2015 UC Merced Undeclared Brochure

UNDECLARED

EXPLORE YOUR OPTIONS If you are one of about 700 students who enter UC Merced every year as a student who has not declared a major, fear not! Being undeclared is not a bad thing, and it is normal not to know what to dedicate your studies to. To this end, being an undeclared major provides a safe and open medium to explore your options and find which passion you wish to pursue. Many of the lower-division courses at UC Merced introduce new students to the wonders of the research or humanities world – courses like CORE,

which offers students a taste of many different professions and study regions in one semester.

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UC MERCED STUDENT DIVERSITY

CURRENT ENROLLMENT BY MAJOR

WOMEN 52.2%

CHICANO/LATINO

46%

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, HUMANITIES AND ARTS

35.2%

ASIAN

25%

MEN

46.6%

31.8%

SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES

WHITE

14%

AFRICAN-AMERICAN

6%

20.1%

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

TWO OR MORE RACES

4%

NONRESIDENT ALIEN

4%

12.9%

UNDECLARED

PACIFIC ISLANDER

0.5%

UNKNOWN

0.5%

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ASK YOURSELF: WHOCAN I BECOME?

Choosing a Major It is a common pitfall to apply for a major that seems to lead you to a career with the highest earning potential, or the highest probability of getting a job. However, the students who find the greatest success in school and in their lives after college, are those who chose majors based on subjects they are passionate about. Questions such as “What can this degree do for me?” should take a back seat to “What do I enjoy doing?” or “Which major interests me the most?” Often, interest in a particular field of study is motivation enough to achieve high academic standing within that major, which in turn leads to satisfying careers and overall happiness. Majors and careers do not always have direct relationships, but it is not uncommon for people to pursue careers and lifestyles that align with their majors. A major is just one facet of a person’s life an employer considers. Employers look for a combination of qualifications, evaluating job candidates on many factors, including attitude, related experience, achievements, extra-curricular involvement, leadership, communication abilities, and transferable and adaptive skills.

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FIND YOUR CALLING Majors Anthropology (B.A.) Applied Mathematical Sciences (B.S.) Bioengineering (B.S.)

Minors American Studies Anthropology Applied Mathematical Sciences Arts Chemical Sciences Chicano/a Studies Cognitive Science Economics English Environmental Science and Sustainability History Management Natural Sciences Education Philosophy Physics Political Science Psychology Public Health Service Science Sociology

Biological Sciences (B.S.) Chemical Sciences (B.S.) Cognitive Science (B.A., B.S.) Computer Science and Engineering (B.S.) Earth Systems Science (B.S.) Economics (B.A.) English (B.A.) Environmental Engineering (B.S.) History (B.A.) Management and Business Economics (B.S.) Materials Science and Engineering (B.S.) Mechanical Engineering (B.S.) Physics (B.S.) Political Science (B.A.) Psychology (B.A.) Public Health (B.A.)* Sociology (B.A.) Spanish (B.A.)

Spanish Writing

* Not open to transfer students until fall 2016

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Special programs and research opportunities while at UC Merced THINK OUTSIDE THE BOOKS

SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES CalTeach/UC Science and Math Initiative Center for Computational Biology Center of Excellence for the Study of Health Disparities in Rural and Ethnic Underserved Populations Genome Center Health Sciences Research Institute Sierra Nevada Research Institute Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory collaboration SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING Foster Family Center for Engineering Service Learning Innovation and Design Clinic Pathways to Innovation The Stem Cell Instrumentation Foundry Imaging and Microscopy Facility Sierra Nevada Research Institute Environmental Analytical Laboratory Light Microscopy and Crystallography Modeling Center Mechanical Test Laboratory PG&E Service Learning Laboratory SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, HUMANITIES AND ARTS Foreign Languages

Global Arts Studies Program Media Arts Technique Program World Heritage

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JENNIFER LU PROFESSOR SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING Ph.D., University of Michigan

FACULTY PROFILE

Professor Jennifer Lu is one of the first three faculty members to establish the Materials Science and Engineering discipline at UC Merced. Her research is focused on molecular design, rational synthesis, and performance characterization of materials that enable energy conversion and storage.  This area is key to a wide variety of applications in life science, energy and machine intelligence. Her research group has consistently published in high- impact journals. Lu teaches popular undergraduate courses, including Introduction to Nanoscience and Nanotechology and Nanofabrication. She is a recipient of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Young Investigator award. She was an invited participant in the Frontiers of Science and Engineering workshop co- sponsored by the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Science. Before joining UC Merced, she acquired a decade of industry experience at IBM and Agilent Technologies. She holds 18 patents related to semiconducting device fabrication and measurement-instrument design.

