Undergraduate students typically start their university years expecting the greatest challenges will come in the classroom or the lab, but the Class of 2022 also had to work through a pandemic, natural disasters and historic social turmoil.
These years have demanded focus and resilience, and those strengths are embodied in this year’s University Medal Winner Anjika Pai and in the four finalists: Claire Beckstoffer, Jonah Lounds, Claire Rider and Hari Srinivasan. Even in the most challenging conditions, all have demonstrated an inspired commitment to scholarship and service.
The University Medal was established 151 years ago, in 1871, three years after the University of California was founded. Candidates must have achieved a GPA of 3.96 or higher while overcoming significant challenges and making a positive impact on the lives of other people.
This years finalist feature three of our own students from the Letters and Science department: Jonah Lounds (History), Claire Rider (Anthropology and American studies) and Hari Srinivasan (Psychology). A huge congratulations to them for exhibiting the excellence that is Berkeley's College of Letters and Science.