Staff

UC Berkeley-led study reveals undercounted COVID-19 deaths in Pune, India

August 8, 2024
By Lilah Klein

A groundbreaking study led by UC Berkeley Psychology Postdoctoral Research Fellow Aakash Chowkase showed the official number of COVID-19 deaths in Pune, India may be significantly underreported.

Published in Nature's Scientific Reports on May 6th, 2024, the research estimates that from March 2020 to December 2021, Pune...

Professor Nicole Starosielski (Film & Media) launches world's first certificate in internet infrastructure at Berkeley

April 2, 2025

This month, The Berkeley Center for New Media (BCNM) at the University of California, Berkeley, launched the Certificate in Global Digital Infrastructure(link is external), the first and only program of its kind in higher education.Created and led by internet infrastructure expert and Professor Nicole Starosielski(link is...

https://artshumanities.berkeley.edu/news/professor-nicole-starosielski-film-medi…

Extraordinary Stories and People: New program highlights the breadth of Palestinian and Arab studies

April 2, 2025
Jackie Krentzman
New Palestinian and Arab studies program to explore a wide array of topics including poetry, legal studies, ecology, and much more.

In Fall 2024, the Division of Social Sciences announced that it was forming a new program in Palestinian and Arab Studies. The program, led by the holder of the new May Ziadeh Chair Ussama Makdisi, a professor of History, was created to deepen understanding of Palestinian and Arab history, politics, and culture. Makdisi says the program is one of the first of its kind in the United States.

“The program is a long overdue step in...

https://diversity.berkeley.edu/news/extraordinary-stories-and-people-new-program…

Fakes, replicas and forgeries: What counts as art?

April 2, 2025
Anne Brice

In the early 2000s, UC Berkeley rhetoric professor Winnie Wong visited Dafen village in China, where artists painted replicas of famous pieces like the Mona Lisa and Starry Night. It dramatically changed how she thinks about art and those who make it.

When Winnie Wong first saw Dafen Oil Painting Village in 2006, it was nothing like she’d imagined.

The Chinese village was known for mass producing copies of Western art. She’d read about it in The New York Times, which described a kind of compound where thousands of artists painted replicas of famous artworks...

https://news.berkeley.edu/2025/03/31/berkeley-voices-transformation-series-ep-6-…

2025 UC Berkeley Alianza Latinx Staff Awards honor L&S staff

March 21, 2025

Image featuring some of our awardees.

Alianza at UC Berkeley, a Chicanx/Latinx staff organization, recently announced the winners of the 2025 UC Berkeley Alianza Latinx Staff Award. This award is designed to "recognize and honor the remarkable achievements, contributions, and talents of our Latinx-identifying staff members." Congratulations to all of this year's recipients, which include the following L...

Creativity is What Comes Next: An L&S Lunch and Learn Conversation

March 27, 2025
Lauren Miller

On Tuesday, March 18, the College of Letters & Science Administrative Advisory Committee (AAC) hosted a conversation between Professors David Nadler and Shannon Steen on the topic “What is Creativity?” at its second L&S Lunch and Learn convening. Moderated by Aileen Liu, Director of Curricular Engagement Initiatives, this discussion afforded L&S staff the opportunity to thoughtfully engage with the scholarship of the College and connect with their colleagues....

Cognitive Science Student Services assistant director shares her passion for empowering students and staff

April 2, 2025
By Jessica Ballardo

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...

In Memoriam: Remembering Ben Dillon

March 11, 2025

Headshot of Ben DillonIt is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our dear colleague and friend, Ben Dillon. Ben, our dedicated marketing and communications manager, passed away the morning of March 4, 2025 after a sudden and intense battle with cancer.

There are no words to fully express the depth of our sorrow. Ben was a bright light in our department—a colleague whose generosity, compassion, and kindness touched...

https://tdps.berkeley.edu/news/remembering-ben-dillon

AAC Brings “What is Understanding?” Conversation to L&S Staff

October 22, 2024
Lauren Miller

Aileen Liu (left), Jennifer Johnson-Hanks (middle), and Hernan Garcia speak in a panel.

On Wednesday, October 9, the College of Letters & Science Administrative Advisory Committee (AAC) hosted its inaugural L&S Brown Bag Lunch and Learn. One of several new initiatives by the recently revamped AAC, the Lunch and Learn provides L&S staff members an opportunity to connect with their colleagues and...

Social Sciences budget director reflects on her humanitarian journey to help orphaned children in Ghana

March 12, 2025
By Ashley Park

Group picture

Group photo with kids, staff and volunteers on their last day in Ghana.

UC Berkeley Social Sciences Budget Director Zahra Rezapour embarked on a humanitarian mission to Ghana in January as part of a group with Volunteers for International Medical Aid (VIMA), an organization dedicated to supporting orphaned children and underserved communities....