UC MERCED ADMISSIONS | PAGE 7

FACULTY PROFILE

Professor Spivey’s cognitive science lab studies how people combine what they see with what they hear. By continuously recording eye movements and computer-mouse movements, Spivey’s lab finds evidence supporting the claim that different brain systems (for language and for vision) interact with one another on a millisecond timescale. The work has resulted in a dynamical-systems account of how the human mind smoothly and gradually travels from one mental state to the next mental state, recounted in Spivey’s 2007 book, “The Continuity of Mind.” Spivey is the recipient of multiple teaching awards, UC Merced’s Distinction in Research award and Sigma Xi’s William Procter Prize for Scientific Achievement. MICHAEL J. SPIVEY PROFESSOR SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, HUMANITIES AND ARTS Ph.D., University of Rochester

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FACULTY PROFILE

CAROLIN FRANK ASSISTANT PROFESSOR SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES

Ph.D., Uppsala University, Sweden

Professor Frank and her students work on bacteria called endophytes that live inside plants. Just like humans and other animals, plants are colonized by bacteria that are essential to plant health, but almost nothing is known about endophytic bacteria in natural ecosystems. Frank’s students use DNA sequencing and genome analysis to study this endophytic “dark matter” in plants—particularly conifers — in the nearby Sierra Nevada and in other high-elevation ecosystems across the Western U.S. They have recently discovered what appears to be a previously unknown kind of symbiosis between pines and bacteria that fix atmospheric nitrogen. The research has the potential to radically change our perspective on how some plants acquire nitrogen, and also our understanding of the terrestrial nitrogen cycle.

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STUDENT PROFILE

LIHAI LIN

HOMETOWN: Manila, Philippines

YEAR: Freshman

MAJOR: Undeclared (pursuing Management and Business Economics, and Psychology)

WHY YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THESE MAJORS: At a young age, I was exposed to business and finance. This is the reason I chose Management and Business Economics. I also have an interest in psychology, as I believe that it relates with my other major. ACTIVITIES/ORGANIZATIONS: Alpha Kappa Psi fraternity, campus tour guide, UNICEF PLANS FOR AFTER GRADUATION: Following graduation, I am looking to start up my own business.

“ The reason I love Merced correlates with a quote by Helen Keller: ‘ Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light. ’ HERE AT UC MERCED, I AM NEVER ALONE – I always have friends and mentors to help me find my way. I really appreciate this aspect of my school. ”

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“ I chose UC Merced because it was the only school where I felt I could achieve greatness while also staying true to myself. OUR UNIVERSITY DOES A FANTASTIC JOB OF HELPING YOU TO ACHIEVE GREATNESS, from studying abroad or finding a fantastic internship to working on research with well-respected professors. UC Merced is there to make sure you are given the same opportunities as any other UC student. ”

STUDENT PROFILE

KENNETH PUNO

HOMETOWN: Valencia, Calif.

YEAR: Junior MAJORS: Economics and Public Health MINOR: Psychology

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR MAJOR? I came to this school as undeclared, but after taking a couple of intro classes, I became really interested in many different fields. I am very glad I was able to major in subjects that spark my interest. ACTIVITIES/ORGANIZATIONS: Recreation attendant at the Joseph Edward Gallo Recreation and Wellness Center; internship with the city of Merced Department of Planning; member of the Pilipino American Alliance; member of the Delta Sigma Pi fraternity; member of Colleges Against Cancer

PLANS FOR AFTER GRADUATION: I hope to attend a graduate school that allows me to receive concurrently a juris doctorate degree and a master’s degree in Public Health.

UC MERCED ADMISSIONS | PAGE 11

COME VISIT UC MERCED AND FIND OUT WHAT MAKES OUR CAMPUS SO SPECIAL. Schedule a tour online at admissions.ucmerced.edu/tours , or call us to arrange a guided tour of the campus any weekday and on most Saturdays during the year. Visiting UC Merced will give you first-hand knowledge of our academics, housing and student life.

Tours 209-228-6316

School of Engineering 209-228-4411 engineering.ucmerced.edu School of Natural Sciences 209-228-4309 naturalsciences.ucmerced.edu School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts 209-228-7742 ssha.ucmerced.edu

Office of Admissions 209-228-7178 admissions@ucmerced.edu admissions.ucmerced.edu

UC Merced Office of Admissions 5200 N. Lake Road | Merced, CA 95343

tours@ucmerced.edu Take a virtual tour at admissions.ucmerced.edu/virtualtour

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