COMMENCEMENT
CEREMONIES
GRADUATE DIVISION
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING & SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES,
HUMANITIES AND ARTS
Professor Asmeret Asefaw Berhe
Dr. Berhe is a professor of soil biogeochemistry and the Ted and Jan Falasco Chair in Earth Sciences in the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences and the former associate dean of Graduate Education at UC Merced.
She researches the intersection of soil science, geochemistry, global change science and political ecology. Her work seeks to improve the understanding of how the soil system regulates the earth’s climate and the dynamic two-way relationship between soil and human communities.
She is an elected member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering; a fellow of the American Geophysical Union and the Geological Society of America; a recipient of a National Science Foundation CAREER Award; and a member of the inaugural class of the U.S. National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine's New Voices in Science, Engineering and Medicine.
She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Asmara, a master’s from Michigan State University and her Ph.D. from UC Berkeley.
Cástulo de la Rocha
As President and CEO of AltaMed Health Services Corporation, Mr. de la Rocha has transformed a storefront barrio clinic in East Los Angeles into the largest Federally Qualified Health Center in California, and among the top five in the nation.
In 1977, Mr. de la Rocha saw a need: people in low-income neighborhoods throughout Southern California were significantly underserved by essential health resources. The Barrio Free Clinic in his neighborhood often had a line of people that wound around the block.
AltaMed was born from Mr. de la Rocha's need to meet this fundamental requirement and has become one of the area’s largest health care systems, with roughly 60 medical, dental and PACE sites staffed by more than 5,000 employees, providing compassionate care to nearly 500,000 patients a year.
He holds a law degree from UC Berkeley and a bachelor’s degree from UC Santa Barbara.
Dr. Charles Nies
Dr. Nies has taught and mentored thousands of UC Merced students since joining the university in 2006 as dean of students and associate vice chancellor.
As an instructor, he has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in leadership theory, organizational theory, student development and social identity development.
Dr. Nies has served successive UC Merced administrations as a trusted advisor and repository of institutional knowledge and has been an unabashed cheerleader for higher education in general and this university specifically.
Like many of our students, Dr. Nies was the first in his family to attain a college education. He earned his bachelor’s from the University of St. Thomas, and his master’s degree and Ph.D. from Washington State University.
Student Speaker
Eva Devanathan
Eva Devanathan is a cognitive science major from Sunnyvale.
She was recently presented the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts Outstanding Graduating Student Award by the Department of Cognitive and Information Sciences.
While at UC Merced, she served as president of the campus’s Kappa Kappa Gamma chapter. She was a member of the CogSci Student Association and an officer for the Statistics Club.
She performed undergraduate research with Professor Spencer Castro in the Cognitive and Automotive Research for Technological Engagement and Control in Humans lab —known as CAR TECH. She also was a digital health intern for CITRIS and the Banatao Institute and a student technology consultant at the Office of Information Technology.
After graduation, she will pursue a master’s in human-computer interaction at UC Santa Cruz’s Baskin School of Engineering.
Student Speaker Virginia Manandeg
Virginia Manandeg is a first-generation student from the Philippines, who lives in Sacramento. She is a computer science and engineering major.
She was recently presented the Legacy Award by the Community Engagement Center at the UC Merced Leadership Awards ceremony.
During her time on campus, she served in leadership positions for the Associated Students of UC Merced, the Pilipinx Americans in Science and Engineering and the Homebound Dance Team. She was the director of the Campus Activities Board's and the first person to hold the position two years in a row. She also served as a Bobcat Mentor for Central Valley high school students.
After graduation, she will obtain a Project Management Certification and work in the tech field.