important as the work itself: spreading the word about the system and its potential. The project is led by professor Wan Du, in collaboration with professor Safeeq Khan (soil model) and professor Stefano Carpin (AI model).

Professor Xiaofan Yu is building her research lab.

New Professor Delves Deep into Artificial Intelligence in Real Life

One of UC Merced’s newest professor, Xiaofan Yu, is working to make AI more explainable and more efficient. Yu's research focuses on embedded systems and edge AI -- from smartphones to medical devices, artificial intelligence is a part of much of everyday life.

Photo courtesy of UCLA

Vaping Produces a Chemical that Destroys Human Tissue, Research Shows

Chemicals produced during the vaping process are extremely harmful to human tissue, study indicates. In CA, there is no danger of being arrested for vaping marijuana or CBD products. But there is a danger to human health that most don't realize: chemical byproducts of vaping process destroy human cells, a new interdisciplinary study shows.

School of Natural Sciences professor Ryan Baxter and chemical and materials engineering professors Kara McCloskey and Roberto Andresen Eguiluz, both affiliated with the Health Sciences Research Institute, have been studying the safety profiles of components in commercially available vape cartridges to identify hazards and develop mitigation strategies.

In all, $80 million was announced to support 11 projects statewide.

State Delivers $3 Million for Ag Technology Center at UC Merced

The university will receive $3 million from the state of California, part of $80 million in funding to support 11 projects across California. The funds will go towards the construction of an agricultural technology barn at the site of UC Merced’s Agriculture Experimentation Station, known as the Smart Farm. The barn facility will be used for research and development.

Work at the AES advances innovation, fosters sustainability and builds climate resilience

UC Merced Agricultural Experiment Station Adds Fire, Insect and Soil Researchers

Three professors are joining UC Merced’s Agricultural Experiment Station this fall, bringing more expertise and resources to the 3-year-old research center.

• Management of complex systems Professor Crystal Kolden will focus on the intersection of agriculture and wildfire;
• Public Health Professor Andrea Joyce will work on sustainable, environmentally friendly agricultural insect management; and
• Life and Environmental Science Professor Josh Garcia will examine plant-soil-microbe interactions.

UC Merced and UC Santa Cruz received AES designations in 2022, the first UC campuses so named in 50 years

The Central Valley is a major contributor to a growing dust problem, in large part because of agriculture, researchers say

Study Indicates Human-caused Dust Events are Linked to Fallow Farmland

Central Valley is a major contributor to a growing dust problem, in large part because of agriculture, researchers say. A new study published in Nature Communications Earth and Environment by UC Merced professors Adeyemi Adebiyi and John Abatzoglou finds that the Central Valley accounts for about 77% of fallowed land in California and is associated with about 88% of major anthropogenic, or human-caused, dust events.

The expo included demonstrations of equipment.

Challenges, Opportunities Presented at Small Farm Tech Expo

For the fifth year, UC Merced hosted the Small Farm Tech Expo, which brought researchers, farmers, university students and even a group from a Modesto elementary school to talk about agriculture technology and how it can best help those who grow the world's food.

A new partnership offers exciting opportunities for students, research potential for faculty and the latest technology for farmers. Representatives of the University of California and the Almond Board of California signed a memorandum of understanding, or MOU.

The MOU calls for the entities to work together over the next five years in such vital areas as automation, sustainability and new almond varieties.

The analysis shows that treating forests delivers economic as well as environmental benefits.

Post-prescribed fire photo by Roger Bales.

Thinning, Burning Forests Provide Multiple Benefits, Some of Them Surprising

Wildfires in California’s Sierra Nevada are worsening due to decades of fire suppression. esearch shows thinning & burning treatments cut risks and yield billions in benefits—carbon, timber, erosion, air quality.

The Los Angeles fires in January caused an estimated $65 billion in damages (Photo by Cal Fire)

Wildfire Disasters Surged in the Past 10 Years, Study Shows

Concerning new research from UC Merced’s Fire Resilience Center shows that nearly half of the world’s worst wildfire disasters have occurred in just the past decade. And contemporary fires are more dangerous and destructive than their predecessors.

New research from UCMerced Fire Resilience Center shows that half of the world’s worst wildfire disasters have occurred in just the past decade. Management of Complex Systems professors Crystal Kolden and John Abatzoglou co-author study.

