Dear Campus Community,
I wanted to take a moment to once more say happy new year and welcome you all back to the spring semester of 2025.
Let me start by extending our thoughts to those affected by the recent Los Angeles fires, including members of our Bobcat community who lost homes or workplaces. Having grown up in Los Angeles, my heart is with all who have been impacted.
Members of our faculty and staff have asked how they can contribute to relief efforts. If you wish to support affected students, donations can be made to the Student Emergency Grant Fund.
In keeping with this spirit of generosity, yesterday, UC Merced students, faculty, and staff participated in a Day of Service in recognition of the contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Coordinated by UC Merced’s Community Engagement Center, Bobcats joined a Unity March and volunteered across the city further illustrating the transformative role of service and our institution.
As we begin a new semester, we also celebrate tremendous momentum:
New Leadership: Join me in welcoming Dr. Tonantzín Oseguera, our new Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Engagement.
Research Excellence: Research expenditures have risen 30% over last year. And our faculty secured more than 80 million dollars in research funding in the last fiscal year. This is a testament to the groundbreaking science and discovery being conducted by our outstanding faculty.
Athletics Success: UC Merced Bobcat Athletics won seven Cal Pac Championships this fall – a first in Conference history – and finished the season with a combined 22 Players of the Week and 23 All-Cal First Team selections, more than any other school in both cases. As we transition to NCAA Division II at the end of this academic year, we look forward to continued excellence and success.
Fundraising Milestone: The 2024 Give to UC Merced fundraising program raised a record $1.5 million from 647 unique donors, whose ranks continue to grow each year. These numbers reflect the promise that our supporters see in UC Merced, and all of you.
Embarking on a new year and semester, we must also acknowledge concerns about potential changes under the incoming administration in Washington, D.C. While there is some uncertainty about what lies ahead, I want to assure the campus community that the University of California Board of Regents, President Drake, my fellow chancellors and I, are closely monitoring developments and remain committed to safeguarding our collective mission and upholding the values of diversity, inclusion, access and excellence across the UC system.
With all this in mind, I am profoundly grateful to welcome everyone back to our magnificent university for another dynamic and rewarding semester. In these times of change and uncertainty, may this campus community and our shared purpose and values – to discover and share knowledge, conduct groundbreaking research, and be of service to our community and one another – be a beacon of hope to light our way.
Fiat Lux,
Juan Sánchez Muñoz, Ph.D.
Chancellor
