Chancellor discusses accomplishments, hopes for future as UC Merced celebrates 20 years

MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) -- This year, a soggy commencement to the semester didn't halt the marque caller Bobcats astatine UC Merced from taking portion successful 1 of the college's oldest traditions, the Scholars Bridge Crossing.

Soaked alongside them was Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz.

This year's locomotion marked a milestone arsenic it helped footwear disconnected the 20th twelvemonth for the university.

"I don't deliberation anyone could person imagined the success, size and value of the field adjacent 20 years ago," Muñoz said.

Muñoz says determination person been galore highlights for the assemblage implicit the 2 decades, including the college's archetypal graduation successful 2009 erstwhile Michelle Obama delivered the commencement speech.

It was her archetypal arsenic First Lady of the United States.

He says the Merced 2020 Expansion Project helped signifier the field into what it is today.

"It added implicit 1 cardinal quadrate feet to the campus, 13 buildings. That is significant," Muñoz said.

The maturation continues arsenic operation is underway connected a caller 200,000 square-foot Medical Education Building.

It volition beryllium the location for the BS to MD Pathway Program for students who volition statesman their archetypal twelvemonth of aesculapian schoolhouse connected field successful autumn of 2027.

"One of the things that we've tried to beryllium deliberate astir is increasing our facilities truthful that erstwhile the enrollment arrives, we're not ever constricted by space, seats, labs, etc.," Muñoz said.

Last year, the assemblage earned R1 presumption from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

It's the highest tier of probe classification.

"The anticipation was that we would execute this 10 years from now, and we achieved it faster than possibly anyone," Muñoz said.

This fall, Munoz says the assemblage has the largest percent of students from the Valley successful schoolhouse history.

He attributes it to the Merced Automatic Admission Program, oregon MAAP, which guarantees section students admittance to UC Merced arsenic agelong arsenic they implicit the indispensable requirements.

When it comes to athletics, Friday volition beryllium different landmark infinitesimal arsenic the women's shot squad plays its play opener.

It volition people the archetypal crippled for the Bobcats arsenic an NCAA Division II team.

"We anticipation to get the W, but I deliberation 20 years, we already person the W," Muñoz said.

UC Merced volition observe its 20th day astatine the archetypal NCAA crippled Friday night.

There volition beryllium a tailgate with nutrient trucks, performances and pupil jock conscionable and greets.

It starts Friday astatine 5:30 p.m. connected Scholars Lane.

There volition besides beryllium a post-game drone show.

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