Dear Trustees,
The fall semester is well underway – students are back and have brought with them new energy and enthusiasm to our campus. We welcomed our largest first-year class ever of 2,466, in addition to new transfer and new graduate students, and began the academic year with a total enrollment of 9,266. All our Bobcats have exemplified incredible resilience and perseverance, and we are honored to continue supporting their success as we carry out UC Merced's mission.
Though we must remain nimble to prioritize the safety and health of our community during this transition, we are grateful for the opportunity to resume normal operations and to welcome our partners back to campus.
We look forward to seeing you all next month for the Board of Trustees Meeting on Wednesday, October 27. More information and a registration link will follow in the coming weeks.
We also hope that you can join us for this year's State of the University on Thursday, October 7 at 11:30 am. This luncheon event will have limited capacity, so please be sure to visit engage.ucmerced.edu/SOTU2021 to register. You may also contact Stephanie Sia at ucmfoundation@ucmerced.edu or 209-382-4142 if you would like to sponsor a table ($1,250) or purchase individual tickets ($50).
Finally, if you didn't yet see the rankings recently released by the US News & World Report, check out the article below. Thank you for the important role that you all have played, as advocates for our students and campus, to get UC Merced to where it is today. With your support, we will continue to rise.
As always, please don't hesitate to reach out anytime should you have questions or would like to connect.
Warm regards,
Ed, Lisa, and Stephanie
E. Edward Klotzbier, JD
Vice Chancellor
President, UC Merced Foundation
Lisa Pollard Carlson
Associate Vice Chancellor
Vice President, UC Merced Foundation
Stephanie Sia
Director, Foundation Board
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The University of California, Merced, continues its historic climb in the venerable US News & World Report rankings of U.S. universities, with the 2022 list recently released. UC Merced remains in the top 100, rising to 93rd among national universities — up 72 spots over four years. The campus is 38th among public universities and 18th among R2 universities.
UC Merced is No. 4 for creating social mobility and No. 8 for the economic diversity of its students, with more than 60% of the school’s undergraduate students receiving Pell Grants, the federal financial aid program for low-income families. The campus is No. 57 on the “most innovative” list and No. 58 for best undergraduate teaching.
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Thank you to those who have already contributed to the 2021 Trustees' Impact Fund benefitting Student Success! The board currently stands at 56% participation in giving.
Thank you for all that you do to serve the needs of UC Merced and our incredible students.
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2021-2022 Trustee Resources |
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Full Board Meetings
Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Wednesday, February 23, 2022
Wednesday, June 22, 2022
Executive Committee: Friday, September 24, 2021, 12:00 - 5:00 pm | RSVP
Nominations: Monday, October 11, 2021, 3:00 - 4:00 pm | RSVP
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2021 State of the University |
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Thursday, October 7, 2021
11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Dr. Vikram and Priya Lakireddy Grand Ballroom
Join us for the State of the University – an annual UC Merced tradition. Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz will deliver his address during an intimate luncheon in the new Dr. Vikram and Priya Lakireddy Grand Ballroom. Chancellor Muñoz will discuss important issues facing the university as we look to the future of our campus and community.
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Entrepreneurship Speaker Series |
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Luke Cooper
Chairman & CEO, No Mud, No Magic
Thursday, September 23, 2021
4:00 - 5:00 pm
Luke Cooper is a Black tech entrepreneur with multiple $50 million exits. As one of three Black founders in the U.S. to get to a multi-million dollar exit during COVID-19, he is recognized as one of Baltimore's “40 Under 40” Business Leaders and the 2019 Entrepreneur of The Year by Ernst & Young. As the second Black founder in Baltimore to lead a company to a successful tech exit, he skillfully discusses the hustle, mentorship, and luck it took on the way to achieving an 11x outcome for Fixt. Impressively, he's done it twice. Cooper is recognized as a prominent voice advocating for more equitable participation of underrepresented communities in entrepreneurship. His latest venture, Latimer, is a $400 million fund focused on creating 100 billionaires by investing in women- and BIPOC-focused funds that marry investment with technical training and M&A support. Cooper’s book, Mud to Magic: A Black Tech Entrepreneur’s Journey, is set for release in late 2021.
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This fall, UC Merced is launching a new civil engineering major that will sit within the existing civil and environmental engineering major. The program is available to first-year students and will focus on modern civil engineering concepts with an emphasis on sustainability.
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On July 6, 19 incoming grad students began the six-week Competitive Edge Summer Bridge program to get a head start in acclimating to graduate studies at UC Merced. The students, who are first-generation college-goers or from backgrounds underrepresented in higher education, were each nominated by a faculty member or graduate group chair to participate in the program.
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UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz and Mayor Matt Serratto met with Secretary Lourdes M. Castro Ramírez of the California State Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency to discuss ways to add more affordable housing developments in Merced and throughout the region.
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A new state-funded collaboration between faculty at UC Merced and California State University, Fresno, aims to change not only students’ math achievement, but their understanding of, and appreciation for, calculus.
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