Blog

February 9, 2022

Call for Nominations: Faculty Award for Outstanding Mentorship of GSIs — 3/18/22

The Graduate Council’s Advisory Committee for GSI Affairs and the GSI Teaching & Resource Center invite nominations from graduate students for the 2022 Faculty Award for Outstanding Mentorship of GSIs. This award recognizes faculty (including both Senate and non-Senate faculty) who have provided GSIs outstanding mentorship in teaching at Berkeley and in preparing for teaching in future careers.

January 18, 2022

Connect your STEM research to your community

Science at Cal is in search of speaker participants for Grounds for Science, a lecture series specifically showcasing graduate student research and talent. For over ten years, Science at Cal has provided opportunities for UC Berkeley scientists to share their research with diverse public audiences through science lectures, cafes, street fairs, farmer’s markets, festivals and other free public events.

January 18, 2022

Exploring Careers Outside of Academia

Many graduate students will opt for careers beyond academia, but may not immediately know what kind of non-academic careers fit their interests, goals, and skills. Career exploration is a key step in not only broadening your knowledge of career possibilities, but also reflecting on your values and motivations.

January 14, 2022

Fernström Fellowship — 2/14/2022

The Fernström Fellowship for Summer 2022 and 2022-23 is open to registered graduate students who wish to study in Scandinavia. Terms of the endowment state “preference shall be given to American students who wish to study in Scandinavia, preferably Sweden, and to students in Scandinavian Languages and Literature,” but the…

January 12, 2022

Welcome back and looking forward!

Dear Graduate Student Community, Happy New Year and welcome back! Amidst the challenges and uncertainty we’ve been steeped in this winter, I hope you were able to do the things you enjoy most and connect with friends and loved ones. These past two years have taught us to live with…
three students sitting at a table in front of laptops

January 3, 2022

A New Year Calls for Reimagining Nurturing Community Support

With the start of a new year, you might already be thinking about upcoming deadlines and your goals for the semester. These deadlines, tasks, and responsibilities can be overwhelming. Here at GradPro, we encourage you to take a step back and reimagine the type of social support that you will need to accomplish all of your competing goals, while not losing sight of what is truly important—your emotional and physical wellbeing.
Lisa García Bedolla

December 15, 2021

Town Hall Recap and a Reminder to Rest, Recharge and Reconnect

Congratulations on making it through this fall semester! We recognize it’s been a tremendous challenge to resume in-person instruction and I want to thank you for your patience and resilience as we’ve all navigated the ups and downs over these past months. But I hope that,  like me, you’ve also experienced the joys of being back in community.
man writing on a paper in front of a laptop

December 13, 2021

How to Prepare for Virtual Video Interviews

In the remote/hybrid/in-person world, virtual interviews have become commonplace. While virtual interviews can eliminate the hassle of traveling, it remains important to adequately prepare yourself. Below are some tips to present yourself in a thoughtful, professional, and prepared manner.
Stern Health Sciences fellows event

November 16, 2021

Introducing the Stern Health Sciences Fellowship Program

The Stern Health Sciences Fellowship program was created to pave the way for new innovation by supporting graduate students in leading-edge research while, at the same time, addressing the urgency of human health needs by making increased funds available immediately. The program was conceived and established through a generous donation by Eric H. Stern, B.S. Business Administration, Chair of the Graduate Division Executive Advisory Committee, and a Trustee of the UCBF Board.

November 16, 2021

New Graduate Student Orientation — An overwhelming success!

“We threw a party and everyone came!”  Lisa Garcia Bedolla August 26th was a reason to celebrate. With the Berkeley campus now open, the Graduate Division had the opportunity once again to experience the excitement of welcoming our incoming graduate students in person. Given that last year’s cohort of…
students at 2019 GradFest

November 16, 2021

Graduate Diversity Initiatives and Promises

Photo: Kelley Cox Photography In July 2020, Vice Provost Lisa García Bedolla and fellow Graduate Division staff convened a working group to meet with Black graduate students and hear their concerns and suggestions about increasing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging at Cal. Using what we heard in…
collage of plenary session presenters

November 15, 2021

Over 3000 Prospective Students Attend Second Annual Graduate Diversity Admissions Fair

The virtual UC Berkeley Graduate Diversity Admissions Fair returned for the second year to a broader, more diverse audience of prospective graduate students. The weeklong event, which took place October 18 - 22, 2021, supports the UC Berkeley’s Office for Graduate Diversity’s goal to significantly increase diversity recruitment and create a belonging culture where students from all backgrounds feel supported, encouraged and welcomed as they prepare to apply to graduate programs.
P2P participants

November 12, 2021

Demystifying and Illuminating the Ph.D. Journey

Built on learnings from the Berkeley Summer Institute for Preparing Future Faculty, the Path to the Professoriate (P2P) Program engages first-year Ph.D. students from underrepresented backgrounds in workshops and structured activities around illuminating the route to assistant professorship in their discipline and establishing and building a publication pipeline.

November 12, 2021

Introducing Our Graduate Writing Consultants

Michael Arjun Banerjee I am a third-year doctoral student in Jurisprudence and Social Policy, studying American legal history. I have been working as a Graduate Writing Consultant since January 2020, with an emphasis on academic writing. Before coming to Berkeley, I earned a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

November 10, 2021

Support Resources to Keep You Centered

Dear Graduate Student Community, First, I want to say how encouraged and inspired I’ve been witnessing your resilience during all the uncertainties of this semester. I’m incredibly grateful for your patience, your ideas, and your participation as you’ve worked together to support each other, especially our students facing the greatest…

November 9, 2021

A message of gratitude from the Dean and Vice Provost

Dear Cal Supporters and Alumni, I want to express my profound gratitude for the generous support you’ve provided to Berkeley’s Graduate Division. Your generosity has enabled our graduate students to better navigate and overcome the challenges of this past year. It’s been a joy to see our graduate students back…

October 28, 2021

Underscoring the Importance of Supporting Berkeley’s Graduate Students

“Even though I mentor Ph.D. students, I’m not just helping them. They help me fuel my thinking about my own research. When they talk with me about their work, they’re moving me into areas that I wouldn’t have remotely considered. That’s huge.” Jill Duerr Berrick, professor at Berkeley Social Welfare.

October 7, 2021

Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fellowships — 1/04/2022

Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fellowships are awarded to candidates who have outstanding undergraduate records, have demonstrated a need for financial assistance, are citizens of the United States of America, are enrolled in accredited colleges and universities in the United States and have received baccalaureate degrees. Applicants must be enrolled UC Berkeley graduate…