UC Berkeley Cognitive Science Assistant Director for Student Services MacKenzie Moore began her journey at Cal as an American History graduate student, where she fell in love with the campus environment and student culture. She went on to become a lecturer in the History Department, which deepened her passion for working with students and led her to her current role.
At the Cognitive Science program, Moore is responsible for supporting staff, collaborating on program strategy and contributing to the overall success of it. Her commitment to empowering students and staff continues to drive her work.
Berkeley Social Sciences spoke with Moore about her journey to Cal, her accomplishments and what she likes best about her job. This interview has been edited for clarity.
Tell us about your background and how you ended up at UC Berkeley?
MacKenzie Moore: I began at UC Berkeley as a Ph.D. student in American History in 2004. I loved the campus environment and the students. After receiving my degree, I worked as a lecturer in the History Department for one year. Again, I noticed that my favorite part of the job was my interactions with the undergraduates. So, I decided to work with a career counselor at the Career Engagement Center to transition into Student Services.
Tell us more about your job at Cognitive Science?
MacKenzie Moore: As the assistant director for Student Services, I directly supervise two fantastic staff advisors; strategize with fellow leaders regarding programmatic matters, budget, revenue and curriculum; and provide support to our staff of unit 18 lecturers.
What do you like best about your job?
MacKenzie Moore: Cognitive Science is an undergraduate interdisciplinary program with a small group of staff and faculty making decisions for the program. This means that I get to help with almost every aspect of the program operations. I love that this position allows me to participate in so many aspects of administration and to really impact the trajectory of the program as a whole. Also, my colleagues both inside CogSci and the unit that houses us (Interdisciplinary Social Science Programs) create a wonderfully collaborative and supportive environment that makes coming to work a joy.
What are some of your accomplishments?
MacKenzie Moore: I'm especially proud of our ability to empower all of our staff to push themselves to new and greater heights. It's so exciting to see staff and students take on and meet new challenges. I'm also proud of our recent launch of a summer-only minor program, Cognitive Science and the Future of Tech — and I'm excited to see it grow!
Outside of work, what are some of your hobbies?
MacKenzie Moore: My main hobbies are writing (I'm working on a screenplay) and tennis (the world's greatest sport). My greatest love is hanging out with my three beautiful children (Olema, Nuria and Shiloh), and my fierce wife Lucia.