Jimmy Dunne had the honor to write the Alma Mater for California’s tenth and newest university — UC Merced.

With 11,000 undergraduates and growing exponentially, UC Merced is a unique university located in the San Joaquin Valley — and the first American research university to be built in the 21st century.

Jimmy Dunne met with a number of the members of the University’s Board at the university, and had numerous meetings with students, the university’s band, parents, and the university’s leadership — talking about the story and soul of the university.  His greatest research was taking walks through the campus and its classrooms — listening to the hearts of its passionate students and teachers.

He wrote “My Merced,” a song that speaks to the profound effect of this nurturing home on its students’ lives.

Jimmy Dunne and Stephan Oberhoff produced a number of versions of the motif and melody (along with exceptional musicians/singers) — affording UC Merced to incorporate the audio branding into myriad touchpoints and events at the university.