Lightning ignited than 600 fires in California in 2020.

Damaging Lightning-Caused Wildfires Likely to Increase in a Few Years, Researchers Find

In a study published in Earth’s Future, researchers from the Sierra Nevada Research Center, including Management of Complex Systems professor John Abatzoglou, warn that climate change is likely to bring an increase in both cloud-to-ground lightning and the risk of lightning-caused wildfires.

The study looked at carbon storage and wildfire risk in the 2,000-square-mile American River basin.

Photo by Brie Anne Coleman, PCWA.

Forest Carbon: Store it or Burn it? Actually, Both is Best

In a paper published in Ecological Modeling, a team of UC Merced and collaborating researchers report that forests can provide wildfire safety and be effective carbon collectors if trees are selectively harvested and turned into long-lived wood products.

Co-author Safeeq Khan, a professor of watershed hydrology at UC Merced noted, that given the increasing risks of high-severity wildfire in our overstocked forests, and rapid growth of shrubs and small trees, it is becoming more important to periodically burn or remove small-diameter material to maintain wildfire security.

The study, published in Ecological Modeling, looked at carbon storage and wildfire risk in the 2,000-square-mile American River basin.

Dead trees stand where a forest burned in 2016 near Horseshoe Meadows in the Sierra Nevada Mountains on Aug. 21, 2022 near Lone Pine, California. California’s snowpack is melting a little faster than usual, and climate scientists believe another record-breaking hot summer could be in the cards, ramping up the possibility of an early fire season. 

(David McNew/Getty Images)

California's Snowpack Shrinks, Igniting Concerns of Early Wildfires

Roger Bales, a hydrology and water resources engineering professor at UC Merced and UC Berkeley, said snow melting between April and June is normal. Still, when looking at the snow cover from an aerial view, he said it’s clear that the snowpack is getting thinner. He sees faster rates melt across all parts of the Sierra Nevada, but they are more pronounced in the south.

Photo Credit: Tayfun Coskun/ Anadolu via Getty Images

The surging price tag of wildfires, in one chart

Wildfires are getting worse – and a lot more expensive for the rest of us.

MCS Prof. John Abatzoglou and collaborators looked at fires that did the greatest harm to people in terms of lives lost and property burned to see what trends emerged -- they found that the number of extraordinarily devastating wildfires has risen dramatically in just the past few years, driven by some of the hottest, driest conditions ever recorded.

Photo Credit: Eric Thaye/The Associated Press

What insurance data reveals about how bad wildfires are getting

Now, scientists have the data to show how these societally destructive wildfires — ones that kill people and cause huge financial losses — are growing all across the world and are becoming much more common because of climate change.

MCS Prof. John Abatzoglou is co-author of the study.

Photo Credit: CAL FIRE/Flickr

10% of Earth’s Land Is at Risk of Wildfire Disaster, Study Finds

"The rise in wildfire disasters isn’t just a perception, it’s reality,” said co-author Crystal Kolden, associate professor and director of the Fire Resilience Center at the University of California, Merced. For decades, wildfires primarily impacted largely unpopulated areas, but contemporary catastrophic fires are killing more people and destroying more homes and infrastructure.

California Water Projects

Report Reviews How California's Water Projects Balance Needs of People and Endangered Species

Civil and environmental engineering professor Josué Medellín-Azuara is a member of an ad hoc committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, recently released its findings from a review of the science behind the operations of two massive California water projects.

Solar Canal Project

Photo Credit: TID Website

Turlock Irrigation District Reports that Solar Over Canals Project is Generating Power

Construction is complete at the wide-span location of Project Nexus and the solar array is generating power, marking a huge milestone for the state’s first solar over canals pilot project that is a partnership among California public power utility Turlock Irrigation District, the California Department of Water Resources, University of California, Merced, and Solar AquaGrid.

Photo Credit: University of California

Solar-panel-covered canals have their day in the sun in California

California's first solar-over-canal project goes online with the commissioning of the narrow and wide span arrays in the Turlock Irrigation District.

Brandi McKuin, the lead UC researcher on the project, says people have told her they had the idea of covering canals with solar panels decades ago. Prof. Roger Bales, a hydrologist and distinguished professor of engineering who helped launch the project, has been hearing “why didn’t I think of that” about solar canals since the 1970s.

