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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

March 6, 2024

Becoming a Hub for Innovation, Diversity, and Advancement

  To the campus community,   UC Merced has become a destination of choice.   When Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory began its national... Read More

February 1, 2024

Celebrating Black Excellence

  To the campus community:   In February the nation formally recognizes Black History Month, during which we look both backward — at the historic and... Read More

News

Seminar participants meet with representatives from California Highway Patrol, Cal Fire and the Yosemite National Park Rescue team at the Crane Flat heli-base.
December 5, 2024

For five years, UC Merced has offered veterans a unique opportunity to consider, dream of and plan for their lives beyond the military. A free workshop held in Yosemite National Park, the Yosemite...

December 2, 2024

On Dec. 3, the date of this year's Giving Tuesday, UC Merced will participate in the worldwide day of charitable giving by launching Give to UC Merced 2024. For the fifth year, the university's...

New faculty members pictured are Josué Medellìn-Azuara, Rebecca Ryals, Safeeq Khan and Reza Ehsani.
November 25, 2024

The first four faculty members named to UC Merced's Agricultural Experiment Station look to make a big impact on farming in the San Joaquin Valley and beyond. Mechanical engineering Professor Reza...

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