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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

Chancellor's Priorities

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

Provost Betsy Dumont. Quote: What can we do to set up UC Merced for where it wants to be in 20 years?
March 26, 2024

In a thick rainforest in Papua New Guinea, they're tracking bats. Researchers glue radio transmitters to the creatures’ little, furry bodies, then wait. And wait. When a bat flits to another position...

Riverside City Manager and UC Merced grad student Mike Futrell
March 20, 2024

Glancing at Mike Futrell’s resume, one might ask, “What hasn’t he done?” He is a retired United States Navy captain with two submarine tours under his belt and 26 years of service; a former member of...

An almond orchard with irrigation lines is pictured.
March 18, 2024

Water is among the most precious resources on the planet. Some areas don't get enough; some get too much. And climate change is driving both of those circumstances to ever-growing extremes. Two UC...

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