Looking for Resources? Graduate Student Services is Here to Help!
Everyone needs help sometimes. This is a good place to start.
GradNews
Headlines
Meet the Berkeley Ombuds
I sat down with Marcia Gee Riley and Zackary Hull to discuss the purpose of the Ombuds Office, the highs and lows of their roles, and how graduate students can utilize the office to discuss concerns, learn about resources, or … Continued
Berkeley Journalism’s Annual Excellence Awards Announced
Each year, the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism convenes representatives of the local journalism community to decide whom they want to single out for outstanding work that exemplifies what the school most values.
Rethinking the Graduate Student ‘Culture of Busyness’
When you ask a fellow graduate student how they’ve been, how often do you get one of these responses: “It’s been crazy busy!” “I pulled three all-nighters this week.” “I was in lab until 4 a.m.” The graduate school experience … Continued
New Graduate Student Orientation — Arrive, Orient, and Go
New to Berkeley? The New Graduate Student Orientation on August 27 will help you find answers to your questions and help you jump-start your academic year.
Graduate Student Town Hall – 9/26/19
Lisa García Bedolla, Vice Provost for Graduate Studies, invites all UC Berkeley graduate students for a town hall discussion.
Reception for New Professional and Master’s Students at the Chancellor’s Residence
Connect with fellow students and meet Chancellor Christ and Vice Provost García Bedolla on Friday, Nov. 1 from 4-6 p.m.
My Goals for Serving the American Indian Graduate Community at Cal
Read about AIGP Director Patrick Naranjo’s journey to Berkeley, and what he hopes to achieve in the coming years.
UC Berkeley Welcomes Patrick Naranjo as AIGP Director
Patrick heads the American Indian Graduate Program following a successful career at UNLV.
‘The Graduates’ Airs Graduate Research Anyone Can Understand
Graduate students Ashley Smiley and Andrew Saintsing are bringing graduate-level research to the public through their KALX radio show.
Learn How to Pitch Your Graduate Research to the Media
A new online media training course is free for all UC Berkeley students, staff and faculty.
Ph.D. Student Nitin Kohli Awarded for Excellence in Teaching
For Nitin Kohli, teaching goes beyond just fulfilling his requirements as a graduate student instructor.
Outstanding Graduate Student Instructors Honored at Annual Award Ceremonies
More than 200 GSIs recognized for their exemplary teaching.
Meet the 2019 Philip Brett LGBT Studies Fellow: Tara Gonsalves
Brett Fellowship helps propel research on international transgender identity and activism.
Arrival Guide for New International Graduate Students
As the fall semester approaches, many international students are preparing for their journey ahead. We have compiled a resource list in conjunction with the Berkeley International Office to help smooth the transition.
Bioengineers Get Out of the Lab and Onto the Dance Floor
Ten graduate students and postdocs develop a dance theater piece to illustrate their research.
Tips for Finding Housing in Berkeley
One of the first challenges facing new Cal students is finding a place to call home, whether on- or off-campus. Cal Housing has some tips and suggestions that can help with your search.
Traveling Abroad this Summer?
Consult this guide for tips on safety, health, and well-being if you’ll be traveling outside the U.S.
Exploring Intricacies of Interconnectedness with the Study of Plant Microbiomes
A look at the impact of community on growth and wellbeing.
This Summer, Plan for Work-Life Balance
How to have a summer that’s both productive and relaxing.
Graduate Mentors Honored at Awards Ceremony
Five faculty members receive accolades from the Graduate Division and the Graduate Assembly.
Congratulations to 2019 Mellon/ACLS Fellows!
Two students receive a prestigious dissertation-writing fellowship.
Microbial Prospecting: The Search for Marine Bacteria with Quirky Metabolisms
Studying the basic biology of microbial life in aquatic ecosystems leads to a deeper understanding of how iodine, an element essential to life, cycles in our environment.
Berkeley’s Champion for the 2019 UC-Wide Grad Slam Competition Chosen
Competition showcases graduate research across campus.
