Sure, you could have a perfectly respectable college career attending classes and lectures, studying in your room and sticking close to campus. But you don’t have to. UC Merced has many opportunities for you to leave your comfort zone and learn out in the field.
Check out this student highlight.
wildflowers, not white boards
We are quite proud of something that gives us an edge over every other university – proximity to Yosemite National Park. This allows us to offer resources that are truly unique to UC Merced.
YOSEMITE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
Regardless of your major or previous outdoor experience, you can gain the skills to lead, advocate for the environment, make informed ethical decisions and create social change during the two-year program.
YOSEMITE FIELD STATION
The Yosemite Field Station is ideally situated inside the park to support field research projects in Yosemite and the Sierra National Forest, along with workshops, retreats and presentations from artists and writers. It is dedicated to facilitating links between science, art, education and natural resource management.
Alumnus Duval Johnson '14, '18
Mechanical Engineer and Tribologist
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- Alumnus Duval Johnson (’14, ‘18) is a mechanical engineer and tribologist who leads the Applied Tribology Lab at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena.
- Johnson is a former member of UC Merced’s Fundamental Tribology Lab, which conducted critical tests that provided key information for the success of NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover mission.
- He earned his bachelor’s degree and doctorate from UC Merced in 2014 and 2018. Johnson began working at his current position in January 2018, before defending his doctoral dissertation in wet lubricants.
- Check out footage from the Mars 2020 Mission that Johnson contributed to here!
