2026 Graduate Mentoring Awards

Mentorship is a vital resource for many UC Berkeley students, often shaping their academic success, well-being, and overall experience. While many faculty and graduate students offer meaningful guidance, this year’s Graduate Mentoring Award recipients have gone above and beyond in their dedication to supporting the Berkeley community. The 2026 awards ceremony was held on April 16, celebrating these individuals for their outstanding commitment to mentorship and student support.

The Carol D. Soc Distinguished Graduate Student Mentoring Awards, established in 2007, recognize UC Berkeley faculty for their vital role in mentoring graduate students and training future faculty.

2026 Carol D. Soc Distinguished Graduate Student Mentoring Awards

Early-Career Faculty Winner

• Maya Carrasquillo, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Late-Career Faculty Winner

• Steven Conolly, Montford G. Cook Endowed Chair and Professor, Department of Bioengineering and Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

The Graduate Assembly Faculty Mentor Award honors members of the Berkeley faculty and teaching staff who have shown an outstanding commitment to mentoring, advising, and supporting graduate students.

2026 Graduate Assembly Faculty Mentor Awards

• Grace Erny, Assistant Professor, Department of Ancient Greek and Roman Studies
• Ricarda Hammer, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology
• Hillel David Soifer, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science

The Faculty Award for Outstanding Mentorship of GSIs recognizes faculty who have gone above and beyond in mentoring GSIs in multi-section courses, stand-alone courses, or 375 pedagogy courses.

2026 Faculty Award for Outstanding Mentorship of GSIs

• Alison Post, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science
• Jason Ryder, Executive Director of Master of Bioprocess Engineering Program and Adjunct Professor, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
• Ian Wang, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management

The Outstanding Graduate Student Peer Mentor Award honors Berkeley graduate and professional students who have shown an outstanding commitment to mentoring, advising, and generally supporting either undergraduate students or their fellow graduate students.

2026 Outstanding Graduate Peer Mentor Award

• Leen Arnaout, PhD Candidate, UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Program in Bioengineering
• Zhe Fu, PhD Candidate, Transportation Engineering and M.S. Candidate in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences
• Carlos Ng Pitti, PhD Candidate, UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Program in Bioengineering
• Emily Fjaellen Thompson, PhD Candidate, Department of Anthropology

These distinguished individuals, nominated by faculty colleagues and current and former graduate students and undergraduates, were selected from a pool of exceptional Berkeley faculty and graduate students. They exemplify the values and best practices of effective mentoring that are core to our university community and mission.