Recognizing the University of California, Merced

Floor Speech

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Mr. GRAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the University of California, Merced, as it celebrates 20 years of firsts.

The University of California Board of Regents, working to meet long- term enrollment demand in the San Joaquin Valley and increase access to the UC system, selected the Merced site in 1995 for the system's 10th campus.

The first undergraduate class arrived in the fall of 2005, officially marking the campus's opening. In 2009, UC Merced celebrated its first full graduating class with First Lady Michelle Obama delivering the commencement address. The University received its initial regional accreditation from WSCUC in 2011, and in 2015, UC Merced is the youngest university to earn national recognition for community engagement with a Carnegie Research Classification.

UC Merced was the first public research university in the Nation to reach verified operational carbon neutrality in 2018, and in 2020, completed its ``UC Merced 2020 Project'' which was the largest social- infrastructure public-private partnership in U.S. higher education at the time. This project doubled the campus footprint, adding new classrooms, research labs, housing, student wellness facilities, recreation and more. Eleven UC Merced 2020 project buildings earned LEED platinum certifications.

The first-ever comprehensive campaign ``Boldly Forward'' in 2022 raised funds to support UC Merced's first medical education building to support the new Bachelor of Science to Medical Doctorate pathway, developed in partnership with UC San Francisco and UCSF-Fresno.

Two years later, the UC Board of Regents held their first-ever full meeting at UC Merced, and UC Merced was accepted into NCAA Division II to elevate and enhance intercollegiate athletics and the student experience.

Today, UC Merced is the only university in California's Central Valley to attain the Carnegie Classification R1: Very High Research Activity, cementing its role as a driver of discovery, talent and economic mobility. As the first American research university founding in the 21st century, UC Merced continues to be a top-100 research university and the fastest-growing public university in the Nation, supporting high achieving and dedicated students from the underserved Central Valley and throughout California.

Please join me in honoring UC Merced as it continues its journey toward many more firsts.

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