Image Credit: Climate Central

Solar Canals: Creating Clean Energy Corridors

The idea for solar canals took off after a study from UC Merced co-authored by Brandi McKuin showed the benefits.

California has just switched on its first canal solar project, transforming waterways into power sources. Panels now span two Central Valley irrigation canals, generating clean energy while reducing water lost to evaporation.

If we covered all 4000 miles of California's major canals, we could save up to 63 billion gallons of water annually!

Mechanical engineering Professor Mehmet Z. Baykara

Simple Chemical Treatment Makes Next-Gen Electronics More Reliable

A simple chemical treatment makes next-gen electronics more reliable. Mechanical engineering professor Mehmet Baykara’s new paper in the journal Nature Communications details interesting discoveries that could make electronics more durable and reliable.

De Castro holds three patents and has worked on projects ranging from electric tractors to robotic vehicles.

Championing the Transition to Clean Energy

Mechanical engineering Professor Ricardo Pinto de Castro has turned a penchant for systems-level thinking and a longtime love of cars into a climate-resilient research mission.

De Castro, who also is a principal investigator at the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society and the Banatao Institute (CITRIS), has been interested in exploring how people adopt new technologies caption.

A computer systems failure of one service provider can delay hundreds of flights

Disruptions in the Digital Supply Chain Can Have Major Physical Impacts

In an increasingly computerized world, digital supply chains use data and analytics to manage the flow of goods, services and information. These chains are increasingly interconnected and vulnerable to disruption, UC Merced management of complex systems professor Lisa Yeo wrote in a recent issue of The Conversation, based on a paper she co-wrote for the Association of Computing Machinery.

The findings shed light on how biological clocks stay on schedule.

Tiny Artificial Cells Can Keep Time, Study Finds

A study published in Nature Communications, led by professor Anand Subramaniam and School of Natural Science professor Andy Liwang, show that tiny artificial cells can accurately keep time, mimicking the daily rhythms found in living organisms. Their findings shed light on how biological clocks stay on schedule.

Researchers improved the equation to handle more realistic and complicated changes over time.

Researchers Apply Materials Science Equation to Broader Real-World Issues

Chemical and materials engineering professor Christopher Viney and graduate researcher Kiana Shirzad have been studying the Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogorov (JMAK) equation, which helps scientists describe/predict how materials change over time. 

In 2023, chemical and materials engineering professor Christopher Viney and graduate researcher Kiana Shirzad published a review paper in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface (world's oldest scientific academy in continuous existence) , critically assessing the applicability of the JMAK equation in fields beyond materials science. Shirzad and Viney's 2023 paper was the top-cited work for the journal in 2024.

Now, Shirzad and Viney have published a follow-up paper in another Royal Society journal, Royal Society Open Science. 

Professor and Environmental Champion Bales Retires, But Research and Advocacy Continue

Congratulations to founding faculty member Professor Roger Bales, who has retired from the UC, but not from the important work he has been doing to better understand environmental challenges and find solutions, and advocate for them on a statewide level.

As he transitions into a more senior-scientist role, Bales plans to focus on mentoring, advocacy and continuing his research collaborations. He’s excited about working with younger colleagues and helping them navigate the challenges of climate science.

“I’m looking forward to being able to do more advocacy for the things that I think will help the university and the state and the people of California,” he said. “I’m also excited to see what the university’s next chapters will bring.”

As Bales steps into this new chapter, his legacy continues to resonate with the people he’s mentored and the landscapes he’s helped protect.

The chapter was recognized at the NSBE convention in Chicago.

Black Engineering Society Earns Regional Chapter of the Year

National Society of Black Engineers earns the Regional Chapter of the Year award during its convention in Chicago. The National Society of Black Engineers, established at UC Merced in 2007, is one of the campus’s oldest and most active student organizations. It provides support, guidance and advocacy for its members through their college journeys and beyond.

CITRIS Aviation Excellence Award

The UC Merced team won the CITRIS Aviation Excellence award.

Project Envisioning Air Transport Between UC Campuses Earns Award

A simulation for a proposed air transport system among University of California campuses earned an CITRIS Aviation Excellence award for a team of UC Merced students.

Advised by mechanical engineering professor Francesco Danzi, students Kyra Ruiz, Randy Serrano, Ana Hernandez, Samir Ahmed and Eduardo Miramontes competed against three other teams in the 2024-25 CITRIS Aviation Prize design contest.

