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Indigenous Activist Winona LaDuke Wins Spendlove Prize

August 29, 2017
Winona LaDuke has dedicated her life to social change, working nationally and internationally on issues of justice, equity and the environment alongside indigenous communities. That’s why a UC Merced committee has selected LaDuke as the 11th recipient of the Alice and Clifford Spendlove Prize in...

Critical Race and Ethnic Studies is Campus’s Newest Major

August 18, 2017
Starting this semester, students in the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts (SSHA) will have a new major option: Critical Race and Ethnic Studies (CRES). Led by professors Ma Vang and Kit Myers, the new major dovetails with UC Merced’s emphasis on inequality, power and social justice....

Political Scientists, Students to Examine United Nations’ Inner Workings

August 16, 2017
Considering that the United States spends about $3.3 billion on United Nations-related activity each year, including peacekeeping — and President Donald Trump has proposed a 40 percent cut in that spending — this seems like a good time for U.S. policy makers to have a clear understanding of how the...

Genetic Diversity in High Schools a Predictor of Economic Success

August 8, 2017
Does diversity have a positive effect on economic outcomes? According to a new study co-authored by UC Merced economics Professor Justin Cook, the answer is yes, even when the diversity is imperceptible to the casual observer. Cook and his former postdoctoral advisor, Professor Jason Fletcher of...

Study: Distracted Voters More Likely to Vote for White Candidates

July 19, 2017
Distracted or mentally taxed voters across America are less likely to vote for candidates of color, a new paper indicates. Through a series of mock election experiments, UC Merced Professor Jessica Trounstine, graduate student Kau Vue and two colleagues demonstrate that voters often rely on racial...

Eager to Make a Difference, Student Focuses on Human Rights

July 17, 2017
Adriana Diaz Mireles is on a mission. Inspired by coursework on human rights, the UC Merced senior is intent on pursuing a career in humanitarian advocacy. But first, she’s working to make a name for herself before graduating. This summer, Diaz Mireles traveled to New York to participate in the...

Immigration Status Has Health Implications for Young Latinos, Study Shows

June 28, 2017
Young undocumented Latinos who gain legal status, even on a temporary basis, experience significant positive effects on their psychological well-being, according to a new study published in the journal Social Science & Medicine. UC Merced Professor Whitney Pirtle and UC Davis Professor Caitlin...

Researchers Eye Social Media’s Influence on Relationships, Stress

June 23, 2017
Nearly 70 percent of Americans use some form of social media, according to a Pew Research Center survey. There is little doubt it affects our daily lives — but how? UC Merced Ph.D. graduate Holly Rus recently defended her dissertation on social media and well-being. She and her advisor, Professor...

Blum Center Announces 2017 Seed Grant Recipients

June 7, 2017
UC Merced’s branch of the Blum Center for Developing Economies rebooted this spring with a faculty-led effort to spend two years working on becoming the hub for all food-security-related research and outreach on and off campus. Part of that effort includes seed grants for UC Merced researchers. The...

New Study Finds Link Between Unconscious Movement and Reading

June 7, 2017
Right now, while you are reading these typewritten words, your hand muscles are moving imperceptibly, but measurably. These movements would be even greater if the words were handwritten. That’s because your motor system strongly contributes to your perception of language, in part by trying to...

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