Developing, Testing, and Refining Curriculum: Utilizing Tensegrities to Explore Energy & Energy Transformation
Engineering design allows students to apply “classroom” science to real-life applications in a fun and exciting way.
Don’t Miss Grad Slam! Announcing the Ten Berkeley Grad Slam Semi-Finalists
Come cheer on your colleagues at Grad Slam on 4/3/2019 at Sibley Auditorium.
Meet the Winners of the 2019 Berkeley Graduate Fellows Video Contest!
Three holders of prestigious fellowships show and tell what makes Berkeley, and their studies, special!
Podcasting 101 for Graduate Students
Follow these six steps to turn your podcast idea into a reality.
There’s Still Time to Participate in Grad Slam! Deadline to Enter is 2/18/2019
This UC-sponsored competition is designed to showcase graduate student research for a general audience.
Getting the Mentoring You Need
A new website provides resources for crafting a successful process with your mentor.
A Fine Crop of Spring Lectures
Thought-provoking lectures presented by a diverse line up of distinguished speakers.
The Curious Incident of the Yeast in the Light-Time
Electrical Engineering PhD student Mindy Perkins puts theory into practice in a biology lab in Basel, Switzerland.
Self-Cultivation for Global Development
Ramsay Boly, a first year student in the Master of Development Practice Program, follows his passion, leading him to a life-changing experience in Taiwan.
Your Guide to Fellowships and Grants
This fellowship season, find your next grant, scholarship and fellowship on our list!
Woodland’s “Food Front” Initiative Helps a Growing Community Flourish
It also Inspired a Berkeley grad to apply to the Goldman School of Public Policy.
Dean Doyle Goes to Washington
Seven UC Graduate Deans advocate for graduate education.
Science Adventures to Help Curb Extinction
Graduate student researcher collects data to help determine the future of the whitebark pine.
Holiday Fun!
Wherever you plan to celebrate your holidays, remember to schedule some time with family and friends to enjoy the season, locally.
Tracing My Family History
Master of Social Welfare Student Iris Lin travels around the world to connect with her family members.
Racial Equity Investing
In search of solutions at the intersection of finance and social change.
My Summer of Informal Work with Asiye eTafuleni (AeT) in Durban, South Africa
Master of Public Policy student, Emily Alter focuses on participatory social justice research with the informal workers of Warwick Junction.
By My Father’s Side
Doctoral candidate, Kathleen Cruz Gutierrez is inspired by her father to write a history of Philippine botany during the Spanish-to-U.S. colonial transition at the turn of the century.
Get to Know the Career Center
Berkeley graduate students receive career planning guidance and employment-related assistance from the Career Center.
Trail to Tonk
Fifth year PhD researcher travels to India to study rare Persian manuscripts
Another Student Trio Becomes Switzer Fellows
Three more Berkeley students bring home $15,000 Switzer Environmental Fellowship awards to help them tackle environmental challenges.
Leveraging Video Analysis to Examine the Relationship between Undergraduate Research and Science Identity
A graduate student uses her newly-developed skills to consider the nuanced perspective a young scientist may have with their role in the scientific community.
Graduate Student Services and Cal Student Central
Graduate students can find assistance through Cal Student Central and Graduate Student Services. What can they offer you?
Exciting Fall Offerings from Berkeley Graduate Lectures
Thought-provoking lectures presented by a diverse line-up of distinguished speakers.
American Fellowships Awarded to Three at Berkeley
Fellows are recognized for their scholarly excellence and active commitment to helping women and girls through service in their communities, professions, or fields of research.
International House Announces Eleven Gateway Fellows
The Gateway Fellowship Program provides annual fellowships to UC Berkeley doctoral students in collaboration with the Graduate Division and the recipient’s academic program.
Working for Alameda County’s Department of Children and Family Services
A day in the life of an emergency response worker.
Ethnography of Living Archives: Queer Filipino American Catholics
Reflections on the field notes I recorded during my 2015 research trip to the National Pinoy Archives at the Filipino American National Historical Society in Seattle, Washington.
