VICE PROVOST AND DEAN OF GRADUATE STUDIES

HRANT P. HRATCHIAN


Last Friday, we came together at UC Merced’s second G­raduate Commencement Ceremony to celebrate our master's and doctoral degree graduates' hard work and achievements.

They are now the most recent recipients of graduate degrees from the University of California, the nation’s premier public university system and the world’s exemplar of graduate education. They have worked hard to get where they are today, and we are proud to count them among the University of California’s master’s and doctoral alumni.

That’s an amazing accomplishment when you put it into perspective. Less than 14% of the U.S. population has a graduate degree of any kind. And for our Ph.D. recipients, only 2% of our nation has earned a doctorate. They have all truly earned a rare achievement!

Their resilience and personal strength has been tested even more than during “normal” years, and we are proud of all that they have accomplished.

Graduates: You have boldly advanced our understanding of the universe, explored the depths of our shared humanity, and made the world around you better than you found it. We rely on you to push us forward! And we know you can do it because we have witnessed your tenacity and your drive and your abilities firsthand. And we can’t wait to see the future world you will shape.

Congratulations again, and best of luck in all your future endeavors!

VICE PROVOST AND DEAN OF GRADUATE STUDIES

HRANT P. HRATCHIAN


Last Friday, we came together at UC Merced’s second G­raduate Commencement Ceremony to celebrate our master's and doctoral degree graduates' hard work and achievements.

They are now the most recent recipients of graduate degrees from the University of California, the nation’s premier public university system and the world’s exemplar of graduate education. They have worked hard to get where they are today, and we are proud to count them among the University of California’s master’s and doctoral alumni.

That’s an amazing accomplishment when you put it into perspective. Less than 14% of the U.S. population has a graduate degree of any kind. And for our Ph.D. recipients, only 2% of our nation has earned a doctorate. They have all truly earned a rare achievement!

Their resilience and personal strength has been tested even more than during “normal” years, and we are proud of all that they have accomplished.

Graduates: You have boldly advanced our understanding of the universe, explored the depths of our shared humanity, and made the world around you better than you found it. We rely on you to push us forward! And we know you can do it because we have witnessed your tenacity and your drive and your abilities firsthand. And we can’t wait to see the future world you will shape.

Congratulations again, and best of luck in all your future endeavors!

masters candidates

Shao-Yi Chang

Management of Innovation, Sustainability and Technology

Jianan Chen

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Tyjal DeWolf-Moura

Materials and Biomaterials Science Engineering

Jasmine Estrada

Management of Innovation, Sustainability and Technology

Tiler Fears

Management of Innovation, Sustainability and Technology

Varvara Fedorova

Environmental Systems

Sneha Ghimire

Public Health

Makenzy Gilbert

Cognitive and Information Sciences

Claudia Johnson Madrigal

Sociology

Sejin Lee

Psychological Sciences

Marissa Maline

Sociology

Brian Matamet Salas

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Jose Arturo Morales

Mechanical Engineering

Cinderella Moustafa

Mechanical Engineering

Kutay Ozyurt

Materials and Biomaterials Science Engineering

David Parker

Cognitive and Information Sciences

Mykael Pineda

Environmental Systems

Sreeja Reddy

Management of Innovation, Sustainability and Technology

Rambod Rezayan

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Dylan Richardson

Psychological Sciences

Benjamin Robbins

Cognitive and Information Sciences

Nancy Rodas De Leon

Psychological Sciences

Mayra Romero

Management of Innovation, Sustainability and Technology

Eddie Santiago

Mechanical Engineering

Jullanar Williams

Sociology

Teagan Zuniga

Political Science

ph.d. candidates

Nastaran Abbasizadeh

Quantitative & Systems Biology

Mahmoud Abido

Mechanical Engineering

Di An

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

René Becerra

Sociology

Fakhrul Hasan Bhuiyan

Mechanical Engineering

Lorenzo Booth

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Jordan Collignon

Applied Mathematics

Heather Daniels

Sociology

Alex Dayer

Cognitive and Information Sciences

Carlos Diaz Alvarenga

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Albert DiBenedetto, III

Physics

Xianzhong Ding

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Samuel Erickson

Physics

Rudiel Fabian Sanchez

Public Health

Gustavo Facincani Dourado

Environmental Systems

Adi Fish-Williamson

Psychological Sciences

Saurav Gautam

Mechanical Engineering

Ivan Gonzalez-Soto

Interdisciplinary Humanities

Avia Gray

Psychological Sciences

Shiloh Green Soto

Interdisciplinary Humanities

Karina Guadalupe

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Wenyan Guan

Materials and Biomaterials Science Engineering

Furkan Guc

Mechanical Engineering

Han Guo

Environmental Systems

Carlisha Hall

Public Health

B Hope Hauptman

Environmental Systems

Bianca Hinojosa

Psychological Sciences

Harrison Ho

Quantitative & Systems Biology

Angela Johnson

Psychological Sciences

Anshika Kandhway

Environmental Systems

Caleb Larnerd

Quantitative & Systems Biology

Liying Li

Environmental Systems

Luca Lijo

Psychological Sciences

Brittany Lopez Barreto

Environmental Systems

Hugo Alberto López Chavolla

Interdisciplinary Humanities

Kaylyn McAnally Star

Psychological Sciences

Dora Mendez

Quantitative & Systems Biology

Jamie Moore

Interdisciplinary Humanities

Mehrad Mortazavi

Mechanical Engineering

Scott Nicolay

Interdisciplinary Humanities

Patrick Noerr

Physics

Wai Oo

Mechanical Engineering

Austin Perry

Quantitative & Systems Biology

Zachary Petrek

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Nabaraj Pokhrel

Physics

Maia Powell

Applied Mathematics

Melissa Quesada

Sociology

Lorraine Ramos

Interdisciplinary Humanities

Jovana Ramos

Sociology

Naivy Dennise Rodal Morales

Environmental Systems

Sergio Romero Garcia

Materials and Biomaterials Science Engineering

Kimberly Daphnie Sánchez

Public Health

Andrew Sanchez Garcia

Interdisciplinary Humanities

Mrittunjoy Sarker

Mechanical Engineering

Joshua Semerjian

Interdisciplinary Humanities

Azin Shamshirgaran

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Kiana Shirzad

Materials and Biomaterials Science Engineering

Susana Tejeda-Garibay

Quantitative & Systems Biology

Allison Temourian

Psychological Sciences

Samrajya Thapa

Environmental Systems

Kimberly Valle

Public Health

Aaron Wheeler

Physics

Alauna C. Wheeler

Physics

Tabesh Zaidi

Interdisciplinary Humanities

Gilda Yvette Zarate-Gonzalez

Public Health

Sidi Zhao

Materials and Biomaterials Science Engineering