Skip to content
 

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

Photo depicts construction materials at a building site.
June 17, 2025

Mass deportation of California's undocumented residents would open a $275 billion hole in the state's economy, cripple industries ranging from agriculture to hospitality, disrupt countless small...

June 12, 2025

UC Merced’s graduating Class of 2025 recently celebrated its achievement at the campus’s spring commencement, joined by family members, close friends and loved ones. For two graduates, Jahaira...

June 10, 2025

UC Merced students pursuing degrees in chemical sciences now have access to a new source of financial support, thanks to a gift from two of the university’s most dedicated advocates. Alumna Laura...

Subscribe to Office of the Chancellor RSS