Martha Chavez's headshot

Dear Students, Staff, Faculty, and Colleagues,

I hope you are having a fantastic start to the Fall 2024 semester!  The Office for Graduate Diversity’s amazing team provides graduate students with programs, resources, and connections to support a thriving and inclusive graduate educational experience.  We encourage you to participate in and leverage our key programs and resources, including the Inclusive Excellence Hub, which is located at 2515 Channing way.  Led by Mariela Cruz Aguilera, the Hub provides a welcoming environment for graduate students to find camaraderie and build multi-disciplinary networks. You can find reservable study rooms, privacy booths, a family room, free printing, coffee, tea and snacks. The Hub is also home to the UndocuGrads Program, American Indian Graduate Program, and graduate student affinity groups, including our new First Generation Low Income (FGLI) Graduate Student Group!  Contact Mariela ([email protected]) for more information, and stop by the Hub Monday through Friday between 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. 

This Fall, we once again welcomed over 100 first-year Ph.D. students to the Path to the Professoriate Program to support graduate school success and to demystify the path to academic careers. In addition, OGD’s STEM*FYI Program supports increasing the success and retention of historically underrepresented graduate students in STEM fields at UC Berkeley. Funded by the PPG Foundation, STEM*FYI participants benefit from career workshops, mentorship, resources, social events, and funding for professional development and technology needs. Get involved and learn more by contacting [email protected]

We are also thrilled to have 37 outstanding 2024-2025 Diversity and Community Fellows, who help advance the diversity and inclusion goals of OGD and the Graduate Division.  The Fellows engage with numerous campus initiatives and programs to advance equity, inclusion, and belonging at Berkeley.  They also provide mentoring support for new and continuing graduate students, and you can connect with them via our website.

OGD and the Graduate Admissions Office are also co-hosting the Fall 2024 Graduate Diversity Admissions Fair taking place on October 7 – October 11, 2024. This fair is uniquely designed for underrepresented minoritized students considering graduate school at Berkeley, though it is open to all prospective students. Please share the fair information with your networks!

Stay tuned for more exciting OGD events and programs, and please subscribe or share this newsletter!  Enjoy the Fall semester and we hope to see you soon!

Fiat Lux and Go Bears,

​​Martha Chavez (she/her/hers)