Meet the 2018 Philip Brett LGBT Studies Fellow: Mark Leinauer
An interdisciplinary research project investigates anti-gay bias in child custody courts.
Rosie Taylor, the Art of Chainmail, and Scandinavian Studies
A graduate student’s research inspires at Cal Day.
Berkeley’s Joe Charbonnet Brings Home the 2018 Slammy!
Berkeley’s contestant in the UC-wide Grad Slam edges out stiff competition that showcases graduate student research.
Flies, Yeast, and Making Wine
Why fruit flies are key to the aromas and flavors of wine.
Faculty Recognized for Outstanding Mentorship at Berkeley
Annual Graduate Mentoring Awards Ceremony honored five faculty members.
Berkeley’s Champion for the 2018 UC-Wide Grad Slam Championship Chosen
Graduate students deliver three-minute talks and win cash prizes.
Inspiring Legislators to Support Graduate Education
Berkeley graduate students headed to Sacramento to educate lawmakers about the importance of graduate research and its contribution to California’s economy and progress.
Conflict and Coexistence: Wolves, Sheep, and Land Use Politics in Central Idaho
Wolves and humans: the continuing struggle for territory in the US West.
Meet the Winners of the 2018 Berkeley Graduate Fellows Video Contest!
Three holders of prestigious fellowships show and tell what makes Berkeley, and their studies, special!
Something in the Water
How tramping across rice paddies in Thailand can help unravel tropical diseases and improve public health.
Art Rosenfeld Award for Energy Efficiency: “Creating the Next Generation” of Leaders in Energy Sustainability
This video illuminates the legacy of a revered Berkeley professor, physicist, and pioneer in energy conservation.
Explaining Your Research to the Public: Why It Matters, How to Do It!
Helping students help the public understand their research and its value for everyone.
Graduate Students Compete in First Humanities & Social Sciences Grad Slam!
Eight graduate students presented compelling three-minute narratives about their humanities and social science research.
City as Memory Palace: Film & Landscape Design
Exploring connections among cinema, landscape design, local culture, and community identity.
Doctoral Student Receives the Paul Crissey Graduate Student Research Award
Social Welfare PhD student honored for study on child maltreatment.
Berkeley Students Receive Congressional Record Recognition
Congresswoman Barbara Lee recognizes the successful advocacy of two Berkeley graduate students.
Another Fine Crop of Spring Lectures
Since 1904, hundreds of lecturers have visited Berkeley to share their research and thoughts. Here is a brief description of what we’ll be featuring this spring.
My Passion for Social Work and Africa
Study Abroad in Ghana led an MSW student to summer research in Uganda.
Graduate Writing Center A “Gem” For Students Polishing Their Skills
Graduate Writing Center helps graduate students polish the skills needed to write productively.
Celebrating ARCS Scholars
Thirteen doctoral students who are honored ARCS recipients were feted at the Ritz Carlton by the Foundation.
Tropical Biology and a Fragmented Landscape
Ignacio Escalante, PhD candidate in ESPM, illustrates his field work and studies of a group of arachnids in southwestern Costa Rica.
Hello, Hei, Annyeong
The “good efforts” of a Korean linguist-in-training lead to warm rewards in Finland.
Giving Back So Students Can Get Ahead
Read how one alumna supports career skills development for current students!
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Honors Public Service Center’s 50th Anniversary
The Public Service Center celebrates 50 years of serving the greater good with personal reflections and service stories from alums like Congresswoman Barbara Lee, ’75.
A ‘New American’ Fellow
Visionary philanthropists support graduate studies for immigrants and children of immigrants.
A Summer in the “Swamp”
Kim Fong, graduate student in the School of Information, shares her cross-country road trip from Berkeley to a technology policy summer internship in Washington, DC.
One Block, Two Worlds
Kevin Weaver, studying at Berkeley Law, explores social justice issues in education and on the Berkeley streets.
SLATE-ed for Improvement!
