More than 200 master’s and doctoral students came out to celebrate at the annual Berkeley Distinguished Graduate Fellows Reception and to meet and mingle with some of the donors who make graduate fellowships possible.

The year’s reception was held on March 19, 2015, at the Chevron Auditorium of the International House. The evening featured speakers including Graduate Division Dean Fiona M. Doyle, Vice Provost of Strategic Academic and Facilities Planning Andrew J. Szeri and graduate fellow José Lizárraga, first-place winner of the Berkeley Distinguished Fellows video competition.

The audience was treated to a screening of all three winning videos, each of them two minutes or less, made by students entering the contest. Second-place winner was Joyce Chery; third-place winner was Roxanne Cruz-de Hoyas.

“This reception is a true celebration of both our campus’ graduate students and graduate fellowships,” said Jane Fink, Events Manager for the Graduate Division. “We take a moment to recognize the donors and what a difference their contributions make to the fund recipients. Our donors’ funds are integral to the overall funding picture, and make many educational dreams possible for these hard-working students.”