GDP staff
Abby Rincon, Assistant Dean for Graduate Diversity (left) with GDP staff, Cynthia Ladd-Viti, Outreach/Summer Research/GiGS Coordinator, and Tiffany Camero, Program Assistant.

The Graduate Diversity Program (GDP) supports efforts to increase diversity among graduate students at Berkeley. GDP strives to enhance students’ educational experience in addition to supporting undergraduate diversity students at Berkeley who are considering graduate study.

Among program highlights are the Professional Development Workshop Series on a variety of topics such as:

  • Writing your dissertation
  • Public speaking
  • Salary negotiation

GDP coordinates Getting into Grad School (GiGS), in a collaborative partnership with the Graduate Assembly. GIGS aims to encourage and prepare undergraduate UCB students to select, apply and enroll in graduate school. For program information, please see the GIGS website.

With the New Year, GDP welcomes a new director, Assistant Dean for Graduate Diversity, Abby Rincon. Abby will join current staff, Outreach/Summer Research/GiGS Coordinator Cynthia Ladd-Viti, and Program Assistant Tiffany Camero.

Abby brings with her more than 33 years of experience in campus administration and leadership, most recently as Diversity Director of the School of Public Health. Abby is deeply committed to issues of equity, diversity, and social justice and will strive to increase the access and academic success of diversity students on the Berkeley campus.

In her new role, Abby will also provide oversight and leadership to the American Indian Graduate Program (AIGP). She looks forward to collaborating with recently appointed Vice Chancellor of Equity & Inclusion, Na’ilah Nasir, and the Dean of the Graduate Division, Fiona Doyle, on a broad range of graduate student issues, and to providing significant input on policy, programs, initiatives, and student-related issues.