Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

UC Berkeley students combat K-12 book bans by creating their own children’s books

January 29, 2024

As the battle to control what students read continues in K-12 schools across the country, policies backed by U.S. legislators have contributed to a recent rise in the banning of books that include the history and experiences of people of color.

Those stories, historically, have been left out of American history books, said UC Berkeley lecturer and anthropologist Pablo Gonzalez, so it’s...

Berkeley Talks: The transformative potential of AI in academia

December 15, 2023

In Berkeley Talks episode 186, a panel of UC Berkeley scholars from the College of Letters and Science discusses the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in academia — and the questions and challenges it requires universities and other social institutions to confront.

"When it comes to human-specific problems, we often want fair, equitable, unbiased answers," said Keanan Joyner, an assistant professor of psychology. "But the data that we feed into the training set often is not that. And so, we are asking AI to produce something that it was never trained on, and that...

22 L&S News Highlights from 2022

December 15, 2022
Collage of images from 2022 News Highlights Looking back on another outstanding year, Berkeley College of Letters & Science has compiled “22 News Highlights of 2022”—a recap of accomplishments from the L&S community this year. Here are just a few stories demonstrating the extraordinary work and generosity of L&S students, faculty, staff, and alumni, as well as some highlighted videos from around the College. Enjoy!...

Career readiness fellowship helps students thrive in Sacramento internships

September 29, 2023

Katherine Rodriguez was preparing to embark on a transformative internship with the CalEPA’s Department of Toxic Substances Control, but a sudden change in her financial situation left her scrambling to cover her expenses.

“I worked at Chipotle throughout community college,” said Rodriguez, a UC Berkeley transfer student majoring in global studies. “So that was going to be my plan: to work nights and weekends.”
...

Indigenous anthropologist and new Berkeley professor finds family, hope in basket weaving

November 14, 2023
Headshot of Carolyn Smith; Woman with long, brown straight hair and a purple shirt and long earring, looking and smiling into frame. Blurred background indoors.Carolyn Smith is a new assistant professor of anthropology at UC Berkeley and an enrolled descendant of the Karuk tribe. Her life’s work forever changed years ago after a trip to the Klamath River.

Carolyn Smith knew she had a lot to learn when she...

L&S Author Interview: Noah Whiteman & "Most Delicious Poison"

October 17, 2023
Noah Whiteman, professor of genetics, genomics, evolution and development and director of the Essig Museum of Entomology at UC Berkeley, speaks about his new book, Most Delicious Poison: The Story of Nature's Toxins--From Spices to Vices.

In this interview, Noah Whiteman shares his experience writing Most Delicious Poison, which focuses on the chemicals that plants, fungi, and small animals make to defend themselves from attack. He simultaneously explores how these intricate mechanisms found in nature have found their way into the human experience and our consumption...

A Call for Community on Campus

October 12, 2023

Chancellor Carol Christ sent to the following message to the Berkeley campus community Thursday afternoon.

We are increasingly concerned by the growing prevalence of online threats, doxxing and harassment connected to the conflict between Israel and Hamas. We decry any calls for violence in any form or support for terrorism as we continue to mourn the loss of innocent life. We understand this rhetoric is creating deep fear and concern among many members of our campus community. With that in mind, we want to share an extraordinary message, written by two of our faculty, one who is...

Theater as power: New professor brings Caribbean performance practice to Berkeley

October 18, 2023

The campus's first social justice theater professor, Timmia Hearn DeRoy, talks about how Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival practice, rooted in emancipation, drives her work today. Read a transcript of Berkeley Voices episode 114: 'Theater as power: New professor brings Caribbean performance practice to Berkeley.'

Timmia Hearn DeRoy: Theater and performing arts often, perhaps most frequently, uphold existing regimes because that’s where the money is. That’s where the power is. It takes a lot to create art. And so when we look at the most prominent forms of theater practice,...

L&S Author Interview: Judy Juanita

September 18, 2023
Judy Juanita, Berkeley College Writing Programs lecturer, speaks about her award-winning book, The High Price of Freeways.

In this interview, Judy shares her inspiration for her book and how her personal narratives influenced her short stories in The High Price of Freeways. Incorporating humor and attitude into her stories, Judy explores the "oddity of living in a place where freedom is touted, but its costs are often hidden." Judy also reminisces about her time spent as the editor-in-chief of The...

Sydney Roberts: New ASUC president shares her goals, inspirations

September 19, 2023

Sydney Roberts, ASUC president wearing a Cal shirt

"I feel very honored to be in the role of ASUC president," said Sydney Roberts, a fourth-year student from Long Beach who is double-majoring in political science and African American studies. "My first goal ... is to increase students' sense of belonging, especially students who have historically felt excluded from higher education."

I'm from Long...