Fiona M. DoyleAcademic life continues to hum at Berkeley with five Summer Sessions enrolling more than 16,000 students in more than 600 courses! Some of you are instructing these, some of you are taking classes, and all of us who cross the campus are seeing new students from all walks of life. Nearly 4,000 of them come from beyond the UC system, many from outside the U.S.

Berkeley’s stellar reputation draws students and scholars from around the globe ­— not only for the breadth and depth of our academic offerings but also for the unique values that our campus is famous for: encouraging social vision and inclusivity, embracing innovation and debate, promoting individual growth within vibrant communities.

This creates a virtuous cycle, whereby Summer Session participants return to their home institutions, spread the word about Berkeley’s special character, and often aim to return to Berkeley for further studies and advanced degrees.

Having traveled the world enough to have personal knowledge of this, I predict that, throughout your future, you will be amazed by the high regard that we enjoy globally, a status that enhances the value of having earned a Berkeley graduate degree. Experiences available during your pivotal years here are the envy of the world. I encourage you to take full advantage of every opportunity, at your doorstep, to meet people from near and far, to share the Berkeley story, and to enrich your own connections.

Fiat Lux,

 
Fiona M. Doyle
Dean of the Graduate Division
Donald H. McLaughlin Professor of Mineral Engineering