Haider Ali Bhatti

Haider Ali Bhatti

Ph.D. candidate in Science and Math Education

Haider Ali Bhatti’s path to the PhD began with a love for science and an admiration for pioneers in the field. His goal to make a positive impact in STEM landed him at Berkeley, where his research focuses on transforming Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) undergraduate education by making it more inclusive, interpersonal, and interdisciplinary. His involvement with the Office for Graduate Diversity as a Community and Diversity Fellow and STEM*FYI leader has afforded him opportunities to put his research into practice. Hear directly from Ali below and get his perspective on why he chose Berkeley.

My name is Ali, and I’m a 4th year PhD student in Science and Math Education, and I thought you might want to hear directly from a student what it’s like to study at UC Berkeley.

My research focuses on how we can improve undergraduate STEM education by making it more inclusive, interpersonal, and interdisciplinary. I’m trying to promote active learning in the undergraduate STEM classroom through things like collaboration, project-based learning, and interdisciplinary ideas related to different disciplines that coalesce together.

You might be wondering how it’s going.

When I got here my first year, it was a big transition moving to Berkeley all the way from the East Coast. I also went through an incredible and unexpected loss–my mom suddenly passed away in my first year of graduate school. I didn’t think I could continue, but the support system that I had at Berkeley with my advisors, my peers, and my mentors made it very clear that this was something I can still do. Especially in my mom’s name. She would definitely want me to push forth and finish what I so desperately wanted to do my whole life.

 I had high expectations, and then those expectations were met when I got here. I was surrounded by the best researchers in the world, some of the best mentors and advisors in the world, and the best peers in the world.

Haider Ali Bhatti
Haider Ali Bhatti

So, why did I decide to come here?

When I was looking at graduate schools, or just thinking about graduate school, I would always look at famous scientists and researchers, and out of curiosity, Google them and try to figure out where they went to school for their PhD.

So often, Berkeley would pop up, and I thought: I want to be that. I want to be that person who pops up and has Berkeley in their PhD. 

I had high expectations, and those expectations were met when I got here. I am surrounded by the best researchers in the world, some of the best mentors and advisors in the world, and the best peers in the world.

You should join me here. I know you’ll find the same supportive community and world-class education that I have.

Ready to get started? Review our "Steps to Apply" to learn more about application requirements and deadlines.

Steps to Apply