FEBRUARY 2020
Dear Trustees,

We have had a busy start to the 2020 year and are looking forward to many more exciting activities throughout the spring semester. Our next board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 26, and we are especially pleased to share that a special event will be held the evening prior. On Tuesday, February 25, we hope that you will be able to join us for the next session of the Chancellor’s Speaker Series, which will feature incoming trustee and former mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa. More details will follow this week, and you can reach out to ucmfoundation@ucmerced.edu if you have any questions. 

We also strongly encourage you to review the calendar below for upcoming programs and events that you may wish to participate in. 

We are also pleased to report that we have continued to expand our team to support the critical work you are doing as trustees. As there are several new faces on the team, a section has been included below to share key contacts from External Relations. We all look forward to seeing you on campus in a few short weeks on February 26!

Best,
E. Edw. Klotzbier
Vice Chancellor
Vice President, UC Merced Foundation
Upcoming Events
February 25: Chancellor’s Speaker Series - Antonio Villaraigosa
 
February 26: Winter BOT Meeting

March 11: Pellissier Speaker Series - Gabriela Gonzalez

April 9: Chancellor's Speaker Series - Doug Brinkley
 
April 14 & 15: UC Merced Day in Sacramento

April 16: Grad Slam Campus Final Round

April 16: Building Future Champions Dinner and Auction

April 17: Ma Kelley Memorial Golf Tournament

April 18: Bobcat Day

April 24-26: Shakespeare in Yosemite
 
Bobcat Athletics Schedule
2019 Trustees' Impact Fund
As you know, the 2019 Trustees’ Impact Fund was designated by majority vote to support the Merced Vernal Pools and Grassland Reserve . We achieved 93% trustee participation and exceeded our fundraising goal – raising a total of $158,800 – which will make double the impact thanks to the Proposition 68 match from the State of California. We cannot thank you enough for your contributions to support this priority area and look forward to providing an update on this fund on February 26.
Meet the Team
Lauren Butler
Director of Development
t: 209-228-4156
Lisa Pollard Carlson
Assistant Vice Chancellor
t: 209-291-8169
Hannah Ewing
Development Officer
t: 209-285-8793
Kim Garner
Executive Director of Arts
t: 209-349-1711
Marci Gordon
Director of Institutional Giving
t: 209-947-6029
Sang Han
Associate Vice Chancellor & Chief Development Officer
t: 209-382-4609
Ginny Hargrave
Regional Director of Development
t: 209-201-8239
Aaron Hill
Director of Development
t: 209-228-4123
Lisa McMullen
Executive Director of Annual & Special Giving
t: 209-201-9609
Stephanie Sia
Foundation Coordinator & Executive Assistant
t: 209-382-4142
Molly Sims
Executive Director of Major and Institutional Giving
t: 209-947-6030
Notable News

Bestselling author Michael Lewis sat down with Interim Chancellor Nathan Brostrom on Friday as part of the Chancellor's Speaker Series.

Chia Thao received the inaugural Central Valley Graduate Fellowship this fall to help support her research into how exposure to environmental factors leads to poor health outcomes among Hmong farmers in the Valley.

Trevor Albertson, who earned his Ph.D. in world cultures and history from UC Merced in 2009, has been appointed acting president/ superintendent of Lassen Community College by its board of trustees.

Thirty-four students from San Joaquin Valley colleges will learn how to access and build careers in technology and research at Valle de Exploracion: Find Your Path to a Tech Career, a new workshop at UC Merced.

UC Merced Professor Sarah Kurtz said new methods of solar-energy integration have the potential to help Californians use more renewable energy.

UC Merced researchers Martha Conklin, Roger Bales, and LeRoy Westerling outline solutions to severe wildfire problems in a new film "Beyond the Brink: California's Watershed," airing on KVIE, the Sacramento affiliate of PBS.