Social Sciences (Faculty & Staff)

UC Berkeley Political Science Professor Amy Lerman was recently awarded the Chancellor’s Award for Research in the Public Interest, which honors “individuals and groups for their exceptional commitment to advancing social change through public service.” An educator and researcher, Professor Lerman is passionate about her research in equity, public opinion and civic engagement. She consults on issues of criminal justice reform, civic...

UC Berkeley Geography Professor Brandi Summers began her journey in academia after receiving her Ph.D. in sociology from UC Santa Cruz and a masters degree in social sciences from the University of Chicago. Throughout her career at Berkeley, Professor Summers has taught, mentored and inspired countless undergraduate and graduate students. Her research aims to use ideas from cultural and urban geography, urban sociology, African American studies and media studies to examine how people rethink and reshape race (especially blackness) and urban spaces through culture, politics...

Focusing her research on the effects of monetary and fiscal policy on the economy, Chancellor's Professor of Economics Emi Nakamura brings her distinguished academic background to UC Berkeley’s Department of Economics.

Nakamura is the recipient of the John Bates Clark Medal; co-vice chair of the Economics Department; previous co-editor of the American Economic Review; a member of the American...

UC Berkeley History Professor John Connelly has been awarded a prestigious 2024 Guggenheim Fellowship. Connelly, who serves as the Sidney Hellman Ehrman Professor of European History, has made significant contributions to the field of European history through his extensive research and publications.

He currently directs Berkeley's Institute for East European, Eurasian, and Slavic Studies. Connelly, who holds a bachelor's degree from Georgetown University and a Ph.D. from Harvard University, published works that include “Captive University: The...