Social Sciences (Faculty & Staff)

UC Berkeley’s African American Studies (AAS) Department launched a groundbreaking project this week with a $100,000 Affirming Multivocal Humanities grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The Banned Scholars Project is a direct response to increasing restrictions on academic freedom, particularly in the fields of critical race theory, DEI and gender studies. It was spearheaded by AAS professors Michael M. Cohen, Tianna S. Paschel and Ula Taylor; department chair Nikki Jones; and managed by staffer Barbara Montano.

The Mellon Foundation,...

UC Berkeley Anthropology Department Professor and Chair Sabrina Agarwal’s long career has made a big impact in her field of research, teaching and student mentorship. Her research focuses on age and sex-related changes in bone quantity and quality, as well as the application of biocultural and life course approaches to the study of bone health to examine the dynamics of gender and social inequality in the past and...

UC Berkeley Geography Professor Emeritus Michael J. Watts was recently awarded the prestigious Ester Boserup Prize for his outstanding contributions to the field of development research. The Copenhagen Centre for Development Research, a leading institution known for its interdisciplinary approach, awarded the prize to Watts for his substantial contributions to the understanding of development studies.

The Ester Boserup Prize is given to a scholar whose work has enriched and expanded insights into the dynamics of development and economic history...

SAN ANTONIO, TX (10 Jan 2024) – The American Economic Association (AEA) bestowed its Award for Outstanding Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion to the Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA), a research hub at the University of California, Berkeley that generates evidence decision-makers use to reduce global poverty. Accepted by Professor of Economics at UC Berkeley and Faculty Co-Director of CEGA Edward Miguel at the annual AEA meeting this weekend, the Center received the award for its strong commitment to diversity and inclusion that has benefited both...