School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts Faculty Named to Five Endowed Chairs

Five faculty members in the UC Merced School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts have been appointed to endowed chairs, recognizing their scholarship and contributions to research that serve underrepresented communities, advance human rights and shape the future of communications.

The newly appointed chairholders are Christina Baker, Yang Lor, Zenaida Aguirre-Muñoz, Courtenay Monroe and Jinah Kim.

"These five faculty members exemplify the caliber of scholarship that is advancing UC Merced's rise as a national research university," said Betsy Dumont, executive vice chancellor and provost. "Their work reflects the depth and breadth of research happening across our campus. Endowed chairs give our faculty the sustained support they need to pursue bold, community-engaged scholarship, and I congratulate each of them on this well-deserved recognition."

Three Presidential Chairs Rooted in an Historic Gift

Three of the five appointments - the inaugural UC Merced Presidential Chairs in African American Engagement, Asian American and Pacific Islander Engagement and Chicano/a and LatinX Engagement - were established through philanthropist MacKenzie Scott's $20 millionfirst gift to the university in 2021. Scott has said one focus of her giving is supporting the education of students from chronically underserved communities and advancing social change, equity and diversity in leadership.

The three chairs are further supported by the University of California Office of the President's Presidential Match for Endowed Chairs initiative. Each honors a faculty member's contributions to research and scholarship that expand understanding of, and representation and policy affecting, a specific community.

UC Merced Presidential Chair in African American Engagement

The chair recognizing scholarship on African American communities has been awarded to Baker, an associate professor who chairs the Department of History and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies.

"It is an honor to be appointed as UC Merced's Presidential Chair in African American Engagement because it provides an opportunity to amplify the outstanding research and creative work of faculty and students, and the impactful scholarship and community-engaged activities that advance understandings of the rich culture and history of African American communities," Baker said.

UC Merced Presidential Chair in Asian American and Pacific Islander Engagement

Lor, an associate teaching professor of sociology, has been selected for the chair recognizing his work on Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.

"It is a tremendous honor and privilege to be appointed as the UC Merced Presidential Chair in Asian American and Pacific Islander Engagement," Lor said. "I am deeply grateful to Dean Leo Arriola for his nomination, my colleagues in the Department of Sociology for their support and the generous donors whose vision and philanthropy made this endowed chair possible.

"As a Hmong American born in a refugee camp after my family fled Laos following the Vietnam War, this appointment holds profound personal and professional significance. My experiences have shaped my commitment to understanding how race, ethnicity, immigration, and social inequality influence educational opportunity, identity and belonging. Through my research, teaching and community engagement, I have sought to elevate the voices and experiences of Asian American communities, particularly those of Hmong Americans and Southeast Asian Americans, whose stories are often overlooked in broader conversations about race and inequality.

"This endowed chair provides an incredible opportunity to expand that work by supporting research, mentoring students and strengthening partnerships with communities beyond the university. I look forward to continuing to produce scholarship that broadens our understanding of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities while creating meaningful opportunities for students to engage in research and community-based learning."

UC Merced Presidential Chair in Chicano/a and LatinX Engagement

Aguirre-Muñoz, a professor in the Department of Cognitive and Information Sciences, has been named to the chair recognizing her work on Chicano/a and LatinX communities.

"I am deeply honored to be appointed the UC Merced Presidential Chair in Chicano/a and LatinX Engagement," Aguirre-Muñoz said. "This recognition reflects the shared commitment of my students, colleagues, educators and community partners who have worked alongside me to expand educational opportunity across the Central Valley and beyond. My research seeks to better understand how bilingualism and biliteracy can be leveraged to improve learning opportunities and educational outcomes for Chicano/a and LatinX students. I look forward to continuing this work through research and community partnerships that inform educational policy and practice while recognizing the linguistic, cultural and intellectual assets of our communities.

MacArthur Endowed Chair in Human Rights and International Justice

Monroe, a political science professor, has been named the MacArthur Endowed Chair in Human Rights and International Justice, honoring her scholarship on migration, global governance and the international institutions that shape human rights protections.

The chair was established through a systemwide gift to the University of California from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. MacArthur Foundation chairs support distinguished faculty working in areas of strategic interest to the foundation, including digital media, human rights and social justice.

"I'm deeply honored to be named the MacArthur Endowed Chair in Human Rights and International Justice," Monroe said. "Human rights research only matters if it's connected to real communities and real institutions. This appointment will provide me the resources to expand research at the intersection of human rights, migration and international institutions, as well as deepen ties with interested students, colleagues and partners across the Central Valley and beyond."

McClatchy Chair in Communications

Kim, a professor in the Department of Global Arts, Media and Writing Studies, has been appointed the McClatchy Chair in Communications, honoring her scholarship on how media practices shape public memory, political belonging and struggles for human rights.

The McClatchy Company established the chair to support faculty who advance the future of communication and prepare students to make a meaningful impact in a rapidly changing media landscape.

"It is a great honor to be endowed with the McClatchy Chair in Communications at UC Merced," Kim said. "The McClatchy newspapers were at the heart of democratic life in the Central Valley and in news outlets throughout the country. As McClatchy Endowed Chair, my goal is to extend the university's public mission by connecting students, faculty and community partners to the rich media landscape and historical memory of the Central Valley.

"I am a communication and media studies scholar, and my research is unified by a central question: how do media practices shape familial and public memory, political belonging and struggles for human rights? My published work has examined how artists, activists and everyday people have turned to communication technologies to intervene in state-regulated narratives of violence, war, migration and dispossession, with a particular focus on U.S. empire of bases in the Asia-Pacific. At UC Merced, this work aligns closely with the university's commitment to public scholarship, community engagement and the cultivation of first-generation scholars whose lives and histories have often been excluded from dominant media narratives.

"As an immigrant who moved to the U.S. as a child, I experienced firsthand the importance of news media. We left South Korea during the period of the Chun Doo Hwan dictatorship, and one of the first things he did after gaining control was to censor the news and punish journalists who investigated his administration," Kim said. Immigrant news outlets were our main connection to our families and friends across vast oceans. A vibrant news media landscape is more important than ever, and UC Merced is perfectly positioned to shepherd the McClatchy Foundation's legacy and commitment to a vibrant and well-informed civil society."

A Growing Legacy of Endowed Support

These five appointments highlight UC Merced's growing national prominence for the depth and quality of its research enterprise. Made possible by the generous investment of supporters, endowed chairs provide sustained and flexible funding that enables faculty to pursue ambitious research, mentor students and deepen the university's engagement with the communities it serves.

That momentum continues today, with UC Merced now counting 26 endowed chairs across the university.

"These appointments reflect the extraordinary generosity and vision of UC Merced's donors," said Ed Klotzbier, vice chancellor and chief external relations officer. "Endowed chairs are lasting investments in people and ideas. They empower exceptional faculty to pursue groundbreaking research, inspire students and generate discoveries that benefit California and the world for generations to come."

Alyssa Johansen