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 4, 2026

National Conversations, Local Impact: An Update from Washington

Dear Campus Community, Last week, I was in our nation’s capital with two important objectives. First, I participated in the annual convening of the American Council... Read More

February 5, 2026

Sustaining Our Momentum: Strategic Investments in Research, Student Success, and Our Campus Community

  Dear Campus Community, In November, Provost Dumont and Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer Schnier shared our Financial Stabilization Plan, a multi-... Read More

News

UC Merced student Grace Grinder in the university library.
March 19, 2026

As a child of the Central Valley and a member of a Native tribe, Grace Grinder developed an early awareness of health care disparities affecting rural regions and underserved communities. While in...

Alt text: A runner wearing a race bib crosses beneath a blue finish arch with arms outstretched as spectators on both sides hold military and California flags and cheer at the finish line of an outdoor 5K event.
March 19, 2026

UC Merced’s Division of Equity, Justice, and Inclusive Excellence will bring campus and community together Saturday, March 21 for the annual Toloma 5K, a morning run and walk that celebrates Native...

UC Merced graduate student Reo Maynard studies a carpenter ant from one of his many ant colonies.
March 18, 2026

On most days, Reo Maynard’s life swings between two ecosystems: the microscopic world inside an ant’s gut and the sprawling one that stretches from Fresno to the Sierra Nevada mountains. The 51-year-...

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