The University of California, Merced has just been named an R1 research institution, the most prestigious designation from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Of nearly 4,000 doctoral-granting universities in the nation, only 187 have been awarded R1 status for superior research and doctorate programs. UC Merced joins this exclusive group after just 20 years of operation and is the only R1 institution in California’s Central Valley.

“I am so proud to congratulate UC Merced on this incredible achievement,” said Merced-area Congressman Adam Gray. “As an educator at UC Merced, I have seen the talent and dedication of our student body and faculty up close. UC Merced has revolutionized education in our Valley and is an engine of innovation, economic development and upward mobility for our communities. As UC Merced’s representative in Congress, I am committed to securing federal funding to support our ever-expanding research, high-quality instruction and other learning opportunities for students.”

Congressman Gray has been an instructor in UC Merced’s Political Science department for over 10 years and served as the Associate Director of the Center For Analytic Political Engagement. During his time as a member of the California State Assembly, Congressman Gray secured more than $200 million in funding for programs to support agricultural technology instruction and the university’s joint medical school program with UCSF, which enrolled its first class of doctors in 2023.

Congressman Gray represents California’s 13th Congressional District, spanning the San Joaquin Valley.