to support the Department of Physics
with a donation to UC Merced
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Spontaneous twisted double helices in liquid crystals |
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Bacteria can propel themselves while stuck together |
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Twisted filaments sense bacterial shape |
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Filling a void in the understanding of amorphous solar cells |
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Active nematics go three-dimensional In their recent work published in the Science magazine, Daniel Beller and collaborators show that 3D active nematics flow by creating topologically neutral defect loops... |
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Topological chaos in active nematics In their Nature Physics article, the Hirst and Mitchell groups show that chaotic flows in active nematics can be understood as braiding by topological defects... |
From graduate student Jose Zamora’s perspective, the CREST Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Machines (CCBM) has been a spectacular success. “There is so much value to being part of the CCBM,”...
UC Merced occupies just one small corner of the world. But through the research, teaching, experience, and connections of two new Department of Physics faculty members, students can access and begin...
Physics Professor Dustin Kleckner has received a prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER award for his research — the third in his department this year. He studies how optical and acoustic...
Access to World Class Resources
As the 10th campus of the University of California, UC Merced draws on the outstanding resources of the UC system, a world renowned center for research and education. The research groups in this graduate group have access to major facilities, such as state of the art laser systems, an electron microscopy facility, a nanofabrication facility and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy on campus. Other large facilities, such as synchrotron light sources, located at Stanford University and UC Berkeley labs, are within two hours of driving distances. Students also have access to the extensive library holdings and journal subscriptions of the UC system.
Our active, diverse group of faculty is enthusiastic, driven and invested in student success. Our team is large enough to offer rigorous and comprehensive training but small enough that students receive a lot of personal attention.
UC Merced's academic structure and physical proximity make collaborative opportunities with other research groups the rule rather than the exception.
If you're ready for a physics program that combines exciting research topics with close faculty interaction, why wait? Apply today.
Celebrating diversity
The second-largest program within the School of Natural Sciences, our graduate group celebrates diversity. Seven of the 20 faculty members are women and 43 percent of our students are either underrepresented minorities or women, which makes our group among the most diverse in the country.
Research-focused undergraduate education
Undergraduate students at UC Merced have a rare opportunity to take part in scientific research with world-renowned research groups in cutting-edge fields such as atomic, molecular & optical (AMO) physics, biological & soft matter physics, condensed matter & nanoscale physics, and solar & energy sciences. During the senior year all students work closely with a faculty advisor to design and carry out a research project, with many starting their research work in earlier years.
