On April 13, 2017, the 11th annual Graduate Mentoring Awards Ceremony honored seven faculty members with the Carol D. Soc Distinguished Graduate Student Mentoring Award and the Graduate Assembly Faculty Mentor Award. About 70 students, faculty, and staff attended the annual event at Anna Head Alumnae Hall.

Dax vivid, Campus Affairs Vice President of the Graduate Assembly, and Fiona Doyle, Dean of the Graduate Division, presented the awards to the recipients — chosen from 61 faculty nominees — who exemplify the values and best practices of effective mentoring on campus.

Carol D. Soc Distinguished Graduate Student Mentoring Awards

The Carol D. Soc Mentoring Award is funded by a generous bequest from the estate of Carol Soc, a long-time employee of the Graduate Division. The award aims to recognize and foster the qualities of excellence in mentorship that are central to the Berkeley community. This year’s winners, nominated and selected by faculty peers, are:

David Card, Class of 1950 Professor of Economics, was honored as a senior faculty winner. One of the nominators noted: “David takes true joy in helping his graduate students succeed in the way that parents take joy in seeing their children develop, thrive and live to their fullest potential.”

James Vernon, Professor of History, was also honored as a senior faculty winner. One nominator stated: “He is utterly devoted to the success and professional development of his students.”

Scott Moura, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, was honored as the junior faculty winner. A former student wrote: “Dr. Moura is an excellent teacher, advisor and role model to each and every student he interacts with. His doors are always open.”


Graduate Assembly Faculty Mentor Awards

Now in its 13th year, the Faculty Mentor Award, sponsored by the Graduate Assembly, honors faculty who have shown an outstanding commitment to mentoring, advising and supporting graduate students to succeed academically, professionally, and personally. Nominated by current and former graduate students and faculty colleagues, this year’s winners are:

Imke de Pater, Professor of Astronomy. One of the nominators stated: (Her deep respect for her students fosters a trusting and open relationship in which they feel comfortable discussing personal difficulties, and can always expect a thoughtful and compassionate response.”

Shari Huhndorf, Professor of Ethnic Studies. Student nominees noted: “Dr. Huhndorf has shown us a positive mentor-mentee relationship that builds friendship, trust, support and genuine concern for students. We know that Dr. Huhndorf is there for us personally and professionally, and she epitomizes the type of mentor we hope to be in the future.”

Janelle Scott, Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Education. A student nominee wrote: “Through her mentorship, Janelle strives to create scholars who are nuanced and worldly in their thinking, not boxed into a narrow sub-discipline or field.”

In addition, Jeffrey Hadler, former Professor of South and South East Asian Studies, was awarded a special recognition in memoriam, following his untimely passing in January. His student nominee stated: “Jeff Hadler was the model for what a faculty mentor should be. He cared about his graduate students intensely and invested himself in their intellectual growth and career development with not only personal commitment, but with a genuine degree of self-sacrifice.”

Congratulations to all!