Teams developed air operations simulation software for a proposed air transportation system between the four CITRIS campuses.

Idea for Powering UC Merced Smart Farm a Winner in Solar Energy Contest

The project would float solar panels on the reservoir.

Photo courtesy UC Merced Experimental Smart Farm.

UC Merced Team Wins its Division at Solar District Cup Competition

A UC Merced team competing in a U.S. Department of Energy contest won its division with a proposal to use floating solar panels to power the campus's Experimental Smart Farm. Students work across disciplines such as engineering, finance, urban planning, sustainability and communications to reimagine how energy is generated, managed and used.

The Solar District Cup is a collegiate competition that challenges teams to design and model distributed energy systems for a mixed-use campus or district - groups of buildings with a common electrical distribution feeder, according to the Department of Energy.

AgTech @ UC Merced's Smart Farm

In one project, robots are being trained to pick berries

UC Merced's Smart Farm Abuzz with Activity

Agriculture technology has been a part of the UC Merced fabric since the university began, but in recent years it has moved front and center. At UC Merced's biggest lab, students work from before sunrise to well after dusk. They are operating the university's Experimental Smart Farm, 40 acres of dirt and plants, research and experiments.

The students are excited to develop new technologies to serve agriculture in the heart of some of the finest growing areas in the world. And they can see the fruits of their labor — sometimes literally — go from a theory in a lab to a flourishing plant on the farm.

Designing Student Success

A new program allows students to check out 3D printers.

Imagination is the only Limitation at UC Merced's Makerspace

UC Merced’s Makerspace has been a hub of activity, with students, staff and faculty creating everything from “Star Wars” figures to miniatures of the university’s “Beginnings” sculpture. A new program allows users to check out printers for offsite projects. Learn more about what’s going on at Makerspace in the link below.

Check out our

Fall 2025 Capstone Project Lineup!

The I2G program is a unique "experiential learning" program that engages external partner organizations with teams of students who design systems to solve real-world problems.

The Innovate to Grow program encompasses the following experiential learning classes: Engineering Capstone, Engineering Service Learning, and Software Engineering Capstone.

Students develop solutions to real-world problems for internal and external clients.

Innovative problem-solving again took center stage at UC Merced’s twice-yearly I2G, or Innovate to Grow, event. Students designed and built projects ranging from new software applications to an automated can seal sorter.

UCM Engineering School | Programs Rise in U.S. News Grad Ranking

2025 Global Google PhD Fellowship Recipient

Alumna Profile | Annaliza Perez Torres

2025 Young Professional Emerging Leadership Award Winners

The University of California Board of Regents appointed UC Davis graduate student and UC Merced alumnus, Miguel Craven as the 2026-27 student regent.

Craven earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from UC Merced, where he also served as student body president of the Associated Students. Currently, he is pursuing his master’s degree in energy systems at UC Davis.

"As a proud UC Merced alum, I have experienced firsthand the transformative impact a UC education has on our students,” said Craven. 

Dean Rakesh Goel (center) visited Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in August where he had lunch with eight UC Merced alumni who are currently employed by the lab.

1. Colin Cox '22 Mechanical Engineering
2. Daniel Cooney '21 Mechanical Engineering
3. Erik Levine '16 Mechanical Engineering
4. Theodore Ude '21 Mechanical Engineering
5. Joshua Tabimina '16 Mechanical Engineering
6. Nicolas Walters '17 Mechanical Engineering
7. Brian Martin-Guiterrez '19 Mechanical Engineering
8. Mickeal Ades '17 Materials Science and Engineering

Several of these alumni had begun their career at the Lab as interns.

Engineering Majors at UC Merced Grow to Meet Workforce Demands



UC Merced is meeting the challenge by growing its engineering majors to produce the skilled workforce needed for the current and future job markets.

Check out our Engineering Stats!

• Aerospace Engineering (F'25)
• Biochemical and Biomolecular Engineering (F'25)
• Bioengineering
• Chemical Engineering (F'24)
• Civil Engineering
• Computer Science and Engineering

• Data Science and Analytics (F'24)
• Electrical Engineering
• Environmental Engineering
• Management of Innovation, Sustainability and Technology (F'25)
• Materials Science and Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering