Michelle Morgante

The Bobcat culture of giving will be celebrated with cookies and fun on Thursday, as the campus marks UC Merced Philanthropy Day hosted by the Student Alumni Association.

Psychology Professor Eric Walle found something interesting when he studied babies who were walking compared to those who were crawling: Babies who walk are not only more mobile, they have vocabularies that are significantly larger than those of the crawlers.

Hiking to the top of Marin County’s iconic Mount Tamalpais gave a group of UC Merced students not only a magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean, but insight into how they, as individuals, can contribute to their communities’ enrichment.

UC Merced students will be able to earn money for college by helping Merced County kids become strong readers thanks to a pilot grant from the AmeriCorps Service Fellowship program.

The grant, announced Monday and administered through California Volunteers, will give $3,000 to each of up to 24 students who provide 900 hours of literacy coaching as part of their 2020-21 academic curriculum.

Antonio Sanchez broke new ground for musical storytelling with his award-winning soundtrack for “Birdman.” He’s earned multiple Grammys for his work with guitar master Pat Metheny. Now, Sanchez, one of the most acclaimed drummers and composers in jazz today, is heading to Merced for a one-night performance.

Thirty-four students from San Joaquin Valley colleges are getting an opportunity to learn how to access and build careers in technology and research at a unique workshop designed to help diversify science-related fields.

Students from UC Merced, Merced College and California State University, Stanislaus, will attend the three-day Valle de Exploracion: Find Your Path to a Tech Career workshop held Feb. 7-9 at UC Merced.

Worldwide, nearly 25 million people are victims of human trafficking, a criminal enterprise that generates $150 billion each year — more than the combined annual profits of Exxon, Microsoft, BP, Samsung and Apple, according to The Human Trafficking Institute.

In the United States, California is one of the major centers of human trafficking, a modern-day form of slavery in which vulnerable people are coerced into sexual exploitation or forced labor.

The spirit of giving is taking root across UC Merced as the campus collects gifts for Merced County families through the annual “A Home for the Holidays” campaign.

Members of the campus community are invited to adopt a “home” by selecting an envelope from any of four small “giving trees.” The trees can be found at: the Facilities Building; the School of Engineering (SE2 315); the Downtown Campus Center; and the Community Engagement Center (KL 190).

When Jessica Anderson first visited UC Merced as a high school senior, there wasn’t a campus to see.

“They couldn’t bring us to campus because it was under construction,” she recalled. “They were showing us the fields and plans for things that didn’t exist yet.”

Anderson, who grew up in San Diego, had expected she’d attend an established campus. But, on that tour in 2005, she realized UC Merced would give her a unique chance to be a pioneer — an opportunity she couldn’t pass up.

Goal achieved! UC Merced supporters turned out in force on Giving Tuesday with a record number of donors contributing to campus scholarships and fellowships.

More than 1,300 individuals donated during the 24-hour Give Tue UC Merced campaign on Dec. 3, surpassing the event’s goal of 1,000 donors.