The Graduate Division is always working to improve the graduate student experience — including prospective students!
A Medieval Summer in Toronto
Bernardo S. Hinojosa, a PhD student in Literature, spent his summer at the Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies (PIMS) in Toronto, working towards a diploma in Manuscript Studies, and conducting research.
Berkeley Graduate Lectures Fall 2017
Check out this Fall’s lectures — free and open to the public — with exciting and distinguished speakers.
Meet the new Vice Chancellor for Equity & Inclusion
New Vice Chancellor for Equity & Inclusion seeks to advance student diversity and community.
Student Shares Winning Tips on Mentoring
A first-time graduate student researcher shares practical tips for effectively mentoring a summer intern.
Elizabeth Thelen Awarded Two Prestigious Fellowships
Ph.D. candidate in the Department of History, receives the Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation award and a Phi Beta Kappa Fellowship.
Mentoring Awards Recognize Outstanding Faculty
Seven faculty members were honored for their outstanding mentoring of graduate students.
Brandon Callender is Awarded the 2017 Philip Brett LGBT Studies Fellowship
Exploring the black queer past leads a young scholar to imagine the future.
Celebrating Berkeley’s Distinguished Fellows
On March 22, nearly 200 graduate students, donors, faculty and staff celebrated the distinguished fellows who hold prestigious multi-year fellowships as well as the generous supporters who help sustain the excellence of graduate education at Berkeley. Throughout the evening, Alumni House … Continued
Meet the Winners of the 2017 Berkeley Graduate Fellows Video Contest!
On March 22, scores of graduate students celebrated how fellowships support their studies. View the winning entries of the video contest — the highlight of this annual event.
What Does Graduate Division Do for Students?
How does the Graduate Division work both behind the scenes, and sometimes at front and center, to help you navigate the path to your degree?
Don’t Miss the Berkeley Grad Slam Championship!
Come cheer on graduate students as they present their three-minute research talks on April 5, 2017, 3 – 5:30 pm, 309 Sproul Hall. The winner will represent Berkeley in the UC campus-wide Grad Slam.
Shilpa Raja Awarded High Honors by the Material Research Society
Shilpa Raja, who recently received her doctoral degree from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, was awarded “Graduate Student Gold” for quality research.
Berkeley Graduate Lectures Fall 2016
Check out this Fall’s lectures — free and open to the public — with exciting and distinguished speakers.
Enriching the Graduate Student Experience
Graduate student mentors Naniette H. Coleman and Sarah Macdonald share their passions for writing and research with mentees, and show how professional development can help students flourish.
MacArthur “Genius” Reflects on His Graduate Student Years at Berkeley
Ethic Studies PhD alumnus Josh Kun highlights how campus funding empowered him as a graduate student and how awards — in his case, a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship — validate working in non-traditional fields.
Jorge Calderon: Investing in the Future of Colombian Students
The Columbian Graduate Student Fellowship created by Jorge Calderon, assists Berkeley students with a strong connection to Colombia who are studying economics, engineering, mathematics, or the physical or life sciences. He hopes that this fellowship will allow high-caliber students to reach their maximum potential and contribute to Colombia.
Tropical Biology and Ships
Ignacio Escalante, Ph.D. candidate and short-term fellow at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), conducts evolutionary biology and animal behavior research for his dissertation at Barro Colorado Island.
Berkeley Crowdfunding Launches New October Projects
This October, two of the eleven Berkeley crowdfunding projects are being managed in part by graduate students who are going above and beyond to ensure the campaign’s success.
Summer 2016 — La Selva: Featured Student Essay
My research brought me to a mysterious, tropical environment in Peru — la selva — to learn more about Peru’s jungle gastronomy, which is unmatched by any other place in the world.
Featured Student Essay: Summer 2016 – Undergraduate Research Experiences in STEM Fields
How summer internships at the Berkeley Lab led to a job and then to graduate studies!
Food Access, Research, and Social Justice
Food issues are hot on campus now, and graduate students are in the thick of the mix.