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UC Merced Collects Awards at Sociological Society Gathering

August 30, 2024

UC Merced’s Department of Sociology earned a quartet of awards at the American Sociological Society annual meeting, held this year in Montreal on Aug. 9-13. Professor Stephanie Canizales received an Early Career Award in the Children and Youth section. Professor Ed Flores...

Professor Van Natta Receives 2024 Outstanding Scholarship Award

August 14, 2024

Professor Meredith Van Natta has been awarded a 2024 Outstanding Scholarship Award from the Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP) Division of Health, Health Policy, and Health Services. The Division highlighted her impressive work and contributions to the field: Dr....

Leia Belt Selected as Spark Scholar for Innovative Research on Structural Racism in Public Health

July 24, 2024

Dr. Leia Belt, a postdoctoral fellow in sociology at UC Merced, has been chosen as one of six inaugural Spark Scholars by the Center for Antiracism Research for Health Equity (CARHE) at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. This prestigious program, aims to empower interdisciplinary...

Hellman Awards Deepening Research into Genomes, Health and Computer Science

July 22, 2024

Three faculty members have joined the prestigious ranks of Hellman Fellowship recipients this year. Applied mathematics Professor Tomas Rube, who studies mathematical biology, Professor Andrea Polonijo, a medical sociologist, and computer science and engineering Professor Peingfei Su will...

John Adeleke Publishes Op-Ed in The Cable

June 27, 2024

Sociology graduate student John Adeleke has published an op-ed titled "How economic policies are shaping health disparities in Nigeria" in The Cable, a top Nigerian news platform. From the op-ed: It is 2024 in Nigeria, and the cost of food and other household commodities has tripled...

Sociology Celebrates Graduating Scholars

May 13, 2024

This weekend, UC Merced proudly conferred degrees upon exceptional sociology graduates. Among them, René Becerra, Heather Daniels, Melissa Quesada, and Jovana Ramos earned their PhD degrees, showcasing their dedication to advancing sociological knowledge. Also present at the Spring 2024 Graduate...

SSHA Honors Outstanding Graduating Students

May 12, 2024

*/ Thirteen graduating students were honored by UC Merced’s School of Social Science, Humanities and Arts for outstanding academic careers. At a reception held May 9, Interim Dean Heather Bortfeld said the honorees all made their mark with significant research activities, exemplary leadership and...

Professor Pirtle Recognized with Academic Senate Award

May 10, 2024

Whitney Pirtle, Associate Professor of Sociology, has been honored with the prestigious Academic Senate Award for Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Professor Pirtle's unwavering dedication to DEI is evident across her research, teaching, and service, both locally and...

Racialized Horizontal Stratification in US Higher Education: Politics, Process, and Consequences

May 9, 2024

UC Merced Sociology Professor Laura T. Hamilton and Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow Caleb Dawson published an article titled "Racialized Horizontal Stratification in US Higher Education: Politics, Process, and Consequences" in the Annual Review of Sociology. From the article: In...

Connecting Farmworkers to Healthcare in California's Rural North

April 29, 2024

A study on farmworker health led by Ed Flores, Sociology Professor and Faculty Director of the UC Merced Community and Labor Center, and UC Merced colleagues Paul Brown and Ana Padilla, was featured in The Los Angeles Post. "The study found that nearly half of all farmworkers in California...

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