UC Merced Magazine | Commemorative Chronicle

October 25 — UC Merced Groundbreaking Ceremony at future campus site

March 1 — Sung-Mo “Steve” Kang becomes the second Chancellor — following Acting Chancellor Rod Park

September 5 — Opening Convocation — inaugural class of

875 Bobcats cross Scholars Bridge, establishing a campus tradition

March 13 — First faculty appointed — research facilities established at the former Castle Air Force Base

May 11 — First commencement hosted in the Dr. Lakireddy Auditorium — three graduates cross the stage to become the rst Bobcat alumni

May 14 — Medical Education Building groundbreaking

February 13 — Earns R1 Carnegie research classi cation

July 1 — Juan Sánchez Muñoz, becomes the fourth Chancellor, following Interim Chancellor Nathan Brostrom

July 11 — Accepted into NCAA Division II

August 23 — e City of Merced annexes the university

September 5 — Celebrates 20 year anniversary of the

September 23 — e “Big M” is introduced as core visual identi er along with tagline: “ rst. further. forward.”

campus, and kicks o NCAA Division II play

September 4 — Ranked #1 in the nation for Social Mobility by e Wall Street Journal

September 22 — Ranked as a Top 25 Public University in the nation, by U.S. News & World Report