Dear Campus Community,
Today, Oct. 9, we mark Indigenous Peoples' Day —recognizing the role of native people in the long history of California, including the land where UC Merced now stands.
In 2021 we dedicated our Toloma Grove monument, which continues to be a center of reflection and remembrance on... Read More
Remarks and Writings
September 18, 2023
Re: UC Merced Ascends to New Heights
To: All campus
To the campus community,
For years we have affirmed that UC Merced doesn’t do what it does for rankings; rather, we passionately pursue our mission of research excellence, service and student success, and others take notice.
They have taken notice in a huge way this year... Read More
September 13, 2023
Re: The Promise of a New Academic Year
To: Faculty and staff
To the campus community,
We have embarked upon another academic year with hope, success, and the promise of transformation and innovation.
Our student enrollment remains the highest in UC Merced history — a history now reaching, by one metric, its 20th year:... Read More
August 23, 2023
Re: Welcome to the Fall Semester
To: All campus
Dear campus community,
Welcome to an exciting new academic year at UC Merced, one in which our momentum and reputation will continue to increase and our light to shine more brightly for more students and their families.
We begin the semester today with the largest first-year... Read More
July 14, 2023
Re: Excessive Heat
To: Faculty and staff
The heat wave gripping the western United States— expected to last through next week — is great cause for concern and for caution. As the Central Valley faces triple-digit temperatures, I trust campus managers and supervisors will exercise every opportunity to keep our community... Read More
June 29, 2023
To: All campus
June 29, 2023
Diversity, access, and inclusion remain top priorities of UC Merced and of the entire University of California, as President Drake affirmed today.
While our campus was founded long after California voters forbade affirmative action programs, as an institution and as a community UC Merced has achieved... Read More
June 14, 2023
Re: Juneteenth
To: All campus
Dear Campus Community,
As we approach the annual Juneteenth holiday, I want to take a moment to reflect upon this important event in American history and highlight its significance for our campus community.
The origins of Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, can be... Read More
June 5, 2023
Re: Pride
To: All campus
UC Merced celebrates Pride Month, even as American political discourse about diversity and inclusivity has become harsher and, in many cases, simply irrational.
Universities have a special responsibility not only to foster civil discourse leading to intellectual advancement and,... Read More
May 17, 2023
Re: One for the Books
To: All campus
Colleagues,
UC Merced has held another outstanding commencement weekend, with three ceremonies to mark the accomplishment of nearly 1,500 scholars.
Thank you to all who worked hard to ensure these momentous occasions showed off the best of this university... Read More
April 27, 2023
Re: Thank you!
To: All campus
April 24, 2023
To the UC Merced community,
Along with all of you who volunteered on Bobcat Day, April 22, I was elated by the record-high number of attendees and their deep interest in all that UC Merced has to offer them and their futures.
Thousands... Read More
