December 11, 2017
As a teenager in Merced, Marcus Shaw lived a life marked by poverty, poor choices and indifference to education.
The idea of college — especially at the new UC Merced campus — seemed like an opportunity for someone else. Yet on Dec. 16, Shaw will participate in the university’s first Fall Commencement ceremony and celebrate his dream of earning a Ph.D. in sociology.
Crediting UC Merced with much of his success, Shaw said the ceremony will be one of the biggest moments of his life.
“It’s the culmination of so many things,” he said. “Seeing that all in one moment will be pretty crazy.”
Sociology Professor Tanya Golash-Boza, his faculty adviser, said Shaw is the first student to graduate from the university with a doctorate in sociology. He’s already an assistant professor of criminology at Fresno State and continues to pursue research focused on parental incarceration and its effect on families.
“We’re very proud of him,” she said. “He’s an exemplification of the mission of UC Merced, especially in terms of its graduate programs.”
