Brenda Ortiz

鶹 campus photo of sign

Senior Public Information Representitive

Office: (209) 228-4203

Mobile: (209) 628-8263

bortiz@ucmerced.edu

鶹 Student Selected as a ‘Rising Graduate Scholar’ by Diverse

Rhondene Wint is one of 10 exemplary graduate students to be featured in the March 17 of Diverse: Issues In Higher Education (Diverse) based on “standout scholarship thus far and their current trajectory toward a very promising future in academia and beyond,” according to the magazine’s .

Postdoc Awarded Fellowship to Support Computation and Immunology Cross-training

Postdoctoral scholar Lihong Zhao was one of 10 researchers named a by the American Association of Immunologists (AAI) — a first for 鶹.

The AAI Intersect Fellowship Program for Computational Scientists and Immunologists is intended to improve communication and understanding between immunology researchers and computational scientists.

Ph.D. Student Goes from Former Inmate to Teaching Prisoners

In his early 20s, Cory Mccullough battled addiction and stole to support his habits. The Dos Palos native spent several stints in prison as early as 2011 for commercial burglary. Education was the last thing on his mind.

Now, the former inmate finds himself in the joint again, this time not behind bars but helping incarcerated people forge their paths to higher education.

Incoming Grad Students Get a Jump Start

While the campus remained quieter than usual this summer, a group of new graduate students began their 鶹 journey earlier than the rest of their cohort.

鶹 Faculty Land Three UC-HBCU Grants, Most in System

The University of California Office of the President awarded three out of only seven grants to 鶹 faculty members.

The initiative has fostered faculty partnerships with HBCUs to support enhanced diversity and representation of Black scholarship in graduate education and the professoriate since 2017.

Recent Ph.D. Grads Receive NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship

Graduate Program alumni Kinsey Brock and Robert Boria were awarded Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology (PRFB) from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Boria and Brock — both former members of paleoecology Professor Jessica Blois’ research group — graduated in May with doctoral degrees and are headed to top universities to continue their important research.

Incoming Grad Students Awarded Inaugural Inclusive Excellence Fellowship

As part of its commitment to inclusive excellence in graduate research and education, 鶹 has awarded its new to four incoming Ph.D. students from the whose studies will contribute to the representation of Black scholars in academia and beyond.

Staff Members’ Daughter Raises $1,000 to Plant New Trees

A core tenet of 鶹’s mission is public service, something staffers Tom and Esmeralda Martinez know all about thanks to their daughter.

Shayna Bennett Wins Grad Slam at 鶹

Applied Mathematics graduate student Shayna Bennett will represent 鶹 at the University of California finals on May 7.

鶹 Ph.D. Student Wins UC Grad Slam Competition

Applied Mathematics graduate student Shayna Bennett won first place at the University of California’s finals today (May 7).

Bennett presented her dissertation research, “A New Tool to Fight Invasive Species,” in just three minutes and won $7,000 and the systemwide trophy — known as the Slammy — the campus’s first time winning the top prize.