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Our past has been remarkable, and we know our future is brighter still.

 

UC Merced Chancellor, Dr. Juan Sánchez Muñoz

Dr. Juan Sánchez Muñoz assumed his role as UC Merced’s fourth chancellor on July 1, 2020, coming to UC from the University of Houston-Downtown, where he served as president since 2017. Having achieved his Bachelor's in Psychology at UC Santa Barbara and his doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction at UCLA, Muñoz’s move to UC Merced is a return to his California upbringing and academic roots. 

During his first year as chancellor, Muñoz has set the university's course for the next decade with an ambitious strategic plan that focuses on growth, impact and equity and justice. Muñoz was named the recipient of the 2020 Cesar Estrada Chavez Award from the American Association for Access, Equity and Diversity for leadership on workers' rights and humanitarian issues, and in December 2020, Muñoz was appointed to the California Strategic Growth Council and currently serves with his wife, Dr. Zenaida Aguirre-Muñoz, as a council member for the Yosemite Conservancy.

chancellor munoz headshot

Chancellor's Priorities

Writing and Remarks

April 25, 2025

Federal Update

Dear Colleagues,   Last weekend, more than 5000 prospective students and their families visited campus for Bobcat Day. It was a tremendous show of campus spirit to... Read More

April 11, 2025

Federal Update

  Dear Bobcat Community,   This continues to be an unpredictable time for higher education, but significant work is being done, both locally and systemwide... Read More

News

Professor Clarissa Nobile investigates the mechanisms of biofilm infections that affect human health.
June 30, 2025

The National Institutes of Health are backing Professor Clarissa Nobile ’s mission to understand the mechanisms by which microbes form biofilms, specifically those that can be hazardous to human...

Photo depicts UC Merced student Jesse Martinez operating a robot on the Experimental Smart Farm.
June 25, 2025

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....

Photo depicts the UC Merced team using a large screen to present its project.
June 24, 2025

A simulation for a proposed air transport system among University of California campuses earned an award for a team of UC Merced students. Advised by mechanical engineering Professor Francesco Danzi...

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