The Life & Environmental Sciences (LES) department brings together a broadly experienced faculty with a common interest in interdisciplinary research and education in natural and human-impacted Earth systems. Research and teaching carried out by our faculty address fundamental and applied problems associated with the environment and its sustainability at the intersection of biological, chemical and physical sciences.
UC Merced’s location in the Central Valley of California offers a rich environment for pursuing these interests. Just 90 minutes west of Yosemite National Park, two hours from the magnificent Pacific Coast, and namesake to a river that contributes to a lifeline between the mountains and the seas, UC Merced is placed appropriately to consider issues of local, regional and global importance such as biosecurity, conservation, ecosystem function, environmental health, 
sustainability, and the history and future of life in a changing world.
