Winner of 2024 Grad Slam, Victoria Chevee

Develop Your Presentation Skills through Grad Slam!

Last spring, Victoria Chevée, a final year Ph.D. candidate in molecular and cell biology, now a postdoctoral fellow at the Pasteur Institute in Paris (France), became Berkeley's 2024 Grad Slam Champion for her presentation, "A Bacterium's Journey: From Guts to Brain."  Victoria went on to compete against the nine other campus champions across the UC system. In this Q&A, Victoria talks about her experience with Grad Slam and her recommendations to other graduate students who might want to participate in the competition this year or in the future.

student studying at the inclusive excellence hub

Tips for Establishing a Daily Writing Routine

Students often single out finding time to write as one of the key time-management challenges of graduate school. With the various responsibilities of being a graduate student, including teaching, seminars, and conferences, writing can often fall by the wayside. A key strategy for combating resistance to writing is learning how to establish a daily writing routine.

Students studying in the Bancroft Library

Making the Most of Your Winter Break for Professional Development

Winter break is finally here—a chance to take a breather after a hectic semester. But it can also be a strategic moment to invest in your professional growth. Without the usual demands of classes, research, or teaching, you have the space to think about your next steps, build new skills, and refocus on your career goals. Here’s how to make the most of your time off.

photo collage of Maria Almeida Reis, Haripriya Sathyanarayanan, Yana Zlochistaya and Reuben Perez

Meet Our GradPro Team

GradPro staff members are here to support you as you navigate your graduate program, career planning, job search, and beyond.   Here at…

student reading outside of a cafe

Essential Summer Reading for Graduate Students

For many graduate students, the summer months are an important time for self-directed reading and other tasks that have taken a backseat over the fall and spring semesters. Regardless of your stage in your graduate program, consider adding one or two books to your summer reading list this year that will help advance your professional development goals.

Berkeley’s Grad Slam 2023 first-place winner, Madison Browne

Develop Your Presentation Skills through Grad Slam!

Last spring, Madison Browne, now a fifth-year Ph.D. student in psychology became Berkeley's 2023 Grad Slam Champion for her presentation, "Shedding Light on Alzheimer's Disease." Madison went on to compete against the nine other campus champions across the UC system. 

Student waving Cal flag

Mentoring Course for Graduate Students

With the variety of courses being offered in the Spring 2024 semester, it can be overwhelming to figure out which to take. We encourage you to enroll in GSPDP 301, Effective Mentoring in Higher Education. This seminar will help guide graduate students as they mentor undergraduates at Berkeley, work in the context of a mentoring relationship with their graduate advisers, and prepare for the mentoring they will do in future academic and non-academic careers.

GSI Teaching Preparation for Spring 2024

Are you planning to teach as a GSIs for the first time in the Spring 2024 semester? If so, please take note of steps you are required to take before the semester begins and during the semester.

Announcing the Newly Revised Graduate Student Professional Development Guide

Not sure what steps to take to advance your professional development? Follow this essential and newly revised Professional Development Guide on how to develop the key competencies of career and professional development. These competencies are broadly relevant, helping you develop skills that are valued highly across diverse career paths.