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Our past has been remarkable, and we know our future is brighter still.

 

UC Merced Chancellor, Dr. Juan Sánchez Muñoz

Dr. Juan Sánchez Muñoz assumed his role as UC Merced’s fourth chancellor on July 1, 2020, coming to UC from the University of Houston-Downtown, where he served as president since 2017. Having achieved his Bachelor's in Psychology at UC Santa Barbara and his doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction at UCLA, Muñoz’s move to UC Merced is a return to his California upbringing and academic roots. 

During his first year as chancellor, Muñoz has set the university's course for the next decade with an ambitious strategic plan that focuses on growth, impact and equity and justice. Muñoz was named the recipient of the 2020 Cesar Estrada Chavez Award from the American Association for Access, Equity and Diversity for leadership on workers' rights and humanitarian issues, and in December 2020, Muñoz was appointed to the California Strategic Growth Council and currently serves with his wife, Dr. Zenaida Aguirre-Muñoz, as a council member for the Yosemite Conservancy.

chancellor munoz headshot

Writing and Remarks

March 6, 2024

Becoming a Hub for Innovation, Diversity, and Advancement

  To the campus community,   UC Merced has become a destination of choice.   When Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory began its national... Read More

February 1, 2024

Celebrating Black Excellence

  To the campus community:   In February the nation formally recognizes Black History Month, during which we look both backward — at the historic and... Read More

News

A graphic depicts a hand reaching toward water droplets.
July 8, 2024

Almost 3 billion people worldwide are projected to suffer from severe water scarcity by 2025. Thousands have already been affected in California alone, where more than 1,200 wells ran dry in 2022....

A great white shark passes the diving cage holding Professor Sora Kim.
July 3, 2024

UC Merced's resident shark expert, Professor Sora Kim, will be featured on the prime-time, premiere-night episode of Discovery’s Shark Week discussing an enormous, legendary sea creature that takes...

July 2, 2024
Anmol Kaur is ready to make a splash in the worlds of science and medicine. The Bakersfield resident, coming to UC Merced as a first-year student, parlayed strong experiences in high school into a...
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