Recent News
To see how CITRIS is shaping the UC Merced campus, as well as California and the world, check out some of CITRIS @ UC Merced’s recent news:
USDA-funded Internship Program Introduced New Bobcats to Agriculture Research
Shortly before the fall semester kicked off in person, 11 students were wrapping up their first summer on campus as part of the FACTS summer bridge program. FACTS stands for San Joaquin Valley Food and Agriculture Cyberinformatics Tools and Science. The six-week summer course, funded by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture, introduces students to the world of research in agricultural science and technology. Read more by clicking the image above...
CITRIS Aviation Prize
Celebrate National Aviation Day by signing up for the first-ever CITRIS Aviation Prize student competition! Created in collaboration with the Institute for Transportation Studies at UC Berkeley, the CITRIS Aviation Prize challenges student teams to design, develop and demonstrate a long-distance, fully autonomous flight with a small UAV. We invite student teams from our four CITRIS campuses – UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Merced, UC Santa Cruz – to compete. The winning proposal will be recognized with the first CITRIS Aviation Design Prize, including a $2,000 cash award and up to $25,000 to demonstrate the actual flight in Spring 2022. Click the button below to register your team, or sign up for the upcoming info session. Learn more and sign up! Timeline Team Registration Open: August 19, 2021 – October 15, 2021 Info Session: September 2, 2021 4:00pm PT Proposal Submissions Due: November 19, 2021 Proposal Winner Announced: December 17, 2021 Winning Flight Plan Exectued by End of Academic Year: Spring 2022...
New Artificial Intelligence Institute awarded to UC Merced strengthens agricultural systems research and workforce capabilities
AI is an approach to harnessing the power of massive data and computational algorithms to “learn” about complex systems and their behavior – and it is the basis of digital transformation across industries. In the new $20M institute funded by USDA, AI will digitally transform how agriculture works as a complex system...
The CITRIS Foundry Incubator Fall 2021 Application is now OPEN!
Uniquely situated across multiple UC campuses, the CITRIS Foundry is ideally positioned to help new generations of innovators and entrepreneurs bridge the gap from lab to market and actualize rigorous, validated solutions to society’s biggest challenges. The Foundry’s Incubator offers guidance, education, and a home-base to de-risk entrepreneurship for early-stage founders, especially supporting those who have been historically marginalized, allowing innovators to confidently identify pathways to success and reach the next stage of development and investment for their emerging technology venture. Learn more at citrisfoundry.org/incubator...
NASA’s FINESST selects CITRIS-affiliated researcher Brittany Lopez Barreto
Lopez Barreto has been named a NASA Future Investigator in Earth Space Science and Technology, also known as the NASA FINESST Program.Her proposal on wildfire and water supply was selected from 835 highly competitive proposals, 351 of which were in Earth Science. The program provides 3-year research grants to graduate students who design and perform projects relevant to NASA's Science Mission Directorate...
Down on the Farm: Drought Edition
Professor Joshua Viers speaks with podcast host Tom Willey about the California drought and potential water management approaches on Willey's podcast, 'Down on the Farm.' Learn more by clicking the image above!...
Energy-Water Benefits Study Featured in LA Times
LA Times staff writer, Sammy Roth interviews Director of the California Department of Water Resources, Karla Nemeth and the former chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, Felicia Marcus for their insights on a recent collaborative study by UC Merced's Professors Roger Bales, Joshua Viers and Tapan Pathak. Read the full article at the LA Times...
Hestir Turns NASA Technology Toward Earth’s Biodiversity
Associate director for CITRIS, Erin Hestir will lead the first NASA biodiversity campaign which will focus on the South African Greate Cape Floristic Region. Learn more by clicking the image above...
First-Year and Transfer Students Can Dig into Research this Summer with Paid USDA Internships
The FACTS Bridge Program is a new internship designed to immerse students in agricultural science and research. It stands for San Joaquin Valley Food and Agriculture Cyberinformatics Tools and Science (FACTS). The six-week summer course, funded by the United States Department of Agriculture and National Institute of Food and Agriculture, introduces students to the world of research in agricultural science and technology. Click the image above to learn more!...